MONTGOMERY COUNTY, N.C. — In under 24 hours, James Dunmore is expected in court for the first time, days after police arrested him for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, Allisha Watts.
Watts was last seen leaving Dunmore’s University City home on July 16. Two days later, investigators say they found her car at the Polkton DMV, where Dunmore passed out from an apparent suicide attempt.
40 days later and 40 miles away, investigators say they found the remains of Watts in a rural area of Montgomery County.
On Sunday evening, friends and loved ones rallied at the Montgomery County Detention Center to honor Watts’s life and call for justice in her case.
Channel 9′s Glenn Counts attended the gathering, where a simple message was shared for Dunmore: ‘stay in jail’.
The event was sponsored by the group Stand Up for Women.
“Although we are very broken, we’re going to find a way to make this right,” a speaker said, “So, I’m asking the DA not to give him bond; he doesn’t deserve to even have a chance to get back on the street.”
Tessie Taylor, a family friend, described the week as a roller coaster of emotion. Her daughter, Learin, was the first to report Watts as missing after she didn’t show up for plans with friends that July night.
“They are on a see-saw, as is expected; they had a rough week,” Taylor told Counts.
Although emotions are high, Taylor has the goal of showing little to no negative emotion towards Dunmore in an effort to get her friend Watts the justice she truly deserves.
“We don’t harbor hate against you, James Dunmore, because you’re not worth it. What we are going to concentrate on is keeping,” Taylor said, “Allisha’s name before the justice system as you go through your process.”
Normally, the issue of bond does not come up in first appearances, but if Dunmore has an attorney, they could ask. However, those who loved and knew Watts had one message for the judge: ‘no bond for murder’.
(WATCH BELOW: Family of Allisha Watts ‘lost for words’ after remains found, boyfriend charged)
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