SHELBY, N.C.,None — The Charlotte division of the FBI is working to generate new tips in the case of a Shelby girl who disappeared 12 years ago.
Asha Degree was 9 years old when she left her Shelby home in the middle of the night on Feb. 14, 2000, and disappeared.
The girl’s family last saw her asleep in her bedroom around 2:30 a.m. An hour and a half later, she was seen by drivers walking along North Carolina Highway 18 in Shelby. Asha’s parents reported her missing by 6:30 a.m.
More than a year later, Asha's book bag was discovered buried along North Carolina 18 in Burke County.
The FBI said a combination of media publicity, digital billboards, online promotion and social media will be used to generate new tips in the case. A photo of Asha as a 9-year-old and an age-progressed photo of what she would look like at the age of 19 will be featured on 14 digital billboards across the Charlotte area and will be sent out on FBI social media platforms, officials said.
The FBI is investigating Asha's disappearance along with the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office and the SBI. The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Unit will also be reviewing Asha's case in the near future.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call FBI Charlotte at 704-672-6100 or the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office at 704-484-4787.
More information: FBI
WSOC
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