Family, friends gather for vigil ahead of court appearance for Allisha Watts murder case

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (WTVD) -- Friends and family gathered at a vigil for Allisha Watts, the Moore County woman allegedly murdered by her boyfriend, Thursday at the community center on West New York Avenue.

One of Allisha's friends said life just hasn't been the same without her, and it's been weighing on Allisha's family, too.

"We doing everything we can to get justice for Allisha, and her mother is sick and it's even making her worse, you know. We just want justice," Dianna Ingram said.

Thursday's vigil comes ahead of James Dunmore's court appearance scheduled for Monday. Watts' boyfriend was charged with her murder. Friends and family say they're discouraged that Allisha's autopsy results came back inconclusive Wednesday after months of waiting. But the report says Allisha's body was severely decomposed once investigators discovered it last summer in a wooded area of Montgomery County.

ALSO SEE: Autopsy reports Allisha Watts' cause of death as 'undetermined'

Gloria Douglas says she's good friends with Allisha's mother and watched her grow up. She said she expected technology would yield more answers at this point.

"The length of the time that she was there, why couldn't you tell exactly what happened? That's what I don't understand; it's too many discrepancies in what happened and in everything," she said.

Meanwhile, friends point out that the cherry tree they planted for Allisha in September is just starting to develop buds. They said it's a bright spot amid a frustrating period for her case.

"This is a living memory of her," said Susan Ward. "It's going to go on. It's going to give people pleasure. It's going to give them comfort as they sit here and look at it."

The state has not filed any new evidence for Allisha Watts' murder case at this time. The deadline is Friday.