NC NC - Asha Degree, 9, Shelby, 14 Feb 2000

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Here's what I'm thinking. The shirt and book were in her backpack. Her parents say the shirt was not hers and had not seen the book. Maybe there was even her blood on the shirt, or something. So they are trying to find out what child it belonged to in order to find out what adults were surrounding them and likely took her.

Sad, if that's the case, because it would have been someone who knew her through school. Kind of like Ariel Castro knew one of the girls through his daughter.
 
Do we know the context of the book photo? Is this a photo of the actual book or just general shot pulled from Google. The photo of the front of the book looks like a new book but the shot showing the school name stamp appears much older and worn. If these items were found in the backpack it seems odd that LE would not have released this information before now but that's just my interpretation.
 
I'm so heartened by these new clues! Just knowing that the investigation into Asha's disappearance is very active 18 years later gives me hope that Asha will be found soon!
aegis100 said:
Do we know the context of the book photo? Is this a photo of the actual book or just general shot pulled from Google. The photo of the front of the book looks like a new book but the shot showing the school name stamp appears much older and worn. If these items were found in the backpack it seems odd that LE would not have released this information before now but that's just my interpretation.
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ITA, aegis100. Asha's backpack was found long ago. Why would LE be inquiring about the items only now? Also, if those were items Asha had in her possession when she disappeared and her parents couldn't find them (so assumed they were with Asha), why weren't they inquired about 18 years ago?

Does LE have the actual items? Maybe they found the items buried somewhere or in an old abandoned building and because the items are in poor condition, they found images of the items to help refresh people's memories? Could the items have been found by LE in another city or state while investigating another MP case and the imprint of Asha's school's name led LE to make a connection to Asha? Might the items have Asha's DNA on them?

So many other cold cases and MP cases a few years old have been cracked this year. Please let Asha's case be added to that list!
 
Indy Anna said:
ITA, aegis100. Asha's backpack was found long ago. Why would LE be inquiring about the items only now?
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Indy Anna (love the name BTW), I know the backpack was found years ago but I wondered if LE kept some information and items close to the vest to be able to identify who was involved and who was making false confessions, etc. After the passage of time and no substantial results LE decided it was time to release additional details. I tend to lean more toward dotr above and these items appeared in a photo with an unidentified girl/woman resembling Asha and LE is wanting to verify her identity.

As always, this is just my opinion.
 
aegis100 said:
Indy Anna (love the name BTW), I know the backpack was found years ago but I wondered if LE kept some information and items close to the vest to be able to identify who was involved and who was making false confessions, etc. After the passage of time and no substantial results LE decided it was time to release additional details.
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One of the investigators said this evidence is key to solving the case. That would seem to support what DOTR is suggesting, that these items appear in a video or photograph featuring Asha, or a girl who resembles her.
 
rocket said:
BBM

Where did you read the book and nightgown are key to the investigation? I have only read that they are two “new possible clues”.

Read more here: Book, band T-shirt are new clues to NC girl’s disappearance in 2000, detective says
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MISSING ASHA DEGREE: Authorities release new photos in case of 'Shelby's sweetheart' who vanished 18 years ago
"CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. - Nearly two decades after 9-year-old Asha Degree vanished from Shelby, two items of interest could help authorities figure out what happened to her.

Channel 9's Ken Lemon talked to an investigator working solely on Asha's case and he said the items are critical to solving it."
rbbm.
 
dotr said:
MISSING ASHA DEGREE: Authorities release new photos in case of 'Shelby's sweetheart' who vanished 18 years ago
"CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. - Nearly two decades after 9-year-old Asha Degree vanished from Shelby, two items of interest could help authorities figure out what happened to her.

Channel 9's Ken Lemon talked to an investigator working solely on Asha's case and he said the items are critical to solving it."
rbbm.
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Notice the video at the end of that article where Det. Bowen is talking about the items of interest. Starting at 0:10 the FBI are shown searching in an area where it appears trees have been cut back, followed by 2 investigators sifting through dirt. Wonder if the area in the first scene is where they found Asha's bookbag and if they were sifting through soil from that area for more clues.

OTOH, could that be a new search area where they found a photo? If LE felt something was critical to finding Asha, I really don't believe they would wait 18 years to request the public's help. Also, if there was only a photo or video showing the items, how would LE know the book was checked out from the Fallston Middle School library? The library book pocket shown in the video is stamped "Fallston Elementary Media Center," so the picture (of the book pocket) wasn't from the actual book or from a photo or video that was recently found.

