In the early morning hours of February 14, 2000, 9-year-old Asha Degree took her backpack and slipped out of her Shelby, North Carolina home. Several motorists later reported seeing her walking alone in a rainstorm at around 4 am. Where was she going? What or who made her leave her home that night?

Over the next 24 years, Asha Degree’s story has been the subject of countless blogs, internet forums, Youtube videos, and podcasts. People have become obsessed with getting answers. What made a 9-year-old girl leave her house in the middle of the night, and what happened to her after that?

In September 2024, we finally got some potential answers to the second question after a series of search warrants were executed at various properties in North Carolina. While we still may not know what caused Asha to leave that night, investigators now believe that they have the names of some of the people who were involved in her disappearance.

Anyone with information on the disappearance of Asha Degree is asked to call the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office at 704-484-4788, or the FBI at 704-672-6100. There is a $45,000 reward for information that can solve this case.

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Paul Bergrin is a hotshot criminal defense attorney in Newark, New Jersey. Seemingly unstoppable and with unorthodox methods, he’s built a reputation for getting his clients off the hook. But as Paul's legend grows, so do the suspicions swirling around him.

When FBI Agent Shawn Brokos starts investigating a major drug ring, she makes a shocking discovery: the gang's most powerful player is none other than Newark’s star attorney. Has the ex-federal prosecutor crossed the line and started committing crimes himself?
From Wondery, comes a new series about a lawyer who breaks all the rules, the FBI agent determined to take him down at all costs, and the people caught in the middle who paid the ultimate price.

Listen to Criminal Attorney on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple podcasts. Start your free trial by visiting http://wondery.fm/CA_ATTWG now.

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A 15-year-old girl had an argument with her father about her grades. It’s a scene parents all over the world are likely familiar with, and one that is usually forgotten in a day or two. But when Katya Lyne had this argument with her father, Pat, on March 21, 1997, it ended in tragedy. Within days, Katya was missing, and her father was dead. The Lyne family’s world was completely turned upside down.

Though police believed Katya was a runaway, they couldn’t be sure that she hadn’t met with foul play. Nearly 30 years later, Katya’s sister, Tracy, believes her sister is still out there and still wants her to come home.

Anyone with information regarding Katya Lyne's disappearance can call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s 24-hour hotline at 800-843-5678, or the Federal Way Police Department at 253-835-6700.

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Asha Degree was a bright, talented, happy 9-year-old living with her parents and brother in Shelby, North Carolina. She was an excellent student and the star of her basketball team. Surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, there was no shortage of love in Asha’s life. But in the early morning hours of February 14, 2000, Asha took her backpack that she had packed with several changes of clothes and slipped out of her house.

Several motorists later reported seeing her walking alone in a rainstorm at around 4 am. Where was Asha Degree going? What or who made her leave her home that night? After nearly 25 years, this remains one of the most confounding cases not only in the small town of Shelby, but in the entire country.

On September 10, 2024, the FBI executed several search warrants near where Asha was last seen. In this mini update, we're telling you what we know about this search, and including our original episode on Asha's case from October 2023.

Anyone with information on the disappearance of Asha Degree is asked to call the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office at 704-484-4788, or the FBI at 704-672-6100. There is a $45,000 reward for information that can solve this case.

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On January 29, 1992, Byron Page was getting ready to go to college and take his driver’s exam. He had already been accepted into several schools, with more acceptance letters on the way. That afternoon, the 17-year-old decided to take the bus to his favorite movie and music store in West Hollywood, California. He never made it.

Despite being a promising student with no issues in his personal life, Byron’s case garnered very little attention in a city transfixed by the Rodney King trial. After a short investigation, police believed that he had met with foul play, but his case quickly went cold. Now, after 30 years, is there a chance that someone out there knows what happened to Byron Page?

If anyone has any information on the disappearance of Byron Eric Page, please contact Detective Tamar Abraham at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at 323-890-5500.

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Today’s story is one about intimate partner violence. According to her family, friends, and police and court records, Mamta Kafle’s husband, Naresh Bhatt, was abusing her. He hid her documents, destroyed her phone, threatened to give their baby to social services, and physically abused her. Throughout it all, Mamta remained a kind, caring friend and a mother whose baby was her entire world. But then, sometime between July 29 and July 30, 2024, she disappeared. Now, her husband is sitting in jail awaiting trial on the charge of concealing a dead body. We first covered Mamta’s case, which is local to us, two weeks ago. But we’ve learned a lot since then. This week, we’re updating you on the case of Manassas Park, Virginia mom, Mamta Kafle.

