Rep. Steve Bashore introduced House Bill 1001 in Oklahoma with the intention of stiffening the penalty for anybody found guilty of first- or second-degree murder accessory. According to the measure, these offenders would not be eligible for sentence reductions through credits and would have to serve at least 85% of their sentence before being eligible for parole. According to the Oklahoma House of Representatives, the law is named in honor of Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible, two teenagers who were the victims of a crime in 1999.
Ronnie Busick’s case has garnered attention because of worries about the length of his sentence. The murder of Ashley’s parents and the deaths of Lauria and Ashley led to Busick’s conviction as an accessory to felony murder. Because of time-serve credits and other considerations, he only completed three of the ten years of his sentence. To address such circumstances, a recent piece of legislation in Oklahoma seeks to lengthen the penalties of accomplices in heinous crimes. According to the Oklahoma House of Representatives, this proposed law aims to give those responsible for such actions more appropriate punishment.
People who have been grieving for Lauria and Ashley for almost 25 years are pushing for new legislation. “I made a promise to the Bible family that I would continue to fight for justice for victims like Lauria and Ashley,” Bashore said. Lorene Bible, Lauria Bible’s mother, and her family have been vocal advocates for the measure. According to the Oklahoma House of Representatives, a prior version passed the House but was never taken up by the Senate.
Bashore describes the goal of House Bill 1001, which aims to alleviate the ongoing suffering endured by families impacted by unsolved crimes. “For almost 25 years, these families have lived with the unimaginable pain of not knowing the full details of this crime or where their loved ones’ bodies are located.” The purpose of the measure is to avoid circumstances such as the one in which Busick’s family did not know that he would not complete at least 85% of his term. His release as a result of this error caused the victims’ families much more distress. According to the Oklahoma House of Representatives, the bill aims to prevent such errors in the future and will be considered during the 60th Legislature’s first session, which starts on February 3, 2025, with the intention of becoming law by November 1, 2025.
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