Family Of Missing Craig County Girls Question Why Arrest Took So Long

The Craig County Sheriff is discrediting a report that "warning shots" were fired this week in an attempt to threaten a witness.

The sheriff said the false report may keep anyone who knows where Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman's bodies are from coming forward.

5/2/2018 Related Story: No Threat To Witness In Welch Cold Case, Sheriff States

The families of both girls want to know why it took nearly two decades to make an arrest.

The families of Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman have been actively searching for years and even took matters into their own hands when they thought that the former sheriff wasn't doing enough.

Now they are questioning why an arrest took 18 years when they knew the name Ronnie Busick within a few days after the murders.

“The people who were being paid by the people of Craig County to perform their job did not do their job,” said Ashley Freeman’s Uncle and Danny Freeman’s Stepbrother Dwayne Vancil.  

Vancil remembers the day his step brother's house was set on fire but still questions why investigators released the crime scene when three people were still missing.

“There were too many things that were not handled properly in the first few hours,” said Vancil. 

He said family members were the ones who found his step brother's body and that the former sheriff and law enforcement agencies handling the case delayed reporting that Ashley and Lauria were missing. 

“We are so irritated that we didn't have this caliber of investigators and law enforcement on it from the beginning,” said Vancil. 

“I've been praying every day for this to end and I am glad they caught one guy,” said Former Craig County Sheriff George Vaughn. 

Vaughn said he is under treatment for Alzheimer’s but said Ronnie Busick's name wasn't familiar to him in the investigation's early stages. 

“I knew that there were about three guys that did this,” said Vaughn.  

Vancil said he's still surprised that a box of documents was found in the former sheriff's office and wasn't turned over to the OSBI until late last year. 

“There was information that was in the sheriff’s office after I had left there and nothing was done and I don't know what the reason or whatever,” said Vaughn. 

“I am as upset with them as I am with Ronnie Busick. I really think they’ve got blood on their hands. Call it incompetence, call it a cover-up, call it whatever you want but there was a chance to find those girls,” said Vancil. 

When asked if he was going to go to the jail to talk to Ronnie Busick, Vancil said he would if investigators thought it would help. 

Ronnie Busick's next court date is May 11th.