Young mum found dead near her crying baby in apparent murder-suicide

Friends of Amanda Hicks have remembered the schoolteacher as someone who "lit up the room".

A young schoolteacher was found dead next to her boyfriend in a suspected murder-suicide after police arrived to the sound of her infant daughter’s cries.

Amanda Hicks, 26, was found dead on the floor of her home in Port St Lucie, Florida, about 180km north of Miami, on Saturday morning, local TV station NBC WPTV reports.

She was reportedly stabbed to death.

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The outlet said police could hear a baby crying from inside the locked apartment when they arrived about 11.45am.

A Port St Lucie PD spokesperson said officers were called to the property after a relative of the male resident requested a welfare check.

The New York Post reports police believe the deceased male killed Amanda before taking his own life.

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Florida teacher Amanda Hicks was found dead beside her lover after police were alerted by the cries of her baby daughter.

Principal pays tribute to beloved schoolteacher

Amanda was a teacher at a local middle school.

Neither Amanda nor her partner have been formally named by police, but Principal Darcia Borel of Dr David L Anderson Middle School sent a memo to staff members identifying her as the female victim.

“The Port St Lucie Police Department has confirmed that Ms Hicks was the victim of a homicide,” Ms Borel wrote.

“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 one another through our grief journey.

“Additional information about memorials and opportunities for supporting Amanda’s beautiful little girl will be forthcoming.”

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Amanda Hicks, pictured with her brother Eric, was killed by her boyfriend before he shot himself. Picture: Facebook

"She just lit up the room"

Amanda’s friend Raquel Magallon told WPBF her friend always wanted to work with kids.

“She just lit up the room. She had such a big, beautiful smile. She was always happy and always energetic,” Ms Magallon recalled.

“This is like really shocking and really sad … She was just an angel. She was the most happiest person. She definitely brightened my day every time I saw her and I just don’t know what happened with this situation. I know she’s at peace now, but I pray that she didn’t suffer because she definitely doesn’t deserve to go out like that.”

Police said no further information was expected to be released about Amanda’s death, and they weren’t seeking any additional suspects.

Originally published as Young mum found dead near her crying baby in apparent murder-suicide