Overview of Asha Degree
Was Asha lured out of her home in the middle of the night?
On Sunday, February 13, 2000, Asha and her family spent their morning at church like normal. They went to their Aunt Alisha's house for lunch, and the children visited with their grandmother. The family returned home around 8 pm, and because the power had gone out due to a car accident, the kids skipped their baths and got ready for bed. Asha and O’Bryant shared a bedroom and settled in for the night.
After this, Asha’s family would never see her again.
Asha’s mother, Iquilla, awoke early to give the kids a bath on February 14. They would need to get up earlier than usual since they didn’t take them last night. Not only was it Valentine’s day, but it was also Iquilla and her husband, Harold’s, 11th wedding anniversary.
Undoubtedly, a devastating day to discover her beloved daughter, Asha, missing from her bed. When Iquilla couldn’t find her anywhere in the house, in the family’s cars or property, Iquilla called nearby family members to see if she had gone across the street to see them. When nobody else knew where she was, she immediately called the police and a full search was in effect before 8 am.
The last known sighting of Asha was on February 14, 2000, between 3:30 and 4:15 am.
A truck driver and another motorist saw her walking South on Highway 18 North of Shelby, NC. When one of the motorists turned around to check on Asha, the driver reported she ran into the woods. After extensive police searches that day, items belonging to Asha were found in a tool shed behind Debbie Turner’s Upholstery shop, roughly a mile north of Asha’s residence.
Over a year later on August 3, 2001, a construction contractor found Asha's backpack buried at their worksite. Inside was a children’s book belonging to the library of Asha’s school, and a New Kids on the Block t-shirt which did not belong to Asha.
Asha Degree’s disappearance has spurred several theories. Some suspect an abduction or perhaps that she was groomed by someone she knew, and many believe she ran away by choice. Police believe she falls outside of the typical profile of a runaway, but she did have a backpack with her.
The FBI is also looking for information related to a vehicle described as an early 1970s Lincon Mark IV or a Ford Thunderbird with rust around the wheel wells.
"This vehicle is right now considered a vehicle of interest, and it was occupied two times on the day of her disappearance," Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman said. "It had been discovered by leg work with by the sheriff office investigators along with the federal government."
There is no conclusive evidence telling us exactly what happened, leaving us to wonder, 'What happened to Asha Degree?’ and, ‘Can we help find her?’
2024 Update: FBI, Cleveland Search
Cleveland has been abuzz with the latest search from the FBI and Ohio authorities.
As many as 50 to 60 investigators were on a property on Cherryville Road new Spake circle searching with dogs and all-terrain vehicles, and first, neither confirming or denying if they were searching for Asha Degree. But, when the FBI was seen towing away a 1970s resembling model Lincoln Continental or a Ford Thunderbird, it was undeniable that they were there for Asha.
People across the county say this is the largest search they've seen in a long time.
Then, on Friday, September 13, 2024,, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that search warrants carried out on a property earlier this week on Cherryville Road in Shelby is connected with the disappearance of Asha Degree.
Authorities confirmed Friday that they had not found any human remains during their search. Officials did not clarify what they found at the homes, but said they removed “multiple items of interest” to be analyzed. The believed homeowner of the property, Roy Lee Dedmon, has come forward claiming not to have any involvement in what happened to Asha.
