A prayer vigil is planned Friday evening in Boone for Dara Lee Watson, the 30-year-old woman who disappeared 11 days ago.
Meanwhile, authorities near Charleston discovered the woman's cell phone in a pond near the home that she shared with her fiance. That fiance, 34-year-old David Hedrick, committed suicide last Friday, police say.
Tonight's vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. next to the Watsonatta Western World store, which is owned by Watson's parents. The store is on King Street.
Watson was last seen alive on Feb. 6, when she left Boone with Hedrick after visiting her family. The couple was returning to their home in Mount Pleasant, S.C., a Charleston suburb.
Friends and family members received text messages from Watson's phone on Feb. 7 and 8, but police say they now believe that Hedrick sent those messages on his fiance's phone. Watson's family filed a missing person report Feb. 9.
Police talked to Hedrick last Friday morning, and he told investigators the couple had an argument on the night of Feb. 6, after returning from Boone. He said Watson left the house Tuesday morning in her SUV. The burned-out SUV was discovered Feb. 8 in Francis Marion National Forest.
At least one witness reported seeing Hedrick near the site where Watson's SUV was discovered, carrying a shovel. Police also say they believe Hedrick hitched a ride back to his home afterwards.
A few hours after police talked to Hedrick last Friday, friends who were coming for a visit heard a gunshot from inside the house. Hedrick's body was discovered, with a handgun nearby.
Police have searched several times in Francis Marion National Forest and near the couple's three-story house. On Thursday, divers found the woman's cell phone in a pond near the home -- but only after they got wildlife experts to remove an alligator from the pond.
The Associated Press and WCSC-TV contributed.
No comments:
Post a Comment