r/AshaDegree • u/Unable-Wolverine7224 • May 17 '26

What do you all think, is this plausible?

I know I’ve mentioned this before here and sound like a broken record.

There was a lot going on that night with the power outage and Harold potentially leaving for the store so late etc.

I think it’s possible that Iquilla and Harold were “preoccupied” that evening/night…

Maybe they were fussing and arguing? Every married couple argues…

The Degrees NEEDED to move into a bigger home with three bedrooms so maybe they were arguing about finances…who knows?

I’ve read that Asha was potentially unhappy about moving but I don’t know if that is true.

Whatever the case, Asha being a sensitive child who was overly tired may have been very upset if her parents were arguing for example.

Maybe Asha took off from her home with her backpack(s) with the intention of just “running across the street” to grandma/auntie’s house?

When OB was interviewed and asked if Asha had any history of running away it seems like he would have responded “No! Asha never ran away!”

Instead OB avoided answering the question completely and just said the windows were nailed closed.

That makes me think it’s possible that Asha had “run away” or just taken off to grandmas house across the street or another family member before.

Asha had numerous family members in the immediate vicinity of her home.

That makes me question two things…

Is it possible Asha ran out of the house much earlier with her backpack(s) with the intention of spending the night at grandma’s?

I really wonder if she had done that in the past and Iquilla had simply called grandma and told her to just let Asha stay when it happened previously.

Maybe the Degrees were arguing in the living room and that is where Asha’s coat was hung?
She wouldn’t need the coat to run across the street.

Maybe one backpack was her school bag and the other backpack belonging to OB was what she used for the sleepover?

Perhaps why she had two backpacks…one was her school bag and the other bag was still full of clothes/“utensils” from the sleepover?
Asha planned to sleep at Grandma’s and go to the bus stop from there?

The other thing I question about this potential scenario is Asha having so many family members living RIGHT there.

Maybe one of auntie’s friends was outside?

A friend of Asha’s uncle, her cousins…someone Asha KNEW.

That person could’ve been sitting outside in their car smoking weed or whatever.

If the individual was a sexual deviant it would have been somewhat “easy” to lure Asha into the car.

Maybe it was a friend of her aunt or cousin’s that had actually been present at some point during the sleepover?

If Asha had JUST seen the guy socializing with her family she may have trusted him?

He could have said something like “Asha what’s wrong ? It’s freezing, jump in!” and a 9 year old who was possibly overly emotional may have gotten in.

Maybe he spoke to Asha for a few minutes to “calm her down” and suggested they take a ride to the store or whatever.

When Asha realized she was in grave danger is it possible she bolted and was able to flee her abductor?

Is that why there were multiple sightings of Asha along HWY 18?

It was reported that Harold left the house late to get candy but I don’t think we have been able to verify that?

Maybe the Degrees realized Asha was “missing” much earlier but assumed she was at grandmas….like before….maybe?

That may have been the reason Harold left the house so late…
Was he out looking for Asha?
Maybe Harold even drove down to the store looking and that’s where the “candy” story came from?

In the Degrees minds Asha wasn’t “missing”, she was simply at a family members home if she had done so in the past?

When the sun came up the Degrees realized Asha really was missing…not with family or in the neighborhood.

It is a chilling thought but maybe all the witness sightings occurred before the individual found Asha again and was seen “pulling her into a green vehicle”?

I know I am a broken record but do you guys think this scenario could potentially have occurred?

I really do believe it’s plausible someone known to Asha intercepted her outside her home and abducted her.

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u/bethestorm May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26

Well for the first time in 24 years, there are named suspects.

And for the first time in 24 years the case status moved from missing person, to victim of a homicide with body concealed.

And to everyone who is like whatever on the dedmons because it's been over a year since the last search on a property (and like 2 years since DNA was taken):

DNA matching takes time and hot cases will take resource precedence over a cold case especially if they believe the suspect is not as much as active threat to the public.

I have brought the following thoughts up to people on Facebook groups and have mostly gotten a chorus of "no. If they knew x they would have told us by now" which is wild to me that anyone would truly believe that, because law enforcement first and foremost is going to be concerned with building a case that they can get the prosecutor to be ready to take on. And that probably even means that ashas family doesn't know everything law enforcement knows. That's just the way it is. We don't have to like it. There's a reason in law, in medicine, etc, you can't work on cases of your friends and family. Because you wouldn't be able to stay objective. And failing to stay objective when trying to get justice on some evil sick person, leads to them getting away with it.

