Search for Asha Degree: New search on property formerly owned by Roy Dedmon, records show
On Friday, Queen City News was there as investigators searched an old, abandoned school at the corner of Highway 274 and NC-182 in Lincoln County.
Detectives and SBI agents wrapped up their search Friday, not revealing what they found.
Past search warrants reveal that investigators believe Degree was killed, her death may have been concealed, and her body has never been found.
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The masses came out to search on Friday.
'I think they're putting a lot of pressure out there to get answers,' said Donnie Peeler, a neighbor.
Investigators won't stop until they find the girl known as 'Shelby's Sweetheart.'
'You can't go anywhere in Cleveland County without somebody talking about the case,' said Peeler.
Peeler and Dale Champion, another neighbor, remember the day 25 years ago on Valentine's Day when Degree went missing.
'We were on our way to work early that morning,' said Peeler.
'We went through the roadblock that morning and actually thought it was a license check, but they were looking for a little girl,' said Champion.
Degree's disappearance has captured everyone's hearts.
No one can fully grasp what her family is going through.
'Oh, I don't know if I'd been able to, to be honest,' said Michael Owens.
Neighbors like Owens have been showing up every time investigators search.
'I just hope and pray that they will find her, whoever knows what happened to her, just come clean and tell the truth,' Owens said, on the verge of tears.
Owens was out last September when deputies and the FBI scoured the properties of Roy and Connie Dedmon in Cleveland County.
Detectives indicated later in search warrants that they did those searches because they believe Roy and Connie Dedmon may have helped conceal Degree's death.
An attorney for Roy Dedmon denies his client had anything to do with Degree's death or disappearance.
Friday's search was also tied to property formerly owned by the Dedmons.
Records show Dedmon bought the property, an old school, in 1991 and sold it in October 2004, just over four years after Degree disappeared, leaving the community stunned.
'You just can't move on from it,' said Peeler.
Neighbors believe detectives are getting closer to finding Degree.
'Her family can have peace and Cleveland County, and the rest of the counties around here can have peace,' said Owens.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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