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Wilson woman's boyfriend charged with murder

The boyfriend of a Wilson woman whose body was recovered from a lake Wednesday has been arrested on a charge of first-degree murder.

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Courtney Speight
WILSON, N.C. — The boyfriend of a Wilson woman whose body was recovered from a lake Wednesday has been arrested on a charge of first-degree murder, police said.

Sgt. John Slaughter, with the Wilson Police Department, said Donald Ray Davis, 45, of 2405 McNair St., was arrested Friday afternoon in connection with the death of Courtney Speight, 23, who was last seen over the weekend.

Speight's decomposed body was recovered from Contentnea Creek near Wiggins Mill Park.

An autopsy positively identified Speight's remains Friday morning, but a cause of death has not yet been determined.

Investigators haven't released a possible motive for Speight's death, but family members said Friday that Speight had lived with Davis for four years and had been trying to get out of the relationship because he was controlling and abusive and was cheating on her. The two were also having money issues, the family said.

On Saturday night, they said, she went to talk with him after he threatened to commit suicide.

Her family last saw her around 11:50 p.m. wearing a black Sheetz T-shirt, blue and red jogging pants and black and red Nike shoes, police said.

She had been driving a blue 2006 Nissan Altima, which police found Wednesday.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Wilson police at 252-399-2323 or Crime Stoppers at 252-243-2255.

Davis, meanwhile, is being held without in the Wilson County jail.

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