A woman from North Carolina is currently being held in custody, accused of murdering her mother in the home they shared, as per local law enforcement. Danya Kathryn Dewey, 40, is facing charges of first-degree murder, as announced by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office. Dewey’s booking photograph seems to reflect a certain resistance to the charges.
On August 22, deputies from the sheriff’s office conducted a wellness check at a residence on Clarks Crossing Way, a secluded area off North Carolina Highway 9 in Black Mountain, a small town about 15 miles east of Asheville. Inside the home, they discovered the body of 63-year-old Lori Pallinger, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office.
In their initial public statement, law enforcement identified the deceased woman’s daughter as a person of interest. The press release also suggested that Dewey might be driving a silver 2015 Subaru Outback with a North Carolina license plate number KDS-3461, and encouraged anyone with information on her location to reach out to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.
By late Thursday morning, Dewey was located and arrested in Asheville. She was taken into custody without any issues following a brief standoff with local law enforcement, as reported by the sheriff’s office. Asheville Police Department patrol officers found Dewey’s vehicle, and she was identified inside but initially refused to exit the vehicle, according to sheriff’s office spokesperson Christina Esmay.
The charges against Dewey claim that she “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did of malice aforethought kill and murder” her mother, according to the charging document obtained by the Citizen-Times. However, the specifics of the case are still limited, with investigators remaining silent. There is currently no public information regarding a possible motive or the alleged murder weapon.
The investigation is still in progress, according to law enforcement. Dewey is currently being held in the Buncombe County Detention Facility without bond. Jail records note that she has a “lion” tattoo on one of her upper arms. Dewey is scheduled for her next court appearance on August 26.