THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ASHA DEGREE

Twenty-five years to the day, young Asha Degree disappeared on Valentine's Day. In the early morning hours of February 14, 2000, for reasons unknown, she packed her bookbag, left her family home north of the city and began walking along nearby North Carolina Highway 18 despite heavy rain and wind. Several passing motorists saw her; when one turned around at a point 1.3 miles (2.1 km) from her home and began to approach her, she left the roadside and ran into a wooded area. In the morning, her parents discovered her missing from her bedroom. She has not been seen since.

From what Asha packed, she had planned this for weeks before the diaappearance. In March 2000, police erected a full-size color billboard, featuring Degree's image and identifying information, along Highway 18, near where Degree was last seen. In May 2001, stock car racing driver Travis Kittleson featured an image of Degree on the hood of his car for an event in Concord, North Carolina, which was broadcast live on TNN. Kittleson said, "We've got a perfect opportunity to put Asha's picture on our car and maybe, with any luck, we can help bring her home."

On August 3, 2001, Asha's bookbag and other items were discovered during a construction project off Highway 18 in Burke County, near Morganton, about 26 miles (42 km) north of Shelby. It was wrapped in two black trash bags. The worker who found it said the bookbag contained Asha's name and phone number. The FBI took it to their laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for further forensic analysis; results from that testing have not been shared publicly. To date, it is the last evidence found in the case. On the 20th anniversary of Asha's disappearance, the FBI confirmed that the bookbag contained a copy of Dr. Seuss's McElligot's Pool and a T-shirt depicting the band New Kids on the Block. Neither appeared to have been her property before they were found in her bag; the book was from the library at her elementary school.

The Degree Family has taken steps to keep the memory of Asha in the public eye but little new clues have turned up. In November 2020, an inmate named Marcus Mellon, who had been convicted of sex crimes against children six years earlier, wrote a letter to The Shelby Star, claiming that Degree was murdered and he knows where to find her. In February 2021, Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman announced that Mellon's claims had led to another dead end.

In September 2024, a search warrant was executed by the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office and the FBI in relation to the disappearance of Asha Degree. A news release from the sheriff's office said the warrant was issued based on physical evidence in the case. No human remains were recovered, but multiple items of interest, including a green 1964 AMC Rambler, were taken from the site. The search warrant indicates that authorities believe Degree was a homicide victim and that her body has been concealed. Two local residents, a husband and wife, were named as suspects in the case. 

As of this Valentine's Day 2025 - no more news on the case. If you have any clues or anything that might assist in finding Asha, please reach out to me on this blog or contact the FBI...