The Final Hours with Sarah Turney & Kourtney Nichole – "Asha Degree: The Stormy Morning Disappearance"

Date: April 13, 2026
Podcast: The Final Hours (Crime House Original)

Episode Overview

This episode revisits the haunting mystery of Asha Degree, a beloved 9-year-old girl who disappeared from her Shelby, North Carolina home on Valentine’s Day 2000. Sarah Turney and Kourtney Nichole delve into the heart of the details and overlooked clues, charting the family’s enduring hope, the evolving investigation, and the explosive twists that have come to light—including crucial developments nearly 25 years on.

The Disappearance: Timeline and Key Facts

Leading Up to February 14, 2000

• Asha’s Background

  • "Asha shares a room with her brother, which is fine because they're best friends... But at home, Asha's a total daddy's girl." (Sarah, 04:28)
  • A star pupil and athlete, Asha is gentle, empathetic, with a deep love for books and family.
  • Known fears: thunderstorms, dogs, and scary movies.

• Days Before Disappearance

  • Feb 12: Fouls out of basketball game, is visibly disappointed but enjoys a sleepover at her cousin’s house that night. (Sarah, 09:02)
  • Feb 13: Attends church, shows no unusual behavior, goes to bed early.

The Night Asha Vanished

• The Stormy Departure
  • 2:30am, Feb 14: Parents check on sleeping children. (Sarah, 12:00)
  • Around 3:00am: Asha gets up, dresses, takes her backpack, and quietly leaves, locking the door.
  • 3:30am & 4:00am: Truck drivers see a small girl walking alone on NC18 highway. "Asha is a mile away from her home in the middle of the night." (Courtney, 12:24)
  • She is last seen veering into the darkness away from the road.

Immediate Aftermath and Investigation

Family & Early Search (06:00–18:00)

• Family frantic upon discovering Asha missing ("Aquilla goes into her room, gets dressed and tells Harold that Asha's not inside." – Courtney, 15:31)
• Massive local volunteer effort and deployment of search dogs, K9 units, police, and news coverage.
• Critical clue: Items belonging to Asha found in an old shed, including her bow, pencil, and Valentine’s candy (Courtney, 19:56).

Investigation Theories & Red Herrings

• Law enforcement at first believes Asha left voluntarily, though red flags persist about it being unlikely due to the storm and her fears.
• Theories explored include: runaway, abduction, family involvement, and possibility of her being led by someone she knew. (Sarah, 13:29)

Key Evidence and Notable Discoveries

Timeline of Clues (18:19–34:58)

• Days after: A child’s photo found—resembles Asha but unidentifiable; no scent or tracking leads pan out.
• Four days after: Shed search yields crucial personal items.
• August 2001 - Major Breakthrough:
  • Asha’s backpack found at a construction site 27 miles from Shelby, wrapped in trash bags.
  • Inside: Oversized New Kids on the Block T-shirt (not hers), Dr. Seuss book (from her school but not checked out by her), her clothes.
  • “This backpack may hold clues as to how and why Asha Degree disappeared.” (Sarah, 02:00)

Effects on Family

• Significant physical and emotional toll: Harold, Asha’s father, hospitalized after a car accident while helping build a playground for children; family clings to hope, exemplified by Asha’s brother wearing a wristband with her jersey number (Courtney, 24:24; Sarah, 32:34).

Probing the Runaway Theory

• Sarah and Courtney dispute runaway theory citing statistics: only 4% of runaways are Asha’s age (9), and her fear of storms/dark. (Courtney, 22:33)
• “I think the biggest question in this case is, why did she leave home in the middle of the night?” (Sarah, 22:17)

Case Developments and Explosive Twists

Confessions, Leads & False Starts (25:56–29:33)

• 2000: Inmate Baron Ramsey claims he witnessed Asha’s accidental death and disposal, but no evidence is found. Hosts note how “false confessions can really hinder the investigation, and police can, like, waste resources looking completely in the wrong direction” (Courtney, 29:18).
• Backpack discovery in Morganton pivots the investigation toward abduction.

