LAST EDITED ON Dec-27-03 AT 09:33 PM (EST)
 
Endangered Missing
ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT :
Cleveland County Sheriff's Office (North Carolina)
1-704-484-4822

ASHA JAQUILLA DEGREE

Age Progression

Case Type : Endangered Missing
Date Missing : February-14-2000
Birthdate : August -05-1990 Age : 12 years
Height : 4' 6" - 137 cm
Weight : 60 lbs - 27 kg
Eyes :Brown Hair : Black
Case Number :879788

Circumstances : Asha's photo is shown age-progressed to 11 years. She was last seen by her family sleeping in her bed at approximately 2:30 a.m. on February 14, 2000. At 4 a.m. she was seen by motorists walking along North Carolina Highway 18 in Shelby, North Carolina. She is believed to be wearing a white shirt, white jeans, white tennis shoes and may be carrying her purse and a black back pack.

City of Report : SHELBY , North Carolina, USA

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cleveland County Sheriff's Office (North Carolina)
1-704-484-4822

*EDITED: for photo corrections

Transferred previous thread 3:52 PM 02/14/2003

Jams Feb-05-01, 04:41 PM (GMT)

"Missing: Asha Degree" Age 9 Shelby, North Carolina

Vanished: February 13 or 14, 2000
Race: African-American

Reports say that she had dressed, put her two favorite outfits in her book bag and left her home sometime during the night or early morning. She was last seen by truckers walking on NC 18 at about 4:00 AM. Her hair bow, candy wrappers and other belongings were found in a shed near the highway.

Table of Contents

Gone In The Night..., LadyBug, 08:53 PM, Feb-29-00
Little Girl Still Missing _Reward O..., LadyBug, 09:33 PM, Feb-29-00
Valentines Day Disappearance Stra..., LadyBug, 06:56 AM, Mar-15-00
Parents take polygraph, Bluefire, 11:50 AM, Mar-17-00
Counterfiters profit, Bluefire, 11:52 AM, Mar-17-00
Picture, Bluefire, 11:58 AM, Mar-17-00
Why Run Away?, Bluefire, 12:16 PM, Mar-17-00
37 Days Later New Billboard Up ..., LadyBug, 01:32 AM, Mar-24-00

Messages in this discussion

1 . "Gone In The Night..."
Posted by LadyBug on Feb-29-00 at 08:53 PM (EST)
Frantic Search For Missing Nine-Year-Old

Asha Degree, 9, has been missing since Monday morning. *NOTE ( Feb 14th )

CLEVELAND COUNTY -- Dozens of people are out scouring parts of Cleveland County for a little girl who's been missing since Monday morning.
The parents of nine-year old Asha Degree went to wake her up for school and found she was not in her bed.

Already, 60 volunteer firefighters and sheriff's deputies have searched the area surrounding the family's home. They are saying little about the investigation, except that they are treating it as a missing person's case.

Family members say that Asha's bookbag, her purse, and some clothes are missing.

Asha's mother, Iquilla Degree, begged for her child's return. "She's my baby, just bring her back," she said. "If somebody took her, or if somebody has seen her, just bring her back."
Asha's parents said that she has not done anything like this in the past.

http://www.gocarolinas.com/news/charlotte/2000/02/14/girl_missing.html
..........
2 . "Little Girl Still Missing _Reward Offered"
Posted by LadyBug on Feb-29-00 at 09:33 PM (EST)
6:07 PM 02/29/2000
Mother hopes reward will help in search for her daughter

Asha Degre

Asha Degree is still missing

CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. -- Two weeks ago a little girl from Cleveland County ran away from home.
She hasn't been seen since.

Asha Degree's mother is hoping a $5000 reward will bring some clues. Asha's family is taking this story to national audience in the next few weeks. Her mother suspects that wherever she is, Asha is
scared and confused.

Two weeks into a grueling search for Asha Degree, there is no promising news on where the 9-year-old might be. That painful truth is taking its toll on Asha's mother.

"And I have to wake up every morning and its only one child getting ready for school instead of two.
That I'm not doing her hair like I do at least every other day," said Iquilla Degree.

