| August 9,
2001 |
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| Authorities Seek Leads in Asha's Disappearance |
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Investigators
with the FBI, along with Cleveland and Burke County Sheriff's Office
detectives, are asking for the public's help in the whereabouts of Asha
Degree.
Asha, who turned 11 on August 5th, was last seen by her family
in her bed around 2:30 AM on February 14, 2000. About and hour and a half
later, she was seen by motorists walking along Highway 18 in Shelby. |
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| A promising lead in the eighteen-month-old case
was developed on August 3rd, 2001 when a construction worker, Terry Fleming,
found items believed to belong to the missing girl. The undisclosed items were
reportedly found inside a garbage bag alongside Highway 18 in Burke County near
Morganton, approximately 40 miles from where Asha was last seen. The items
were later sent to an FBI laboratory for analysis. |
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| Shortly after the discovery, authorities
unsuccessfully scoured the area with a canine unit specifically trained in
detection of human remains. |
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| A reward in excess of $18,000 is being
offered for information that will lead to Asha's discovery. She may have been
wearing a white shirt, white jeans, white tennis shoes, and carrying a black
"Tweety Bird" purse, along with a black backpack upon her disappearance. |
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| Anyone with information is urged to call the
Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, who is handling the investigation. The
number is (704) 484-4888. The Burke County Sheriff's Office Criminal
Investigation Division (telephone number (828) 438-5506) will also take
information related to the case and forward it to Cleveland County
officials. |
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