Search in Lincoln Co. connected to the disappearance of Asha Degree

LINCOLN CO., NC – Officials from multiple agencies searched property and buildings in Lincoln County Friday morning connect to the disappearance of Asha Degree.

Degree, who was 9-years-old at the time, left her home in Cleveland County in the early morning hours of Valentine’s Day in February of 2000 and disappeared.

Sheriff Alan Norman says the current property owner in Lincoln County gave consent for the search on Friday and is not connected to the investigation.

In September, 2024 several properties in Cleveland County were searched in connection to the case. Warrants revealed investigators believe Degree was killed and her body was hidden.

The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office seized three cell phones on February 13, 2025 connected to the case. The cell phones belong to three members of the Dedmon family of Shelby. Sisters Sarah Dedmon Caple and Lizzie Dedmon Foster and their father, Roy Dedmon. Investigators started building their case to seize the cell phones back in September, after a former friend of the sisters showed up at the sheriff’s office with a story to tell.

A House Party

In September 2024, a man name Thad Mellentine told detectives he used to party with the Dedmon girls back in the mid 2000s. He says he was at a house party with Lizzie and Sarah when he saw Lizzie “sobbing and balling” and heard her say “I killed Asha Degree.” Mellentine says he remembers Sarah telling Lizzie to “shut the f*** up.” Investigators gave Mellentine a polygraph test. He passed it.

Cell Phone Records

Investigators then went after the sisters’ cell phone records. Starting in September 2024, around the time when Asha Degree case updates were all over the news, warrants reveal Sarah texted Lizzie: “Dad is probably going to be a huge suspect.” In another from Lizzie to Sarah: “I just talked to (attorney) David Teddy. The theory is I did it. Accident. Covered it up.” In another: “I wanna do what Dad says” and from Sarah to Lizzie: “Maybe we should have let you do what you originally wanted to do.”

The sisters also texted about their dad: “You don’t want something we do or say impact him but we also can’t be living like this either,” and, “He was just like I will call Teddy and we can go get a polygraph with the honest people.”

Polygraphs

In September 2024, investigators asked Lizzie to take a polygraph about what Mellentine says she confessed at that house party years ago. She refused. This month, investigators asked her again. She agreed this time. She failed the polygraph. Her sister Sarah has declined to speak with investigators.