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

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The mother of one of the missing Welch girls is planning a trip to New York City as the case goes in front of a national audience.

CNN is releasing a documentary series this year on HLN, featuring the case.

Lorene said next week, she will be answering questions from an audience after a 20-minute clip of the series is shown at a true crime festival in New York City.

AN AMERICAN MYSTERY (working title) (premiere date TBA) A new investigative documentary series that explores a harrowing and unique missing persons case that is currently evolving into a much larger story of unsolved murder, and allegations of cover- up and corruption in Oklahoma. Crime author and investigator Jax Miller and former police investigator Sarah Cailean have been intrepidly researching the confounding case of Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman, two teenagers who disappeared in December 1999, after the Freeman family trailer was burned to the ground. The series delves into the various strange theories and reveals a truth that proves even more incredible. Stephen David Entertainment is the production company.

Click here for a trailer: Mother of Missing Welch Girl Going to NYC for True Crime Festival
 
Friday, April 12th:
*Preliminary Hearing (@ 9am CT) - OK – Danny (40) & Kathy Freeman (37), their daughter Ashley (16) & her friend Lauria Bible (16) (Dec. 29-30, 1999, Welch; girls have not been found) - *Ronnie Dean Busick (66/37 @ time of crime) was arrested (4/22/18) & official charged (4/30/18) with 2 counts of first-degree murder with malice aforethought or accessory to 1st degree murder, 2 additional counts of 1st degree murder, 2 counts of kidnapping, and 1 count of first-degree arson or accessory to 1st degree arson. $1M bond. Craig County
Two other men, Warren Philip "Phil" Welch II (61) died in 2007 & David A. Pennington (56) died in 2015, are implicated in the deaths but have themselves died.
5/11/18: The state is also seeking a hearing seeking the excusing of the endorsements of witnesses, who are only identified by initials in the probable cause affidavit. The case was continued to July 13, when a preliminary hearing will be set.
7/13/18 Update: A preliminary hearing for Busick has been set for 9/14. 9/14/18: Next hearing on Dec. 21.
12/21/18 Update: Defense says Busick is incompetent to stand trial, asks Judge to have mental eval done on his mental status. Preliminary hearing rescheduled for 2/22/19.
2/22/19 Update: Preliminary hearing on 4/12.
 
May 14, 2019 Hell in the Heartland: What Happened to Ashley and Lauria?, an HLN Original Series shedding new light on a fascinating mystery that has stumped investigators for 20 years, premieres Sunday, June 2 at 9pm ET/PT.

This four-part investigative documentary series explores a harrowing and unique missing persons case that is currently evolving into a much larger story of unsolved murder, and allegations of cover- up and corruption in Oklahoma.

Crime author and investigator Jax Miller and former police investigator Sarah Cailean intrepidly research the confounding case of Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman, two teenagers who disappeared in December 1999, after the Freeman family trailer was burned to the ground. The series delves into the many strange theories of the case and reveals a truth that proves even more incredible.

Hell in the Heartland is produced by Banjay-owned Stephen David Entertainment. Executive producers of the series are Stephen David, Tim W. Kelly, Jonathan Soule, Mark Marabella, and Jax Miller Sarah Cailean who also serve as hosts of the series.

Hell in the Heartland will stream live for subscribers via CNNgo (at CNN.com/go and via CNNgo apps for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TV and Android TV) and on the CNN mobile apps for iOS and Android. Additionally, all series episodes will be available on demand after their broadcast premiere via cable/satellite systems, CNNgo platforms and CNN mobile apps.

By The Dawn’s Early Light, Jax Miller’s book about the Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible case and her efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice, will be published by Penguin Random House imprint Berkley in summer 2020.



Following are the episode descriptions and airdates for Hell in the Heartland:

June 2, 2019 (series premiere) “The Fire”

On the night of December 30, 1999 a fire rips through the Freeman family home in Welch, OK. Four people are in the house that night, but only two bodies are found – Kathy and Danny Freeman. Their daughter Ashley Freeman and her best friend Lauria Bible are nowhere to be found. And it isn’t long before investigators discover that the fire is not what killed Danny and Kathy Freeman. Both died of fatal gunshot wounds, and the person responsible may have taken the girls. But why would someone want the Freeman family dead? We follow investigators Jax Miller and Sarah Caliean as they probe the case and discover that there’s much more to the story than they first thought.

June 9, 2019 “The Suspects”

After digging into the 1999 murders of Kathy and Danny Freeman and the disappearance of their daughter Ashley and her best friend Lauria Bible, Jax and Sarah discover that this story is far more complicated than it appears. Only a year prior to the fire, the Freemans’ son, Shane, was killed by a deputy of the Craig County Sheriff’s Office, inciting a year long conflict between the Freemans and local law enforcement, and raising suspicion that the Freeman murder is a police cover-up. Jax and Sarah explore all possible leads in the months following the fire, and reveal a string of serial murderers and drug kingpins that may have had a hand in this case.

