National Missing Children's Day highlights Asha Degree's case

Lina PortmanMay 31, 2024

3 2 minutes read

As National Missing Children's Day approaches, the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office released a new video about the disappearance of Asha Degree.

In the video, her family can be seen looking through photo albums, a camera pans around the area where the 9-year-old was last seen in Fallston 24 years ago, and the sheriff urges anyone with information to come forward.

“Eventually we will find you and we will bring you to justice if you don’t come forward,” Sheriff Alan Norman said in the video.

The narrator of the video said: “The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office is asking you to pray. Pray for Asha, her family, this community and our investigation team.

Even though National Missing Children's Day has passed this year, Asha remains on the minds of investigators and the community.

“We will never stop searching for Asha,” the newly released video says.

Asha disappeared after leaving her Fallston home before dawn on February 14, 2000. Since then, she has been nicknamed “Shelby's Sweetheart.”

Investigators have periodically given updates to the public, continue to provide information and are offering a $45,000 reward for information leading to her finding.

In an interview earlier this year, Norman said that as technology advances, investigators now have more tools than ever to solve the case. He also mentioned that new evidence has been collected over the past 24 months.

Here is a timeline of events surrounding Asha Degree's disappearance and the ongoing investigation:

February 14, 2000

2:30 a.m.: Asha's father checks on her.

3:15 a.m.: Asha is seen walking on NC 18 toward Shelby by a truck driver.

6 a.m.: Asha is missing.

February 23, 2000

Asha's physical search is called off.

2001

Asha's backpack was found buried along NC 18 in Burke County.

2014

Law enforcement believes they have a suspect, but that leads to another standoff.

2016

The FBI and Cleveland County Sheriff's Office are releasing information about a car Asha may have been riding in the night she disappeared. The vehicle is described as an early 1970s Lincoln Mark IV or Ford Thunderbird, dark green, with rust around the wheel arches.

2017

In an effort to generate new leads, the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, State Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina FBI Office are partnering with the Kidnapping Rapid Deployment Team children from the FBI's main office in Washington.

2018

Sheriff's Office releases video reviewing Degree case and asks for information on new items of interest found by FBI child abduction team, including Dr. Seuss book “McElligot's Pool” and a New Kids on the Block concert t-shirt.

Lina Portman

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