Fort Bragg, N.C. — The father of a slain Army nurse from Fort Bragg said the military base and the city of Fayetteville do not deserve bad press because of the case.

In a letter to the Fayetteville Observer newspaper on Saturday, 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc’s father, Jesse James, praised the Fayetteville community and its police force.

“It seems like a community of military and civilians bonded together in the service to our country. I met some of the most wonderful people there, both civilian and military,” he wrote. “The community should be proud of its police force. I’ve never met people more professional and more dedicated to their work.”

Wimunc’s charred remains were found in Onslow County last weekend. She had last been seen July 8 and was reported missing two days later when a co-worker went to her Fayetteville apartment because she didn't show up for work. The co-worker found the remnants of a fire and called police.

Wimunc's estranged husband, Marine Cpl. John Wimunc, has been charged with her murder.

James said his daughter was “was incredibly beautiful, both physically and spiritually.”

“Holley never met a stranger, only someone who was yet to become a friend. When she walked into a room, spirits were lifted,” James wrote.