Durham nurse's death: Autopsy reveals details of alleged murder by man met online

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- An autopsy report has revealed new details about the death of a Durham nurse allegedly killed by a man she met on a dating app.

In an autopsy obtained by ABC11 Eyewitness News, 34-year-old Auriel Lowe, which states that on Sept.10, Lowe was in her apartment with her boyfriend, Christopher Whitley, who was in a poor mood. When Lowe repeatedly asked if he was okay, documents say Whitley began hitting her.

The report said that Whitley then strangled her to death.

After the murder, documents say Whitley called his brother to confess and then Facetimed an ex-girlfriend, showing Auriel's body on camera. The ex-girlfriend called 911, leading to Whitley's arrest.

Whitley is now facing a murder charge and remains in the Durham County Jail.

Auriel's parents, Teresa and Paul, say they never met Whitley in person and wish dating apps had better safeguards, as the two met online.

"Everything that she thought this person was, wasn't that," Paul said.

Auriel's death comes amid a "horrifying record" in North Carolina for domestic-violence-related deaths. In 2025, at least 54 homicides in the state were directly linked to domestic violence, according to the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence.