The Disappearance of Asha Degree
Asha Degree was 9 years old when she disappeared on 14 February 2000 — Valentine's Day — in Shelby, North Carolina. Multiple witnesses saw a young girl matching her description walking alone on Highway 18 between 2:30 and 4:15am during a rainstorm, moving away from her home. When a motorist slowed down, the girl ran into the woods.
Asha's belongings, including a book bag, were found buried beneath a tarpaulin in a wooded area off Highway 18 in Cherryville, North Carolina, in August 2001 — approximately 26 miles from her home. The bag had been reburied after initial discovery; investigators believe it was moved. No explanation has been found for why Asha was walking alone in the dark during a storm.
Despite extensive investigation, no witnesses to what happened to Asha after she entered the woods have come forward, and her fate remains unknown. The FBI is actively involved in the case. Journalist Pamela Colloff's podcast In the Red Clay is considered the most thorough investigation of the case in any medium.
Podcasts covering this case
Pamela Colloff's meticulous multi-episode investigation
The baffling 1988 disappearance of nine-year-old Asha Degree, who walked into the night and vanished.
Read our reviewFrequently asked questions
What happened to Asha Degree?
What happened to Asha Degree after she was seen walking along Highway 18 in the early hours of 14 February 2000 is unknown. Her book bag was found buried nearby in 2001. The case remains open and unsolved.
What podcast covers Asha Degree?
In the Red Clay by journalist Pamela Colloff is the most thorough investigation of the Asha Degree case. Colloff is one of the best crime journalists in American media and the podcast is considered essential listening for anyone following the case.