22 years since the disappearance of Asha Degree, law enforcement hopes for renewed interest in the case

SHELBY, N.C. (WBTV) - On this day, 22 years ago, a girl vanished from her Shelby home.

It was Feb. 14, 2000. Asha Degree was 9-years-old. Family members last saw her asleep in her bedroom.

On the anniversary of her disappearance, law enforcement officers are hoping for renewed interest in the case and clues that will help find “Shelby’s sweetheart.”

Related: FBI: Asha Degree may have gotten into a dark green car on night of disappearance

WBTV’s Dee Dee Gatton spoke with Asha’s mother Iquilla Degree, earlier today.

It’s obviously a difficult day, but she seemed hopeful.

There are, of course, a lot of questions - like why did Asha leave her house to begin with on Valentine’s Day, which is her parents’ wedding anniversary?

Investigators say, right now, it’s less about where we think Asha could be and more about what we think someone in our area knows about where she is.

Iquilla sat down with WBTV’s Jamie Boll on this day a year ago.

During that interview she said, “We’ve done everything in our power to find our child and bring her home. Even though she is 30 now, she is still our child, still the 9-year-old little girl that left.”

Asha would be 31 years old today.

Related: ‘Only thing we got is hope’: Family still seeking clues on 21st anniversary Asha Degree went missing

“This is worse than death because, at least with death, you have closure,” said Iquilla in the 2021 WBTV interview. “You can go to a gravesite, or if you have the urn at home, but for us, we can’t mourn, we can’t give up. The only thing we got is hope.”

Family members last saw Asha asleep in the middle of the night.

Investigators say, they got reports from people who said they saw a girl walking along North Carolina Highway 18 in Shelby around 4 a.m.

That was the last time Asha was seen.

Then in 2001, her backpack was found some 30 miles away.

“There was a New Kids on the Block concert T-shirt that was in the bookbag along with a library book that was from Asha’s elementary school but was not checked out by Asha,” said Shelley Lynch with the FBI Charlotte Division.

Each year, law enforcement tries to find new ways to advance the investigation.

Related: Family, friends gather to pray as search for missing Shelby girl nears 20 years

From Feb. 2021 to now, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office has received 45 tips and the FBI has gotten 20.

“At this point, we’re always going to hold out hope that’s Asha’s alive, because we have not found evidence otherwise,” said Lynch.

FBI Charlotte couldn’t go into specifics, but told WBTV they’ve identified a number of people over the years who have been considered a “person of interest” for various reasons.

There is a $45,000 reward for any information that could help solve this case.

If you have any information, contact FBI Charlotte at (704) 672-6100 or your local FBI office.

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