Team Searches Picher Area For Missing Welch Girls

The search is starting up again for two girls who went missing from Welch 21 years ago.

Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible went missing in December 1999. their bodies were never found, but on Tuesday morning a team is forming once again to continue that search.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of investigation along with several other law enforcement groups will start searching the Picher area for the bodies of Freeman and Bible.

The two 16-year-olds went missing in December 1999 when spending the night at the Freeman’s house.

The house was found on fire early the next morning, and that fire was ruled as arson.

Police records show both parents were killed before the fire when someone shot them in the head, then left to burn in the house fire.

The two girls were never found.

In 2018, Ronnie Busick was charged for their murder in Craig County, but claimed to not remember what happened to the girls.

This search that begins today is the latest in a long line of recovery efforts across northeastern Oklahoma over the past 21 years, but OSBI says they are still hopeful.