Mother of Allisha Watts dies as family fights for justice
Evex Franklin, the mother of Allisha Watts, died Sunday after fighting an underlying health condition, according to family.
Authorities discovered Watts’ body on Aug. 24, 2023, more than a month after she was reported missing. Her boyfriend, James Dunmore, was arrested and charged with murder, according to the Moore County Sheriff’s Office.
The two had been dating almost a year before Watts disappeared in July 2023 from Dunmore's Charlotte home.
In a February interview, Franklin, who suffers from a heart condition, told WRAL News she never met Dunmore.
“She wouldn’t let me meet him [Dunmore],” Franklin said of her late daughter.
Franklin was one of the top advocates for justice for Watts even while suffering from a long-term illness, telling WRAL News she hopes Dunmore is convicted of murder.
"I don't want the world to forget my baby,” Franklin told WRAL News in a February interview. “She was wonderful.”
The autopsy for Watts was released in March, listing her death as "undetermined."
Dunmore's attorneys requested a reduced bond, but it was denied. Dunmore remains in jail on a $1 million bond awaiting his next court date, scheduled for June 10.