June 16, 2019 “The Dig”

After a series of dead leads, a notorious serial killer named Jeremy Jones confesses to the Freeman murder and the disappearance of Lauria and Ashley. But after a lengthy investigation, Jones recants his confession, and without proper evidence, law enforcement is unable to charge him with the crime. Again facing a dead end, the Freeman and Bible families are left without answers, until a Facebook tip suggests that an old family friend of Danny Freeman, the murdered father, may be responsible. With new info about the location of the girls’ possibly buried bodies, Jax and Sarah prepare for a dig that could finally provide the answers.

June 23 2019 “The Arrest”

Years of dead ends and unsuccessful searches have left the Bible and the Freeman families in utter despair. But they’ve never given up hope. After a new Sheriff takes over the investigation, the case is blown wide open when he discovers a box of evidence that leads to what the families have been waiting years for – an arrest.

A Cold Case Gets Hot in the HLN Original Series “Hell In The Heartland: What Happened to Ashley and Lauria?” Premiering Sunday, June 2
 
I googled Jeremy Bryan Jones last night. At one time, he confessed to killing the girls and numerous other women in Kansas, Okla, Alabama, and Louisiana. He's a serial killer who was very familiar with Welch as he was raised a few miles away. One of the episodes will likely cover how LE thought Jones was the girls' murderer.
 
Ray_of_hope said:
I don't want to say too much for those that choose to watch the series. So I'll only say that the revelations regarding the investigation on day 1,2... are astonishing. How could things have been so bungled?
Click to expand...
Bungled is an understatement. I know this happened twenty years ago and local LE doesn't have the resources; but the state was involved within a reasonable time. Not looking for the girls whether it was thought they were endangered or the perps is unbelievable. Stunning.
 
Did LE just not care? Or were they just inept, untrained? Yes, they should have been searching from the moment the girls were discovered missing. They even stepped on one of the bodies and didn't recognize what it was. Lauria's father had to find that himself. And then to have to sift through rubble looking for any trace of your child? It's appalling.
 
Ray_of_hope said:
Did LE just not care? Or were they just inept, untrained? Yes, they should have been searching from the moment the girls were discovered missing. They even stepped on one of the bodies and didn't recognize what it was. Lauria's father had to find that himself. And then to have to sift through rubble looking for any trace of your child? It's appalling.
Click to expand...
LE was somehow involved, and did not want this case solved.
 
Friday, June 14th:
*Preliminary Hearing (@ 9am CT) - OK – Danny (40) & Kathy Freeman (37), their daughter Ashley (16) & her friend Lauria Bible (16) (Dec. 29-30, 1999, Welch; girls have not been found) - *Ronnie Dean Busick (66/37 @ time of crime) was arrested (4/22/18) & official charged (4/30/18) with 2 counts of first-degree murder with malice aforethought or accessory to 1st degree murder, 2 additional counts of 1st degree murder, 2 counts of kidnapping, and 1 count of first-degree arson or accessory to 1st degree arson. $1M bond.
Two other men, Warren Philip "Phil" Welch II (61) died in 2007 & David A. Pennington (56) died in 2015, are implicated in the deaths but have themselves died.
5/11/18: The state is also seeking a hearing seeking the excusing of the endorsements of witnesses, who are only identified by initials in the probable cause affidavit. The case was continued to July 13, when a preliminary hearing will be set.
7/13/18 Update: A preliminary hearing for Busick has been set for 9/14. 9/14/18: Next hearing on Dec. 21. 12/21/18: Defense says Busick is incompetent to stand trial, asks Judge to have mental eval done on his mental status. Preliminary hearing rescheduled for 2/22/19.
2/22/19 Update: Preliminary hearing on 4/12. 4/12/19: Next Preliminary hearing on 6/14.
 
Docket:
6/14/2019 APPLICATION FOR DETERMINATION OF COMPETENCY
06/14/2019 CM: L RUIZ CR; JUDGE STOUT PRESIDING, DEF PRESENT WITH ATTY GRAVES, SHIELDS FOR STATE, CASE CONT TO 07/12/19 PHSD AT 9:00AM.

Hearing Dates:
6/14/2019 9:00am PRELIMINARY HEARING SOUNDING DOCKET Completed:06/14/2019

07/12/2019 9:00am PRELIMINARY HEARING SOUNDING DOCKET

link: "STATE OF OKLAHOMA vs. BUSICK, RONNIE DEAN " (CF-2018-00056) | On Demand Court Records
 
Immunity Offered in Cold Case

The June 14 filing says 67-year-old Ronnie Dean Busick was offered immunity in exchange for information in the case but that he isn't competent to detail his involvement or that of two men who are now dead.

Defense Attorney Gregg Graves and Craig County District Attorney spokeswoman Michelle Lowry declined comment Friday.

Busick's case was continued pending a mental evaluation .
 
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