Durham nurse met her accused murderer online, parents say: 'She was a ray of sunshine'
DURHAM COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Teresa and Paul Lowe are deeply missing their daughter, Auriel Lowe, 34, who was killed in her Durham apartment in September.
"She was like a ray of sunshine," Teresa Lowe, her stepmother, said.
Lowe's boyfriend, Christopher Whitley, 31, is facing a murder charge and remains at the Durham County Jail.
According to a newly released 911 call, a woman claims to the dispatcher that Whitley allegedly confessed to "killing his girlfriend."
The Lowes say they never met Whitley in person, but they wish there were safeguards on dating apps, saying the two met online.
"Everything that she thought this person was, wasn't that," Paul Lowe, her father, said.
Lowe's death comes as officials say North Carolina set a "horrifying record" last year in domestic-violence-related deaths.
In 2025, there were at least 54 homicides in North Carolina that were a direct result of domestic violence, according to the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
"It's frightening that it's still that high," Executive Director Carianne Fisher said.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Fisher encouraged people to play a role in ending domestic violence.
"Part of it is ensuring their friends and family members know what the resources are in their communities," Fisher said.
For the Lowes, they're remembering Auriel as a "bright light," who was creative and passionate about nursing.
"We just don't want her life to be taken in vain," Teresa Lowe said.
SEE ALSO | Domestic violence deaths on the rise across North Carolina, advocates say
