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EXTENDED FAMILY:
- Josie Degree Asha’s paternal grandmother. She lived across the street from Harold and Iquilla at the time Asha disappeared.
- Joanne Jackson Asha’s maternal grandmother. (Sometimes called Joanne Degree.)
- Carroll Degree Paternal uncle; lived across the street at time of disappearance.
- Patricia Banks Paternal aunt. Former prison guard for the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
- Betty Degree Asha’s paternal aunt. At the time of Asha’s disappearance, Betty & her son, Nate (then-5) lived across the street with Josie Degree.
- Gladys Degree Aunt. She lived down the street in 2000.
- Janice Brown Aunt.
- Chanel Degree 1st cousin, then 12.
- Shalonda Brown Cousin. The Degrees went to her home after church on February 13th.
- Catina Degree Asha’s cousin, then 15; hosted a sleepover for a dozen cousins on Saturday, Feb 12, 2000 which Asha attended.
- Kisha Degree An older cousin, often cited as an aunt. Would sometimes babysit Asha and O’Bryant. (Sometimes referred to as Alisha Degree)
- Joe Brown Asha’s uncle. Prior to 2020, he had a monetised YouTube channel (tibiafinger) where he uploaded a number of videos, some featuring family members during family vacations. It has since been deleted.
- Maurice Jackson Asha’s maternal uncle. He lived in Goldsboro at the time of her disappearance.
- Jean Williams Asha’s great aunt. Lived in Shelby.
THE NOTE-WORTHY:
Members of Law Enforcement
- Dan Crawford* Cleveland County Sheriff who ran the Asha Degree investigation for the first few years. (d. 2015)
- Durwin Briscoe First LE officer to arrive at the Degree house following Harold’s 911 call; longtime friend of the Degree family.
- Beau LoveLace The Cleveland County EMS Director who played a key role in coordinating search efforts.
Witnesses
- Jeff Ruppe Witness who stated he saw Asha Degree walking along Highway 18. Truck driver for Sun Drop Bottling Co. He later passed an FBI polygraph test.
- Roy Blanton*, Sr. Witness; former deputy sheriff for Cleveland County SD; truck driver who stated he saw a woman walking along side the road (Highway 18) in the early morning hours after Asha disappeared; alleges he put out a BOLO to other truckers via radio to warn them against hitting her; later believed the “woman” was actually Asha. (d. 2015)
- Roy Blanton*, Jr. Witness; was allegedly in the truck with Roy Blanton, Sr. at the time of the alleged sighting. (d. 2017)
- Charles Turner* & Family (wife, Rallie; daughters, Debbie & April; son, Eddie) Owner(s) of the property where items believed to belong to Asha were found. The property is fairly large & there is not only their home, but at least 1 then-rental property & other outbuildings, including a shed used for storage, as well as a furniture upholstery business. (d. 2018)
Asha’s School and Church
- Chad Wilson The coach of Asha’s basketball team.
- Susan Beam Asha’s grade 4 teacher.
- Malcolm Ryan “McCain” Kenyon Brown Asha’s Youth Pastor. He has undergone a number of name changes.
- Rev. Charles Reed Kings Mountain Baptist Association.
- Rev. James Montgomery The then-pastor Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church.
- Steve Borders The then-principal at Asha’s elementary school.
Backpack Discovery
- Terry Fleming Owner of Precision Grading. The man who found the 2 black bags containing Asha’s backpack.
- Regina Fleming Wife of Terry Fleming; recognised Asha’s name from news reports & told her husband to contact authorities.
Inmate Confessions
- Marcus Mellon* (d. 2015)
- Barron Ramsey* (d. 2019)
*️⃣ = Deceased
⚠️ Note: It is important to understand absolutely no one listed above is being accused, nor have they been accused, of having any involvement in Asha’s disappearance. The names above were sourced entirely from news archives and public records that mention them &/or their statements. Our goal is to keep ourselves, as well as any advocates for Asha, informed should they see an offhand comment about any person without further elaboration.