CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's been over three weeks since 39-year-old Allisha Watts was reported missing. Her family reported her missing on July 19 after she and her boyfriend, James Dunmore, were supposed to go to a comedy show on July 16 at Bojangles Coliseum and never showed up.
As the search continues for the missing Moore County woman, family and friends said they are growing frustrated with the lack of information they say they're getting from investigators.
However, for the first time since word of her disappearance caught national attention, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department investigator made himself available to media.
Captain Joel McNelly, from CMPD's Violent Crimes division, told WCNC Charlotte police don't know whether Watts is safe or not, which is why hundreds of manhours are dedicated to finding her.
"Our main goal is to find Allisha," McNelly said, "Most important thing for us [is] to protect the integrity of the case."
He did open up about some details. When WCNC Charlotte's Jane Monreal presented to McNelly, a recent surveillance image of Watts with James Dunmore, he said, "I believe that is a picture of Allisha at Northlake Mall."
The 29-year CMPD veteran said it was taken in the few days prior to the missing report on Watts, adding bits of information like this are critical for establishing a timeline.
"We want to find the last time somebody has seen somebody in a missing persons investigation, because that is the point we know they were missing from," McNelly explained.
He also said detectives are in constant communication with the family.
"Her family clearly cares about her," McNelly said. "Her friends care about her very much. They've shown that the way they show up."
When it comes to communicating with her loved ones, he explained, in any case, they designate a family member as a point of contact.
"The reason why we do that is so we can have one central point of contact to go through, and we rely on that family member to inform other friends and families," he said. "We're detectives. We want to work the case. We want to find Allisha. That's our goal. So we need that family member to communicate with other family members."
He said a missing person investigation can go in many directions.
Dunmore, who was last seen driving Watts' car and then found unresponsive in her vehicle in Anson County, may be a person of interest but he has not been taken into custody.
"A person of interest can mean a lot of different things," McNelly said. "Any person who's connected to Allisha is of interest to us."
He said what's most important right now is to follow leads and put things to rest as quickly as possible. If you know anything that might help detectives, call Crime Stoppers or your local law enforcement agency.
Thursday, CMPD released the following statement:
"As our search for Allisha Watts continues, our dedicated detectives have invested countless hours into the ongoing investigation. Since day one, CMPD detectives have been in touch with the family, nearly every day, and will continue to provide them with the latest updates.
We urge anyone with information to reach out by dialing 911. Alternatively, if you prefer to provide an anonymous tip, you can contact Charlotte Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600."
Contact Jane Monreal at jmonreal@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.