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already have an extensive criminal history beyond their current conviction. Busick received 60 credits/month, or two days’ worth of credit for every day served, plus the credit for time he served in jail. Ultimately, Busick’s positive track record while behind bars led to an early release, for “good behavior”; he was released on May 19, 2023, after serving just 38 months of his 10-year sentence.
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police. The second body was determined to be that of Danny; like his wife, he had also been shot in the head execution-style. According to Lorene, from what she could see on the scene, the body “had no face”. Following this discovery, the crime scene was reexamined, yet no sign of Bible or
Freeman was found. In 2010, the Freeman family initiated court proceedings to have Ashley declared
228:. Inside the home, the charred remains of Kathy were discovered lying on the floor of her bedroom; she had been shot in the head. Initially, no other remains were located, leading local law enforcement to extrapolate that Ashley's father, Danny Freeman, had slain his wife and fled with both girls. Bible's parked car was in the driveway of the home with the keys in the ignition.
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In April 2018, it was reported that Ronnie Dean Busick, then aged 66, had been arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Bible and the
Freeman family. Two other, albeit deceased, suspects were named as well: Warren Phillip "Phil" Welch II (d. 2007)
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On
December 29, 1999, high school friends Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman of Welch, Oklahoma spent the evening together celebrating Freeman's sixteenth birthday. Bible had received permission from her parents to spend the night at the Freeman home, with her father stating that he told her “you need
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that "she heard conversations between the three men where they disclosed that the murder victims had owed them money," and that Welch kept a briefcase containing the
Polaroid photos which showed both girls "bound and gagged with duct tape and lying on a bed," with Welch lying next to the girls in
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Busick pleaded guilty July 15, 2020 to being an accessory to first-degree murder in the deaths of Danny and Kathy
Freeman, the torching of their home near Welch, Oklahoma, and the abduction and presumed slayings of the two girls. He admitted having withheld information about the involvement of
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In a public address, the Bible family issued a statement in which they stated they had been aware of the alleged photographs "for years," and that "At this time all focus is on finding Lauria and Ashley. We welcome all information leading to their recovery. Until they are home with us, this will
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Firefighters arrived at the
Freeman home shortly after 5:30 a.m. on December 30, when a passerby reported a fire at the residence. After the fire had been extinguished, the bodies of Freeman's parents, Danny and Kathy, were recovered. Both had been shot to death at close range. However, law
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On
December 31, 1999, Bible's parents, Lorene and Jay, returned to the scene, hoping to find any additional clues that law enforcement may have missed. While walking around the extensive rubble, they discovered what appeared to be the shape of another body and, upon looking closer, notified the
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The
Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC) had said Busick was considered a “level-4” prisoner; i.e., he was known for being respectful to the prison staff and following their orders, while staying to himself and not being known as a problematic inmate. Furthermore, a level-4 inmate does not
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of a home formerly occupied by David
Pennington, one of the deceased suspects accused by the convicted Busick. Investigators claim that Busick kept repeating "the root cellar," and his stepdaughter alleged that he had forbidden anyone from accessing it. News reports after the search wrapped up
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starting June 2, 2019, which hoped to shed more light on the disappearances of the girls and the main suspects. The show was hosted by the creator of the show and crime writer Jax Miller, who also wrote a book on the girls' disappearances. Released in July 2020, it is titled
261:, where he shot them and threw their bodies into an abandoned mine. Searches of the mine Jones identified proved fruitless, however, and Jones subsequently admitted he had fabricated the story in order to get better food and additional phone privileges in prison.
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never be over." After his arrest, Busick told reporters he wished to speak to the Bibles. On April 26, 2018, Bible's mother, Lorene, confirmed she spoke with Busick, but that he denied knowing the whereabouts of her daughter or
Freeman.
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Police Department had been feuding with the Freemans at the time over the death of their son, Shane, who was shot by a deputy after stealing a car. While his death was ruled justifiable, the Freemans had threatened to file a
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I seen them pull-up the driveway, and she comes running in the house asking can she spend the night with Ashley; I said, 'You need to be home by noon'. Her last words was 'I love you, Daddy', and out-the-door they
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to be home by noon” the following day. The girl then left her parents’ home, saying “I love you, Daddy” to her father. Earlier that day, the girls had spent time at a local pizzeria with Freeman's mother, Kathy.
