Imagine it's New Year’s Eve in 1999. Everyone is panicking about Y2K, but in the tiny town of Welch, Oklahoma, a real-life nightmare is unfolding that has nothing to do with computer glitches. Ashley Freeman had just turned 16. Her best friend, Lauria Bible, was staying over for a birthday sleepover. By dawn, the Freeman family trailer was a pile of smoldering ash, two parents were dead, and the girls were gone.
Poof. Into thin air.
For over twenty years, this case was the ultimate ghost story of the Ozarks. It’s a story about "lost" evidence, small-town rumors, and a mother, Lorene Bible, who refused to let the world forget her daughter.
The Night Everything Went Wrong
The timeline is tight. On December 29, the girls spent the day like any other teenagers. They hit up a local pizza place with Ashley’s mom, Kathy. Lauria’s dad, Jay, had given her the "be home by noon tomorrow" talk.
She never made it.
At 5:30 a.m. on December 30, a passerby saw the Freeman trailer engulfed in flames. When the fire was out, investigators found Kathy Freeman. She’d been shot in the head. Weirdly, they didn't find Ashley’s dad, Danny, right away. The local sheriff actually thought Danny had killed everyone and kidnapped the girls.
Honestly, the investigation was a mess from day one.
💡 You might also like: Passive Resistance Explained: Why It Is Way More Than Just Standing Still
It wasn't the police who found Danny Freeman’s body; it was Lauria’s parents. They went back to the charred ruins the next day, desperate for clues, and literally stumbled across Danny’s remains in the rubble. He had also been shot execution-style. The "Danny did it" theory evaporated, leaving a much scarier reality: someone else was out there.
The Polaroids and the Coldest Trail
For nearly two decades, the case sat gathering dust. There were rumors of drug debts and "bad men" from the nearby town of Picher. Then, in 2017, a massive breakthrough happened. Investigators found a crate of documents that had been overlooked for years.
In those files was an insurance card.
It belonged to a woman who was dating a guy named Phil Welch. When investigators started pulling that thread, the whole horrific tapestry unraveled. Multiple witnesses finally came forward, people who had been too terrified to speak while the perpetrators were alive.
They told stories about Phil Welch, David Pennington, and Ronnie Busick.
The details are stomach-turning. Witnesses claimed the men bragged about the crime for years. They allegedly kept a briefcase full of Polaroid photos showing Ashley and Lauria bound and gagged on a bed. The men supposedly held the girls for days in a trailer in Picher, torturing them before finally strangling them.
📖 Related: What Really Happened With the Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz
Where is Ronnie Busick Now?
By the time the law caught up, Phil Welch and David Pennington were already dead—taken by natural causes before they could face a judge. That left Ronnie Busick as the last man standing.
In 2020, Busick took a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to accessory to first-degree murder. The deal was simple: tell us where the bodies are, and you get a lighter sentence.
He pointed investigators toward old mine shafts and root cellars in Picher. Picher is basically a ghost town now, a superfund site filled with sinkholes and lead-contaminated water. It’s a needle in a haystack. They dug. They searched. They found nothing.
Because the remains weren't found, Busick didn't get the "extra" leniency, but he still didn't stay behind bars long.
He was released in May 2023.
Think about that. After being involved in one of the most brutal crimes in Oklahoma history, he served roughly three years of a ten-year sentence due to "good time" credits. He’s currently out, living back in the general area.
👉 See also: How Much Did Trump Add to the National Debt Explained (Simply)
Lauria and Ashley’s Law: A Legacy of Justice
The Bible family was rightfully furious. How does someone connected to a quadruple murder walk free after three years?
They didn't just stay mad; they changed the law. In 2024 and early 2025, Oklahoma legislators pushed through House Bill 1001, officially known as Lauria and Ashley’s Law.
Basically, it closes the loophole Busick used. Now, if you are convicted as an accessory to murder in Oklahoma, you have to serve at least 85% of your sentence. No more "good behavior" exits after 30% of your time. It won't bring the girls back, but it ensures the next "Ronnie Busick" doesn't get a free pass.
The Search Continues in 2026
Where are they? That’s the question that still haunts Craig County.
The current theory remains focused on the Picher mine pits. The area is dangerous, unstable, and vast. Some believe the girls were put in 55-gallon drums and dumped in the pits or a nearby river. Others think they were taken to a car crusher.
Lorene Bible is still the driving force here. She’s now spent over 26 years looking for her daughter. She has attended every court hearing and walked through every muddy field.
If you’re looking for actionable ways to help or stay informed on the Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible case, here is how the community continues the fight:
- Support the OSBI Cold Case Unit: The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation still maintains an active tip line. If you lived in the Picher/Welch area in 1999 and remember seeing Welch's briefcase or the Polaroids, it’s never too late to talk.
- Follow the Find Lauria Bible - Ashley Freeman Facebook Page: This is the hub for family-authorized updates and organized search efforts.
- Advocate for Cold Case Funding: Much of the progress in this case came from private investigators and specialized units. Supporting legislation that funds DNA testing and cold case task forces helps families like the Bibles get answers.
The case isn't "closed" until they come home. The conviction of one man was a milestone, but for the families, the real ending is written in the soil of Oklahoma, waiting to be found.