Allisha Watts’ boyfriend James Dunmore arrested for her murder

The boyfriend of a North Carolina woman who has been missing for over a month has been arrested for her murder.

James Dunmore was seen handcuffed outside his home in University City as multiple police officers watched on Thursday afternoon, video shows.

He has been charged with the murder of Allisha Watts, 39, who was last seen leaving his house on July 16, authorities later confirmed.

Her remains were found earlier in the day near the border of Richmond and Montgomery counties in Norman, a small town along Interstate 74.

“As a result of the continued investigation in the search for Moore County resident Allisha Watts, along with the collaborative effort of multiple law enforcement agencies, this case is no longer considered a missing person investigation and has transitioned into a homicide investigation,” Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields said at the time.

Watts, an advocate for people with mental health issues and the elderly, was set to attend a comedy show at Bojangles Coliseum in nearby Charlotte following her visit with Dunmore on July 16, but family members said she never showed up.

“It just wasn’t normal. That’s not like her,” Watts’ cousin, Gwendolyn Utley, told WSOC. 

She said she decided to return home and saw that Watts’ car was still parked at Dunmore’s house.

But the car was gone a few hours later, according to WCNC.

Dunmore was found two days later unresponsive in Watts’ Mercedes-Benz SUV outside a Department of Motor Vehicles office in Anson County, and Watts was reported missing the next day.

By July 20, investigators found a shell casing near Dunmore’s home. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said it was from a 9mm handgun.

Police returned to Dunmore’s home on July 26 and seized clothing, cellphones, a camera, a laptop, a memory card and photographs as they investigated Watts’ disappearance.

A search warrant for the items noted that Dunmore had tried to commit suicide before he was found inside Watts’ vehicle, and officials announced he was a person of interest in the case.

Dunmore had a previous criminal history in Virginia that included convictions for abduction, assault and battery and stalking, WRAL revealed.

A domestic violence protection order had also been filed against him in Durham County, North Carolina, by a woman who said she was in a relationship with him.

The woman claims she was kidnapped and Dunmore threatened to kill her, according to the documents obtained by the local news station.

“We were not aware of none of that,” Utley said. “If we were aware of his background and the rap sheet he has, there is no way it would have sat comfortable with us or Allisha.”

She remembers her cousin for her generosity and said Watts was set to open up a group home for those with mental disabilities.

“She always spoke up for people that weren’t able to speak for themselves.”