CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. — Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, executed multiple search warrants at several properties in Cleveland County, officials confirmed.
The FBI said it was assisting the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office and SBI with an investigation at multiple properties in Shelby. The FBI hasn't released further details about the investigation other than saying the search warrants aren't available to the public, and the FBI finished executing the state search warrants Wednesday evening.
Multiple police vehicles surrounded a home off Cherryville Road near Spake Circle late Tuesday and all day Wednesday. Dozens of law enforcement officers were at the scene, including specially trained K9s with the FBI.
A towing company based in Kings Mountain told WCNC Charlotte that it towed an older, green car from one of the properties being searched. The company didn't have any more information about the vehicle or the investigation. A neighbor shared a photo of the car being towed with WCNC Charlotte.
The vehicle was similar to a car the FBI was looking for in connection with the disappearance of Asha Degree, a 9-year-old girl who left her family's home in Shelby on Valentine's Day in 2000. Tipsters told the FBI they saw her getting into a green 1970s Ford Thunderbird or Lincoln Mark IV on the night she disappeared. Detectives haven't said if the vehicle towed from the house was connected to the Asha Degree investigation, but Cleveland County officials said in May that they were making "significant progress" in the case.
"There's an individual within the bounds of Cleveland County that knows where Asha's at," Sheriff Alan Norman said at the time. "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. Degree told WCNC Charlotte's Anna King on Wednesday that she didn't want to speak on the case at this time.
Nearby neighbors said they were alarmed when they noticed all of the police vehicles on Tuesday. They're also trying to figure out exactly what's going on. About a dozen people gathered across the street from the house that was surrounded by police waiting to learn more information.
"Everybody's come together as a community," Kimberly Miller-Walker said. "They've spoken, they've prayed together. There's been a few out here praying about the situation. It's just tragic for our area, whatever this situation may be at the moment. It's very tragic."
This story will be updated once more details are made available.