SHELBY, N.C. — Authorities announced on Friday that the combined reward in the ongoing search for Asha Degree is now $75,000.
Detectives believe that she was abducted after leaving her Shelby home on Valentine’s Day in 2000. She was nine-years old at the time.
Investigators found her book bag and an undershirt in a trash bag in Burke County a year later.
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There was a break in the case in September 2024 when investigators identified two suspects and found new evidence.
They executed a search warrant on Cherryville Road on one of the properties of Roy and Connie Dedmon.
The search warrant also stated that Asha was a victim of homicide, and her body was concealed.
The Dedmons have not been talking and their lawyer says they are innocent.
In 2024, the reward was $45,000.
“We recently retested evidence using new advancements in technology and continue to make significant progress,” officials said.
If you have information and have not spoken to investigators, call the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office at 704-484-4822, the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI or tips.fbi.gov.
VIDEO: Neighbors highlight new search for Asha Degree
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