OK OK - Lauria Bible, 16, & Ashley Freeman, 16, Welch, 30 December 1999 *ARREST*

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findcarrie

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Laura Bible and Ashley freeman vanished from Welsh Oklahoma on December 30, 1999. These two young ladies disappeared under real questionable circumstances. There had been a fire that night and once the fire was extinguished the police found the bodies of Kathy and Danny Freeman.

A year prior to the house fire and disappearance of Bible and Freeman, an accidental shooting/suicide was being contested regarding Danny Freeman's son. It was believed he was killed by police and did not shoot himself. This case was featured on Unsolved Mysteries. These two young ladies are still missing.

http://www.gomcs.org/usa/0127-usa.htm
 
http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1105179495164550.xml

Jones gives promising information on deaths
Oklahoma officials looking into as many as six slayings
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Staff, wire reports
Jeremy Bryan Jones, who is sitting in the Mobile County Metro Jail charged with murders in Alabama and Georgia may have "dumped" the bodies of two Oklahoma teenagers "into a mine," said Craig County, Okla., District Attorney Gene Haynes. ...
 
A planned search for the remains of two Oklahoma girls missing for more than five years will be fruitless, the man accused of killing them said.

Authorities plan to scour four trash-filled mining pits in Kansas for Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible, 16-year-old friends who disappeared from Craig County, Okla., in December 1999.

Investigators say the locations were chosen because of a confession by suspect Jeremy Jones. But Jones told the Joplin Globe he has never killed anyone and detectives will find nothing in their search.

"Let 'em go try to find something," Jones said in a phone interview. "Man, they're wasting their time."

Craig County Sheriff Jimmie Sooter has said Jones admitted taking the girls from Welch, Okla., to southeastern Kansas, where he shot them and threw the bodies in a pit.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/11935375.htm
 
Authorities in Oklahoma and Kansas are still gearing up to sift through years of trash dumped down four mining pits near Galena.

In Alabama, they're preparing to drain a swamp.

One thing is for certain about suspected serial killer Jeremy Jones' purported "confessions": They are time-consuming and expensive to check out. But, apparently plausible enough to the investigators who have talked with him to warrant both the time and the expense.

Still, one has to wonder about the credibility of a man who told the Globe in a telephone interview on Friday night that the searchers are not going to find the bodies of two missing Oklahoma girls in the mining pits where he purportedly told them to look.

http://www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=193169&PHPSESSID=4c4d7e7481ac50c38eaf6b54c45bfdf6
 
I have followed this case since it happened. Not in depth though. There are alot of weird things, in my opinion, going on here. Welch, Oklahoma is not a great place in way of the LE. Many rumors have circled this area about this case which I won't get into, but what really bothers me is I was excited when they were saying that they would be searching in Kansas. But then, NOTHING. Not a report of if they did search. Not a news report saying that nothing/anything was found. This really makes me sad.
 
It is sad to think that this may never be solved. My husbands cousin also came up missing from a small town in rural oklahoma 30 years ago. I think the hardest part is the not knowing. You know in your heart they are gone, but you always wonder. It seems so unfair that someone got away with murder.

My heart goes out them,
Sooner
 
bible_lauria.jpg
bible_lauria_ap.jpg

Missing Since: December 30, 1999 from Welch, Oklahoma
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: April 18, 1983
Age: 16 years old
Height and Weight: 5'5, 130 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Native American female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Lauria has a mole under her nose and a scar on the top of her head. Her ears are pierced. She is right-handed. Her nickname is Pooh.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: Possibly a blue shirt, jeans, white tennis shoes or black boots and silver heart-shaped earrings with imbedded diamonds

freeman_ashley.jpg
freeman_ashley_ap.jpg

Missing Since: December 30, 1999 from Welch, Oklahoma
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: December 29, 1983
Age: 16 years old
Height and Weight: 5'7, 145 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Dark blonde hair, blue eyes. Ashley had an athletic build in 1999. She has a scar on the upper left side of her forehead.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: Possibly a t-shirt, jeans, a baseball cap, white tennis shoes, a windbreaker and a class ring inscribed with the phrase "Bluejacket High School Class Of 2000."

Details of Disappearance


Lauria spent the evening of December 30, 1999 at her friend Ashley Freeman's trailer home near Welch, Oklahoma to celebrate the latter's birthday. Lorene Bible, Lauria's mother, said that Kathy Freeman, Ashley's mother, took the girls to the Pizza Hut in Vinita, Oklahoma during the evening. Lorene's statement contradicts authorities' belief that Kathy and the girls visited Big Bill's Barbeque in the 350 block of North Wilson Street in Vinita, Oklahoma. The group traveled in Kathy's blue Toyota and picked up feed for the Freemans' livestock, as well as water from Kathy's mother's house.

