Missing North Carolina woman's body believed found; boyfriend charged with murder

The boyfriend of a missing 39-year-old North Carolina woman was jailed Friday in connection with her death after police say they found what's believed to be her remains in a wooded area.

James Wendell Dunmore, 51, was arrested at his home in northeast Charlotte and charged with murder Thursday, local authorities including the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office reported. The arrest came the same day the suspected body of his girlfriend, Allisha Watts, was found in a rural area more than 75 miles east of the city.

Watts, from Moore County, was reported missing by her family last month.

Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields told USA TODAY that the remains were found near the small town of Norman. The community, which had a population of 99 people during the most recent census, is in Richmond County and borders Montgomery County.

"We were conducting a search using (North Carolina) Search Dogs when her body was located in a wooded area," Fields said Friday. The agency is located in Carthage near where the victim lived.

“This case is no longer considered a missing person investigation and has transitioned into a homicide investigation,” Fields posted on Facebook Thursday.

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38 days later

Watts was last seen leaving a home in northeast Charlotte on July 16 in a black 2023 Mercedes Benz GLC 300, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reported. The department is among more than a half dozen agencies involved in the case, including the Anson County Sheriff's Office, Foxfire Police Department, Richmond County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are also investigating the case.

SBI spokesperson Anjanette Grube deferred all questions to the Moore County Sheriff's Office, the lead investigative agency in the case.

"This is not the outcome that we had been hoping for," Montgomery Sheriff Pete Herron said during a news conference Thursday. "But by finding Alisha today, it can bring some closure. I hope and I pray it brings some closure to family and friends moving forward."

The sheriff did not take questions but said the case remained "open and active" Thursday.

An arrest warrant obtained by USA TODAY shows Dunmore was arrested at his home in the College Downs area of the city.

It's unclear whether he has an attorney.

A Mercedes Benz and an attempted suicide

According to the warrant, police believe that Dunmore killed Watts on July 16.

Two days later, police said they found Watts' Mercedes at a DMV in Anson County, according to WBTV. Dunmore was inside, the outlet reported, and had attempted suicide, according to police.

The SUV was found about 40 miles southwest of where Watt's suspected remains were found.

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Cause of death under investigation

The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY to provide further details about the case, including a suspected motive and cause of death.

A North Carolina medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to confirm how she died.

In a statement on its Facebook page Friday, the Moore County Sheriff's Office posted Dunmore was being held in the Montgomery County jail without bond.

He is set to appear before a judge for his first court appearance on Monday, the agency said.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @nataliealund.