John Jefferson
Danya Kathryn Dewey (Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office).
A North Carolina woman is behind bars for killing her mother this week inside the home they shared, Tar Heel State authorities say.
Danya Kathryn Dewey, 40, stands accused of one count of murder in the first degree, according to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.
And, if the defendant’s booking photograph is any indication, she seems to be a bit defiant about the allegations leveled against her.
On Aug. 22, sheriff’s office deputies conducted a requested wellness check at a residence on Clarks Crossing Way, which is located off North Carolina Highway 9, along an unpaved road in Black Mountain — a small town some 15 miles due east of Asheville.
Lori Pallinger, 63, was found inside, deceased, according to a press release issued by the sheriff’s office on Thursday afternoon.
In an earlier iteration of their public outreach, law enforcement described the slain mother’s daughter as a wanted woman.
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“Danya may be driving a silver 2015 Subaru Outback with North Carolina license plate number KDS-3461,” the first version of the press release said. “If you have any information on the whereabouts of Danya Dewey, please contact the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.”
By late Thursday morning, Dewey was arrested in Asheville. She was eventually taken into custody without incident after a quick standoff with local law enforcement, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Dewey’s vehicle was located by Asheville Police Department patrol officers,” sheriff’s office spokesperson Christina Esmay told Asheville-based ABC and MyNetworkTV affiliate WLOS. “She was identified to be in the vehicle and refused to exit on command.”
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The daughter allegedly “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did of malice aforethought kill and murder,” her mother, according to a threadbare charging instrument obtained by the Citizen-Times.
As of this writing, details are scarce and investigators are keeping mum. There is currently no indication of a possible motive or what the alleged murder weapon, if any, might have been — at least not publicly.
Law enforcement say the investigation is ongoing.
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Dewey is currently being detained in the Buncombe County Detention Facility with no bond. A note included on her jail entry says that she has a “lion” tattoo on one of her upper arms.
She is next slated to appear in court on Aug. 26, jail records show.
Law&Crime reached out to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office for additional details on this story but no response was immediately forthcoming at the time of publication.
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