Pregnant woman found dead in fire pit at Cary home was shot in the head, autopsy states

A pregnant woman found dead in March in a fire pit outside a Cary home was tied with rope and shot in the head, according to reports from the state Medical Examiner’s Office.

Authorities identified the woman as Cecily Anne Walker-Scott, 34, of Raleigh, after finding her body in a fire pit outside a home on Dorset Drive in Cary.

Police said the home belonged to Ian Delauder, a 35-year-old man who died after shooting himself March 19 outside his house.

Authorities did not reveal the nature of their relationship but said Delauder was the murder suspect in Walker-Scott's death.

A toxicology report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh indicates Walker-Scott had methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl in her system.

According to the accompanying autopsy report, Walker-Scott was found covered with burnt trash, mulch and melted black plastic, believed to be the remnants of a burned trash can. A bloodied rope was also around her waist.

The autopsy reveals Walker-Scott suffered a gunshot wound to the head, which is being investigated as homicide. Walker-Scott was also pregnant, in her first trimester.

Walker-Scott was wearing sweatpants and a blue short-sleeved shirt when her body was found. Some of her toenails were charred, and she was missing others, the autopsy states.

Police told WRAL News that Delauder had a history with the Cary Police Department. Delauder was arrested in February for felony possession of cocaine at the Dorset Drive home.

The morning of March 19, someone called 911 after seeing flames coming from behind Delauder’s fence.

"The fence is 5 feet high, and I can see flames over the fence," the caller said. "There’s a huge plume of smoke."

Walker-Scott’s body was so charred that her gender and identity were not confirmed until later.

WRAL News learned Cary police have been called to the home a total of 21 times since 2018 for welfare checks and calls of "suspicious activity."

In February, they were called because of another fire, a car fire on the property. In December 2022, Cary police were called to the residence in reference to drugs.