And after two weeks of disappointments and no news at all, there is one thing Iquilla Degree just can't afford to do.

"I don't think the worst. Because if I do, I can't get through the day," said Degree. "One day at a time. I just pray and make myself think positively."

Countless people have spent hours searching the woods, the highways and byways for Asha, all to no avail. Where all the legwork failed, Iquilla thinks just maybe reward money will do the trick.

"Hopefully the $5000 will motivate the people that's got her or somebody might know somebody that's got her, to call the police or just bring her home," said Degree.

So far that hasn't happen. But Iquilla Degree refuses to throw up her hands in defeat. She wears hope along with her Asha button.

"We're not giving up hope until I have a body or they call me to identify the body," said Degree. "And
then I know I'm still not going to lose hope because if, lord forbid, he decides to take her, I know
she's with god and she's taken care of, so I still won't have to worry."

Anyone who has information about the location of Asha Degree is asked to call the Cleveland County
Sheriff's Department at 704-484-4888.

http://www.gocarolinas.com/news/charlotte/2000/02/29/ashas_mom.html
............
3 . "Valentines Day Disappearance Strangest Ever "
Posted by LadyBug on Mar-15-00 at 06:56 AM (EST)
Experts baffled by strange disappearance

SHELBY, N.C. -- A month after 9-year-old Asha Degree walked off and disappeared into the night, missing children experts say the case is as baffling as any they have ever seen.

Police still have few leads, although they believed she left her home willingly during the night then ran into trouble.

Although that remains the most likely scenario, police say it is difficult to understand why a well-adjusted fourth-grader would slip away from her house on a rainy night without explanation.
Although motorists saw her walking south on N.C. 18 near her house about 4 a.m. Valentine's Day, she has not been seen since.

Two authorities on missing children say 9-year-olds simply don't walk out of their house in the middle of the night and seemingly evaporate.

"She doesn't fit any standard profile of a missing child," said John Goad, director of the N.C. Center for Missing Persons, citing Asha's age and apparently stable home. "I don't think a case like hers has
ever happened anywhere, anytime."

Last year, 877,000 children were reported missing, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Since 1990, the center has resolved 93 percent of its cases.

In North Carolina, there were 6,361 children reported missing in 1999. Most were runaways; none were abducted by strangers, according to the N.C. Center for Missing Persons. The state agency collects information on missing persons in North Carolina and provides technical assistance across the state to police.

Asha's parents reported her missing at 6:30 a.m., after her mother went to wake her up and found she was gone. Her hair bow and other belongings were found in a shed beside the highway a day later. A massive, week-long search by air and on foot revealed nothing else.

From the beginning, observers called Asha's case bizarre.

"Kids usually don't start running away until age 12," said Ben Ermini, director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's missing children division.

Goad said state officials rarely classify children younger than 10 as runaways.

Cleveland County Sheriff Dan Crawford, spent 22 years with the State Bureau of Investigation and handled a number of child abductions, said most of the cases he was familiar with involved kidnappers
who stalked victims, much like serial rapists.

Asha's case is probably different, he said, because if she was abducted, she likely stumbled upon the offender.

Such crimes of opportunity are difficult to crack because the offender may not have a criminal history to flag police.

Two investigators working on Asha's case went to Quantico, Va., to meet with agents in the FBI's Child Abduction and Serial Killer Unit, who drew up a psychological profile of a possible abductor.
Crawford would not discuss the profile.

"We have not had a substantial lead since the day she left," Crawford said. "It's very frustrating to spend a lot of time and resources in an investigation and not have that good, substantial lead come
to you."

http://www.thestate.com/headlines/alldocs/14disappearse.htm

-------------------------------------------
Did Asha go out in the night, hiked to meet a person she had befriended?

Asha's barrets were found in a barn. Was the meeting there?

OR could Asha have been sleepwalking and met with an accident or foul play?

How far to her school from home and in what direction from her front door? Is that same direction the road she was last seen by the truckers?