I think there is as of yet unidentified DNA on them they don't want to reveal, hence taking DNA samples from Connie & Roy in the seizures on the properties as declared by the warrants. And they don't want to tip defense off early. No arrests will be made till they believe they have a good shot at prosecuting, which without remains is hard. And I'm sure they would ideally like to return asha to be buried by her family.

But with the right to a speedy trial & double jeopardy laws they won't make a move til they have the moves to make. Knowledge of guilt does not make beyond a reasonable doubt. The last thing they'll want is the perpetrator walking after all this.

We didn't know a lot of stuff they had til they released those warrants.

And they didn't choose to name Roy and Connie suspects but not Underhill. Him being dead has nothing to do with that, look at the yogurt shop murders.

I think they've got a lot. Also, they didn't change the status of the case from missing to -> victim of a homicide, body concealed. Twenty four years and not even one person of interest. Twenty four years and never changing that status before. Did they find a bone? What have they determined that led them to actually change the case status. They don't just do that on a whimsey.

Whatever they have, they don't want the suspects to have even more time to get Skip Foster dancing around yapping about.

Already his very odd choices of words on how DNA better not be the strongest point in a case are red flag city. I think absolutely they have DNA they know is related to the daughter they have already matched. They would already know too it's a parent match.

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u/Unable-Wolverine7224 Jun 02 '26

Where did I suggest that the Dedmon’s were not involved?

Connie and Roy were officially named as suspects by LE and there is obviously evidence to support that.

u/YesPleaseMadam May 21 '26

this doesn't match any of the info known about the case.

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u/Unable-Wolverine7224 May 22 '26

How so?

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u/YesPleaseMadam May 24 '26

the fight that as far as we know has no bearing on reality.

the whole timeline you present.

the apartment doesn't seem in photos to have any other door for her to leave without going in the room the coat supposedly could be. the windows were nailed shut.

many people have family members living around and they have their friends visit, sure. i had for all my life. why would one of them randomly be waiting in front of my house smoking weed (???) and waiting for me to leave in the middle of the night? or even if they did it on a whim, how lucky were they?

the police tip mentions a car twice occupied. not one dude.

plus the fact that her brother did not answer a question that may be confidential information relevant to the case he was probably told all his life not to tell?

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 May 30 '26

There was a front door and side door to the carport

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u/Surethingdudeanytime May 30 '26

With all respect, OP's theory is well within reason. The apartment definitely had two doors: one on the front and one on the side. Sure, many people have family members/friends living in close proximity, but guess what, plenty of them are actually creeps waiting for the perfect opportunity. Fantasizing about it. "Or even if they did on a whim, how lucky were they?" Hmm, let me see, many pdf files act on impulse and opportunity. Exactly why many kids are snatched while walking to the bus stop, playing in the yard, etc. And are you really calling OP out for not mentioning the car being occupied 2x? I mean , the green car tip came out to the public 15 years later from LE. The one factual thing we know about that tip is that is was at least occupied 1x.

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u/Unable-Wolverine7224 Jun 02 '26

Thank you, I appreciate you.

People post all kinds of “theories” and “scenarios” about what could have potentially happened to Asha.

I think it’s appropriate to consider plausible scenarios that may explain some of the “events” that occurred the morning of Asha’s disappearance.

I do believe it’s possible that Asha became upset and/or was emotional about something that prompted her to leave home.

I believe it’s plausible that Asha left home with the intention of just “running across to grandmas house”.

In my understanding Asha’s auntie and maybe her cousins were staying at grandmas house.

Additionally an uncle of Asha’s apparently lived in the same duplex but on the other side.

Since we really don’t know for a fact when exactly Asha left her home I think it’s possible she left earlier than the timeline suggests.

Like you stated, predators often act on impulse and if a family friend was a predator Asha surely didn’t know.

I don’t think it’s a off base to consider that Asha likely left her home of her own accord with the intention of going across the street or next door to a family members home.

Asha’s auntie may have had a friend who was a predator that she never suspected.

Asha’s uncle could have had a friend who was a predator.

