This year marks 26 years since 9-year-old Asha Jaquilla Degree walked out of her family’s home in Shelby, North Carolina, during the early hours of Valentine’s Day and disappeared into the dark.
Asha’s case remains one of the most haunting child disappearances in modern American crime history. For years, no one could explain why a cautious little girl would leave home at all.
It was a stormy night. Asha’s family had just returned from a family gathering following a church visit. Everything seemed normal. However, deep into the night, 9-year-old Asha woke up, packed a bag, and walked into the wilds.