4 . "Parents take polygraph"
Posted by Bluefire on Mar-17-00 at 11:50 AM (EST)
Parents Take Polygraph

SHELBY -- The probe into the disappearance of Asha Degree now has investigators from the Cleveland County Sheriff's department questioning her parents with a polygraph test Tuesday.

Authorities do not consider her parents suspects and stress that polygraphs are routine in missing children cases.

It's been a month since 9-year-old Asha Degree walked off and disappeared into the night.

Police still have few leads, although they believed she left her home willingly during the night then ran into trouble.

Motorists, questioned by police, saw her walking south on N.C. 18 near her house about 4 a.m. Valentine's Day, she has not been seen since.

If you have any information that can help police find Asha Degree, please call the Cleveland County
Sheriff's Department at (704) 484-4888.

5 . "Counterfiters profit"
Posted by Bluefire on Mar-17-00 at 11:52 AM (EST)
Countefiters making profit on teeshirt sales

SHELBY- The search continues for 9-year-old, Asha Degree, who disappeared from her home over a month ago. As the hunt continues about her whereabouts, Asha's parent now say that someone is
cashing in on the search efforts by pocketing money from T-shirts that were made to help find their daughter.

The Degree family has now decided to end the selling of T-shirts.

Meanwhile, police still have few leads in the case, although they believe she left her home willingly during the night on Valentine's Day.

If you have any information that can help police find Asha Degree, please call Cleveland County
Sheriff's Department at (704) 484-4888

6 . "Picture"
Posted by Bluefire on Mar-17-00 at 11:58 AM (EST)

This is the original. *( no photo available )

7 . "Why Run Away?"
Posted by Bluefire on Mar-17-00 at 12:16 PM (EST)
Can't these people say a little about Asha? Reading every piece of news on her disappearance

7 . "Why Run Away?"
Posted by Bluefire on Mar-17-00 at 12:16 PM (EST)
Can't these people say a little about Asha? Reading every piece of news on her disappearance i can't find one hint of what she was like, what sort of habits she had, what things she enjoyed doing or
anything else. Nobody talks about Asha as a person at all.

How in the heck do they expect anyone to identify the child without some of her personal quirks?

This is a strange case. Why would a nine year old run away in the middle of the night and walk along the highway? Is it possible she was KICKED out after an arguement? Followed from home?

Why would her hair bow and backpack be in an old abandoned shed and not something a bit more appropriate to a stranger abduction? Like certain pieces of clothing?

8 . "37 Days Later New Billboard Up On N.C. 18"
Posted by LadyBug on Mar-24-00 at 01:32 AM (EST)
Police seek new ways to find Asha

Shana Bretzius
Star Managing Editor

SHELBY - Interviews of kids who know Asha Degree and a billboard seeking clues are two new tacks being taken to find the missing 9-year-old.

Cleveland County Sheriff Dan Crawford stepped in front of a small army of TV cameras and
microphones Tuesday to introduce new members of the investigative team from the FBI and Department of Justice. He also made a plea for new information from the public.

"Investigators have reason to believe that there may be individuals who have information pertinent to this investigation, that for some unknown reasons, have yet to come forward with said information."

It's been 37 days since anyone has reported seeing Asha.

Hundreds of clues and leads have been followed since Asha disappeared, said Crawford, but none of them have led detectives to the little girl.

Currently, the sheriff said his department is trying to rule out a handful of suspects.

He would say only that there are "active leads involving individuals that we are pursuing."

Crawford urged the public to report anyone whose normal activities have changed. He gave as an example someone who has stopped driving a particular car since Asha disappeared.

Without a break in the case, Crawford said the team is forced to retrace its own steps and the actions of Asha on the morning of Feb. 14.

Kimberly Poyer, a child interview specialist with the Department of Justice, said children, "can become very critical" in a case like Asha's.

"This is not therapy," said Ms. Poyer about her interview techniques. "I follow a standard protocol."

Ms. Poyer would not identify any children she plans to interview while in Cleveland County, but said it's often helpful to talk with children who have witnessed crimes or know a victim.

Asha's 10-year-old brother, O'Bryant, was the last person in the Degree home to see Asha.
O'Bryant told police Asha got up during the night to go to the bathroom. She was discovered
missing the following morning.

