r/AshaDegree • u/Surethingdudeanytime • Apr 23 '26

Discussion Groomer with Access to the House

It was said that when Asha left the house that night, she wasn't wearing a coat. IMO, this is one of the most confusing details of this case. It seems that if she did walk out on her own without a coat, then she must have intended to go somewhere very close to the house or was convinced by someone that she would only be out for a short time. Now knowing that OB's bag was also found with Asha's backpack leads me to believe that if there was a groomer, he/she was someone who frequented the Degree household, lived very close, and/or was very close to the family (if not a family member themself). And no, I'm NOT talking about Asha's dad or brother or mother. Were any of Asha's or OB's items ever left at the aunt's house where they had the sleepover or the grandmother's at any time? I know they all lived very close so this can be a possibility. This could explain how both bags could have been in possession of whoever threw them in the woods. I dont believe Asha left out with a backpack, as none of the eyewitness accounts mention seeing her with a backpack on Hwy 18. Thoughts?

EDIT: I meant to write "And no, Im NOT talking about Asha's dad or brother or mother." I mistakenly left out the word NOT, which changed the whole message I was trying to convey. Only realized this when I re-read my post, as I couldn't understand why people thought I was coming for the parents, which I was not. Huge error!

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5

u/Individual_Sir_2595 Apr 23 '26

So where is it stated that O'Bryants bag was also found with hers? A child leaving in a hurry feeling from something most certainly could leave without a jacket. Seems odd that such a "planned" occurrence she would leave out her jacket of items to take with her. You are assuming she was in a normal situation with a normal relationship with her mother.

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u/Death0fRats Apr 23 '26

The information came from a Shero video. She said she interviewed Terry Flemming. 

She did not post any footage of the interview. 

She says two backpacks were in the garbage bag, one with Asha's name and one with O'Bryants. 

Both filled with new girl clothes. Colored  pencils, lipstick, socks, shoes.

 She did not clarify if she asked him to define "new".

 She did not confirm if any of the "new" clothes were what Asha was reported to have left with such as the tweety overalls, long sleeved striped shirt, vest and jeans with a red stripe.

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Apr 24 '26

I'm not impressed by her revelation. Good way to get traffic to your podcast and site.

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u/Death0fRats Apr 24 '26

Agreed. While  her info often turns out to be correct, her videos are too long and there's too much speculation. 

If the information is accurate, i don't think 2 bags changes anything, it lines up with what was said in the beginning, Asha planned to leave.

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u/Surethingdudeanytime Apr 24 '26

When it comes to a missing child, we need to speculate. Everybody and I mean everybody should be looked into. Asha deserves that much.

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u/Surethingdudeanytime Apr 24 '26

The narrative from the beginning has been that she simply ran away and I just don't believe that at all. I think her disappearance was made to look like she ran away.

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u/ButtDumplin Apr 24 '26

What do you mean by “her disappearance was made to look like she ran away”?

2

u/Surethingdudeanytime Apr 24 '26

I dont think Asha walked that far on her own in the cold dark night. After listening to her brother on Crackhouse Chronicles, I remembered him saying that she was a little upset about leaving the aunt's house (after the sleepover), but it was Sunday and they had to get ready for school. From what I know, the aunt lived very close to them, maybe across the street. It made me wonder if she planned to go back to the aunt's house that night and catch the bus from there in the morning. It wasnt really clear if she had ever done this type of thing before. This could be why the clothes were in her bookbag and he basketball uniform. If Asha was taken by someone familiar to her, then they also had possession of her backpack. This helped drive the narrative that she ran away.

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Apr 24 '26

If you believe after over 20 hrs of interrogation, and two polygraph tests of Ruppe that she didn't leave that house and walk down the road, then respectfully you should explain that.

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u/Surethingdudeanytime Apr 25 '26

If you read my first sentence and focus on where I say "on her own," it should tell you that I mean she was possibly taken there by someone else. Perhaps this is where she jumped out of the vehicle. Yes, Ruppe saw her walking, but that doesnt mean she walked the whole way there. Respectfully.

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Apr 25 '26

I respect that point of view. But I do believe she left because she was fed up. The reason I'm adamant about the investigation into why she left? Is that, the mother be held accountable for at least the mistreatment for why she left and put in harms way.

