Efforts by James Dunmore to dismiss the charge of murder in the case of Allisha Watts were halted Monday. Despite Dunmore's attorney calling for the charges to be dropped due to a claimed lack of substantial evidence, the Montgomery County judge maintained that there was no "irreparable harm" to Dunmore by proceeding with the case, as reported by ABC11. Watts, aged 39 and at one time in a relationship with Dunmore, had disappeared over a month before her remains were discovered on August 24, 2023, near a cemetery at the Richmond and Montgomery County line.
The judge had acknowledged the state's violation of Dunmore's constitutional rights by improperly obtaining his medical records, according to WCNC. However, this decision was deemed to not be enough to outright dismiss the murder charge. The obtained medical records and phone transcripts will now have to be destroyed, the judge ruled. The evidence against Dunmore appears to consist of home surveillance video and 911 calls, but the defense had challenged the strength of this evidence, with Dunmore's attorney asserting that without it, the case significantly begins to dwindle.
Prosecutors responded to the defense's claims by suggesting that some of the contested evidence had indeed been submitted, suggesting negligence of the defense, not a failure of due process. They also mentioned Watts' autopsy results, which labeled her death as "undetermined." Prosecutors argue that this does not exclude the possibility that Watts was a victim of homicide. Her family expressed disappointment with the latest court decision, as indicated in a report by WXII12.