Anyone who has information on Mamta Kafle's disappearance, or her husband Naresh Bhatt's actions between July 29 and August 3 is asked to contact Manassas Park Police at 703.361.1136 or email [email protected].

If you or someone you know is experiencing intimate partner violence, there are resources for you to get help. The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides 24/7 confidential support, safety planning, and referrals to local resources. Call 1-800-799-7233, or text 'START" TO 8878. You can also visit their website at TheHotline.org.

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On November 20, 1987, Louis and Susan Zaharias had an argument. By this point, fights weren’t uncommon for the couple, who had been married for six years. Susan was a stay-at-home mom with two small children who was feeling isolated while her husband worked long hours far away. But this day was different. Susan was acting paranoid, and not like herself. After a violent altercation, Louis left the home to give his wife some space. When he returned a few hours later, she and their children were gone.

What began that day was a journey that has completely changed the trajectory of Louis’s life. He’s spent every single day for nearly 37 years looking for his children. Louis firmly believes that his children are out there, but has no idea if they even know they’re missing.

Anyone with information regarding the abduction or whereabouts of Christopher and Lisa Zaharias is asked to contact the Orange County District Attorney’s Office at 714-834-3600.

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On August 2, 2024, Manassas Park Police visited the Virginia home that Mamta Kafle shared with her husband, Naresh Bhatt. They were there to perform a welfare check because Mamta didn’t show up to work at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center on August 1, and her colleagues were concerned.

Naresh allegedly told police that Mamta had disappeared before, and that he didn’t want to file a missing persons report. Three days later, on August 5, Naresh reported his wife missing, but Manassas Park Police didn’t make this public until August 8. Since then, the community has banded together to do ground searches, hold vigils, press conferences, and even visit the Nepal embassy, all in hopes of finding out what happened to Mamta Kafle.

If you have any information regarding Mamta Kafle's disappearance, you are asked to contact the Manassas Park Police Department at 703-361-1136. This phone number is monitored 24 hours a day. If you wish to remain anonymous you can contact the Manassas/Manassas Park Crime Solvers at 703-330-0330.

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Introducing…World of Secrets: The Apartheid Killer

Introducing a NEW investigation from the BBC’s World of Secrets podcast: The Apartheid Killer. All the victims were black and the youngest was just 12 years old. Some relatives are still searching for the graves. They were killed during a three-year bloodbath in the 1980s, in the South African city of East London – by one person. He killed so many, he lost count. It has been 30 years since the white supremacist apartheid regime crumbled. The unresolved trauma of this time has cast a long shadow across a nation. In piecing together this story, the new season of World of Secrets exposes the disturbed past and racial injustices of South Africa itself.

Search for World of Secrets, wherever you get your podcasts.

World of Secrets is the BBC podcast about the stories they don’t want told. Delve into a World of Secrets – major BBC global investigations and gripping storytelling. Holding the powerful to account and exposing scandals around the world.

Listen Now: https://bbc.lnk.to/WoSRF

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Disappearances can happen in an instant. On April 19, 2016, 16-year-old Tyler Christensen went on a jog. He wanted to get a short run in on his way to a youth group meeting. But Tyler never arrived. After Tyler’s family realized that he was gone, they assumed something terrible must have happened to him. After all, he was a happy kid, living in Edmonds, Washington with a loving family and seemingly no issues. But as the investigation got underway, police began to believe that maybe this disappearance wasn’t as quick as it seemed. That perhaps Tyler himself had been planning it for a long time.

Anyone with information regarding Tyler Christensen’s disappearance is urged to contact the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office 425-407-3970.

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It was a scene straight out of an action movie: specifically The Bourne Identity. On September 16, 2008, the captain of a Staten Island Ferry saw a woman floating face down in the Hudson River, near the Statue of Liberty. Horrified and thinking they found a dead body, two deckhands jumped in a rescue boat and went to her. When they reached the woman, one picked her up by her ankles, while another picked her up by her shoulders. To everyone’s shock, the woman took a gasp of air and started crying. This is how Hannah Upp was found after she went missing– the first time.

Over the next decade, Hannah Upp, a young, well-liked teacher, would go missing two more times. After her first two rescues, she had no idea where she had been or how she had spent her time. On September 14, 2017, Hannah was living in St. Thomas, on the U.S. Virgin Islands. She had survived Hurricane Irma, and three days before Hurricane Maria was poised to hit, Hannah Upp disappeared for a third time. Did she perish in the water, as many people believe, or is she still out there somewhere, with no idea who she is?

Anyone with information regarding Hannah Upp’s disappearance is urged to contact the Virgin Islands Police Department at 340-772-5605.

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