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Asha Degree, a nine-year-old girl from Shelby, North Carolina, disappeared in the early morning hours of February 14, 2000, under mysterious circumstances. Reportedly, she left her home voluntarily before dawn, and two motorists later saw a child matching her description walking along Highway 18, as per FBI.gov. One driver attempted to approach her, but she ran into the woods and vanished.
A year later, construction workers found Asha Degree’s bookbag in Burke County, 30 miles from where she was last seen. The bag contained a Dr. Seuss book and a New Kids on the Block T-shirt, neither of which belonged to her, as reported in Shelby Star.
As per CrimeOnline's Feb. 26, 2025, article, recent developments suggest a possible confession. A man claimed that at a mid-2000s house party, an intoxicated woman admitted, “I killed Asha Degree.” Investigators continue to analyze evidence and search for new leads in one of North Carolina’s longest-running missing person cases.
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The case of Asha Degree has been recently covered in Crime Junkie, a true crime podcast hosted by Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat.
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The episode titled Missing: Asha Degree was released on February 26, 2025, on Crime Junkie Podcast, which is available on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and crimejunkiepodcast.com.
A potential new suspect, and other key insights into Asha Degree's disappearance
1) Asha Degree left her home voluntarily, but why?
Authorities have consistently maintained that Asha Degree left her Shelby, North Carolina, home of her own accord. However, the reason behind her decision remains unknown. The nine-year-old girl was last seen walking along NC Highway 18 at approximately 4 am in rainy conditions.
Two witnesses reported sightings, with one attempting to check on her, only for Asha to run into the woods as per FBI.gov, February 14, 2020. This remains the last confirmed sighting before her disappearance.
2) The discovery of Asha’s belongings raised more questions
On August 3, 2001, over a year after she vanished, a construction worker found a double-bagged book bag buried along Highway 18, roughly 30 miles from where Asha was last seen.
The bag contained a Dr. Seuss book and a New Kids on the Block concert T-shirt, neither of which reportedly belonged to her as reported in Shelby Star on July 26, 2003.
The forensic analysis of these items remained inconclusive for years. However, modern DNA testing has since linked evidence from the bag to members of the Dedmon family as per WBTV, February 21, 2025.
3) New DNA technology uncovered potential suspects
Advancements in forensic genealogy played a pivotal role in identifying new leads. DNA found on items in Asha’s bag was linked to AnnaLee Dedmon Ramirez and Russell Underhill, a former tenant of the Dedmon family.
Additionally, a hair sample found on Asha’s undershirt was genetically identical to one of the Dedmon daughters as per QCNews, February 22, 2025. This discovery prompted extensive searches of Dedmon family properties in September 2024, leading investigators to consider foul play.
4) A confession and text messages shed light on possible involvement
In 2024, a witness came forward stating that Lizzie Dedmon had admitted to killing Asha Degree while intoxicated at a house party in the mid-2000s. Her sister, Sarah Dedmon, reportedly reacted by telling her to “shut the [f***] up.” as per WBTV, February 21, 2025.
Investigators later discovered text messages between the Dedmon sisters, discussing concerns about being linked to Asha’s disappearance. One message from Sarah to Lizzie read:
“They think it’s our shirt. It’s not her shirt… Dad is probably going to be a huge suspect” (QCNews, February 22, 2025).
5) A seized vehicle matches the suspected abduction car
In 2016, the FBI released information about a 1970s model green Lincoln Continental Mark IV or Ford Thunderbird, suspected to be involved in Asha’s disappearance.
In September 2024, authorities seized an AMC Rambler from a Dedmon-owned property, which had striking similarities to the previously described vehicle. The car had been in use by Sarah Dedmon around the time of Asha’s disappearance according to WBTV.
As the case develops, authorities continue to analyze evidence from cell phones, text records, and forensic reports. The Crime Junkie Podcast recently covered these updates, emphasizing the significant breakthroughs in the case.
While no arrests have been made, investigators have stated that they now consider Asha Degree a homicide victim rather than a missing person.
Stay tuned for more updates.
