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$100K Reward for Info on Girl Missing Since 2000
15 Feb
Summary
- Asha Degree vanished from her home on Valentine's Day 2000.
- Her buried bookbag contained a library book and a t-shirt.
- A $100,000 reward is offered for information leading to her.
- A car matching the suspect vehicle description was found.
Asha Degree, a young girl from Shelby, North Carolina, disappeared from her home on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2000. She was last seen walking along N.C. Highway 18 in the rain with a bookbag. This bookbag was later found buried on the same highway, containing a book from her school library and a t-shirt not belonging to her.
In 2015, investigators received a lead suggesting Degree may have entered a dark green 1970s-model Lincoln Continental or Ford Thunderbird. A vehicle matching this description, featuring rust around the wheel wells, was recently towed in 2024, located just miles from where she disappeared.
Authorities have long suspected that Asha Degree was killed and her body concealed. In 2025, warrants revealed text messages sent shortly after a search at a Cleveland County home. A subsequent search warrant was executed at a property in Lincoln County.
As the investigation continues 26 years later, the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office and the FBI are actively seeking new information. The reward for any details leading to Asha Degree's whereabouts has been increased to $100,000, combining funds from the FBI, local authorities, and the governor.
