A man is in jail after police say he stabbed a woman inside her Raleigh home and fled North Carolina. That woman's death is sending shockwaves through two local school districts where she had been a beloved coach and teacher.
Raleigh police say they found the body of 57-year-old Sheremy Gwenette Dillard around 12:18 p.m. on Thursday at a home on Whistling Straits Way. Police said family members hadn't heard from Dillard and said she lived in the home with her boyfriend, Rickey Harper.
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Police said they found Dillard's body inside the home with multiple stab wounds, but Harper was nowhere to be found. Officers say Flock cameras helped them determine that Harper had driven away from the scene. Police in Plymouth, Pennsylvania found and arrested Harper around 2:45 p.m. on Friday.
The Wake County District Attorney said Harper was charged with first-degree murder in Dillard's death.
Dillard was hired as a teacher and girls' basketball coach at Felton Grove High School in Apex in August of last year. The principal of the school, Robert Morrison, sent the following letter to families:
"It is with great sadness that I write this message to let you know that our recovery teacher and girls' basketball coach, Sheremy Dillard, has passed away. Our condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends. Please keep them and all of those that have been impacted by this loss in your hearts."
"As you think about how to care for your child(ren), there are some resources that you might find helpful to assist your child through this loss. Transitions GriefCare provides free community services to help students navigate these difficult feelings of loss. Alliance Health can also be contacted for further counseling and therapeutic services. Alliance has a crisis line that is available 24 hours, 7 days a week: 1-877-233-4617."
"We will work together as a unified school community and we will support one another as we process this loss and navigate this challenging time together."
Prior to working at Felton Grove, Dillard was the longtime women's basketball coach and teacher at Carrboro High School.
"She treated Jaguar players, coaches and colleagues like family, while never hesitating to engage in the hard conversations needed to advocate for equity and do what was best for our students and community," CHCSS spokesperson Andy Jenks wrote in a statement. "Many of our current Jaguar staff and students had strong relationships with Coach Dillard, and as our community begins to process this loss, we will rely on each other for the needed support at this sad time."
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