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

[Oriah]

Please read our request below:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/f/freeman_ashley.html

For those of you who followed the Aja Johnson search, anyone who lives in or around OK, KS, AL, TX, or Mexico... we are interested in local help collecting information on this case. Some may feel it belongs only in the 'cold case' forum since it dates to 1999- however, an active ground search is about to begin, and we would like to put it in the front of peoples' minds again. The case has NOT been solved (despite rumors of confessions) nor is there any concrete evidence that either Ashley or Lauria are alive or deceased. Ashley's family was brutally murdered during the commission of several felonies, including arson and kidnapping. Other people peripheral to the case have also been murdered. Various levels of LE have been questioned re: the case.

Having recently been introduced to some good ole fashioned 'Oklahoma justice' via the Aja case, we are VERY interested in putting life back into this case and solving the mystery of why this crime has NOT been solved by LE yet.

In our search for Aja, we found many, many, many kind and generous Oklahomans and midwesterners willing to step out of their comfort zones to aid us in our search. Will you do the same for Ashley and Lauria?? Remember- the case may seem 'cold' but each and every day 'cold cases' become miraculous Missing and Located persons cases.

Help us bring Ashley and Lauria home!

WE NEED SLEUTHERS!

Oriah

 

[raeann]

Here from KS....can you link to the original threads on this case here? I think that would be helpful. Also, just a quick summary post of the case and what is known and assumed by locals would be a good way to generate some interest for those new to WS since this case was active.

jmoo

 

[JLMcKenna83]

Oriah.. you mentioned that various levels of LE have been questioned.. is that because someone believes that there may have been some kind of cover up?

I found a MS page dedicated to finding the girls, Lauria Bible / Ashley Freeman Missing

Also.. a few news articles.. Answers still elusive in decade-long mystery

Oklahoma family still seeks answers to fate of daughter, friend

Interesting quote from the last article...

At the time of Danny and Kathy Freeman’s death, the couple had planned to file a civil lawsuit against the sheriff’s department, family members said.

Almost a year earlier, on Jan. 8, 1999, Shane Freeman, the teenage son of Danny and Kathy Freeman, was shot to death on a rural Craig County road by then sheriff’s deputy David Hayes. Shane Freeman, accused of theft, was running from authorities, according to police reports.

And apparently a rare arrowhead collection was never recovered from the home after the fire, they were stored in glass shadow boxes around the home, as well as in various display cases.

There's a few threads here at WS for Lauria and Ashley..
Missing but not forgotten -- 1990's
Missing Children in America -- Lauria Bible & Ashley Freeman

The missing children in America link has a TON of information regarding the case. As well as pictures of the girls with age progression and descriptions.

 

[mysticrose]

Here is the link for Laura and Ashley :

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11146&highlight=Ashley+Freeman

 

[mysticrose]

Lauria Jaylene Bible
MPCCN Case File: 831F90

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance


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: Brown hair; hazel eyes. Bible has a mole under her nose. She has a scar on the top of her head. Bible's ears are pierced. She is right-handed. Bible is of Native American descent. Her nickname is "Pooh."
NCIC Number: M-940405758
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 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 PM. Ashley's father, Danny Freeman, had relatives over during the evening who claimed that Hurst actually left at 10:30 PM. 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.

Tons Of Info at this link:

http://www.angelfire.com/mi3/mpccn/bible.html

 

[mysticrose]

Ashley Renae Freeman
MPCCN Case File: 832F90

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance


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: Dark blonde hair; blue eyes. Ashley has an athletic build and a scar on the upper left side of her forehead.
NCIC Number: M-770394893

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Details of Disappearance
Ashley resided in a trailer home outside of Welch, Oklahoma with her parents, Danny and Kathy Freeman, in 1999. Her older brother, Shane, experienced behaviorial problems in 1998 and early 1999. Photos of Danny, Kathy and Shane are posted below this case summary. The family was ordered to participate in a counseling program through the Oklahoma Department Of Human Services in 1998 after Shane stole his uncle's pickup truck. Shane returned to his previous behavior after a short period of respite. Danny was charged with abusing his son in late August 1998 after a school counselor notified authorities that Shane's buttocks were bleeding and bruised. Danny maintained that the incident was overblown, while prosecutors contended that he used excessive force. Shane told the court that he was no longer fearful of his father during a pre-trial hearing. Several relatives stated that Shane's problems stemmed from attempting to please Danny.
Several of the Freemans' family members stated that Danny had a violent temper. He was charged with beating his father-in-law after the latter trimmed his bushes without consent in 1985. Kathy's parents told reporters that Danny's temper often hurt her and their children. He also reportedly grew marijuana for his own usage near the family's trailer home. There has been speculation that Danny was involved in a drug trafficking operation, but investigators have not uncovered evidence to support the theory. His family members have denied the allegations, but admitted that Danny may have grown the substance. Danny was occasionally unemployed as a result of a work-related injury and the family relied on Kathy's income from her job with Doctor's Optical Supply Company Inc.. Kathy was described as a dependable and caring person.