The Freemans' trailer did not have running water and was primarily heated by a wood-burning stove in the living room. The family was described as avid hunters and outdoor enthusiasts who enjoyed living in the remote location. The trailer was equipped with telephone service and electricity. There were numerous firearms stockpiled inside the home and Ashley assisted with hunting for food.

Ashley's boyfriend, Jeremy Hurst, told investigators that he met the women at a local Wal-Mart after their dinner. He gave Ashley a silver chain with a heart-shaped pendant imbedded with her birthstone for her birthday present. Hurst said that he returned to the Freemans' home with the women shortly afterwards. He said that nothing appeared to be amiss and he departed at approximately 9:30 p.m. Ashley's father, Danny Freeman, had relatives over during the evening who claimed that Hurst actually left at 10:30 p.m. Authorities said that no outgoing telephone calls were made from the family's home during the night. Kathy planned to take Ashley to her driver's test the following morning. Lauria had a dental appointment scheduled for the following morning and planned to leave the trailer shortly beforehand.

A passing motorist reported a fire in the vicinity of the Freemans' residence at approximately 6:00 a.m. the following morning. Authorities discovered Kathy's remains inside the debris during the afternoon. Investigators initially stated that they were positive no other bodies were inside the home and did not secure the location during the overnight hours. Danny was considered the prime suspect in his wife's murder; authorities believed that he may have abducted Ashley and Lauria and traveled elsewhere, but all of the Freemans' vehicles were parked near their home. Lauria's car was also nearby and the keys were inside the ignition. Lorene discovered Lauria's purse propped inside the trailer, but there was no other evidence of the girls at the scene.

Jay Bible, Lauria's father, discovered Danny's body in the bedroom of the mobile home during the following morning. The Bibles returned to the trailer in an attempt to gather more evidence as to their daughter's whereabouts. Both Danny and Kathy had died as the result of gunshot wounds. Danny's body was partially covered by debris inside the bedroom, explaining why his remains were overlooked. The medical examiner determined that Danny's right collarbone had been fractured prior to the entrance of the fatal wound. The coroner determined that Kathy died at approximately 5:00 a.m. Investigators believe that the fire was intentionally set in an attempt to destroy evidence of the crimes. An extensive search for the girls produced no evidence as to their whereabouts.

Lorene told reporters that Ashley had been saving her money to purchase a used vehicle in December 1999. Lorene said that she believed Ashley had accumulated $1200 in her savings account. Hurst said that Ashley actually claimed to have saved between $3000 and $4000 for the car. She was employed part-time at Roscoe's, a convenience store in Welch. Hurst said that Ashley did not have a bank account; she kept her money sealed in a Tupperware container in the family's freezer. Authorities were unable to locate any evidence of the cash after the fire. Lorene stated that Ashley and Danny had been arguing earlier in the month regarding the vehicle. She claimed that Ashley wanted to purchase a different car than Danny had desired. Danny reportedly had a violent temper and had been charged with abusing his son, Shane, in 1998. He was acquitted of the charges in 1999. Danny consistently protested the allegations.

Oklahoma law enforcement officer David Hayes shot and killed the Freemans' son, Shane, in 1998. Hayes was on duty at the time of the incident. Shane was on a country road in possession of a stolen vehicle at the time Hayes encountered him. The car had apparently broken down. Shane allegedly reached behind his back and pulled a gun, prompting Hayes to fire at him. The incident was investigated and Hayes' actions were found to be justified. Hayes and his brother, who is also a law enforcement officer, said they both took polygraph exams after the girls' 1999 disappearances. Neither of them are considered suspects in the investigations. Hayes and his brother have not participated in the active cases. Several of Danny's relatives believe that local law enforcement was behind the murders and the girls' disappearances, but no evidence has been located to support the theory. Freeman family members also believe that Shane was attempting to flee the scene at the time of his death and claim that his autopsy report contradicts the official verdict. Photos of Danny, Kathy and Shane are posted below this case summary.

There was speculation that Ashley and Lauria were involved in the Freemans' murders after the searches failed to produce evidence as to their whereabouts. Investigators stated that there was nothing in either girl's background to suggest they could be capable of such brutal acts. Authorities disclosed that there were rumors Ashley had been sexually abused, but they were unable to confirm the theories. She was a member of the National Honor Society and Lauria was regarded as an excellent student. Ashley was a member of the Welch High School basketball team, although she was unable to participate in the 1999 season as the result of an ankle injury. Lauria was a cheerleader and planned to become a cosmetologist after her high school graduation. Both girls were viewed as being well-behaved teenagers in 1999.

