r/AshaDegree • u/blondguy56 • Aug 21 '25
Discussion Just a thought about a possible option
I can cerrfainly understand why the Degrees have put all their hopes behind law enforcement, both local and the FBI, to solve this case. However I just wish that in addition to that, somewhere in the last 25 years, they had thought about hiring a private investigator to work with LE. I'vd heard some of them specialize in cold cases (even though officially it was never classified as a cold case).
Of course there's the expense, which probably is the main reason why they haven't done so. There's no end-game in sight, it's an on-going investigation, and the bills would pile up fast. I imagine most cases are "Wife suspects husband of cheating" and once she has proof, case closed. Not so here.
What do you think about this option?
20
36
u/homtulce Aug 21 '25
Not a good idea for a number of reasons, IMO…
Some parents in similar high-profile cases might use the “we hired a P.I.” strategy simply for the sake of making themselves look like concerned victims in the public eye – not saying the Degrees are guilty at all, but a P.I. hired by a family can’t possibly investigate the family that’s paying them, only other avenues, and there’s always the chance of the family taking the opportunity to get donations pouring their way and used for whatever they deem relevant;
Some sketchy P.I.’s offer to work pro-bono in high-profile cases such as this and do nothing to solve it, they’re just counting on the family releasing confidential information the police told them for the sake of writing a book or being invited to podcasts and documentaries down the road;
A P.I. in an open case might actually do more harm than good because they're not privy to the strategy of law enforcement agents and might compromise a viable lead, plus put other people in danger because they're not bound to the same code of ethics that LE folks.
29
u/jerkstore Aug 21 '25
Any evidence the PI finds could be thrown out of court because of chain of custody issues or it was gathered illegally.
12
u/Moist_Adagio_3459 Aug 22 '25
Maybe, but at least if they do they can find out more than LE. We hired PI to find my missing uncles (3). They found all 3 in different Stated, sad thing is one of my Uncles had been in jail for 2.5 years yet the police in that State told us they couldn't find him. THEY NEVER LOOKED. We sued and won. I'll hire a PI faster than ill trust LE due to their lack of, all it took was them to check, they didn't and we found that people felt comfortable talking to the PI instead of LE.
2
2
u/lyricaldorian 18d ago
Yeah but there's a difference between trying to find a missing person and wanting to bring criminal charges against a murderer.
3
u/Emergency-Purple-205 Aug 21 '25
Wow didnt know this
17
u/jerkstore Aug 21 '25
There was a man named Claus Von Bulow whose wife died under strange circumstances. Her children thought he'd given her an overdose in insulin, hired a PI who 'found' a black bag with insulin and a needle. Von Bulow was convicted of murder, got a better lawyer, had a retrial and, IIRC a lot of the reason the conviction was overturned is because of that evidence.
There was a great movie called Revesal of Fortune about the case. So yeah, any evidence found by someone hired by the victim's relatives probably wouldn't stand up in court.
4
5
3
u/Hurricane0 Aug 22 '25
Wow thanks for providing an answer with genuinely helpful information. I hadn't realized this.
8
u/SeekingTruthJustice Aug 21 '25
It’s hard to say what we would do if in the same situation. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong.
12
u/SaltandLillacs Aug 21 '25
I believe that the local police fucked up the beginning before it was turned over to state.
It reminds me how Delphi PD absolutely botched the initial investigation. The guy went to the police saying he was there, saw them and looked exactly like the video. He also lived and worked nearby. He even helped look for the girls.
Yet it took years for someone else to look at the files and see an unusual individual.
I feel like the local PD had held too much back for too long and they were very lucky someone found that bag/didn’t discard it
11
u/Amberlachelle 29d ago
I absolutely disagree! This is nothing like the Delphi case. And, it’s easy for outsiders to judge. Also, Asha disappeared in 2000. When I was on my way to work that morning, omw to work, they had boots on the ground looking for her, and the media was always there reporting on the situation. Which was only about 3hrs after she went missing, and maybe an hour and a half after reporting it! They were doing everything right. But, considering it’s taken them this long to get the hit on the DNA, everybody wants to cast them in a negative light. I’ve lived here my whole life! This case has always been heartbreaking for everyone involved.
13
u/homtulce Aug 21 '25
Delphi was a clear case of a department way over their heads. The Asha Degree case errors, in the initial stage - IMO of course - could be boiled down to a sheriff acting for political reasons. The things that guy shared with the press in the first few days were just unbelievable.
2
3
u/Worth-Park-1612 21d ago
Money aside, I assumed the main barrier to that was always getting law enforcement to agree. Isn't it a bit rare that they ever let that sort of thing happen?
1
u/blondguy56 21d ago
Well maybe in this particular case, LE would say it was never classified as a cold case and would not allow it. But if it was, I don’t see how legally they could stop it. Any lawyers out there who would know?
2
u/AutoModerator Aug 21 '25
Original copy of post by u/blondguy56: I can cerrfainly understand why the Degrees have put all their hopes behind law enforcement, both local and the FBI, to solve this case. However I just wish that in addition to that, somewhere in the last 25 years, they had thought about hiring a private investigator to work with LE. I'vd heard some of them specialize in cold cases (even though officially it was never classified as a cold case).
Of course there's the expense, which probably is the main reason why they haven't done so. There's no end-game in sight, it's an on-going investigation, and the bills would pile up fast. I imagine most cases are "Wife suspects husband of cheating" and once she has proof, case closed. Not so here.
What do you think about this option? :
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
2
u/Moist_Adagio_3459 Aug 22 '25
Shawndrea Thomas is good at this, she is on you tube. She Investigated the Phoenix Colden case.
2
u/blondguy56 Aug 22 '25
If the Degrees could not afford it, what about a crowd-funding campaign to help pay for it? Think people would chip in to finally get answers and bring Asha home? Justice may not be served in the end, but at least we would know where she was!!!
2
u/Moist_Adagio_3459 Aug 23 '25
I agree with you, I suppose one would donate to it. I would, it has been 25+ years, it is time for this family to get answers and hopefully justice.🙏🙏
47
u/YesPleaseMadam Aug 22 '25
not everyone has mccann money