If the book or tee-shirt did appear in a recently discovered photo or video, wouldn't LE show close-up shots of the items from the actual photo or video rather than show googled images of them? The book cover shown could be a close-up shot from an actual video or photo (maybe why it appears new), but the tee-shirt shown on a hanger against a blue background? Maybe it was hanging from something on a wall in a photo or video?

One thought is maybe photos or a video were recently sent to LE to mock them (a la Dennis Rader) and there is evidence it originates locally. Maybe LE searched inventories of local school libraries to see if the same book is still missing, and it has been missing from the Fallston Middle School library since 2000. It would mean that the person who took Asha is still in Fallston. Just a thought and wondering what others think of this possibility.
 
Good thoughts Indy Anna, another possibility is that the gown/shirt was so degraded, dirtied, soiled, that a stock image might prompt better recollections from the public since the gown/shirt would have been clean if Asha was wearing it.
 
Indy Anna said:
Notice the video at the end of that article where Det. Bowen is talking about the items of interest. Starting at 0:10 the FBI are shown searching in an area where it appears trees have been cut back, followed by 2 investigators sifting through dirt. Wonder if the area in the first scene is where they found Asha's bookbag and if they were sifting through soil from that area for more clues.

OTOH, could that be a new search area where they found a photo? If LE felt something was critical to finding Asha, I really don't believe they would wait 18 years to request the public's help. Also, if there was only a photo or video showing the items, how would LE know the book was checked out from the Fallston Middle School library? The library book pocket shown in the video is stamped "Fallston Elementary Media Center," so the picture (of the book pocket) wasn't from the actual book or from a photo or video that was recently found.

If the book or tee-shirt did appear in a recently discovered photo or video, wouldn't LE show close-up shots of the items from the actual photo or video rather than show googled images of them? The book cover shown could be a close-up shot from an actual video or photo (maybe why it appears new), but the tee-shirt shown on a hanger against a blue background? Maybe it was hanging from something on a wall in a photo or video?

One thought is maybe photos or a video were recently sent to LE to mock them (a la Dennis Rader) and there is evidence it originates locally. Maybe LE searched inventories of local school libraries to see if the same book is still missing, and it has been missing from the Fallston Middle School library since 2000. It would mean that the person who took Asha is still in Fallston. Just a thought and wondering what others think of this possibility.
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In regards to the different schools-- Fallston Middle School is not listed among the current schools in the county, only a Falston Elementary School is listed:
Cleveland County Schools - Wikipedia
It says at the above link a merger took place in 2000:
"Originally, the cities of Kings Mountain and Shelby had their own school districts separate from Cleveland County Schools. In 2000, the school boards and the Cleveland County Commission approved a merger plan to consolidate the three systems into one. The State Board of Education approved the measure, however, the school board of the Kings Mountain School District filed suit to stop the merger. The courts did not accept their positions and the merger officially occurred in 2004"

Perhaps the elementary school building used to be the middle school? Or vice versa? Or maybe they used to be combined in one building? A local would probably know.
 
Asha Degree’s family last saw her in her bed in Shelby, North Carolina at 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 14, 2000s. She was 9 years old. Motorists reported seeing her walking down a road at 4 a.m.

In 2001, police found Asha’s bookbag buried on the side of a road in Burke County, North Carolina. As recently as October 2018, police were still working on new leads into the girl’s disappearance. The new clues had to do with a Dr. Seuss book and a New Kids on the Block T-shirt.

At least 81 kids in the Carolinas have been missing for more than a year
 
Hoping for a break in the case soon. It's coming upon 19 years since Asha's disappearance.

heart-breaking-smiley.gif
 
Awhile back LE released some information and asked the public about a green car. Is it possible they located a car of this discription and these items, the book and shirt, were inside?
Something leads me to believe they have a suspect and their trying to work up a case or maybe releasing pieces of information a little at a time to try and get this person to make a move. I dont know what kind of move, maybe contact someone or try and dispose of other evidence. Just to put them on edge and to put them on notice. Your going down I hope is the message.
Anyway, LE sure does seem to be awful optimistic that Asha is still alive. Maybe they have their reasons. I pray they are right.
 
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