Man pleads guilty in case of missing Welch girls

VINITA — The only suspect still living in one of the state's most notorious murder-kidnapping-arson cases has entered a guilty plea in an agreement with prosecutors connected to the disappearance and presumed deaths of two Craig County teens.

Ronnie Busick, 68, had been held in the Craig County jail in Vinita for over two years charged with murder, arson and kidnapping in the deaths of Danny and Kathy Freeman; their 16-year-old daughter, Ashley; and her best friend, Lauria Bible.

Holding onto a cane, Busick appeared in Craig County District Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of accessory to murder; the remaining charges of murder, arson and kidnapping were dropped per the agreement.

Bu sick was sentenced to 15 years, serving 10 years in Oklahoma Department of Corrections custody and five years under supervised release. An alternative sentence would leave Bu sick serving five years in prison if information he provides leads to the recovery of Ashley Freeman's and Lauria Bible's remains. He also would serve five years of supervised release. Time served also would apply to the sentence.

Formal sentencing is set for Aug. 31.

Investigators believe Busick and two other men, Warren Phillip Welch II and David Pennington, both now deceased, are the people who shot Danny and Kathy Freeman and kidnapped the girls on Dec. 30, 1999, and set the Freemans' mobile home in Welch on fire.

When asked by Judge Shawn Taylor, Busick said he "withheld information about Welch and Pennington."

Investigators think the men kidnapped the girls and took them to a mobile home in Picher, where they were bound, tortured, sexually assaulted and killed.

Busick remained in a chair that was located in a hallway adjacent to a courtroom door. He did not stand during his hearing.

Taylor repeatedly reminded Busick his sentence could be "a very short sentence" if he provides the location of the girls' remains.

Lorene Bible, Lauria Bible's mother, said after the hearing she was in agreement with the plea agreement, though at the time of his arrest she had wanted the death penalty sought.

District Attorney Matt Ballard and prosecutor Isaac Shields said after the hearing Busick has provided some information, and there may be provision for him to lead investigators to a location.

The Bible family has talked about Busick's plea for months and what is the best option, said Lisa Bible B rod rick, Lauria's cousin.

"Though many will agree this isn't enough time, in the big picture, time is of the essence and we need to get all the information we can to find the girls," Brodrick said.

"Rather than be upset over the time he (Busick) is facing, we want to use that energy to pray for his eyes to be open and his mind will be clear," Brodrick said.

The family continues to plead for people who still haven' t talked to come forward.

"We need to bring the girls home," Brodrick said.

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent Tammy Ferrari and District 12 DA investigator Gary Stans ill have been analyzing and researching possible search locations for the remains of the girls, missing for over two decades.

"These locations came from recent information received from an undisclosed source," Stansill said.

Investigators have spent months searching mine shafts, ponds and other spots of interest in the former Tar Creek mining area.

Busick is being held in the Craig County jail in lieu of $1 million bail.