A neighbor of a Florida teacher who was found dead in her apartment next to her lover in a suspected murder-suicide, heard a “very loud, screeching scream” the night of the incident.
Amanda Hicks, 26, was found lying on the floor of the home she shared with her unnamed partner and 10-month-old daughter in Port St Lucie, Florida, on Saturday.
Police have confirmed that Hicks was stabbed to death.
The little girl was heard crying in her crib behind a locked door before police entered the building to discover the sixth grade teacher dead next to a man.
A neighbor claims they heard loud screams coming from the first floor apartment late Friday night.
Authorities have not confirmed his identity but revealed that they are not looking for anyone else in connection to Hicks’ death and believe he killed her before committing suicide.
A neighbor of Amanda Hicks, found dead in her Florida apartment next to her lover in a suspected murder-suicide, heard a “very loud, screeching scream” the night of the incident
The sixth grade teacher was found lying on the floor of the house she shared with her unnamed partner and 10-month-old daughter in Port St Lucie on Saturday.
Neighbor Monica Ventura, 56, said she heard a “very loud, screeching scream” coming from the house in the Peacock Run apartment complex late Friday night
Officers discovered the bodies in the Peacock Run apartment complex after a relative of the unnamed man requested a welfare check on a male resident around 11:45 a.m.
Hicks’ daughter, Alani, was found unharmed in her crib and is now in the custody of another relative following the murder.
A neighbor spoke out, saying she heard a “very loud, screeching scream” from the apartment the night before.
“That scream stays in my head,” said 56-year-old Monica Ventura local news website TC Palm.
Hicks, her partner and daughter moved into the property three weeks before the tragic incident and neighbors said they wished they ‘could have reached out’ to help the couple, adding ‘they seemed perfectly normal’.
They said, ‘We didn’t even get time to get to know them because everything happened so fast. However, my heart goes out to the family. Hopefully they will find peace in this.’
Tributes poured in for the high school teacher who attended the Dr. David L Anderson Middle School worked.
The school is closed for summer vacation, but Martin County has advised teachers and staff about the incident.
Director Darcia Borel sent a memo to staff members identifying her as the female victim, writing: ‘Port St. Lucie Police have confirmed that Mrs. Hicks was the victim of murder.
Hicks, her partner and daughter moved onto the property three weeks before the tragic incident and neighbors said they wished they could have ‘reached out’ to help the couple
Hicks is pictured with her brother, Eric, who posted on Facebook: ‘All of you plz help us raise money for my sister’s funeral and service’
Tributes poured in for the high school teacher who attended the Dr. David L Anderson Middle School worked
“While words will never be enough to convey the shock and sadness this news has brought to our school family, it is more important than ever to come together to support each other through our grief journey.
“Additional information on memorials and opportunities to support Amanda’s beautiful little girl is forthcoming.”
Hicks gave birth to Alani in July and lost her mother in December 2018 after a battle with cancer.
Her brother Eric asked online for support for her funeral and service.
A lifelong friend described Hicks as “passionate” for her friends and family, adding that she was “absolutely beautiful inside and out.”
‘This world will never be the same without you… Your creativity was pure art. Everything you made turned to gold,” Mariah Uphues wrote online.
“You weren’t afraid to speak your mind and even when life tried to knock you down, you still stood up and fought at the end of the day.
Hicks, a sixth grade teacher, is pictured with her mother, who died of cancer in December 2018
Police are pictured outside the Peacock Run apartment complex on Saturday where they found Hicks dead, along with an unnamed man
Officers discovered the bodies in the apartment after a family member requested a welfare check on a male resident there
“Even though I don’t know what happened that day, I hold no hatred in my heart towards him and my heart goes out to his family.
“I can’t even express my gratitude for Alani being found unharmed, but nothing can ever fully replace her parents by her side…you were loved by so many and will be missed for all our remaining years.”
And Hicks’ boyfriend of five years, Raquel Magallon, told WBPF she was “an angel” who brought joy to all who knew her.
She just lit up the room. She had such a big, beautiful smile. She was always cheerful and always energetic.
‘She was just an angel. Every time I saw her she certainly brightened my day.”