Source: screenshot / facebook
The remains of a North Carolina Black woman who had been missing for more than a month were found this week, according to authorities, who also say they’ve arrested a suspect on a preliminary charge of murder.
According to WRAL, after a month-long investigation, the remains of Allisha Watts were found by police on Thursday in a wooden area on the grounds of a cemetery near the towns of Candor and Norman.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office also said in a post on Facebook that her boyfriend, James Dunmore, has been arrested and charged with murder in connection to her death.
“We believe the remains of Allisha Watts have been located,” the post read. “A Task Force was formed consisting of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Foxfire Police Department, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, Moore County Sheriff’s Office, Anson County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. James Dunmore has been taken into custody and arrested for murder. This is an ongoing and active investigation and we will continue to follow up on leads.”
Allisha Watts was last seen July 16, leaving a residence on Pamela Lorraine Drive.
She was seen driving in her black 2023 Mercedes Benz GLC 300 SUV.
Two days later, on July 18, the North Carolina native’s Mercedes-Benz SUV was found at a Department of Motor Vehicles office in Anson County.
Dunmore was found unresponsive inside the vehicle by state troopers, according to officials. Watt’s was nowhere to be found.
According to WRAL, when officers found Dunmore in the vehicle “he initially told authorities he was taking a nap.” Officers returned to the parking lot three hours later to find him unresponsive.
A video obtained by WCNC-Charlotte from one of Watt’s relatives shows police searching Dunmore’s home in University City. It’s unclear when the video was taken.
Dunmore is being held at the Montgomery County jail without bond. His arrest warrant suggests that Watts and Dunmore had tickets to a comedy show in Charlotte the night she was killed, but they did not attend. Her body was found more than a month later, about 20 minutes from her home.
“This is not the outcome that we had been hoping for, but by finding Allisha today we hope we can bring some closure to family and friends moving forward,” Montgomery County Sheriff Pete Herron said during a press conference on Thursday.
Allisha Watts went missing around the same time 25-year-old Carlee Russell’s disappearance exploded across the internet. On X, formerly known as Twitter, some people were worried that Russell’s kidnapping “hoax” may deter officials from pursuing Watt’s case and other missing Black women that have been reported.
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