Friends and family have identified 49-year-old Vivian James as the woman who was found dead inside of a Westside home Saturday. James worked as a science teacher at Atlantic Coast High School.
On Sunday, Atlantic Coast High School PTSA posted to Facebook, that a teacher named Vivian James recently died. The post said that grief counselors would be available to all students and staff as they mourn her loss.
Stingray Nation: It is with a very heavy heart that we share news of the passing of one of our teachers, Vivian James. Grief counselors will be on campus next week to help our students and faculty as we mourn her loss. We will post more information as we get it.
James was a science teacher at the high school, according to the school's staff directory.
Police suspect foul play in her death after she was discovered by a friend around 7:41 a.m. inside a Westside home, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Chad Cushnir teaches TV production at the high school. He collected videos and pictures of James from other teachers and students and made a video in honor of James.
"Whether it is five seconds of her dancing in the classroom, I think they [students] can all relate to that because they all saw it on a very regular basis, so I think that's kind of why she was so well loved, because she loved life," Cushnir said.
"We don't know an Atlantic Coast High School without her [James], but we will soon find out, unfortunately, but there's going to be a huge void and she was a light at this school for many years," he said.
"It certainly won't be the same without her, but she certainly won't be forgotten," Cushnir said.
Cushnir said one of James's students wants to preserve some of her things in her classroom, and wants to keep up her Christmas decorations in her classroom in honor of James.
James's family told First Coast News Monday they spoke with detectives Monday and didn't receive any new information.
James taught Terrelle Smith's daughter science her sophomore and junior years of high school. Smith said James was a mentor for her daughter who graduated in 2017.
"Ms. James kind of took her under her wing and she made sure she stayed on track with everything," Smith said. "She was a mother figure and she was someone my daughter felt comfortable talking to. She was another mother figure."
Smith said her daughter, who was too upset to talk about James, visited James whenever she came home from college.
"She wanted to make sure she [James] was proud of her," she said.
Smith, her daughter and many in the Atlantic Coast High School community found out about the science teacher's death Sunday morning.
"She [Smith's daughter] was just crying and she fell to the ground," Smith said. "I was like, 'what is going on? What is happening?' She just cried and said, 'Ms. James. Ms. James.' I said, 'what about Ms. James,' and she said 'someone murdered Ms. James.' She just cried and cried and she is just devastated right now."
Smith and the rest of the Atlantic Coast community said there's a lot of confusion surrounding the death of this beloved teacher. Family said she taught for more than 20 years, first at Andrew Jackson High School.
"She [Smith's daughter] was like, 'she is a good person, Mom. Why would anyone hurt her? She wouldn't do anything to anyone,'" Smith said.
Several past and former students all agreed James was an amazing person and teacher.
"My son's teacher was absolutely amazing," Melissa Ryczek Davis, whose son was in James' class, said. "He looked forward to days when she [James] was playing music in class and dancing."
Her identity has not yet been confirmed by police, but police did identify the victim as a woman in her 40s. JSO did not disclose how she died but said the case is being investigated as a homicide. It is believed that she had been dead inside the home for about 48 hours.
"They've lost a treasure," Smith said. "She was a staple at the school and in the community, and I know she had the kids' hearts in her hands."
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 904-630-0500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845 TIPS.