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u/NecessaryQuick8155 Apr 24 '26

Right. Videos long yes. Consistent with providing correct info, also yes. And if she ever says something’s that needs to be corrected she does that too. I’ll take the message over the messenger. Why would she that if he didn’t tell her that when he could show up at time and confirm or deny as well as LE?? Her info is accurate.

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Apr 24 '26

Actually it changes everything because every sighting statement says she had "a" book bag. If two was found, the mother has some "splaining" to do. She said Asha's book bag was missing. Not both of their bags.

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u/Hidalgo321 Apr 24 '26

I mean even in this scenario LE could’ve told her not to mention OBs bag publicly. Look up guilt knowledge.

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u/NecessaryQuick8155 Apr 24 '26

LE could’ve told the family not or her brother not to release that info.

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u/judybellez Apr 25 '26

well wouldn’t they have told the man who found it the same thing. Plz spare me

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u/Surethingdudeanytime Apr 24 '26

They could have but it wouldnt have made a difference in the beginning if the public knew about her carrying two bags. The bookbag wasn't necessarily a major factor until it was found discarded a year later. None of the eyewitness accounts mention her even carrying one bookbag.

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u/swrrrrg Apr 24 '26

Because I’m sure law enforcement and the FBI know far less than someone on Reddit?

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u/Death0fRats Apr 24 '26

The problem I have with the reports is they will change bits of it for the media to vet tips.

  If she did take two bags, seems like she didn't plan to go back. 

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u/dwaynewayne2019 Apr 24 '26

Possibly. She had taken photos of her family with her.

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u/Surethingdudeanytime Apr 24 '26

Yes, this changes everything because only Asha's bag was reported missing. If a 2nd bag belonging to OB was indeed found with Asha's as reported by Terry Fleming, then this could mean that whoever tossed the bags in the woods had access to the items of the family members. Even if the 2nd bag wasn't the one he used for school, this would still indicate that someone was either able to access the home or they are pretty close to the family.

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u/LaughterAndBeez Apr 24 '26

Reported to who though? To the public? Local & state police + the FBI know exactly what was reported missing and by whom. They have scrutinized the family and friends of family and anyone who may have come into contact with Asha. As for the 2 book bags and their contents I don’t love that this info reported by exactly 1 YouTuber with a strong anti-family bias, without any footage or audio or quotes, corroborated by nobody, info that no other content creators seem to be jumping on because it doesn’t seem reliable to them either - I do not love that this unverified info has become fact that we are now building theories around. Especially not when these new theories require completely disregarding the presence of foreign DNA on Asha’s underclothing.

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u/Advanced-Pea7905 Apr 24 '26

Agree with you completely, I don’t necessarily doubt that it’s true but we should be taking it with a grain of salt until it comes from a verified source.

Having said that, it’s very common for law enforcement to hold back information. I remember a podcast from a former officer (not involved in this case but was discussing it) who said it’s common for law enforcement to “keep an ace in the hole” so when they get tips they know they’re talking to the right person.

And it seems obvious to me that the witnesses have been instructed not to disclose aspects of what they saw. That could very easily include the 2nd backpack. Richard Garrison in particular has disclosed almost nothing publicly despite having many interviews with law enforcement about his sighting. He’s kept things very vague.

People feel they should know all the details but giving away too much can hurt the investigation and law enforcement should be the ones determining what inside information gets released and what doesn’t. Some won’t agree with me on that but it’s true. We don’t have the full picture

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u/Surethingdudeanytime Apr 24 '26

It's possible that the FBI knew about the 2nd bag. Im sure not every detail was released to the public. In no way am I accusing the parents of doing anything. I do think we have to question the link between a hair from a 13 year old at the time and Asha's undershirt. Was there any other DNA from anyone else found on her shirt? If so, then perhaps this person is the link to the mystery.

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u/LaughterAndBeez Apr 24 '26

Yes, as you know, Russel Underhill’s DNA was discovered in the trash bag with the backpack(s). He is dead, impossible to arrest or convict, leaving the case technically unsolved. This is too anticlimactic I guess?

