Why do you think a 9-year-old girl would suddenly leave home (true crime case)?

[Anonymous]

In 2000, nine-year-old Asha Degrees packed her backpack and left home in the middle of the night amidst a thunderstorm. She hasn't been found, but her backpack with clothes inside was found wrapped in a plastic bag off a highway. This was before social media, so it's not like she was chatting with people on Facebook. Why do you think she left home out of nowhere?

[Smashingdoozy]

Firstly there was definitely social media in 2000. There was definitely random online chat rooms too. So could have had something to do with that, could have been abusive family, unhappy at school, unhappy with life in general. Then something happened after she ran away. Or maybe she never left home..

[kylee2437]

Multiple reasons possibly. Maybe got into an argument with her parents and ran off and possibly got abducted

[slatyb]

Perhaps she was being abused.

[Asker]

I don't think this to be the case because her parents, to this day, 22 years later, are still trying to find her. They host annual walks to raise awareness and dedicated a scholarship in her name.

[slatyb]

That's not evidence one way or another. There is child abuse that does not leave bruises. Of course I do not know, but there was some motivation for her to pack and leave.

[Asker]

The most common theory I've seen is that someone, maybe an adult, was grooming her -- promising to take her on an adventure if she went with him. Things of that kind that a gullible 9-year-old would believe and they ended up killing her.