The proposed deal would have sent Ernest Joseph Roberts, a former assistant principal charged with Russell's murder, to prison for 30 years followed by five years of probation. But Russell's family made clear in court that the agreement was not what they wanted, and after nearly two hours of emotional testimony and argument, Judge Alberto Milan declined to accept it.

"My mom was brutalized; her head was bashed," Russell's daughter told the court. "She wasn't afforded a quick death… her body was thrown into a canal like trash."

"I refuse to believe this is what justice is supposed to look like," she said. "I wish a more thorough investigation was done… I also want to be clear: a 30-year plea deal is not what our family wanted."

Russell, who worked at Miami Norland Senior High School, disappeared in May 2019 after going to pick up her daughter. Nearly two weeks later, her body was found in a canal. Roberts, who had known Russell since childhood and served as godfather to her daughters, was later arrested and charged with her murder.

At Friday's hearing, Russell's oldest daughter confronted Roberts directly as he sat with his head down.

"Look at me… look at me… look at what you've done," she said. "You cannot look anyone in the eye. You fear a trial because it will force you to revisit that day."

Roberts sat with his lips pressed together for much of the hearing, at times clenching his jaw.

After the family spoke, Judge Milan gave them the opportunity to confer with the prosecutor before the deal was formally rejected. The judge, who became emotional at points, told the family he had been closely involved in the case and stressed that Russell had not been treated as just a case number.

"Bottom line is she's never been forgotten," Milan said. "We just don't know why people kill each other. I myself in my family, it's happened, and nobody was arrested, nobody was prosecuted."

After the judge described his own family's experience with violence, the defense asked him to recuse himself. The case will be reassigned to a new judge as it moves toward trial.

Outside the courtroom, Roberts' attorney, Roderick Vereen, said he was frustrated but not surprised by the outcome.

"The family don't know the facts of the case. There's gonna be things that come out that they're not aware of," Vereen said. "There's gonna be things that come out that are very shocking to the public that they're not aware of. And so the only thing I can tell you is that my interest in this case is my client."

Vereen estimated that a trial may not begin until the end of next year. Russell's family declined to comment after the hearing.

The rejection of the plea deal means the case will proceed through the courts nearly seven years after Russell's death, a timeline her family said has left them with unanswered questions about the investigation. For a Miami Gardens community that has followed the case since 2019, the decision keeps alive the prospect of a public trial and a fuller accounting of what happened to a beloved local educator.