Law on stiffer penalties for accessory to murder heads to governor's desk
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Oklahoma Senators voted Wednesday to send Lauria and Ashley's Law to the governor's desk.
House Bill 1001 was authored by Rep. Steve Bashore (R-Miami) and passed through the House easily in March. It would require anyone convicted of accessory to murder to serve at least 85% of their sentence before they are considered for parole.
The law was named after Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman. The two teenage girls were kidnapped and murdered in Welch in 1999. Their bodies were never found.
'Lauria and Ashley Law' adds harsher penalty for 'accessory' to murder
Lorene Bible, Lauria's mother, was at the Capitol on Wednesday. She has been working with lawmakers on the legislation for three years.
'It's what we've been striving for all along,' said Lorene.
Lisa Bible Brodrick is Lorene's niece and has been an advocate for the family. 'We didn't really get the victory that we'd hoped for in the girls' case, but it does feel like a small victory for families in the future,' said Bible Brodrick. 'That's a really great feeling.'
Ronnie Busick was convicted of 'accessory' in the case of the missing girls. He was there the night they went missing and spent only three years in prison. He was released for good behavior.'It was an insult to the girls. It was an insult to the community. It was an insult to the parents,' said Sen. Micheal Bergstrom (R-Adair).
Bergstrom shared his personal attachment to the piece of legislation before the vote on the Senate floor.'Lauria Bible was my student,' said Bergstrom. 'I had her in my class as an English teacher. She was a wonderful kid who laughed and had a great deal of joy.'
The law might not be able to help in Bible and Freeman's case, but it will make a difference, in their honor, for years to come.'We're still fighting on their behalf so it doesn't happen to somebody else,' said Lorene.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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