2015–2018: FBI/Police Announcements

• FBI increases reward, reinterviews witnesses.
• Reveals possible abduction into a distinctive green 1970s car with rust (Courtney, 36:50).
• Highlights two mysterious items from backpack:
  • New Kids on the Block shirt (not Asha’s)
  • Dr. Seuss book (not checked out by Asha).

The 2024 Breakthrough: The Dedman Family Leads

DNA Evidence & Search Warrants (40:33–43:23)

• Backpack reexamined: two separate DNA samples found.
  • One links to Russell Bradley Underhill—a former resident of Roy and Connie Dedman’s elder care facilities.
  • Another to hair follicle likely from Annalee Dedman (then just 13).
  • Dedman family (parents and three daughters who lived nearby in 2000) become major focus of inquiry, with multiple search warrants executed for residences and cars, including a green car similar to that described by witnesses.

Suspicious Behavior and Messages

• Texts and interviews reveal panic in Dedman family following the renewed inquiry, including reported confession by Lizzie Dedman at a party ("I killed Asha Degree") and sisters texting about police suspicions and legal strategy (Courtney, 44:10; Sarah, 44:45).
• Polygraph administered to Lizzie Dedman shows deception regarding concealment of information.

Analysis & Debate

• The hosts carefully weigh the meaning of the Dedman sisters’ texts and rumors, with both uncertainty and recognition that panicked texts are not proof of guilt (Sarah, 47:53; Courtney, 47:26).

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On the Impossibility of the Case:

  • “I think the biggest question in this case is, why did she leave home in the middle of the night?” — Sarah (22:17)
  • “It feels again like something compelled her to leave.” — Sarah (13:29)
  • “These resources are finite. There’s just not enough to go around. So when they go to something like this, it’s hard to see.” — Sarah, on investigative misdirection (29:33)

• On the Personal Toll:

  • “Harold is like using his day off, right? He’s taking a day off to go help other kids. And it seems like that’s obviously like his stress reliever, right? ... To your point, I mean, stress does insane things to the body.” — Sarah (32:53)

• Regarding New Developments:

  • “If investigators find anything of note, they keep it close to the chest.” — Courtney (46:29)
  • “As much as I hope that they can track that down, it seems like they’ve been unsuccessful so far.” — Sarah on the origin of the Dr. Seuss book (39:39)

• On Justice and Uncertainty:

  • “We can speculate all day, but that doesn’t make it fact.” — Sarah (49:10)
  • “Nobody’s been charged in connection to Asia’s disappearance. Despite an abundance of new evidence, we still don’t know exactly what happened to her.” — Sarah (49:34)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:43–02:00 – Introduction of case; discovery of Asha’s backpack
• 04:28–09:02 – Asha’s background, personality, family life, and fears
• 09:02–10:49 – Activities in the days leading up to disappearance
• 12:24–14:09 – Night of disappearance; eyewitness truckers
• 15:31–18:19 – Family reaction, the unfolding search
• 19:56–21:43 – Discovery of personal items and the abandoned shed
• 24:24–26:28 – Aftermath for family and community
• 29:33–30:59 – False confession from inmate; shifting focus to abduction
• 31:53–34:58 – Harold's accident; impact of stress and trauma
• 36:50–40:33 – FBI announcements, analysis of new clues
• 40:33–44:10 – DNA breakthroughs; spotlight on Dedman family
• 44:10–49:10 – Texts and behavioral analysis from suspects
• 49:10–50:43 – Recap of facts, continued search, and present state
• 50:43–51:17 – Call for tips, current age/progress of case

Tone & Approach

• Language & Tone: Engaged, empathetic, and measured; direct but sensitive to facts and the family’s pain.
• Expertise: Sarah draws on personal experience as someone impacted by true crime, Kourtney brings investigation analysis, focusing on red flags and overlooked details.

Conclusion & Call to Action

As of this recording, no one has been charged. The investigation remains active with a $100,000 reward for information.
Asha Degree’s family gathers each February for a memorial walk to keep her memory and the search alive.
“If you have any information about Asha Degree, you can contact the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office at 704-484-4822 or the FBI at 800-CALL-FBI.” (Courtney, 50:43)

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