In the quiet, early morning hours of February 14, 2000, in Shelby, North Carolina, nine-year-old Asha Degree vanished from her family's home. Her father had checked on her and her brother around 2:30 a.m. and saw them both sleeping soundly in the room they shared. However, sometime between then and when her mother went to wake them for school at 6:30 a.m., Asha had gotten out of bed, packed a bookbag with clothes and personal items, and walked out into a night of heavy rain and wind.
Between 3:45 and 4:15 a.m., a truck driver and another motorist saw a small child matching Asha's description walking south along North Carolina Highway 18. The second driver was concerned enough to turn his car around and approach her, but as he did, she ran off the roadside and disappeared into a wooded area. Her parents, discovering her empty bed, frantically searched the house and called relatives before reporting her missing to the police.
An extensive search began immediately, with law enforcement and community volunteers combing the area. A few days later, some of Asha's belongings, including candy wrappers, a pencil, a marker, and a hair bow, were found in a shed near where she was last seen. More than a year later, in August 2001, a significant discovery was made when Asha's bookbag was unearthed at a construction site along Highway 18 in Burke County, about 26 miles north of Shelby. The bookbag, which was wrapped in two black plastic trash bags, contained her name and phone number. Inside were some of her clothes and other personal items, but also two items her parents did not recognize: a copy of the Dr. Seuss book 'McElligot's Pool' from her elementary school's library and a T-shirt featuring the band New Kids on the Block. The location and condition of the bag led investigators to believe that she had been abducted.
Over the years, the investigation has continued with the involvement of local, state, and federal agencies, including the FBI. Investigators have explored numerous leads and theories, from the possibility that she was running away to the more prominent theory of abduction. In 2015, the FBI offered a reward for information leading to a resolution in the case. A potential lead emerged when the FBI announced that Asha might have been seen getting into a dark green early 1970s Lincoln Continental Mark IV or a Ford Thunderbird. In recent years, search warrants have been executed, and items of interest, including a car matching that description, have been seized. While the case remains unsolved, investigators have expressed that they are closer than ever to finding answers, citing advancements in technology and retesting of evidence. The search for Asha Degree has stretched on for decades, a heart-wrenching mystery that has left her family and community holding onto hope for closure.Last Seen: Feb 14, 2000
