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

[wfgodot]

Remembrance ceremony held for 15 year anniversary of Welch girls' disappearance (KOAM, w/video)

"Conversation in the cafe or the convenience store still goes back to that day," said Steve Davis, Welch resident.

 

[Dallen]

I'm curious as to why Bible's parents and the Sheriff think the girls are still alive. I understand if Bible's parents are just hoping for the best scenario, but if the Sheriff really believes this, he must have some information he is not disclosing to the public. M.O.O.

If Sooter really believes the two are still alive 15 years on, he either thinks they are on the lam and were involved in two homicides, or are long-term victims of trafficking. Both are extremely unlikely. At this point there's no reason for withholding whatever "information" the sheriff is likely to have.

I hadn't seen this before, that both parents and Sheriff believe they are still alive. I really don't see that the girls took part in this crime. They were so young, and being 2 teenage girls, it seems very likely they would've slipped up or wanted to see family by now. 15 years!?! And trafficking seems unlikely to me simply because of the location of the trailer. If it had been a lot closer to a major interstate or closer to OKC (or any other metro), it might be plausible, but I just don't see it. JMO of course.

 

[wendybtn]

JMO. If Mr. Freeman was actually dealing drugs out of the trailer and there were rumors of valuables and cash inside also, the first people on my list would be locals who wanted the money, guns, NA art. Next would be po'd drug dealers who had some reason to hate Mr. F. They may have taken the girls elsewhere and killed them. I cannot think of any logical scenario where the girls would be alive. But if it was my kid, I might have a lot of scenarios where she lives.

 

[JerseyGirl]

15 years later, mystery still surrounds missing Oklahoma girls http://newsok.com/article/5380093?scrolling_list=article_big

 

[wfgodot]

Fifteen years gone. And now we wait for the night's 20th remembrance: Monday, 30 December 2019 -- and with that dark anniversary a handful of headlines to mark the litany of the score of years of time.

I WOULD SO LOVE TO SEE THIS CASE SOLVED.

 

[M86]

If Sooter really believes the two are still alive 15 years on, he either thinks they are on the lam and were involved in two homicides, or are long-term victims of trafficking. Both are extremely unlikely. At this point there's no reason for withholding whatever "information" the sheriff is likely to have.

I just got to thinking about these girls the other day... I knew the anniversary here.

I can't believe the sheriff thinks they're still alive. It's a very, very remote possibility. Maybe he thinks that after the girls in Ohio were found.

There's no way the girls are out on their own free-will... Just no. No vehicles are missing, and Ashley's parents are dead. It's not a runaway case. The trafficking theory is still a bit far-fetched.

I may be crazy, but I still can't shake the murder of the nurse, DeAnna Dorsey, and the involvement in this. This whole thing is a crazy puzzle.

I really wish the FBI would come in to investigate this... I have no faith in that local LE and OSBI.

 

[C424]

I just stumbled on this thread yesterday while looking up other cold cases in SW MO. I am a LE officer from SW MO and this is a very interesting case. I remember hearing about it when it happened but did not know much about it. There is a lot going on here but just from reading through this and other sites it sounds like there is some very good information out there. Knowing what I know about NE OK the drug theory seems credible but I find it hard to believe that people have not talked but now. It seems that the people in that area all know one another and could not keep this a secret this long.

 

[Dallen]

:welcome6:
Welcome, C424!! Thanks for your post.

 

[Dallen]

Bumping for Lauria and Ashley

 

[wfgodot]

Still #1 for the 15th straight year on my Cases I'd Most Like to See Solved list

 

[Dallen]

Still #1 for the 15th straight year on my Cases I'd Most Like to See Solved list

I was thinking about this the other night as I watched the Beth Holloway interview with the Bibles. I agree. If I had the magical power to have answers to 1 case, this would be it.

 

[wendybtn]

I just stumbled on this thread yesterday while looking up other cold cases in SW MO. I am a LE officer from SW MO and this is a very interesting case. I remember hearing about it when it happened but did not know much about it. There is a lot going on here but just from reading through this and other sites it sounds like there is some very good information out there. Knowing what I know about NE OK the drug theory seems credible but I find it hard to believe that people have not talked but now. It seems that the people in that area all know one another and could not keep this a secret this long.

Do you think that any of those involved might have passed away, been murdered, or just left the area immediately? In your opinion, do you think it was someone known to the families (local) or more of a passing through type crime? Same questions to you, wf. I grew up in Tulsa but was much more of a city girl, not familiar with too many rural areas unless my dad was working on a well nearby.

