The Unsolved Disappearance of Asha Degree
Asha Jaquilla Degree was a 9-year-old girl and fourth-grade student. Asha loved playing basketball at school and was very cautious and shy. Her parents kept her and her brother insulated from outside influences and centred their lives around school and church. There was no computer in their home and the parents were very wary of where their children went or who they were with. On Sunday 13th February 2000, the children went to church and then returned home. At 8 pm, both Asha and her brother went to bed in their shared bedroom. Almost an hour later the power went out in the neighbourhood, the power came back on at 12.30 am, and Asha's dad checked on Asha and her brother who were both sleeping. He checked on the children again at around 2.30 am before going to bed. Asha's brother remembered hearing Asha's bed squeak shortly afterwards, he did not look over as he assumed Asha had just rolled over. Asha had got out of bed and taken a book bag she had previously packed with clothes and quietly left the house. It was a stormy and rainy night and why Asha left her home is a mystery. Between 3:45 and 4:15 a.m., a truck driver and a motorist saw her walking along the highway. The motorist circled back as he felt it was strange such a young girl would be out so late alone, he witnessed Asha run into the woods by the road and disappear from sight. At 5.45 am, Asha's mother woke up, at 6.30 am, she went to wake the children and found Asha was missing. Asha's parents frantically called their family to see if she had gone to a relative's home. At 6.40 am, the police were called. Police dogs could not pick up Asha's scent. Local news coverage resulted in the motorist and truck driver who had seen Asha to come forward. On 15th February, at a shed located along the highway, Asha had last been seen a pencil, marker, candy wrappers and a hair bow were found, the items were confirmed to be Asha's. Also found was a photograph of a black girl around Asha's age, the girl has never been identified. On 3rd August 2001, Asha's book bag and other items were found wrapped in a plastic bag at a construction site 42km away from Asha's home. The bookbag also contained a book and a band T-shirt that Asha was not thought to have had when she went missing, the book was from the library at Asha's school. Asha has never been found and it remains a mystery what happened to her and why she left her home. No signs of foul play have been found and Asha’s family hope for her safe return.
