Cleveland County search could be linked to cold case disappearance of Asha Degree

CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — A massive search involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office entered day two Wednesday in thick, dense woods in Cleveland County around two different locations and confirmation from a neighbor of a car towed from one of the homes.

Over the past two days, dozens of law enforcement officers from the FBI, SBI and deputies from the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office are all involved as several search warrants have been carried out at multiple locations.

Wednesday afternoon, law enforcement moved to a second location down the road from a two-story house they had been searching around all morning.

At the second location, Queen City News crews saw FBI agents going in and out of a fenced area in the back of a white home at the corner of Cherryville Road and Rollingwood Drive.

We also saw multiple police officers going inside that home.

A neighbor confirms to QCN that an older model green car was towed from the home on Cherryville Road and Rollingwood Drive around 4 p.m. Wednesday.

That car matches the description of a vehicle investigators said in 2016 they believed was connected to the 2000 disappearance of 9-year-old Asha Degree.

The FBI and the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office released these images of what the distinctive vehicle may have looked like.

Investigators back then described a dark green 1970s Lincoln Mark IV or possibly a Ford Thunderbird that they believed Asha may have gotten into on Highway 18 in the Shelby area where she was last seen.

On Valentine’s Day in 2000, then-9-year-old Asha Degree disappeared from her family’s home in Shelby. Her family says they saw her asleep in her bedroom around 2:30 a.m. that day. Several ‘fairly credible witnesses’ say they saw her walking down NC Highway 18 in Shelby. Another witness says she walked into the woods.

Around 6:30 a.m., Asha’s mother discovered the girl was missing, and the family quickly called 911 to report her missing.

Over a year later, Asha’s bookbag was found buried at a Burke County construction site near NC Hwy. 18, about 30 miles away. Investigators say that inside the bag was at least one item that did not belong to her.

Queen City News

Disappearance of Asha Degree

Wednesday marks 24 years since the disappearance of 9-year-old Asha Degree

‘Won’t stop until we find her’: Police to speak with community next 30 days on Asha Degree cold case

For the last 24 years , authorities have been working to find Asha. A combined reward of up to $45,000 is being offered for information to find her.

The area where Asha’ was reportedly last seen is not far from the search area where law enforcement gathered Wednesday.

Neighbors in the area are curious.

“You just notice people watching and wondering, watch and wait, watch and wait,” said Kimberly Miller-Walker, who lives in the area.

Neighbors want to know why police picked the land across the street on Cherryville Road from the strawberry patch at Spake Farms.

“This is a quiet, well-respected neighborhood and it’s right down the street from an elementary school,” said Miller-Walker.

Neighbors can’t get over how many deputies and agents are descending on the area, fanning out with dogs behind a home on a trail leading to the woods near Shelby.

“FBI searching little, small Cleveland County,” said Miller-Walker.

Michael Strong started noticing police cars filling up the property next to his just before noon on Tuesday.

“I’ve seen so many SBI, FBI, sheriffs that this is crazy, I’ve never seen this many people like this before, ever,” said Strong.

The FBI won’t say why they’re searching.

They’ve been carrying out search warrants in multiple locations in and around Cleveland County since Tuesday.

“It’s good to know that they’re out here trying to do something and to achieve a goal, they could just wash it under a bridge and be like we’re tired of doing this but they’re still out here fighting,” said Strong.

The longer neighbors wait, the more questions pile up.

“Oh, hectic, because everybody wants to know what the search entails, how did this search come about? What tip brought it about? What is It about? Everybody’s wondering,” said Miller-Walker.

The FBI last released the following statement Wednesday before noon.

“The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and the SBI are currently executing a court authorized search warrant at a property on Cherryville Road in Shelby. Cleveland County deputies, the FBI’s Evidence Response Team, and SBI agents, including specially trained K9s arrived this morning and will likely be on the scene for most of the day. The search warrants are not publicly available at this time. More information will be released when appropriate.”

Anyone with information on Asha’s disappearance is asked to contact the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office at 704-484-4822 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Queen City News has asked officials if the current search warrants are tied to Asha’s Degree’s case. However, investigators did not confirm a connection, stating that, at this time, they are not releasing more information on the ongoing search.

The search warrants have yet to be released. Queen City News will provide the latest updates as they come into the newsroom.

This is a Developing Story . Check back for updates

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