Disappearance of Asha Degree

Rare card · No. 55971

On February 14, 2000, Asha Jaquilla Degree, a nine‑year‑old girl from Shelby, North Carolina, United States, disappeared after leaving her family's home during the early morning hours. For reasons that remain unknown, she packed a bookbag and walked along North Carolina Highway 18 in heavy rain and wind. Several motorists reported seeing her; when one driver attempted to approach her about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) from her home, she left the roadside and ran into a wooded area. Her parents discovered her missing later that morning, and she has never been seen again. An extensive search located some of her personal belongings near the area where she was last observed, and in 2001 her bookbag was found buried at a construction site along Highway 18 in Morganton. A billboard now stands at the point where she entered the woods, and her family holds an annual walk from their home to the site to maintain public awareness of the case. Although early circumstances suggested the possibility that Degree...

Read on Wikipedia · Image fbi, Public domain