CARY, N.C. (WNNC) — Police have identified the woman whose remains were found burned in a Sunday morning illegal trash fire in Cary.
The remains were those of Cecily Anne Walker, a 34-year-old from Raleigh, according to a release Tuesday from the Cary Police Department.
Her death was ruled a homicide, with police also saying the circumstances and time of her death remain under investigation.
The homeowner found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound was also identified as Ian Delauder, a 35-year-old Cary man. In an update just after 2 p.m. Tuesday, police said Delauder was hospitalized in critical condition.
In a 911 released earlier on Tuesday, a bystander told a dispatcher about the fire.
The dispatcher asked the caller, “Can you tell me exactly what is burning?”
“No, I can’t see it, it’s behind the fence. The fence is 5 feet high and I can see flames over the fence,” the caller responded. You can listen to the full 911 call in CBS 17’s previous coverage.
“We do have a history with him. We do know of him. And so this latest incident is just another event we’re looking into,” said Kenric Alexander with Cary Police.
Since 2018, Cary officers have been called to Delauder’s house on Dorset Drive 21 times.
In 2022, there were several calls for drugs, suspicious activity, and welfare checks.
In February 2023, officers responded to a car fire there.
Neighbors told CBS 17 Delauder kept to himself. They explained that he had been renovating his home extensively until about nine months ago. Then, they described a change in behavior.
In August 2022, Delauder was arrested in Raleigh for felony larceny and possession of cocaine.
In February 2023, Cary police arrested him on various drug charges.
Another woman was found in the home on Sunday. Investigators told CBS 17 she was unharmed and is helping police put the pieces together.
Police would not elaborate on how they were able to identify Walker, nor how Walker or Delauder might have known each other.
“[More Information] will come out following the autopsy, in terms of the cause of death and the time of death. And those things will be critical and help us narrow down as to where we need to focus within that time,” said Alexander.
Alexander explained this is still very much an active investigation.
“What we are doing now is we’re still looking through the timeline of everything that transpired that night and the night before to make sure that we are not missing anything. Is there anyone else is there anyone else out there that we need to speak with, anyone else that we need to talk to?” he added.
Delauder is still in the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
“Charges could be pending depending on where the investigation goes. Some charges are still on the table. That certainly is still a possibility. We’re just waiting to see how [Delauder’s] medical condition goes,” added Alexander.
