Sheriff confirms: FBI search in Cleveland County is connected to case of missing girl

SHELBY, NC (WBTV) – Authorities confirmed Friday that a search warrant executed this week at a Cleveland County property is connected to the decades-old case of a missing Shelby girl.

On Friday, September 13, Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman said the recent raid on a property on Cherryville Road in Shelby is connected to the case of Asha Degree, who disappeared in February 2000. Agents from the FBI, State Bureau of Investigation and the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office searched the property on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

The search warrants were “obtained based on evidence directly related to Asha's disappearance,” the press release said. It was not immediately clear what investigators were looking for on the property.

Investigators did not find a body when searching the property, Norman said in his press release on Friday.

During their search, officers and agents were observed carrying boxes to and from a home. Additionally, an older green vehicle was towed from a home on the property. “Several items of interest” were taken from the property and are being examined.

The vehicle towed on Wednesday, September 11, attracted particular interest because it resembled a vehicle sought in connection with Degree's disappearance. Authorities believe Degree got into a green 1970s car on the night of her disappearance.

In 2016, the FBI announced it was looking for a green 1970s Ford Thunderbird or Lincoln Mark IV. The vehicle seized from the Cleveland County property on Wednesday was not exactly identical to those cars, but was similar to them. You can see the affected vehicles in the video clip below.

Authorities did not say what else they found or took from the Cleveland County property during their search. It was not immediately clear how the search was related to Degree's case.

Several officers from both agencies were at the property on Tuesday and Wednesday, and specially trained police dogs were deployed to search the property, officials said.

The search was completed on Wednesday evening.

The sheriff's office asked the community to “refrain from spreading rumors on social media” out of respect for Degree's family.

About Asha Degrees Case

The FBI, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and Cleveland County Sheriff's Office have been investigating Degree's disappearance for more than two decades. Degree's family recently said they believe the girl – who would now be in her early 30s – is still alive.

The state, local and federal law enforcement agencies involved have a team dedicated to finding Degree. A $45,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the location of Degree.

Below is a time-lapse of what Degree might look like when he's older.

The FBI's Charlotte office previously told WBTV that it had identified a number of people over the years who were considered “persons of interest” in the case for various reasons. No further details were provided.

Anyone with information can contact the FBI office in Charlotte at 704-672-6100.

—> From February: “Nobody has forgotten”: The search for Asha Degree continues 24 years after her disappearance

Timeline: Asha Degrees Disappearance

The degree was lost on Valentine's Day (February 14) in 2000.

At around 6:15 a.m. that day, Degree's parents woke up to find the then 9-year-old girl missing. Both she and her backpack were gone.

Degree was reported missing at 6:30 a.m. Family members said they last saw Degree sleeping in her bedroom.

Earlier that morning, around 4 a.m., two truck drivers reported seeing a little girl running on Highway 18. The girl matched Degree's description.

At this point she was about a mile from her home.

Investigators and community members searched for Degree for months. In August 2001, more than a year after Degree's disappearance, her bookbag was found 30 miles away in Burke County.

The items in the backpack were reportedly sent to an FBI laboratory in Quantico.

For years, the family hoped that Degree would be found. In the years following her disappearance, investigators continued to search for the missing girl.

In 2017, investigators assigned a special FBI team to find new clues. The team recreated the early morning hours of Asha's disappearance. At the time, officials said “several suspicious individuals” were being investigated in connection with the case.

In 2018, investigators released images of two items found in the girl's backpack that did not belong to her. Inside the bag was a children's book from her school library that Degree had not checked out and a T-shirt that did not belong to her.

Investigators continue to search for Degree and hope that new technology could help them solve the case. Detective Tim Adams of the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office told WBTV in recent years that “technology has made great advances over the years,” which could eventually lead to answers.

The investigation continued with this week's raid in Cleveland County, although it was not immediately clear whether the search was connected to Degree's disappearance. As rumors of the connection arose, family members – including Degree's great-uncle Jesse Jackson – spoke out.

Jackson told WBTV's Jason Puckett that he was moved by the community's continued remembrance of his niece.

“Thank God for that,” Jackson said. “I thank God that they still have hope and faith.”

Jackson said the last 24 years have been very hard on the family and that just being able to get more answers gives him hope of closure for them.

“I hope and pray to God that they find her,” Jackson said. “Dead or alive. Then we can rest easy. And that's all I can say.”

—> See more: Great-uncle of missing Shelby girl hopes recent raid could lead to case being solved

Vehicle towed from Shelby property

Watch the video report below to see the vehicle towed this week and compare it to the vehicle sought in connection with Degree's disappearance.

The following report is from earlier this week and had not yet confirmed that the search was related to Degree's case.

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