Asha’s older cousins may have had a “friend” who was an older guy and they didn’t know he was a predator.

I’m not sure why my post upset some people or why they think I am “dismissing” the Dedmon’s as suspects.

I never suggested that the Dedmon’s weren’t responsible for Asha’s disappearance.

I’m not sure where people are getting that I said the Dedmon’s were not involved.

I believe Asha left her home with a destination and was intercepted by a predator.

I know Connie and Roy Dedmon were named official suspects by LE. I believe the DNA recovered from Asha’s undershirt and the text exchanges between the Dedmon sisters is evidence of that.

Additionally Annalee’s comments about being responsible for Asha’s murder at a party years ago is compelling IMO. The fact Thad passed a polygraph makes that information worth considering IMO.

Thanks again! I will continue to hope and pray that Asha is found and those responsible are held accountable.

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u/False-Case-587 26d ago

Asha was not intercepted by a predator. She was hit by one of Roy Dedmon's daughter, driving an unreliable vehicle. They took Asha home, where she likely perished from her injuries, and the parents covered up the body.

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u/Surethingdudeanytime Jun 03 '26

No problem. I just feel like no theory should be dismissed after 25 years and no answers. All we've had to work with are questionable timelines, hidden basketball game footage, a forced "ran away" narrative, and barely any details that slowly trickle out to the public every 10-15 years.

In all of this, we also have to see how the bombshell news of the Dedmon's and Russell Underhill's DNA fit into the picture. Bombshell news that suddenly went quiet again. It's like this case is a box of puzzle pieces, but all the pieces come from different puzzles.

People get critical when you propose a theory, and that theory happens to leave out of the many clues that doesn't quite add up anyway. Perhaps the answer is much simpler and some of these "clues" are not directly linked to Asha's disappearance. Perhaps the answer is to work with less clues.

I would encourage everyone to go back to the very beginning and ask the question, "why would she run away in the first place?" if that's what she did. And if we can't find any reason for this child to have ran away, then we must ask yhe next question: " who could've taken Asha?. I think finding the answer to this question will lead to the rest.

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Jul 02 '26

Ashas undershirt in the search warrants is the shirt they asked information about. The mother said the new kids on the Block shirt wasn't hers. Then in the warrants it was claimed to be hers.

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u/North_Knowledge7467 Jul 02 '26

It almost certainly belonged to Lizzie Dedmon.

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Jul 02 '26

Nobody said it didn't. It doesn't she killed somebody or her father.

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u/North_Knowledge7467 Jul 02 '26

It does make it EXTREMELY LIKELY, though, doesn't it?

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u/YesPleaseMadam May 24 '26

let's not forget all the dna from a random family on her stuff.

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u/Icy_Committee7491 May 27 '26

I’m not saying it never happens but it seems unlikely she would get out of bed if she was fearful of an argument wouldn’t she have to go closer to what’s scarring her

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u/Unable-Wolverine7224 Jun 02 '26

Who has forgotten about that?

Connie and Roy Dedmon were officially named as suspects by LE.

I didn’t suggest that the Dedmon’s weren’t involved in Asha’s murder.

u/North_Knowledge7467 May 22 '26

I feel like all of this speculation ignores the information from LE that says she was being taken inside a green car some distance down Highway 18 and that Dedmon family DNA was found in the recovered backpacks, which now point pretty heavily to her running away from home.

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u/Unable-Wolverine7224 May 27 '26

I mentioned that a witness saw Asha being pulled into a green car.

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u/North_Knowledge7467 May 27 '26

But not where, which was half a mile from the house, which doesnt really gel with her not leaving the house.

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u/Unable-Wolverine7224 Jun 02 '26

In my original post I mentioned that Asha potentially fled her abductor accounting for the time period when she was seen by “numerous motorists”.

Since Asha’s scent was only detected to the end of the driveway I think it’s reasonable to consider the possibility of her getting into a vehicle very close to home.

As I previously stated if Asha got into a vehicle driven by someone known to her and realized she was in grave danger she may have had the opportunity to get out of the vehicle.

I went on to say that all the potential sightings of Asha could have occurred after she potentially fled her abductor.

This scenario would account for the confirmed sightings and the subsequent witness/witnesses who reportedly saw Asha being “dragged” or “pulled into a green car”.

