CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. — The search warrants executed by the FBI and Cleveland County Sheriff's Office the week of Sept. 9 were related to the disappearance of Asha Degree, investigators confirmed on Friday.
Sheriff Alan Norman said the warrants were obtained based on physical evidence directly connected to Degree's disappearance. Norman said no human remains were recovered at any of the properties searched.
"Multiple items of interest were taken from the sites and will be analyzed," Norman said. "It is important to dispel rumors circulating about the investigation."
An older green vehicle similar in appearance to one wanted in connection with Degree's disappearance was towed from a home on Wednesday. No further details were provided by investigators about the car. Norman said the investigation is ongoing and official information will come from the sheriff's office.
The attorney for the man who owns the property where police are searching denies rumors a body has been found.
Who is Asha Degree?
Asha Degree, a shy 9-year-old girl from Shelby, North Carolina, disappeared in the middle of the night on Valentine's Day in 2000. The fourth-grader's disappearance shook the rural community and remains a mystery today.
The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office reminded the community how the department's search will not stop until they locate Asha, whom they often call "Cleveland County's Sweetheart."
Sheriff Alan Norman said detectives had made "significant progress" in the case in May, and vowed to never stop looking for her.
"There's an individual within the bounds of Cleveland County that knows where Asha's at," Norman said. "We're asking you to come forward because eventually we're going to find you and we're going to bring you to justice if you don't come forward first."
Iquilla Degree, Asha's mother, said in 2020 that she believes her daughter is still alive.
"After 20 years, I still believe my daughter is alive," she said. "I do not believe she is dead. And I know someone knows something. I'm not crazy enough to think that a 9-year-old can disappear into thin air without somebody knowing something."
When was Asha Degree last seen?
Investigators say Asha disappeared from her bedroom sometime between 2:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. There was no sign of forced entry and no promising scent trail for search dogs to follow.
At least two people claimed they saw a young female walking along North Carolina Highway 18 around 4 a.m. One person said when they turned around to check on her, the girl ran into the woods and wasn't seen again. Another tipster told detectives they saw a young woman get into a green car that was from the 1970s. The FBI said they were looking for a Ford Thunderbird or Lincoln Mark IV in connection with Degree's disappearance.
"It's not a cold case," Cleveland County Detective Tim Adams said. "We're not going to let it go. This is something we really feel like can be solved, and we're determined to solve it."
Attorney of property owner speaks out
Reporting by Austin Walker
David Teddy, the attorney for the property owner who is identified as Roy Dedmon, said there's been misinformation spread. He said this information has put his client in a terrible and difficult situation.
“I feel compelled because of the conjecture and speculation," Teddy said. "There’s been no body found. There’s been no body let alone seven bodies; some people are putting out there on social media. That’s just not true.”
Teddy said Dedmon has lived in the area all his life and believes those who are from the area are not spreading misinformation.
Teddy would not answer questions from WCNC Charlotte about what was obtained from the home through the search warrants. He would also not expand on who the green car belonged to. He did add, from the documents, more pivotal information could be revealed.
“I think there will be info that sadly will link a person to the circumstances of Asha’s disappearance who is no longer living," Teddy speculated.
Teddy told WCNC Charlotte he believes the search warrant documentation will be available in a week.
The FBI and Cleveland County Sheriff's Office are offering a combined reward of $45,000 for anyone who has information that leads investigators to Asha Degree. Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office at 704-484-4822.