The Bible family believes that Danny's alleged marijuana dealing may have triggered the murders and disappearances. They claimed that he may have become involved in something out of his control, which led to the incidents in late December 1999. The Freemans' loved ones theorize that local law enforcement may have played a role in the cases. There is no evidence to suggest either theory is correct. Hayes, the officer who killed Shane, and his brother, who is also a law enforcement officer, said they both took polygraph exams after the girls' disappearances. Neither of them are considered suspects in the investigations. Hayes and his brother have not participated in the active cases.

Several of the girls' relatives participated in the pilot of the television program What Really Happened in October 2001. The show was not purchased by any of the networks and has never been broadcast. DeAnna Dorsey, a nurse who assisted the Freemans on the night of Shane's death, appeared on the show. A photo of DeAnna is posted below this case summary. Her daughter was a friend of Ashley in 1999. DeAnna was shot and killed at the hospital where was employed shortly after returning from the taping. Authorities said that paranoid schizophrenic Ricky Martin murdered her as a result of his anger about the hospital's decision to downsize. Martin was killed by police shortly after DeAnna's murder. Martin and DeAnna reportedly never met one another. Some people believe that DeAnna's death was connected to the Freemans' murders, but the theory has never been proven.

Convicted murderer Tommy Lynn Sells wrote a letter to The Joplin Globe in May 2002 and claimed that he was involved in the Freeman/Bible case. Sells stated that he traveled through Welch, Oklahoma during the night of the girls' disappearances. He said that he was returning from St. Louis, Missouri at the time. Sells stated that his memory was clouded by drug usage, but wrote that he "wanted" to remember a fire and the burial locations of the two girls. Authorities said that Sells was considered a possible suspect in the case, but that their investigation was proceeding cautiously. Sells was arrested after fatally stabbing a teenage girl in Del Rio, Texas in late December 1999. He was convicted of her murder, as well as the homicide of another young Texas girl in April 1999. Authorities believe that Sells may be connected to as many as sixteen homicides. Investigators received unconfirmed information that he may have been involved in the 1993 Texas disappearance of Juanita Bardin. He also confessed to murdering Stefanie Stroh, who vanished from Nevada in 1987. Sells has not been charged in connection with any of the cases.

Jeremy Brian Jones is considered a possible suspect in Ashley and Lauria's disappearances. A photograph of Jones is posted below this case summary. He has been charged with the murders of a teenaged girl and a woman and is a suspect in disappearances and murders in at least six states, including the murder of Patrice Endres and the disappearance of Melinda McGhee. Endres had been missing for eighteen months before her body was found in December 2005. Jones lived in Ottawa County, Oklahoma at the time the girls vanished, and was released from jail at 10:30 p.m. on the night of their disappearances. He left the area in early 2000. Investigators say the murders of Danny and Kathy are similar to the crimes Jones has been charged with; the woman he allegedly killed had been shot to death before being set on fire.

Investigators questioned Jones about Ashley and Lauria's cases and reported that he confessed to murdering the Ashley's parents and then abducting and killing the girls after they fled the trailer. He suggested investigators look for the girls' remains in a mine shaft near Galena, Kansas. Jones did an interview with the media and denied confessing to anything related to the girls' cases. Police plan to try to verify his statements; they plan to begin looking for Ashley and Lauria's bodies again in July 2005.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Federal Bureau Of Investigation
Oklahoma Office
405-290-7770
OR
Oklahoma State Bureau Of Investigation

800-522-8017
 
Wow, I can't believe that I missed this. I had no idea there was a thread for these girls. I'm very familiar with the case as I'm originally from the area (Vinita). My sister-in-law is the cousin of Lauira Bible. This case haunts her poor family every single day. It makes no since what happened to Lauira & Ashley. I'll try to post the info I have collected over the years on the case.
 
Oh, please do post what you have. I've been following this case for years - so VERY suspicious.
 
I also did not know this case was on here. I live in Langley and remember when this broke. Still have posters up around here. Have met some people who know the families. Very interesting case! I will be watching and if you need local help, let me know.
Sandy
 
It is sad to think that this may never be solved. My husbands cousin also came up missing from a small town in rural oklahoma 30 years ago. I think the hardest part is the not knowing. You know in your heart they are gone, but you always wonder. It seems so unfair that someone got away with murder.

My heart goes out them,
Sooner


Well...hopefully they will be held accountable when they die and meet their maker! Can't hide from him...hunh!
 
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