Who is James Dunmore? Missing Allisha Watts' boyfriend was in prison for abduction and domestic violence
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: Law enforcement agencies have been looking for 39-year-old Allisha Dene Watts, whose car was discovered two days after she was last seen on July 16 leaving her boyfriend James Wendell Dunmore's house in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to information obtained by The US Sun, the boyfriend of the missing woman has a lengthy criminal past that includes convictions for kidnapping and domestic abuse.
Watts was last spotted driving a black 2023 Mercedes Benz GLC 300 away from a residence in Charlotte. In a news release on Tuesday, July 25, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department stated that she may have been traveling in the direction of Moore County, where she lives. Authorities discovered Watts' car in Anson County, some 60 miles from her house, on July 18, two days after she disappeared. According to family relatives, Watts' boyfriend Dunmore was found unconscious inside the car.
UPDATE: 39 y/o Allisha Watts was last seen on July 16th heading on a weekend visit to see her boyfriend in Charlotte. Her black Mercedes SUV was found with her unresponsive boyfriend in it at Anson County DMV. #HelpUsFindUs #AllishaWatts pic.twitter.com/KDdaI3ckgX
— Blk & Missing FDN (@BAM_FI) July 26, 2023
Who is James Dunmore?
James Wendell Dunmore is the boyfriend of 39-year-old Allisha Dene Watts who has been missing since July 16, 2023. Dunmore and Watts met through her cousin Gwendolyn Utley, who lives across the street from Dunmore, and have been dating for almost a year. Officers discovered Dunmore unconscious inside Watts' black Mercedes SUV. There is still no definite information regarding Dunmore's whereabouts or condition. He has been listed as a person of interest by authorities who have refrained from saying whether or not he is a suspect in the disappearance of Watts.
The US Sun reported that Dunmore has a lengthy criminal past, including earlier convictions for domestic abuse and kidnapping in Alexandria, Virginia. Dunmore was detained for both felonies in March 2002 and was eventually given a sentence of five years in prison and 15 years of unsupervised probation after his release. There are multiple further violations in Dunmore's criminal history, including convictions for stalking, intentional trauma, and battery and assault.
'She's a very good person'
Meanwhile, Watts' friends and family said they are growing more worried as the days go by with no trace of her. Watts' former high school classmate Valora Connerly expressed her continued hope and prayers for Watts' speedy return to her family. In addition, she participates actively in the 'Find Allisha Dene Watts' Facebook group and has been in touch with the Watts family regularly ever since the news first broke on July 17. Connerly stated, "If someone has hurt her I hope they understand this has affected a lot of people in a way they can never comprehend. She's a very good person [...] she deserves to be back home with her family and I just don't understand how anyone could want to hurt her."
Other Watts family members and friends have expressed their dissatisfaction with the police agencies looking into her disappearance, accusing them of not communicating well with one another and Watts' family. The CMPD didn't open a missing persons case for Watts until July 19, three days after her family first reported her missing and one day after her SUV was discovered with an unconscious Dunmore inside. The family of Watts claims they haven't heard anything from either authorities regarding Dunmore's condition. They add that police haven't confirmed whether he's been questioned in relation to Watts' disappearance.