Tons of more info at link:

http://www.angelfire.com/mi3/mpccn/arfreeman.html

 

[RubyRed]

Wow, I have only read half the articles so far, this case is overwhelming.

 

[JLMcKenna83]

Pretty hinky all around huh? I'm still only through like 1/4 of what I found doing just a google search and I can't even begin to believe what I'm reading!!

 

[Oriah]

Oriah.. you mentioned that various levels of LE have been questioned.. is that because someone believes that there may have been some kind of cover up?
I found a MS page dedicated to finding the girls, Lauria Bible / Ashley Freeman Missing

Also.. a few news articles.. Answers still elusive in decade-long mystery

Oklahoma family still seeks answers to fate of daughter, friend

Interesting quote from the last article...


And apparently a rare arrowhead collection was never recovered from the home after the fire, they were stored in glass shadow boxes around the home, as well as in various display cases.

There's a few threads here at WS for Lauria and Ashley..
Missing but not forgotten -- 1990's
Missing Children in America -- Lauria Bible & Ashley Freeman

The missing children in America link has a TON of information regarding the case. As well as pictures of the girls with age progression and descriptions.

Bolded by me.....YES.

And thank you for posting the links- I was getting ready to start and then got pulled away for a second. Thanks! These girls need to be brought home, and the case needs to be SOLVED! There is a ton of material out there... the more sleuthers, the better.

 

[Oriah]

Wow, I have only read half the articles so far, this case is overwhelming.

It may seem overwhelming at first; that's partly why it caught our attention. However, when you start looking at it from different angles, it becomes more and more evident that something is extremely hinky.

I created basically a flow chart of names, dates, who-what-when-where's and hows....and went from there. Something of a reverse of a classic school outline.
It simplified things for me...and raised my hinky meter about 1000x's.

Each state and/or territory has very unique issues- OK is one of them. There is a TON of information out there re: this case (and the incidents surrounding it), so the more sleuthers the better. I will draw up a list of some points we'd like clarified, and perhaps everyone interested could 'adopt' just one. That way, the case will not seem quite so overwhelming.

Thanks-
Oriah

 

[Oriah]

Here from KS....can you link to the original threads on this case here? I think that would be helpful. Also, just a quick summary post of the case and what is known and assumed by locals would be a good way to generate some interest for those new to WS since this case was active.
jmoo

Hi raeann,

Thanks for your interest, and thanks for being in KS! We need locals!!

Bolded by me, because I think this is both a good point, and also nearly impossible to do. There are more than a few conflicting local theories as to what happened to the Ashley and Lauria. One of the most prominent is that they were abducted and murdered by a serial killer named Jones who dumped their bodies in an abandoned mine in KS (see links below); however, there are thousands of reasons to dispute this theory.

Another local theory is that the entire family had a gripe with local LE, and this was some sort of payback initiated by Danny Freeman (murdered father of missing Ashley) that went badly.

Yet another theory is that a drug ring was involved, trailed to Mexico, which included OK LE.

And yet another- the Freeman family had personal abuse issues which Ashley and Lauria decided to take into their own hands.

These are just a few of what some locals believe....the list goes on and on.
We need to go back to the basics and start sleuthing from step one- incident by incident. Not the reverse, which is the end result of the disappearence of Ashley and Lauria. KWIM?

Thanks,
Oriah

 

[wfgodot]

Wow! Thanks to everybody posting. This is an embarrassment of riches for a case which has languished badly over these last ten years. Me, I'm sitting in a town about twenty minutes from the rural Welch site of these horrors, and the case is a personal one to me as, about a year after the tragedy, I taught a close relative of Lauria's at the college here and, chances are, I also would have taught Lauria in freshman comp.

THANK YOU AGAIN, ALL. (Particularly big thanks to Oriah, who got this thing on track!)

 

[JLMcKenna83]

I have a quick question...

Does anyone know if the governor of OK has been contacted in regards to this case? Maybe a letter with the details of what's transpired re: all of the deaths and LE? It may help bring a set of fresh eyes to the case from a different LEA standpoint... (Maybe some LE who are not local and don't know the players involved so that there wouldn't be anymore bias one way or the other... kwim?)

 

[Oriah]

I have a quick question...

Does anyone know if the governor of OK has been contacted in regards to this case? Maybe a letter with the details of what's transpired re: all of the deaths and LE? It may help bring a set of fresh eyes to the case from a different LEA standpoint... (Maybe some LE who are not local and don't know the players involved so that there wouldn't be anymore bias one way or the other... kwim?)

We contacted the US Marshals service and are waiting to get some information back... but not the governors office. A fresh set of eyes is always welcome. Anyone have a background on Gov. Brad Henry? He's been elected (and re-elected) since these crimes took place, which may indeed be a fresh set of eyes. Then again...I don't know anything more about the man.
Any takers on this idea?

Thanks, JLMcKenna for the idea.

