Judge denies suspect James Dunmore's motion to dismiss in Allisha Watts murder case

TROY, N.C. (WTVD) -- A judge has denied a motion to dismiss the case against James Dunmore, who is accused of killing his girlfriend, Allisha Watts.

In his ruling, the judge said Monday that no irreparable harm to Dunmore exists by proceeding.

Dunmore was in a relationship with Watts, 39, at the time of her death. She was last seen with him more than a month before her body was found Aug. 24, 2023, at a cemetery near the Richmond and Montgomery County line.

Dunmore's attorney had been calling on the judge to drop the charges, arguing that without substantial evidence, the case against him was dwindling.

The evidence includes home surveillance video and 911 calls.

SEE ALSO | 911 call reveals initial suspicions about Allisha Watts disappearance

"This is just not her. This is kind of strange. It frightens me."

Prosecutors have pushed back against that characterization. They said some of the evidence had been submitted -- and blamed the defense for not seeing it.

Prosecutors also argued that Watts' autopsy, which ruled her death as "undetermined," does not rule out that a homicide occurred.