Crawford said he made the right decision by calling members of the FBI and SBI the day Asha was reported missing.

"I felt like the criteria was met early on," said Crawford, adding that, "I'm not looking for glory or anything else, I'm looking for this little girl."

A profile of a possible suspect was done in Quantico, Va., at an FBI lab, but Crawford said there isn't enough evidence for profilers to draw on.

Crawford continues to say that, "there is a strong belief that foul play is involved in Asha Degree's disappearance."

FBI Supervisor Rick Shaffer said there isn't a shred of evidence in the case.

"It's very unusual," said Shaffer, "and that's why there's such a resolve and commitment to this case."

Crawford said Asha could have been abducted, but leaves open th

Crawford said Asha could have been abducted, but leaves open the possibility that she traveled beyond the search area on her own and was injured by natural causes.

"The child, Asha Degree, has just basically disappeared," said Crawford. "We're having trouble building this case. We have had no productive sightings since that Monday, the 14th."

Anyone with information about Asha Degree is urged to call 476-3030 or send written information to Sheriff Dan Crawford at P.O. Box 3117, Shelby, N.C. 28151.

*(Continued link )

http://www.shelbystar.com/news/asha/asha26.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hunt for girl will try a billboard

Investigators stymied in disappearance of Cleveland County 9-year-old

By AILEEN SOPER
SHELBY -- Police say they will erect a full-size color billboard with the picture of a missing 9-year-old Cleveland County girl and other identifying information along the road where she was last spotted five weeks ago.

The sign on N.C. 18 is intended to jog the recollections of people who might have more information about the disappearance

The sign on N.C. 18 is intended to jog the recollections of people who might have more information about the disappearance of Asha Degree, last seen by motorists on N.C.18 as she walked along the highway about 4 a.m. on Valentine's Day, just a mile from her house.

*( Continued link )
http://www.charlotte.com/observer/local/pub/asha0322.htm

................................................
A full-size color billboard with the picture of
9-year old Asha Degree went up today -- (WBTV)

Authorities in Cleveland County say they are more sure than ever that someone was involved in the disappearance of Asha. Investigators from the Justice Department are here to interview her brother and classmates who are all described as potential witnesses.

http://www.cybersleuths.com/current.html
http://www.wbtv.com/news/news.htm
The story had been removed, updated page.
.............
Messages

Update on this case, Liv4books, Aug-18-01, 08:57 AM, (1)
Sounds like a runaway to me., Lilac, Aug-18-01, 01:43 PM, (2)
Valentines Day February 14, 2000, LadyBug, Aug-18-01, 02:28 PM, (3)
Backpack? 18-wheelers?, LovelyPigeon, Aug-18-01, 11:02 PM, (4)
Post #1, LadyBug, Aug-19-01, 04:43 AM, (5)
Good point, LB, Liv4books, Aug-19-01, 05:05 AM, (6)
LP, LB, Lilac, Aug-20-01, 00:41 AM, (7)
Update , LadyBug, Mar-01-02, 03:15 PM, (8)
.......................
Liv4books
Aug-18-01, 08:57 AM (GMT)

1. "Update on this case "In response to message #0

http://www.shelbystar.com/news/asha/asha35.html
Found her book bag 26 miles from home.
..............
Lilac
Aug-18-01, 01:43 PM (GMT)

2. "Sounds like a runaway to me. "In response to message #1
I sure hope the little girle didn't meet up with fowl play. Sounds possible if they found her bag that far from home.
If she packed her backpack, it didn't sound like any kidnapping to me. UNLESS it was someone she knew, like a father. Are her parents divorced? Anyone know?
.............
LadyBug
Aug-18-01, 02:28 PM (GMT)
3. "Valentines Day February 14, 2000"
In response to message #2

Asha Degree was only 9 years old when she vanished and she was seen by truckers in the early morning hours ( some of which reported ). Valentines day would be an important time for a 9 year old.
Fowl play? It's been 18 months! Road 18, 18 wheeler and todays date. Someone must have picked her up and they aren't talkin
.......................
LovelyPigeon
Aug-18-01, 11:02 PM (GMT)