Oriah

 

[Oriah]

Wow! Thanks to everybody posting. This is an embarrassment of riches for a case which has languished badly over these last ten years. Me, I'm sitting in a town about twenty minutes from the rural Welch site of these horrors, and the case is a personal one to me as, about a year after the tragedy, I taught a close relative of Lauria's at the college here and, chances are, I also would have taught Lauria in freshman comp.

THANK YOU AGAIN, ALL. (Particularly big thanks to Oriah, who got this thing on track!)

wfgodot,
I agree- languishing badly is absolutely right on target. Let's get some people talking!

As an aside- since you are local to the area....we are using a USGS topo program to grid several areas that we think might deserve a look-see; but there are many areas that change winter to summer (due to weather and ground changes) and topos- while very useful- are not infalliable.
Does anyone know of any large property owners, LLC's or the like in the area who may own and have access to private gas tracks in S/W KS, N/E OK, or N/N/W TX?

TIA....
Oriah

 

[wfgodot]

We contacted the US Marshals service and are waiting to get some information back... but not the governors office. A fresh set of eyes is always welcome. Anyone have a background on Gov. Brad Henley? He's been elected (and re-elected) since these crimes took place, which may indeed be a fresh set of eyes. Then again...I don't know anything more about the man.
Any takers on this idea?

Thanks, JLMcKenna for the idea.

Oriah

Gov. Brad Henry is a fairly conservative Democrat, and, unlike many an OK state official of yore, seems to be a straight arrow in his dealings. Now, OSBI has recently come under fire for its incompetence in the Aja Johnson case, as you know, and thus writing a letter to the governor, one which implicitly criticizes OK LE because said letter deals with an unsolved OK case....I'm not sure how that would be taken. Anyway, Brad Henry is, I think, one of the good guys, and it couldn't hurt to write a letter stating the good intentions of any, say, private investigation into the whereabouts of two Oklahoma girls, the need for official cooperation in the matter, etc.

 

[Oriah]

Gov. Brad Henry is a fairly conservative Democrat, and, unlike many an OK state official of yore, seems to be a straight arrow in his dealings. Now, OSBI has recently come under fire for its incompetence in the Aja Johnson case, as you know, and thus writing a letter to the governor, one which implicitly criticizes OK LE because said letter deals with an unsolved OK case....I'm not sure how that would be taken. Anyway, Brad Henry is, I think, one of the good guys, and it couldn't hurt to write a letter stating the good intentions of any, say, private investigation into the whereabouts of two Oklahoma girls, the need for official cooperation in the matter, etc.

Thanks wfgodot- I agree. And sorry for the misspelling- typing too fast and trying to map at the same time. My bad. Sorry and thanks for correcting.

 

[wfgodot]

wfgodot,
I agree- languishing badly is absolutely right on target. Let's get some people talking!

As an aside- since you are local to the area....we are using a USGS topo program to grid several areas that we think might deserve a look-see; but there are many areas that change winter to summer (due to weather and ground changes) and topos- while very useful- are not infalliable.
Does anyone know of any large property owners, LLC's or the like in the area who may own and have access to private gas tracks in S/W KS, N/E OK, or N/N/W TX?

TIA....
Oriah

No idea on my part. Though I live here I'm not from here, so my associations are somewhat restricted. I did create a Topix thread / Miami OK for the girls, and I'm hoping that will produce something; Welch does have one already but there's only one entry. We'll see. I'm thinking about posting on CraigsList, seeking input.

Much of the land you're looking over is American Indian land, complicating matters when trying to get permission to search same - you've perhaps had that issue before; between the State of Oklahoma and a sovereign Native American nation (or nations), it's pretty confusing. Plus, in and around Picher (and Cardin, in KS, to the immediate north), the land is owned by the federal government because of the buyouts.

 

[Oriah]

Gov. Brad Henry is a fairly conservative Democrat, and, unlike many an OK state official of yore, seems to be a straight arrow in his dealings. Now, OSBI has recently come under fire for its incompetence in the Aja Johnson case, as you know, and thus writing a letter to the governor, one which implicitly criticizes OK LE because said letter deals with an unsolved OK case....I'm not sure how that would be taken. Anyway, Brad Henry is, I think, one of the good guys, and it couldn't hurt to write a letter stating the good intentions of any, say, private investigation into the whereabouts of two Oklahoma girls, the need for official cooperation in the matter, etc.

Bolded by me- I agree with this as well. We want support from OK LE- not resistance. While frustrations with unsolved MP's can and do run high in EVERY state, there is no reason to point fingers and lay blame. Like many state and local LEA's, OK has it's fair share of crime, budget cuts, and overwhelming manpower needs. We just want to help in anyway possible, while staying out of their way.
They have a cold case unit that has absorbed this case- perhaps they would be good to contact as well?

Oriah

 

[wfgodot]

Thanks wfgodot- I agree. And sorry for the misspelling- typing too fast and trying to map at the same time. My bad. Sorry and thanks for correcting.

LOL. Just didn't want you to send a letter to "Gov. Henley," get off on the wrong foot right away, etc. etc. Plus, being an English teacher, I have a natural tendency to correct!