CHARLOTTE -- In conjunction with the 15th anniversary of the disappearance of 9-year-old Asha Degree, the Charlotte Division of the FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for her disappearance.

FBI agents and employees, Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office investigators, and State Bureau of Investigation agents are re-examining every aspect of the case, re-interviewing witnesses, and following new leads to determine exactly what happened to Asha.

A combination of media publicity, digital billboards, online promotion, and the use of social media will be utilized to publicize the new reward being offered. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has created a new age-progressed photo of what Asha may look like in 2015 at the age of 24. NCMEC will also distribute the new photo to homes and businesses near the area where Asha was last seen. Adams Outdoor Advertising is donating digital billboard space across the Charlotte area, and her photo will be sent out on various FBI social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter.

On Feb. 14, 2000, 9-year-old Asha Degree left her home in Shelby, North Carolina, in the middle of the night and disappeared. Asha’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, North Carolina. Her parents reported her missing by 6:30 a.m. More than a year later, Asha’s book bag was discovered buried along North Carolina Highway 18 in Burke County.

Anyone with information regarding this case should call FBI Charlotte at (704)672-6100.

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Contact: Shelley Lynch - FBI
Phone: (704) 672-6766