4. "Backpack? 18-wheelers?"
In response to message #3

It was a bookbag..with books and a notebook inside. Nothing packed to run away with. 18-wheelers? Where is that? The article says "drivers" but doesn't mention trucks. She wasn't seen walking on an major highway, was she?
..................
LadyBug
Charter Member
1272 posts Aug-19-01, 04:43 AM (GMT)

5. "Post #1"
In response to messa

In response to message #4

Shelby, North Carolina
"Reports say that she had dressed, put her two favorite outfits in her book bag and left her home sometime during the night or early morning. She was last seen by truckers walking on NC 18 at about 4:00 AM. Her hair bow, candy wrappers and other belongings were found in a shed near the highway."

I can't for the life of me understand WHY this child wasn't reported by the truckers at the time she was seen on NC18 at 4: A.M.. (OR was she reported?) In February wouldn't it still be dark in Shelby, NC?
...................
Liv4books
Aug-19-01, 05:05 AM (GMT)

6. "Good point, LB"
In response to message #5

the truckers should have done something!!
I wonder why a 9 year old would be walking in the dark on the highway.
.................
Lilac
Aug-20-01, 00:41 AM (GMT)

7. "LP, LB"
In response to message #6

That's exactly why I said what I did. Most kids don't pack 2 outfits to go to school.

End posted thread transfer

I have been following this case for a long time. So, tonight I did a websearch and found a web page for asha with links to others. This page has all the news articles on the case as well as a map of the search area well marked. http://www.shelbystar.com/news/asha/ashahome.html

Transcript of 911 call for missing Asha Degree

Here is the 911 call from Harold Degree to police that lasted approximately 2
minutes, 40 seconds. The call was made at 6:39 a.m. Monday:
Dispatcher: 911
Father: Yes, I'd like to report a child missing.
Dispatcher: From where?
Father: From my house.
Dispatcher: What's your address?
Father: Uhh, 3404 Oakcrest Drive.
Dispatcher: Is this an apartment?
Father: Yeah.
Dispatcher: Which apartment?
Father: Uhh, Apartment 3406.
Dispatcher: OK, is she missing from 3404 or 3406?
Father: 3404, I mean.
Dispatcher: There's not an apartment number?
Father: It's 34-, unhuh, no, unhuh (crying in background)
Dispatcher: It's not like an A or B?
Father: No, unhuh.
Dispatcher: What's your name?
Father: Harold Degree.
Dispatcher: Your phone number, Harold?
Father: (gives phone number) The next door neighbor said she went down the road
and said she just seen a kid down the road. (crying continues in background)
Dispatcher: What's the child's name?
Father: Asha Degree
Dispatcher: What's her full name?
Father: Asha Jaquailla Degree
Dispatcher: Can you spell it for me please?
Father: A-s-h-a J-a-q-u-a-i-l
Dispatcher: J-a what? (crying, talking in background)
Dispatcher: J-a what?
Father: J-a-q-u - I mean, yeah, J-a-q-u-a-i-l-l-a
Dispatcher: Degree?
Father: Yeah, yeah.
Dispatcher: How old is she?
Father: Uhh, nine.
Dispatcher: White or black?
Father: Black.
Dispatcher: When did you last see her Harold?
Father: Last time I went to bed, she was in the bed. We got up this morning,
called her to get up to go to school, and she wasn't in there. And her bookbag's
missing and her pocketbook. (crying continues in background)
Dispatcher: So you don't know if she got dressed or if she's still got on her
bedclothes or what?
Father: We don't know.
Dispatcher: Was the door open or anything?
Father: No. Uhh, her brother sleeps in there with her and when he uhh, when he
was in there he didn't hear her when she got up.
Dispatcher: OK.
Dispatcher: All right Harold, I will get an officer to get in touch with you
just as soon as possible. If you do happen to locate her, please call us back
and let us know, OK?
Father: OK.
Dispatcher: Thank you, bye-bye.
...............

What has been done and what is being done to find this little girl? Years have past the time she should have been home...who is searching for Asha Degree ?