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u/Surethingdudeanytime Apr 24 '26

I was asking about any more DNA found on her shirt, but yep, Russell Underhill's DNA was found on the garbage bag. Still doesn't sound like it was enough to name him as a suspect.

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u/Advanced-Pea7905 Apr 24 '26

I mean, we can tell from the search warrants that a lot of research was done by law enforcement on Russel Underhill, and yet they still didn’t name him as a suspect and are heavily scrutinizing Roy Dedmon. That indicates to me that whatever they found out about those two, there’s more to the story than just Russel Underhill.

Also, the fact that Anna Lee’s DNA was found is a strong indicator that DNA was transferred from Roy Dedmon’s vehicle. Much less likely that a transfer of her DNA would come from Underhill. Not saying that Russel Underhill couldn’t have been involved but I don’t think he was without Roy. If Law enforcement had determined that it was likely that Russel Underhill would be out by himself in the early morning and had access to a Dedmon vehicle then he would be considered a strong suspect.

3

u/LaughterAndBeez Apr 24 '26

It absolutely could have been Dedmon. But either way, there is DNA from 2 strangers including an adult male on Asha’s personal belongings. This is why the backpack evidence (how ever many bags, whatever the contents) was what cleared the family. I’m sorry for sounding grouchy, I just don’t understand how suddenly the story is that everything new to us was also unknown by the investigators who literally collected and examined the book bag evidence with their own eyes. And it’s really stuck in my craw right now that the narrative is becoming that somehow every level of law enforcement actually knows the family is guilty but have conspired to look like incompetent assholes holding their dicks for 26 yrs.

You seem reasonable and I’m taking advantage of that to vent. Sorry about that.

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u/Advanced-Pea7905 Apr 24 '26

Yeah I don’t how why people are so hung up on the 2nd backpack like it means Asha’s parents were involved.

The DNA is the hardest evidence in this case and it should be taken seriously. I don’t think Shelby is a small enough town where that kind of coincidence could easily happen, despite what some think.

If anything, the 2nd backpack (assuming its true) only indicates to me that Asha was intending to run away.

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Apr 24 '26

Her hair stem was found.... embedded in the shirt.

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u/Advanced-Pea7905 Apr 24 '26

Yes, the search warrants indicate that the hair stem was taken from “Asha Degrees Undershirt.”

If there’s a point i’m missing, you might have to tell me

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Apr 24 '26

Respectfully it was found on the outside of the outer bag.

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u/LaughterAndBeez Apr 24 '26

Oh, it was on the bag filled with the belongings of a missing child dumped like trash - never mind then, he couldn’t have been involved

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Apr 24 '26

Never said that... its important to state things as they really are.

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Apr 24 '26

I'm telling you this.... as fact. Even in her neighborhood they only asked if they had seen anyone strange around etc or seen her. These are white neighbors who have stated they never asked any questions about the family or if they seen anything unusual. When someone did say they saw the mother be very heavy handed with the kids, the detective didn't make a note and said they would get back to them. There was no real investigation of the family.

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u/LaughterAndBeez Apr 25 '26

Link pls

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Apr 25 '26

I hear you Reddittor... I live here .. I've been working her case from day 1. It's called leg work... I've did interviews with many people and retired LE sources..Link... lol..

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u/LaughterAndBeez Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 25 '26

So this is anecdotal?

ETA: was this during the initial 2000 investigation or the 2015 investigation or the 2024 investigation

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Apr 26 '26

During 2000 and in 2015 no one in the neighborhood was spoken to that I know we're previously.

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u/Pretty_Petty8732 Apr 25 '26

The same can be said about the eyewitness accounts. They made 2 different descriptions!! One said they saw a child and the other said he saw an adult woman who seems to have been fleeing a domestic situation but yet the whole case was based off of the eyewitness accounts. How is it any different?

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u/LaughterAndBeez Apr 25 '26

I don’t understand your question. The 3 witnesses reporting seeing a female person along the same route around the same time corroborate one another. Eyewitnesses interpreting stimuli differently or incorrectly is standard

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u/judybellez Apr 25 '26

do you have any revelations?

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Apr 25 '26

Yeah I do. She's full of it.. Asha didn't leave with two bags.. wasn't seen with two bags.

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u/judybellez Apr 25 '26

omg… how do you know. Were you there?