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in the killings of Bible and the Freeman family. In 2020, Busick was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison plus five years of probation. He was released on May 19, 2023, after serving just 38 months.
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photographs of them. Several witnesses alleged that the three men killed the Freemans over drug money, and that the girls were held captive in Welch's trailer for several days before being murdered.
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some of the photographs. According to the affidavit, Welch, Pennington, and Busick had claimed to have raped and tortured the girls before disposing of their remains "in a pit" or mine shaft in
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257:—confessed to murdering them, but subsequently recanted their admissions. Jones had claimed that he murdered Freeman's parents as a favor for a friend over a drug debt, then took the girls to
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In September 2018, one of the main witnesses in the case against Ronnie Busick, as well as the cold case investigators who filed the charges, gave their first interviews to the
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Welch and Pennington. He was sentenced to 15 years for the crime, ten of those years to be spent in prison, plus five years of probation.
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Lauria's name is consistently pronounced like "Laura" by family, friends, investigators, and the episode narrator.
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lawsuit. Danny's brother, Dwayne, claimed that Danny had confided that deputies had tried to intimidate him.
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between the evening of December 29 and the early morning hours of December 30, 1999, from Freeman's home in
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1036:"Man convicted in Welch girls case released from prison; 'I'm going to be watching,' victim's mother says"
715:"Man convicted in Welch girls case released from prison; 'I'm going to be watching,' victim's mother says"
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740:"Mom Fights The Cartel To Find Kidnapped Daughter & Her BFF: The Disappearance of Lauria and Ashley"
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reporting that the Freeman home was engulfed in flames. Law enforcement determined the fire had been an
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658:"Disappearance of two Okla. girls stumped police for 18 years. Then they learned about the Polaroids"
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On April 26, 2018, it was reported that Ronnie Dean Busick was being charged with four counts of
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1100:"Documentary series on disappearance of Ashley Freeman, Lauria Bible from Welch debuts Sunday"
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A female witness who lived with Welch a short time after the disappearances provided a sworn
902:"Graphic Polaroids Lead to Arrest of Man Accused of 1999 Abduction and Murder of 2 Oklahoma"
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FAMILY FURIOUS AFTER MAN CONVICTED IN WELCH GIRLS' DISAPPEARANCE GETS EARLY PRISON RELEASE
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805:"18 years later, finally answers: How investigators solved the murders of 2 Welch girls"
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enforcement was unable to find any trace of Bible or Freeman in the rubble of the home.
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928:"Accused killer of missing teens charged following new evidence almost 20 years later"
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In the decade following the disappearance of Bible and Freeman, two convicted killers—
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1152:"Hell in the Heartland by Jax Miller: 9781984806307 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books"
775:"A timeline of the 1999 case of missing Welch girls Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible"
1076:"Still Missing: Inside the Welch Girls Investigation: A Tulsa World Special Report"
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District court affidavit detailing crime and Busick's involvement (April 23, 2018)
837:"Newly Found Investigation Notes Provide Leads in 1999 Cold Case of Missing Girls"
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At approximately 5:30 a.m. on December 30, 1999, a passerby called
461:"Man Arrested in Nearly 20-Year-Old Cold Case Killing of Teens, Couple"
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Hell in the Heartland: Murder, Meth and the case of Two Missing Girls
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981:"Man charged in Oklahoma killings says he'll talk to families"
694:. Jeff Lehr, The Joplin Globe, August 31, 2020. 31 August 2020
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The case was featured in a new four-part series on HLN titled
564:"Murder Charges Filed in 18-Year-Old Oklahoma Abduction Case"
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956:"Charges filed in 18-year-old northeast Oklahoma slayings"
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Hell in the Heartland: What Happened to Ashley and Lauria?
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The disappearances of Bible and Freeman were profiled on
1008:"Mother of Lauria Bible speaks to alleged perpetrator"
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On October 7, 2021, a new search was conducted in the
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Helling, Steve; Pelisek, Christine (April 27, 2018).
349:. In 2013, it was profiled on the documentary series
174:(born December 29, 1983) were American teenagers who
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342:in 2001. The case was later featured on the series
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26:
433:"Case of girls missing since 1999 gets new look"
865:"Search for missing Welch girls turns up empty"
692:"Busick sentenced in Freeman-Bible murder case"
431:Moore, Elizabeth Armstrong (January 26, 2016).
