A Charlotte man charged in the 2023 death of his ex-girlfriend has reached a plea agreement, according to court records.
James Dunmore pleaded guilty on Feb. 18 to voluntary manslaughter and failure to notify of a death in connection with the death of 39-year-old Alisha Watts. He entered the plea under an Alford plea, acknowledging that the state has sufficient evidence to convict him without admitting guilt.
The plea reduces the original first-degree murder charge filed in 2023. Dunmore was sentenced to 10 to 14 years in prison.
Watts, a resident of the Foxfire community, was reported missing in July 2023 after visiting Dunmore in Charlotte. She was last seen leaving his home on Pamela Lorraine Drive on July 16. Two days later, North Carolina Highway Patrol troopers found Dunmore unresponsive inside Watts’ Mercedes-Benz SUV at a DMV parking lot in Anson County, in what appeared to be a suicide attempt.
Watts’ body was discovered in August 2023 near a cemetery in Norman. Due to severe decomposition, the medical examiner could not determine a cause of death. Investigators reported finding a shell casing outside Dunmore’s Charlotte residence during the investigation.
Court proceedings had been delayed multiple times before the plea agreement was finalized, bringing resolution to the high-profile case.
