Man accused of killing Apex teacher Sheremy Dillard appears in court
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The man accused of killing longtime coach and educator Sheremy Dillard made his first court appearance Friday after being extradited back to North Carolina from Pennsylvania.
Sixty-year-old Ricky Harper appeared before a Wake County judge on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with Dillard's death. District Court Judge Brian Ratledge ordered Harper held without bond.
Dillard, 57, was a longtime educator and coach with deep ties to Durham and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. Most recently, she worked as a teacher and basketball coach at Felton Grove High School in Wake County.
Police found Dillard dead inside her Raleigh home over two weeks ago after family members reported they had not heard from her.
Harper, identified by investigators as Dillard's boyfriend, lived in a home with Dillard, but he was not at the home when officers arrived.
According to police, evidence collected at the scene and information from Flock cameras helped identify Harper as a suspect.
Authorities later located and arrested Harper at a mall in Pennsylvania before extraditing him back to North Carolina on Thursday.
Dillard was widely known for her dedication to mentoring students throughout her career as a recovery teacher and the head girls basketball coach at Felton Grove High School in Apex. Raised in Durham, she also had strong family connections to the historic Hayti community.
Dillard's family did not attend Friday's hearing. They told ABC11 their focus remains on honoring her life and legacy rather than the man accused of taking it.
A visitation for Dillard is being held Friday in Durham. Her celebration of life is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Hillside High School.
