NC-Asha Degree/Shelby

[fourboys]

Asha Jaquilla Degree

DESCRIPTION
Date of Birth: August 5, 1990 Place of Birth: Shelby, North Carolina
Sex: Female Hair: Black
Height: 4'6" (at the time of her disappearance) Eyes: Brown
Weight: 60 pounds (at the time of her disappearance) Race: Black

THE DETAILS
Asha Jaquilla Degree has been missing from her home in Shelby, North Carolina since February 14, 2000. Asha's father last saw her at approximately 2:30 a.m. while she was asleep in her bedroom. By dawn, her parents were unable to locate her anywhere in the house.

REMARKS
Asha Degree's black bookbag and her black pocketbook with Tweety Bird on it were missing from her room. However, these items were located a few months later.

Poster from NCMEC:
http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=879788&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US

Link to FBI website with photos:
http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/kidnap/degree.htm

[fourboys]

SBI Search For Possible Remains Of Asha Degree

November 10, 2004

Police say their search is in connection to the Asha Degree case, but won't say what they're looking for.

Asha Degree has been missing since Valentine's Day of 2000. She was last seen sometime between 2:30 a.m., when her father said he went to bed. When her mother went to Asha's bedroom at around 6:30 a.m. to wake her up for school, she was gone.

It's believed she left on her own, but then met trouble. A massive search began, hundreds of volunteers, law officers, rescue workers, combing dense woods around State Road 18 where Asha was last seen.

The only clues police had to go on were two reports from motorists who were on Highway 18 around 4 a.m. Monday morning. He said the reports came in late Monday afternoon. "One Sun-drop truck driver and another motorist have called since they saw that she was missing on television, and told officers that they saw a girl walking on the road about that time," Crawford said. "We're pretty sure it was her because the descriptions they gave are consistent with what we know she was wearing."

Asha was a fourth-grader at Fallston Elementary School. Police said the only items missing from the house were her sneakers, a pair of pants, a pocketbook with Tweety Bird on it and her school bookbag.

Later, deputies recovered a black and beige bookbag, which was found inside a plastic bag and sent to FBI for analysis. Cleveland County Sheriff Dan Crawford said his office suspected foul play.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/3908247/detail.html

[Trino]

How could a 10 year old leave her home at 4:00 a.m.? Don't kids usually sleep through the night? What would make a 10 year old leave her home at that hour? Aren't most kids that age nervous about being out at that time?

[tennessee]

I think that every year these children are being forced into situations they can't handle. It is amazing just how much knowledge these kids have as early as 2nd-3rd grade. It isn't uncommon to hear sexual and violent comments among that age group.

I, too, have a 14 yo daughter who is just few weeks older than this little girl. She sees and hears things daily that I didn't know about until I was older than she is now. The things she tells me about people she knows is unreal and we live in BFE. It is a totally different world out there than it was just a few years ago and it gets worse all the time. I suppose that we as parents just have to do our best to teach our kids to think before they act and to follow their gut instincts. Heaven help us.

Perhaps this little girl was running away. Maybe she was going to hook up with an internet predator. I doubt we will ever find out why she left home that morning. Hopefully, her parents will someday find her and have peace.

[lisag]

How could a 10 year old leave her home at 4:00 a.m.? Don't kids usually sleep through the night? What would make a 10 year old leave her home at that hour? Aren't most kids that age nervous about being out at that time?


Kids seem to grow up much faster these days. (I have a 13 year old daughter who seems much wiser beyond her years - at least much wiser than I ever was...)
I dont think we will ever have the answer as to why she left, I just hope her parents get the answer as to where she is. The "unknown" has gone on long enough.

[mysteriew]

A new tip is prompting a dig at a new site

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/11489611.htm

[christine2448]

That is a password website so I thought I would post the article for all to read (I hope that is acceptable):


New clue in 2000 disappearance?


Tip in search for Asha leads to dig at clearing

DÁNICA COTO
Staff Writer
A new tip about the 2000 disappearance of 9-year-old Asha Degree prompted authorities Monday to dig at a cleared site south of Shelby.

They carried away at least two bags filled with dirt, but authorities didn't say what they found, if anything. They also declined to say who provided the tip and when.

Officials with the FBI, the State Bureau of Investigation and the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office were at the site, along with three cadaver dogs.

Asha Degree was last seen in the predawn hours of Feb. 14, 2000, walking along N.C. 18, about a mile from her home north of Shelby. Her hair bow, candy wrappers and a pen and pencil were found the next day, about 600 feet from where she was last seen.

In August 2001, her bookbag was found along N.C. 18, about 40 miles north.

Authorities say they've received multiple tips since then. The most recent one before Monday prompted a four-day dig in November. That search yielded only animal bones.

"You always hear new things," said Cleveland County Chief Deputy Danny Gordon. "Like we said before, we're going to investigate every tip."

It's unclear whether Asha's parents, who live north of Shelby, knew about Monday's search. The family couldn't be reached for comment Monday.

The tip was first reported Monday afternoon by WCNC, the Observer's news partner.

Federal, state and local officials arrived at the site around 9 a.m. Monday and finished searching about 5 p.m. They didn't use a backhoe like they did in the fall, but mostly sifted through dirt they collected.

The land they searched was cleared about four years ago when Christ Covenant Church planned to build a new church there, said Edna Lovelace, 67, who lives in front of the property.

But the church never built there, and the land has remained untouched since then, she said.

"For the peace of mind of her parents, I wish they'd find (Asha)," Lovelace said. "It breaks their heart with every (tip) that comes in."

• If you have information about Asha Degree, call the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office at (704) 484-4888.

[CaliKid]

I've followed Asha's disappearance almost from the beginning. It's a real shame they haven't located her or her body yet. Does anyone know if this new site yielded any clues?

[hoppyfrog]

http://www.shelbystar.com/news/asha_28858___article.html/county_name.html

16 Feb 08

It’s been a mystery for county and state law enforcement for nearly a decade.

Thousands of cases have come and gone. Thousands of arrests, convictions and solutions.

But there’s been no solution here. No closure. Not since the day 9-year-old Asha Degree disappeared.

Her image remains scattered across the county. Fliers taped to windows. Billboards on busy highways.

much, much more at link

[missacorah]

So young to be gone so long. Where on earth could she have thought she needed to be headed at that time. I truly hope her devoted family get closure eventually.

[curious1]

Honestly, 8 years with nothing. How sad. :(

[hoppyfrog]

http://www.news14.com/content/local_news/charlotte/605069/search-continues-for-girl-missing-since-2000/Default.aspx

16 Feb 09

Dozens of people turned out this weekend to remember a Cleveland County girl who has been missing for nine years.

Asha Degree disappeared on Valentine’s Day in 2000. She was last seen walking down Fallston Road.

Degree would be 19-year old now. Her parents say they haven’t given up hope.

There have been dozens of searched for Degree over the years. At one point, her book bag was discovered buried by the side of the road 13 miles north of Cleveland County.

video at link