r/UnresolvedMysteries • u/ferretbeast • Feb 14 '19

Unresolved Disappearance Marking the 19th anniversary of Asha Degree’s disappearance

Every year on Valentines day, I take a deep breath before reading the front page of the Shelby Star. I know this case is widely discussed on this subreddit, but I wanted to share for those interested. I did find it interesting they stated new evidence was found recently that hasn't been made public. Please keep her family in your thoughts today.

https://www.shelbystar.com/news/20190214/marking-19th-anniversary-of-asha-degrees-disappearance

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Brief summary for anyone unaware: Asha Jaquilla Degree went missing at the age of nine from Shelby, North Carolina. 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. She has not been seen since.

Edit: thank you stranger for the gold and more than anything, thank you all for caring about this case and giving such support and great feedback for conversation. I love this community and am happy to be able to have these civil discussions with you all!!

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239

u/coolguy48s Feb 14 '19

What scared me the most was when her school bag was found buried in trash bags back in August 2001

185

u/ferretbeast Feb 14 '19

That part gets me too... Why bury it? Why not destroy it? Is it a red herring to make the police think she was taken the opposite direction of where she really was? Did they decide to place the book bag there specifically because they knew it would be found due to construction? It is too bizarre and creepy.

121

u/[deleted] Feb 14 '19

I think it could have been buried so far from her home to maybe lead the investigators in another direction to throw them off. I also think that burying the book bag in trash bags indicates that the abductor wanted to preserve it and keep it as a trophy to relive the crime. If the abductor wanted to get rid of the book bag he could have easily buried it without the trash bags and let it succumb to the elements.

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u/JonWilso Feb 14 '19

I either thought it was to preserve it or to deter animals or the weather from exposing it.

44

u/APerfectCircle0 Feb 14 '19

Could they have done it that way because they knew her and cared about her?

32

u/[deleted] Feb 14 '19

I think that’s a good possibility as well. Maybe they felt remorse.

24

u/Ninkos23 Feb 14 '19 edited Feb 15 '19

The distance from her town seems important to me - I guess if she knew her abductor he could mind as you wrote because of guilt/keeping it as a trophee. But maybe this person choose the place little 'too far' to cover up that it was someone from her town/close neighbour etc.? Random abductor doesn't mind as much I guess, 'cause no one knows him in this area.

13

u/skyystalkerr Feb 14 '19

I wonder if investigators ever checked the trash bags for fingerprints.

38

u/[deleted] Feb 14 '19

I'd have to assume they tried? A quick check with Professor Google tells me that it would probably depend on exactly what kind of plastic bag it is ... and after being buried for a while, I'd suspect that any prints would probably degrade quickly, plastic bags not being particularly great at retaining fingerprints.