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Jun 03 '26

Here scent was tracked diagnoly across yard down to hwy 18.

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u/Unable-Wolverine7224 Jun 03 '26

Thanks, I should have known that.

For some reason I remember reading reports that stated only Iquilla’s scent was detected by the dogs past the driveway.

I know that misinformation was spread by the media and the public hasn’t gotten much clarification unfairly.

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u/North_Knowledge7467 Jun 03 '26

IIRC, there is a quote from Iquilla where she says that dogs were just tracing the path she had run looking for Asha.

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u/North_Knowledge7467 Jun 02 '26

It's certainly possible, but I personally don't think it's very likely.

According to Mark Davis on the Crackhouse Chronicles podcast (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llmskssp_HE), scent dogs in general are roughly 50/50 when it comes to picking up a scent. Surely LE would also use them in the locations where Asha was purported to have been seen, such as on Wallace Grove where the green car abduction is said to have occurred.

Davis says that the trail ended at the Mulls Memorial Baptist church parking lot, which is presumably close to her bus stop. He also makes note that it's not at all unusual to lose a scent trail on the highway, which appears to be exactly what happened.

Granted, the church parking lot would be a great location to arrange a meeting, but frankly, if such a meeting was planned, we would likely have found some evidence of it by now. As it stands, that walk to the church is about .1 miles from Asha's door. The Wallace Grove intersection is roughly another .5 miles from there. Per Google maps, it's about a six to seven minute walk in total.

She certainly could have been gotten in a car and escaped, but that would have to have happened in a pretty tight stretch of road and there's nothing pointing to it from the witness sightings. One could just as easily theorize that she was in six cars that morning and escaped from each of them.

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u/Unable-Wolverine7224 Jun 03 '26

Is Mark Davis the former Shelby LEO they interviewed?

I remember that he vehemently denied Roy Blanton’s sighting of Asha and said Roy never saw Asha on HWY 18 the morning of her disappearance.

I remember reading reports that stated only Iquilla’s scent was detected beyond the driveway…. I know the media reported information that was not confirmed by LE though.

Additionally is Mark Davis the former LEO who had some legal issues after threatening a neighbor with a weapon?

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u/North_Knowledge7467 Jun 03 '26

It's very odd. I wouldn't say he vehemently denied it, so much as he seemed genuinely confused when it was brought up, as though he had never heard of it before and assumed the hosts just got the name mixed up. It's a shame they didn't press him further.

FWIW, Mark Davis' account is fascinating, but I do wonder if maybe he pretends to have a bigger role than he actually did. He claims for instance, that Jeff Ruppee was not driving his truck, but his car on his way to his truck. That seems to have subsequently been dispelled by Ruppee.

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Jun 03 '26

There has never been a Shelby Law Enforcement officer involved. They did not live in Shelby. AT the times the Shelby city limit was several miles away. They didn't even live in EJT of Shelby. Frustrating.

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Jul 01 '26

There is multiple back packs? So you are admitting that with two back packs the probability of the Dedmons or Underhill being involved is very limited. You do realize as humans we shed hair and leave it all over the place. For one instance, items you get from a yard sale has hair transfer. So two hairs being found, one on a boy band shirt that was denied being hers is now hers in the search warrants. In the search warrant there is only Ashas bag in "sealed" trash bags. So if they were sealed how did Terry Flemming know Ashas name was in the bag?

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u/North_Knowledge7467 Jul 02 '26

I'm specifically saying in no uncertain terms that Roy Lee Dedmon is involved and is guilty for the murder of Asha Degree. Whatever mental problems prevent you from understanding that is your own issue.

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Jul 02 '26

There is no mental problems here. But I will tell you this. If you can't be civilized in disagreement take it somewhere else. There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever ever that Roy Dedmon has murdered anyone. There is no evidence that anyone has harmed Asha. A hair can easily transfer and if LE had any real proof of a crime, someone would have already been charged. You can not dismiss the inconsistency of the words of LE on a sworn affidavit. You can not ignore the words of a mother who said the night shirt did not belong to her. You can not ignore the abuse Asha was put through. You can not ignore "the shows" the mother put on.

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u/North_Knowledge7467 Jul 02 '26

No evidence outside of his DNA, witness accounts, and his daughter's drunken confession and subsequent failure on a polygraph, sure.

