New developments announced in North Port murder of middle school teacher

NORTH PORT, Fla. - North Port Police have named a suspect and released new information in the March murder of the middle school teacher Kenneth Ellis.

Katrelle Johnson, 19, has been charged with Ellis’ murder. The suspect has been in the Sarasota County Jail since June for an unrelated homicide and drug-related charges, authorities said.

At a news conference Wednesday morning, police said that Johnson committed a crime of opportunity.

He and an unnamed accomplice were driving around March 29 looking for a home to rob, police said.

They spotted Ellis’ wife Ella in her North Port home on Albren Street, unaware that her husband Kenneth was also in the house.

The two masked suspects rang the doorbell and were taken off guard when Kenneth answered it.

Investigators said the suspects shot and killed Kenneth. The two men fled the scene of the crime. The following day, school officials and students were informed that the history and Tae Kwon Do instructor at the Manatee School for the Arts had been murdered.

There were 100 leads on the case and detectives said they did countless interviews.

Manatee deputies found the murder weapon, a .32 revolver, buried in the ground in North Port.

Authorities would not say what lead them to the murder weapon or the suspect.

Johnson is still being held at the Sarasota County Jail.  He is expected to make his first appearance Thursday at 1:00 p.m.

Authorities are still searching for the second suspect.