 

[wendybtn]

I think LE's ignorance during the investigation speaks loudly. I don't know if it points to involvement or just lack of sympathy for the family, but not finding a body that is easily discovered by family, and the total lack of caring for crime scene evidence is just baffling.

Oklahoma at the local political level in the 70s and 80s was about as corrupt a state as I have lived in for the past 49 3/4 years!

 

[wfgodot]

Oklahoma at the local political level in the 70s and 80s was about as corrupt a state as I have lived in for the past 49 3/4 years!

The county commissioners scandal was quite something!

The County Commissioner scandal [was] a purchasing kickback scheme resulting in the conviction of 200 individuals, including over two-thirds of the sitting county commissioners, representing 60 of 77 Oklahoma counties (1981-1984).

Then there was the downfall of OSBI, which began following their failure to gain a conviction in the 1977 Girl Scout Murders....

What's past is prologue and in strange ways these events helped undermine solving the Freeman-Bible case.

 

[wendybtn]

:wagon: to Websleuths, Balor51!

Great first post and :gthanks: for joining us!

I also feel that the girls were not responsible for their disappearance and agree that it's incredibly sad and disturbing that there have been no real concrete leads that have panned out in the past 14+ years.

I'm always hoping that justice and answers regarding Lauria and Ashley's disappearance are just around the corner! lease:

Yes, it does appear to me that this is the type of case that larger LE departments would call "solvable."

 

[wendybtn]

The county commissioners scandal was quite something!



Then there was the downfall of OSBI, which began following their failure to gain a conviction in the 1977 Girl Scout Murders....

What's past is prologue and in strange ways these events helped undermine solving the Freeman-Bible case.

I think you are right on the effect the past had on LE and OSBI when this crime happened.
Are you kidding me that Hart was acquitted? Or was it overturned on appeal?
How did I not know that? Didn't he die in prison? This revelation is stunning me.

 

[wfgodot]

I think you are right on the effect the past had on LE and OSBI when this crime happened.
Are you kidding me that Hart was acquitted? Or was it overturned on appeal?
How did I not know that? Didn't he die in prison? This revelation is stunning me.

Found not guilty -- and I agree with the verdict -- but died a mysterious death, probably murdered by authorities, in prison soon thereafter.

The book on the case -- 'Someone Cry for the Children' -- mentions the many who worked the murders but left OSBI soon thereafter. Hm.

 

[wfgodot]

I think you are right on the effect the past had on LE and OSBI when this crime happened.
Are you kidding me that Hart was acquitted? Or was it overturned on appeal?
How did I not know that? Didn't he die in prison? This revelation is stunning me.

Found not guilty -- and I agree with the verdict -- but died a mysterious death, probably murdered by authorities, in prison soon thereafter.

The book on the case -- 'Someone Cry for the Children' -- mentions the many who worked the murders but left OSBI soon thereafter. Hm.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...oris-Milner-10-1977&highlight=gene+leroy+hart

 

[wendybtn]

Found not guilty -- and I agree with the verdict -- but died a mysterious death, probably murdered by authorities, in prison soon thereafter.

The book on the case -- 'Someone Cry for the Children' -- mentions the many who worked the murders but left OSBI soon thereafter. Hm.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...oris-Milner-10-1977&highlight=gene+leroy+hart

Was there any other suspect? Do they have any DNA to match to a POI?

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I just stumbled on this thread yesterday while looking up other cold cases in SW MO. I am a LE officer from SW MO and this is a very interesting case. I remember hearing about it when it happened but did not know much about it. There is a lot going on here but just from reading through this and other sites it sounds like there is some very good information out there. Knowing what I know about NE OK the drug theory seems credible but I find it hard to believe that people have not talked but now. It seems that the people in that area all know one another and could not keep this a secret this long.

Welcome to WS. This case has been turned upside down and nothing was shaken out to move it in the right direction to the truth. They missed something aside from the body found by the other parents. Huge mistakes were made on this case from the onset.

There were no witnesses except the girls. There was no solid motive. There was no trace left behind of the girls or where they could have gone. I agree since no one has talked, this was not common knowledge among locals.

Rumors ran rampant I am sure, but evidently nothing came from them. It is what people do in small towns especially when they try to come to terms with such a horrible crime. They want to find a reason. This time none surfaced or LE didn't take them seriously enough to follow up as a lead.

I would love to sit down with the full case file and comb over every single piece they actually did come up with to see what else they overlooked. After all, they missed an entire body.

As you well know, all cases can be solved if you find that one piece of the puzzle to put the case on the right path. Then it falls like dominoes toward the truth. I would love for these families to find some peace.