CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Saturday, Aug. 24, marks one year since authorities discovered the body of Allisha Watts, the North Carolina woman who went missing last summer on a trip to visit her boyfriend in Charlotte.
The discovery came more than a month after family members reported her missing. Her boyfriend, James Dunmore, is charged with murder in connection with her death. At his most recent court appearance, Dunmore's $1 million bond was upheld. He remains in jail ahead of his trial.
Watts was last seen on July 18, 2023, after leaving Dunmore's home in northeast Charlotte. The couple had tickets to a comedy show at Bojangles Coliseum that night but friends said they never made it. Watts was reported missing the next day and authorities found her car, with Dunmore asleep inside, six days later.
It wasn't until Aug. 24 that investigators found her body. She was 39 years old.
Her remains were found in a cemetery near the community of Norman, right along the county line between Richmond and Montgomery counties. Sheriff Ronnie Fields said digital evidence led investigators to the woods where she was found. Fields said detectives had been to the woods where was found several times before but weren't able to locate her body.
RELATED: 1 year later | Where the case into Allisha Watts' death following her disappearance stands now
Dunmore was arrested in Charlotte and extradited to Montgomery County where he was charged with murder. Since Watts' body was found, her family has continued to push for justice, even as Dunmore's attorney requested his bond to be lowered.
An autopsy states Watts' cause of death was "undetermined" because her body was so badly decomposed by the time it was found. Dunmore's defense attorney argued there wasn't enough evidence to charge him with murder.
Dunmore's ex-wife made an appearance during a June court hearing, saying Dunmore should stay in jail, saying she fears for her own safety if he were to be released.
A trial date hasn't been set, but Dunmore is scheduled to appear in court again in September.
Contact Destiny Richards at drichards5@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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