30 emergency calls in 4 years to home where daughter allegedly killed mother
Buncombe County Sheriff's Office received 30 calls to 911 over the past four years requesting law enforcement or emergency responders at a home where they discovered Lori Pallinger deceased
By Kimberly King
Click here for updates on this story
BLACK MOUNTAIN, North Carolina (WLOS) — Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office received 30 calls to 911 over the past four years requesting law enforcement or emergency responders at the rural Black Mountain home where discovered Lori Pallinger deceased last week, allegedly killed by her adult daughter, Danya Dewey.
Three pages of law enforcement calls indicate that calls were made by various individuals including Lori Pallinger and Danya Dewey. The 911 call last week requesting a welfare check was made by Pallinger’s 85-year-old mother. News 13 obtained the recorded call through an open records request.
“My name is Kathy Grundmann,” said Pallinger’s mother. “I’m calling from the New Orleans area.”
Grundmann told the dispatcher that she knew about her granddaughter and was concerned about her own adult daughter’s safety.
“My daughter Lori Pallinger lives in Black Mountain. Her adult daughter lives with her who is mentally insane,” she said. “I know the police are familiar [with the home] because they go there often.”
Dr. Josh Coleman,a clinical psychologist who recently authored a book about parent and adult child conflict, spoke with News 13 about his knowledge of what he considers a ‘broken system’ for families when dealing with adult children with severe mental illness and a proclivity for violence.
“I certainly saw a lot of cases where family members were attacked or beaten,” said Coleman, who began his career working in locked psychiatric units. “We used to have state institutions where people could be hospitalized long-term if they had mental illness.”
Coleman said it is no longer the case.
“In most states in the United States, she could do an involuntary hold for maybe three days to two weeks. But then they’re released and even if they’re medicated, they can go off the medication. So there aren’t great options for parents at this point in our society.”
Dewey, who is being held in jail, has a scheduled court appearance in three weeks.
Buncombe County records obtained by News 13 through an open records request show the following calls for service dating back to 2020:
Sept. 9, 2020 – warrant service Sept. 7, 2020 – animal problem Nov. 16, 2020 – domestic disturbance March 7, 2021 – civil disturbance Apr. 6, 2021 – domestic disturbance Apr. 22, 2022 – property damage Oct. 5, 2022 – welfare check Oct. 5, 2022– contact public Oct. 5, 2022 – escort Jan. 24, 2023 – mental subject Apr. 6, 2023– welfare check Sept. 14, 2023– unauthorized use Sept. 15, 2023– larceny motor vehicle Sept. 16, 2023– missing adult Sept. 16, 2023 – contact public Sept. 17, 2023– locate missing person Oct. 4, 2023 – missing adult Oct. 28, 2023 – mental subject Oct. 29, 2023 – mental papers to be served Oct 29, 2023 – welfare check Dec. 25, 2023 – domestic disturbance Dec. 25, 2023 – domestic disturbance Dec. 30, 2023 – follow-up investigation Feb. 9, 2024– domestic disturbance Feb. 9, 2024 – follow-up investigation July 26, 2024– civil disturbance July 26, 2024 – mental papers to be served Aug. 22, 2024– welfare check Aug. 22, 2024 – missing adult
News 13 learned that a female victim allegedly assaulted by Dewey in February 2024 was a nurse treating Dewey at an Asheville behavioral health facility. Arrest warrants show Dewey punched the nurse in the face and in the back of her head that resulted in a concussion.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
