OKLAHOMA — An Oklahoma mom is hoping new legislation will prevent families from being revictimized. Ronnie Busick was sentenced to ten years in prison for accessory to murder back in 2020 but got out of prison this May.
“He’s out getting to do what he wants, while our girls are still buried deep somewhere,” said Lorene Bible. “That’s not right.”
Lorene Bible has been a fierce advocate for justice in the nearly 24 years since her daughter Lauria Bible and friend Ashley Freeman disappeared.
“If you’re going to go out and you’re going to be an accessory to a crime and you get caught, you’re going to pay for it,” said Bible.
This year, Bible is pushing for a new law that would add “accessory to murder in the first or second degree” to the list of crimes that require offenders to serve 85% of their sentence before they’re eligible for parole.
It comes after Ronnie Busick was paroled this May, less than three years after he was sentenced to a decade in prison for accessory to murder. Busick was credited for time served in a county jail and then subsequent days for good behavior he earned in prison.
“You go to court and spend all that time and energy and days going to court and listening to everything to end up having it thrown in your face,” said Bible. “What was it all for?”
Two lawmakers have filed new bills for the upcoming legislative session. Last week, one of Lauria’s former teachers, Senator Micheal Bergstrom, filed Senate Bill 1199.
He said, in part, “Those who are involved in murders should be held responsible and serve their time, not have their sentence slashed because they behave in prison.”
Representative Steve Bashore filed House Bill 2946 in June saying, in part, “I have vowed to work to ensure something like this will never happen again for anyone else’s loved ones.”
Lorene says the fight now, is for other families.
“You live and learn,” said Bible. “You fool me once, you’re not going to fool me twice. I‘m going to do something now to protect other families so they don’t have to be sitting there when this person that has said he was there, gets out of prison in 2 and a half years.”
Both bills could be considered when the session starts in February. If enacted, the law would go into effect November 2024.
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