1127:"Disappearance of area girls HLN series focus"
288:and David Pennington (d. 2015). According to
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1064:. January 21, 2013. Investigation Discovery.
206:indicated it had been yet another dead end.
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30:December 29 or December 30, 1999
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1224:December 1999 crimes in the United States
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401:Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story
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863:Stogsdill, Sheila (January 16, 2016).
283:Arrest and conviction of Ronnie Busick
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954:Stogsdill, Sheila (April 23, 2018).
803:Stogsdill, Sheila (April 28, 2018).
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1234:Incidents of violence against girls
613:"Lauria Bible & Ashley Freeman"
395:List of solved missing person cases
1259:Violence against women in Oklahoma
572:. Associated Press. April 23, 2018
14:
1249:Murder convictions without a body
1214:Child murder in the United States
1209:1999 murders in the United States
459:Nolan, Caitlin (April 24, 2018).
1244:Missing person cases in Oklahoma
1006:Mummolo, Burt (April 26, 2018).
656:Swenson, Kyle (April 26, 2018).
146:
926:Palin, Megan (27 April 2018).
1:
408:Sodder children disappearance
1219:Deaths by person in Oklahoma
115:
105:
16:Murder of two American teens
1125:Lehr, Jeff (May 18, 2019).
1034:Stanley, Tim (2023-05-19).
713:Stanley, Tim (2023-05-19).
170:; born April 18, 1983) and
1275:
1199:1990s missing person cases
746:. Unseen. 22 November 2023
1239:Missing American children
835:Staff (January 4, 2018).
628:– via Unsolved.com.
245:Suspects and confessions
102:Warren Phillip Welch II
357:Investigation Discovery
20:Murders of Lauria Bible
1156:PenguinRandomhouse.com
539:"Ashley Renae Freeman"
511:"Lauria Jaylene Bible"
368:for a special report.
1229:Female murder victims
869:The Miami News-Record
373:Hell In The Heartland
333:America's Most Wanted
264:In a 2001 profile on
76:Lauria Jaylene Bible
1060:"Out of the Ashes".
172:Ashley Renae Freeman
142:Lauria Jaylene Bible
79:Ashley Renae Freeman
663:The Washington Post
543:The Charley Project
515:The Charley Project
291:The Washington Post
195:first-degree murder
131:First-degree murder
99:Ronnie Dean Busick
23:
1254:Murder in Oklahoma
618:Unsolved Mysteries
569:The New York Times
339:Unsolved Mysteries
267:Unsolved Mysteries
90:Ronnie Dean Busick
22:and Ashley Freeman
390:Crime in Oklahoma
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112:David Pennington
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1204:1999 in Oklahoma
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1106:. May 31, 2019
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1159:. Retrieved
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1134:. Retrieved
1131:Joplin Globe
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514:
488:
487:"The Fire".
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255:Jeremy Jones
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234:legally dead
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1104:Tulsa World
1080:Tulsa World
1062:Disappeared
1040:Tulsa World
985:Times Union
933:News.com.au
809:Tulsa World
779:Tulsa World
750:24 November
719:Tulsa World
698:December 6,
365:Tulsa World
352:Disappeared
203:root cellar
176:disappeared
1193:Categories
1161:2021-02-16
1085:2018-10-01
1013:ABC8 Tulsa
415:References
34:1999-12-30
1019:April 30,
991:April 30,
965:April 30,
939:April 30,
911:April 30,
874:April 30,
848:April 30,
814:April 30,
785:April 30,
669:April 30,
624:April 29,
576:April 30,
548:April 28,
520:April 28,
472:April 30,
444:April 30,
438:USA Today
303:affidavit
1136:July 22,
1110:July 22,
384:See also
296:Polaroid
184:Oklahoma
50:Oklahoma
42:Location
744:YouTube
127:Charges
95:Accused
87:Arrests
72:Missing
32: (
960:NewsOk
906:People
466:Yahoo!
259:Kansas
57:Deaths
52:, U.S.
757:went.
226:arson
221:9-1-1
180:Welch
118:2015)
108:2007)
46:Welch
1138:2019
1112:2019
1047:2023
1021:2018
993:2018
967:2018
941:2018
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