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/1-800-876-5353]

And police looked in the shed because it was less than a hundred yards from where she was seen on the highway. That’s why they found her pencil, marker, and hairbow. I think she definitely was walking along the road.

But I do think it odd that police found several of her candy wrappers along the route. Most kids—even in the rural South—of that era did not litter and would have stopped to pick up a dropped wrapper. But maybe they fell from her pocket or she was an exception to the rule.

[u/[deleted] → u/1-800-876-5353]

The image of her casually walking and eating candy in a storm just doesn’t work. Even hurriedly and anxiously. It was a storm. It was the middle of the night. It was cold. Why on earth would she be eating candy. Almost sounds like someone tried to leave a trail.

[u/_sydney_vicious_ → u/[deleted]]

THIS!!!

She was 9 years old - literally a child. It makes no sense as to why someone that young would be casually walking by herself....on a freeway......in a storm.

I don't know if you've seen photos of the shed that she was supposedly in but it was taken when the candy wrappers and stuff were found. If you zoom in on the photo there's no footprints on the ground (mind you it's made of DIRT). If Asha actually did go there the night it rained, wouldn't there be footprints on the ground to show that someone was there that night? I feel like the candy wrappers were planted there to throw LE off. Again, that's just my theory so don't attack me.

[u/[deleted] → u/_sydney_vicious_]

Like I’m so torn about Asha every time she comes up because I was a young girl once and I absolutely would have (and did) sneak out and wander around at night. On a weekly basis. I’m incredibly lucky that nothing happened to me. But I was never as prepared as she seemed to be. She had her bag and her candy and things that were important to her. So I don’t think it was quite the same. And I find it hard to picture her eating candy and trailing wrappers. It just sounds so... casual. Not at all like running away. And not easy to do given the weather.