On February 13, 2000, Asha Jaquilla Degree was nine years old and lived with her father Howard, mother Iquilla, and her brother O'Bryant, who was 10, in Shelby, North Carolina. Asha and her brother's lives were centered around their extended family, church, and school.
Asha Jaquilla Degree (The Charlotte Observer)
On that day, a car crash near the Degree house caused a power outage in the neighborhood. Their usual routine of taking a bath before bed was postponed until the next morning. The children went to bed at 8:30 p.m., and Iquilla set the alarm an hour earlier the next morning so they could bathe before school.
At 12:30 a.m., the power came back on, and Howard returned home from work. He checked on the children and watched TV before going to bed at 2:30 a.m. He checked on them one last time before sleeping, seeing both children asleep.
During the night, Asha’s brother O'Bryant briefly woke and saw her standing in their room. Thinking she had just gone to use the restroom, he went back to bed.
When Iquilla’s alarm went off at 5:30 a.m., she got up to give the children their bath. Upon opening the children’s bedroom door, she saw O'Bryant in bed but no sign of Asha. After searching the entire house without finding her, she realized Asha was not there and woke Howard to inform him she was missing.
After calling family members, they contacted the police as no one had seen Asha. When police arrived, they found no evidence of a crime, foul play, or forced entry. However, after discovering Asha’s backpack, a pair of sneakers, and two sets of clothes were missing, they began to consider that she might have left voluntarily.
Asha’s parents strongly believed she would not have run away. Her home life was stable, and she was a shy girl terrified of the dark, storms, and dogs. The night she disappeared there had been a storm. She had recently lost a basketball game and was visibly upset, but her family felt this would not have been reason enough to run away.
After police publicized her disappearance, reports of sightings began to emerge. Between 3:45 and 4:15 a.m., a truck driver and a motorist each claimed to have seen a young girl walking south along Highway 18 toward town. The girl wore a long-sleeved white T-shirt and white pants, which police later confirmed were missing from Asha’s closet. Unfortunately, neither witness reported the sighting to the police until after seeing a TV segment about Asha. The motorist said that when he tried to offer help, the girl became frightened and ran into the trees beside the road.
Another lead surfaced on February 15. A woman told police she found a Mickey Mouse hair bow, a green marker, and a pencil inside a shed along the highway belonging to a business. Police searched the shed and found candy wrappers matching those Asha had received at a basketball tournament the previous weekend. Despite this, the lead did not produce significant results, and it was 18 months before another development occurred.
On August 3, 2001, twenty-six miles from her home and in a different direction from where she was last seen walking, a contractor found a black trash bag buried on his property. Inside it was another black trash bag, and within the second bag was a child’s backpack with Asha’s name and telephone number written on it.
Police searched the property but found no other significant evidence. They did recover a pair of men’s khaki pants, but DNA testing results were never publicly released. Following the discovery of Asha’s backpack, police officially stated they believed foul play was involved in her disappearance.
In May 2016, a new tip emerged from a witness who claimed to have seen Asha get into a dark green 1975 Ford Thunderbird or a 1973 Lincoln Continental Mark IV along Highway 18 the night she vanished.
1975 Ford Thunderbird on left, 1973 Lincoln Continental Mark IV on the right (WBTV)
In October 2018, police issued a new plea for information about two items: a Dr. Seuss book, McElligot’s Pool, borrowed from the Fallston Middle School library in early 2000, and a New Kids on the Block concert T-shirt. Both were considered critical to solving the case.
Dr. Seuss book McElligot's Pool and New Kids on the Block concert T-shirt (WSOC-TV)
UPDATE – February 17, 2020
Today the FBI released a updated age-progressed photo of what Asha would look like today.
An age-progressed photo of what Asha would look like today (fbi.gov)
UPDATE – September 25, 2024
One of the searched properties in Cleveland County (WBTV News Charlotte)
New details emerged when a series of search warrants were made public on September 16, 2024. A Charlotte-area family known as the Dedmon family was identified as having a potential connection to Asha’s disappearance. The family had lived in Cleveland County at the time she went missing. Their daughter’s DNA was allegedly found on some of Asha’s belongings, prompting police to investigate the family.
Multiple properties were searched, including two houses owned by the father, Roy Dedmon. One of the Dedmon family residences is located approximately 3.7 miles from where Asha was last seen. Seized items included computers, clothing, cameras, SD cards, and a smartwatch. At least one green vehicle was confiscated from one of the homes.
Police continue to investigate, and no suspects have been identified.
Source:
Asha Degree investigation: What police found amid Cleveland County raid
