For 25 years, the Shelby, North Carolina community has searched for 9-year-old Asha Degree, who vanished from her home on February 14, 2000. Authorities launched an immediate search, and while Asha remains missing, the Degree family has remained hopeful, with authorities continuing to make progress. Let’s explore the latest updates in the case.

Early in The Investigation

A week-long search following Asha’s disappearance in 2000 turned up no sign of her. Community tips reported that Asha was seen on Highway 18 in Shelby, NC, around 4:00 a.m. on February 14. Asha’s family reported her missing at 6:30 a.m. In August 2001, construction workers discovered a buried backpack, wrapped in trash bags, in Burke County, NC. The discovery site was 26 miles north from where Asha was last seen. While investigators did confirm the backpack belonged to Asha. Investigators discovered that some contents of the backpack did not belong to her. Authorities released images of these items.

Asha’s mother had reported this backpack and additional belongings were missing from the girl’s bedroom. Evidence suggested Asha likely packed the bag herself before leaving home.

The search for Asha Degree was called off after 9,000 man hours, 300 leads, and 7 days of searching.

Items not belonging to Asha found in recovered backpack 26 miles from her last known location. Source

2016 Possible Lead

In May 2016, authorities revealed details about a vehicle potentially involved in Asha’s disappearance. Authorities described the vehicle as a green 1970s Lincoln Continental Mark IV or Ford Thunderbird. It was reported that Asha was seen either getting into or being pulled into a vehicle matching this description. The tip also mentioned rust around the wheels. With this, law enforcement took to the public for help identifying anyone who owned a similar vehicle in February 2000.

20 Years Missing

In 2020, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) released an updated age progression image of Asha, showing what she might look like at 29. Authorities reported ongoing leads, with over 500 tips received and investigated between 2015 and 2020.

The FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) team, deployed to the area in 2017, assisted with the case. By 2020, the FBI reported nearly 300 interviews had been conducted. The CARD team, alongside local and state agencies, have continued holding regular meetings to advance the investigation.

The FBI has noted that the lack of technology in 2000, including no cell phones, computers, and minimal surveillance cameras, has hindered the case. These challenges were highlighted in appeals for the public to share any information, no matter how small.

The 2024 Search Warrants

After more than 24 years, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) and the FBI executed 8 search warrants, driven by DNA evidence linking two individuals. One sample matched Russell Bradley Underhill, who had lived in at least one of the Dedmon family’s assisted living facilities around 2000. Underhill’s DNA was recovered from a trash bag containing Asha’s backpack, but reportedly passed away in 2004. The second DNA sample, a match to AnnaLee Dedmon Ramirez, one of the Dedmons’ daughter, was linked to a hair found on an article of clothing that belonged to Asha. Ramirez, who would have been 13 at the time of Asha’s disappearance, and her sisters Lizzie Dedmon Foster (16) and Sarah Dedmon Caple (15), were considered to have potentially acted with adult assistance.

DNA samples collected from the trash bag and a piece of clothing belonging to Asha were key to the investigation. On September 10, 2024, warrants were executed by local and federal agencies for Roy, Connie, and AnnaLee Dedmon Ramirez. Five properties connected to the Dedmon’s were included in the executed search warrants. While no human remains were found, a green 1964 AMC Rambler and other items were seized.

“I think there will be info that sadly will link a person to the circumstances of Asha’s disappearance who is no longer living”

Source: WCNC

Roy Dedmon’s attorney, David Teddy, confirmed that no remains were discovered, adding that a deceased individual may be linked to Asha’s disappearance. Investigators believe Asha may have been the victim of a homicide, with her body concealed.

Following the searches, a male witness came forward, recounting an overheard conversation at a party in the mid-2000s. He recalled Lizzie Foster, intoxicated and distressed, stating, “I killed Asha Degree,” followed by a stern “shut the f*** up” from Sarah Caple. A polygraph confirmed the witness’s truthfulness.

Read all search warrant copies here.

The 2025 Search Warrants

In February 2025, new search warrants revealed text messages between the Dedmon family, showing concerns about the investigation. Messages between Lizzie Dedmon Foster and her ex-husband Kelly Foster were also found. In 2024, Foster had declined a polygraph, but when approached on February 10, 2025, she agreed. Reports indicate she was found deceptive when asked if she was concealing information. Sarah Dedmon Caple, the middle daughter, declined to take a polygraph.

These messages, along with ongoing investigations, suggest that members of the Dedmon Family may be obstructing justice. As more evidence emerges, the pressure on the family is growing, and authorities are hopeful that new information will help close the case. However, the investigation’s findings point toward continued heartbreak for the Degree family. Asha’s family continues searching for answers and believe someone in the county knows something that may bring some closure.

Questions

I’m not here to question the investigators, but… I have questions.

First question: When was DNA testing conducted on the backpack, its contents, and the trash bags? If these items were discovered in 2001, why are search warrants being served more than 23 years later? DNA has been used in criminal investigations since the late ’80s, and even in 2001, cold cases were being solved with evidence from years—sometimes decades—prior. By 2018, genealogy testing was leading to the arrests of murderers, as seen with Joseph DeAngelo. So, why the delay?

Second question: What took the witness so long to come forward about the house party conversation between the Dedmon sisters? The fact that “his” name wasn’t shared suggests a desire to remain anonymous. And since he reportedly passed a polygraph, his information is considered credible—so why hold onto it for so long?

Third question: What 9-year-old runs away and never comes back? Not ruling the case a homicide due to a lack of direct evidence is understandable, but in my opinion, more should have been done earlier. The FBI’s CARD team wasn’t even deployed until 2017—why wasn’t there a stronger push for federal resources before then?

Theories

My theory? Asha’s disappearance was the result of an accidental homicide, covered up by an entire family.

Were the Dedmon daughters out partying and driving under the influence? Did an accident occur, prompting them to leave the scene and seek help from their parents? If so, how was it handled—and why has the truth remained hidden for so long?

But the biggest question remains: Why was Asha away from her home in the early morning hours?

Drop your theory in the comments.

If you have any information that may help answer the remaining questions, call the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office at 704-484-4822 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. You can also submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov. No detail is too small or too late.