Teylyn McAlpin Murder: Where is Diontae Whitson Now?

Image Credit: McAlpin Family/Asheville Citizen Times

Investigation Discovery’s ‘In Pursuit with John Walsh: A Broken Bond’ follows the brutal murder of 17-year-old Teylyn McAlpin in Asheville, North Carolina, in November 2020. The episode sheds light on the heinous crime, the ensuing investigation, the motive as well as how the officials are garnering public help to capture one of the still absconding perpetrators. If you want to know more about the case as well as the identity and current whereabouts of the perpetrators, we’ve your back. Let’s start, shall we?

How Did Teylyn McAlpin Die?

Teylyn “Tey” McAlpin was an Asheville High student soon to be a graduate, staying in Asheville, North Carolina. His mother, Javelin Duncan, reminisced about her son being a good brother and uncle. The 17-year-old was athletic and outgoing. He was also a single father to a one-year-old daughter. Hence, it came as a shock when young Tey became a victim of gun violence on a Saturday morning in November 2020.

Image Credit: Avery’s Memorial Chapel

On November 28, 2020, at around 8:30 am, Asheville Police Department got a 911 call and responded to a shooting incident in Northern Asheville. Officers reached the scene on 90 Gay Street, near Montford baseball field and Tempie Avery Montford Center, to find a teen victim with multiple gun wounds. The responding officers performed lifesaving measures as they waited for the arrival of the paramedics; the wounded individual was taken to Mission Hospital.

However, the victim could not be saved despite the efforts of the medical staff and died later on in the hospital, succumbing to his fatal injuries. The body of the young teen was identified as Tey, and his family was informed by the police. The police are yet to reveal further details about the incident that led to Tey’s death in the hands of unknown perpetrators.

Who Killed Teylyn McAlpin?

A broken Javelin later revealed that she had been trying to reach her son, Tey, at the exact moment the unfortunate incident had been playing out. She said, “At 8:30 I was calling Tey, seeing where he was at and he was getting killed at that exact same time I was calling him.” The investigators had a few promising leads that led them to believe that two assailants were involved in the incident.

Image Credit: Asheville Police Department

On December 4, 2020, a spokesperson for the APD announced that investigators had identified a 16-year-old and another teen, Dionate Whitson AKA Diontae, of Asheville, as assailants and charged them with the first-degree murder of Tey. As the pressure from Tey’s community, as well as national coverage of the incident, mounted, APD declared that they had arrested the 16-year-old charged with homicide on December 8, 2020.

The investigators were collaborating with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety – Juvenile Justice Division to bring the alleged killer into custody. Due to the juvenile status of the alleged killer, no further information was divulged by the police. However, the other one charged with the murder, Dionate, is still absconding from the law. APD is seeking aid from the public to locate the suspected assailant by asking them to inform the police as soon as he is seen by any member of the public.

The spokesperson had also warned that Dionate should be considered dangerous and allegedly armed. As per the statement, “He is charged with first-degree murder and has been known to be in possession of a weapon.” The U.S. Marshals-led Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force took charge of the case in December 2020. They have offered a reward of up to $10,000 for anyone bringing information that would lead to the arrest of Dionate AKA Diontae Whitson.

Where is Diontae Whitson Today?

It is also believed that Diontae is an active member of the fierce street gang Sex, Money, Murder. As per police sources, the gang has taken Dionate under their production and is helping him evade the law enforcement agencies. The police further state that he could be residing among the homeless populations of Asheville, Greensboro, Raleigh, or Winston Salem, bouncing between the cities with the help of gang members spread across those areas.

According to police sources, some female individual is arranging for Dionate and is also the financial accountant of the gang. The sources further state that on the instruction of the gang members, she is handing money over to Diontae to help him evade the law. Due to the absconding assailant, the police are yet to reveal more information regarding the case. The police have issued a lookout notice for Diontae – he is “described as a black male with brown eyes and black hair. He stands 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs approximately 150 pounds.”

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