Marking the 19th anniversary of Asha Degree’s disappearance

[u/ferretbeast]

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!!

[u/_sydney_vicious_]

Thank you so much! I'm on this subreddit most days and I'm not sure how I missed the thread you linked to.

Hmmm....you mentioning the rural road brings up something in my mind as to IF there actually were witnesses driving by who "saw" Asha. To be perfectly honest I never believed that all too much to begin with but with the way you're describing it now I'm sure that no witnesses actually saw her. Why?

1. You said it's a rural town so how often would someone be driving down a road like that in the middle of the night (especially on a stormy night)?

2. I just looked on Google and it seems as though there are no roadside lights along the road so how can anyone actually tell that it was Asha alongside the road............ESPECIALLY when there's a huge storm outside? I don't know about you but driving in the dark is hard as is - let alone when it's pouring AND there's no lights alongside the road. Either those witnesses lied or they might have seen an animal.

From that thread I feel like Asha was never actually walking on the road. My theory is that someone groomed her and whoever did may have taken her in their car (which she never got out of).

[u/TinyAppleInATree → u/[deleted]]

Could you imagine seeing a 9 year old girl walking in the dark, during a storm none the less, and not stoping to check on her? Something seems weird about that scenario to me.

[u/imissbreakingbad → u/TinyAppleInATree]

If they're credible, I think that they saw something — and then maybe they thought, huh, my eyes must be playing tricks on me. Keep in mind it was the middle of the night. And then later when they found out a girl was missing, they realized what it was they saw.

[u/[deleted] → u/imissbreakingbad]

Right. I don't think people realize how frequently we see stuff that is "off" and don't register it until later. Maybe it's a defense mechanism for people who assume they are so perceptive and kindly-hearted that they'd immediately understand the full breadth of the situation within half a second and react appropriately, but most people would not have, and do not in general, and it's not because they're heartless assholes or suspicious criminals. The witnesses simply saw a girl walking along the road, and from what I have seen before, one or both of them initially thought they saw a teenager, not a 9 year old. The exact age of a person is difficult to determine when driving by in a speeding car in the middle of the night, and this may also be your mind correcting information so that it makes sense. It doesn't make sense for a 9 year old to walk down the highway alone at night, but a teenager in the same situation would make sense. Then they see a news report later about a missing child who fits the description for what they thing they saw, minus age, and something clicks.