New Evidence Emerges in Asha Degree Disappearance Case

SHELBY, N.C. (WBTV) – New developments in the Asha Degree case have surfaced, revealing possible deception by a key witness during a lie-detector test. Lizzie Grace Dedmon Foster, the oldest daughter of Roy and Connie Dedmon, reportedly failed to pass the polygraph when questioned about concealing information related to the disappearance of Asha Degree, a 9-year-old girl who vanished in 2000.

Foster, along with her two sisters, Sarah Gwen Dedmon Caple and AnnaLee Victoria Dedmon Ramirez, were identified as potential suspects after authorities executed search warrants in September 2024. Asha went missing in the early morning hours of February 14, 2000, as she walked along Highway 18 in Shelby, North Carolina, where eyewitnesses reported seeing her get into a car described as resembling a 1970s green Lincoln or Thunderbird.

The investigation has been reignited after new information from search warrants revealed claims from a former acquaintance of the Dedmon sisters, who stated that he heard Foster confess to killing Asha while intoxicated at a party in the mid-2000s. This individual, Thad Mellentine, recounted that upon hearing Foster’s admission, her sister Sarah reacted angrily, instructing her to remain quiet.

As part of the investigation, officials found a 1964 AMC Rambler at the Dedmon family property, which bears resemblance to the vehicle sighted by witnesses during Asha’s abduction. Asha’s bookbag was discovered in Burke County in 2001, more than a year after her disappearance, with DNA found on items within it matching that of AnnaLee Dedmon and a man named Russell Underhill, who had stayed at nursing facilities run by the Dedmons.

In the wake of the September searches, fresh warrants issued on February 13, 2025, sought access to the phones of the Dedmon sisters for potential incriminating evidence. Text messages exchanged among the sisters displayed notable anxiety regarding their father’s potential involvement, with discussions about the ongoing investigation.

Investigators have taken these revelations seriously as new information continues to come to light, with prosecutors emphasizing that findings from text messages might lead to critical breakthroughs. AHA was reported missing two decades ago, but the case remains open, and investigators continue to call on the public for any information that could assist in the investigation.

“It is a mystery that has haunted the Shelby community for years,” said Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman. “Every new lead brings us closer to understanding what truly happened.”

As the investigation progresses, law enforcement officials reiterate the importance of not jumping to conclusions. The community remains hopeful that justice for Asha is within grasp as more evidence surfaces.