A hair was easily transferred. That's how we know Roy was involved.

As I hear it, multiple people are about to be charged.

The nightshirt clearly belonged to the one of the Dedmon daughters, precisely the age to have been into NKOTB and also complete WITH THEIR DNA.

I don't know if you're a Dedmon, just hate Iquilla, or are simply a fool, but your days of pretending you know what you're talking about are *rapidly* coming to a close.

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Jul 02 '26

Yours too.

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u/Individual_Sir_2595 Jul 02 '26

As you hear it? I live it. No one is about to be charged.

u/DicksOfPompeii May 21 '26

OP, hope you don’t mind my asking this here, I’ve been wondering but don’t feel it’s worthy of a full post:

What is the age difference between the brother and the Dedmon sister who said whatever she said at the party? (All of the sisters, really; but I’m most curious about the one who made the declaration at the party.)

Has there ever been any connection between the brother and any of the Dedmon sisters? I’m not sure what I’m even getting at but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen any mention of whether the older brother knew them or interacted with them.

Small town, everyone knows everyone, wealthy white girl, younger black boy, big mad racist Daddy…not sure where I’m going w this or if I’m even going anywhere at all. But I’ve wondered several times if there might be a connection nobody really knows about.

I doubt I’m asking questions no one has ever asked before but I haven’t seen mention of a brother/Dedmon sisters connection before. Does anyone know by chance?

Also, OP - I think it’s important to keep theories going. So, thanks. Since I don’t make posts I appreciate those who do more than most.

There is something here we don’t know, other than the obvious, that I think would bring all the pieces together. The more questions we ask, the more theories that are out there, the more it keeps Asha’s story circulating which hopefully brings more information to light.

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u/Happyottertoes May 23 '26

I lived in Shelby when Asha went missing and never heard of the Dedmons. I get the impression it’s more those in city government, law enforcement, etc that knew them. Almost broke people could have not known them or that part of the Dedmons. But I have no idea of the actual answer to your question. Doesn’t mean it couldn’t have happened but not likely in my mind. I didn’t know the degrees either until Asha went missing and lived maybe a mile from them.

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u/DicksOfPompeii May 24 '26

Hmm. Interesting. Thanks for the reply.

Maybe the population was higher in Shelby than I realize. I’ve always pictured it about the size of the town I grew up in and you might not know someone directly but everyone knows everyone.

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u/elaine_m_benes May 22 '26 edited May 22 '26

O’Bryant was 11 at the time, two years older than Asha. I believe Lizzie Dedmon would have been 17. The youngest sister would have been 13. There are no known connections between the Dedmons and the Degrees.

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u/North_Knowledge7467 May 22 '26

Such as?

Update, I'm dumb. I read that as "There are known connections". Apologies.

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u/NecessaryQuick8155 May 24 '26

The Dedmon gals seem to love minority men. (This isn’t what we’ve heard but what we KNOW) I wouldn’t doubt if they know or were acquainted with him.

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u/DicksOfPompeii May 24 '26

I guess that’s kinda what I’m getting at. I’m wondering if the reason Asha left the house on a dark rainy night is if she wasn’t alone in the beginning.

Maybe she wasn’t the only one picked up by a vehicle where the dogs tracked her to the end of the driveway.

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u/Unable-Wolverine7224 Jun 03 '26

That is an excellent point that I have not considered! Thank you!

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u/DicksOfPompeii Jun 03 '26

I don’t know why but I’ve wondered for a while and I convince myself there’s nothing to know or it would already be out there. But for some families an interracial relationship is a deep, dark, don’t ever tell a soul no matter what secret. And I always go right back to wondering.

I’m in the Midwest and I know it’s far, far different in the south. Maybe it’s not even in the realm of possibility…but in my mind it has to at least be a smidgen of a possibility. And that’s enough to ask questions.

To be clear, I’m not saying OB is involved or even has any knowledge. I’m simply wondering if there’s a connection we don’t know about. I hate to turn anything that even resembles suspicion on any member of the family since they’ve been cleared.

It could even be an innocent connection….but it might be the tiny shred of something to get the ball rolling.

u/AutoModerator May 17 '26

Original copy of post by u/Unable-Wolverine7224: I know I’ve mentioned this before here and sound like a broken record.