A Charlotte man charged in the 2023 death of his ex-girlfriend, Allisha Watts, has accepted a plea agreement in the case, according to court records.
James Dunmore pleaded guilty Feb. 18 to voluntary manslaughter and failure to notify of a death in connection with the death of Watts, 39. He entered the plea under an Alford arrangement, meaning he does not admit guilt but acknowledges the state has sufficient evidence to convict him.
As such, the plea reduces the original first-degree murder charge filed in 2023. Dunmore has been sentenced to approximately 10 to 14 years in prison.
Watts was reported missing in July 2023 after traveling to Charlotte to visit Dunmore. Watts was a resident of the Foxfire community.
Authorities said she was last seen July 16, 2023, leaving Dunmore’s home on Pamela Lorraine Drive in east Charlotte. Two days later, troopers with the North Carolina Highway Patrol found Dunmore unresponsive inside Watts’ Mercedes-Benz SUV in the parking lot of a North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles office in Anson County. Investigators indicated at the time that he appeared to have attempted suicide.
Watts’ body was discovered in August 2023 near a cemetery in the town of Norman. Her cause of death remains “undetermined.” Due to the severe decomposition of her body, a medical examiner was not able to determine the cause.
During the investigation, detectives reported finding a shell casing outside Dunmore’s Charlotte residence.
Court proceedings in the case had been delayed multiple times before the plea agreement was reached.
Abegail Murphy | Assistant Editor
Written by Sandhills Sentinel assistant editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2021.
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