A new development has emerged in the decades-old disappearance of Asha Degree, the 9-year-old who vanished from her Shelby, North Carolina home on Feb. 14, 2000.
According to Crime Online, newly released search warrants detail an alleged confession, DNA evidence, and a seized vehicle tied to the case—potentially bringing investigators closer to long-awaited answers.
Asha’s Mysterious Disappearance
On the night she disappeared, Asha reportedly packed her bookbag and left her home under mysterious circumstances. Witnesses last saw her near Highway 18, and reports later surfaced of a young girl being pulled into a green 1970s Lincoln Thunderbird, or a similar vehicle.
In 2001, her backpack was found double-bagged off Highway 18 in Burke County, along with an undershirt that contained a hair stem sample. For more than two decades, investigators worked tirelessly to find the person responsible.
Breakthrough: Seized Vehicle and Confession at a Party
In 2024, the FBI seized a green 1964 AMC Rambler from the property of 80-year-old Roy Lee Dedmon. Investigators linked DNA from Asha’s backpack to AnnaLee Dedmon Ramirez and Russell Underhill—both of whom had ties to the Dedmon family. Underhill, who lived on two properties owned by Roy and Connie Dedmon in 2000, passed away in 2004.
Authorities have since named Roy and Connie Dedmon, along with their three daughters, as suspects in Asha’s disappearance. A newly released search warrant details an alleged confession made by one of the Dedmon daughters at a house party in the mid-2000s.
According to a witness who passed a polygraph test, Lizzie Grace Dedmon Foster, who was 16 years old at the time of Asha’s disappearance, was intoxicated and crying when she allegedly said, “I killed Asha Degree.” Her younger sister, Sarah Dedmon, reportedly reacted by grabbing her head and saying, “Shut the fk up.”
Lizzie later took a polygraph test, which allegedly indicated she was being deceptive about concealing information related to the case. Sarah initially refused to take the test but later agreed. At some point, she allegedly admitted to police that their father gave her a car matching the description of the one Asha was last seen in.
Suspicious Messages and Obstruction Investigation
A search of Lizzie’s iCloud account revealed messages between her and Sarah discussing a shirt linked to the case.
“They think it’s our shirt. It’s not her shirt,” Sarah allegedly wrote. She then added, “Dad is probably going to be a huge suspect.”
Investigators believe these text messages could be evidence of felony obstruction and that the Dedmon parents may have played a role in helping their daughters conceal Asha’s abduction and presumed murder.
Still No Arrests
Despite the significant developments in the case, police have not announced any arrests. Authorities continue to urge anyone with information to come forward.
For Asha Degree’s family, the latest findings provide a glimmer of hope that justice may finally be served.
