Episode 3 – The Disappearance of Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman

On the night of December 29, 1999, best friends Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman vanished without a trace after Ashley’s parents were murdered and their home in Welch, Oklahoma was set on fire. For more than two decades, their families have searched for answers while investigators uncovered a tangled web of suspects, conflicting stories, and chilling possibilities. In this episode, we explore the events of that night, the investigation that followed, and the relentless fight for justice led by Lauria’s mother, Lorene Bible.

A&E Television Networks. (n.d.). Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible: The mysterious murders of teenage best friends. A&E True Crime. Retrieved from https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/murders-of-ashley-freeman-lauria-bible

Craig County Sheriff’s Office. (n.d.). Freeman murders cold case. Retrieved from https://craigcountyso.com/cold-cases-freeman-murders

Disappeared Blog. (2011, May 19). Ashley Freeman & Lauria Bible. Retrieved from https://disappearedblog.com/ashley-freeman-lauria-bible

Doe Network. (n.d.). Case file: 2760DFOK – Lauria Bible & Ashley Freeman. Retrieved from https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2760dfok.html

Oklahoma State of. (1999, December 30). Probable cause affidavit in the Freeman homicide case [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/tulsaworld.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/52/252c6011-44f9-5d30-afef-9c543c9c1e99/5ade5b977275a.pdf.pdf

Unsolved Mysteries. (n.d.). Lauria Bible & Ashley Freeman. Retrieved from https://unsolved.com/gallery/lauria-bible-ashley-freeman

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, September 19). Murders of Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman. In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Lauria_Bible_and_Ashley_Freeman

Between 2005 and 2009, the bodies of eight women were discovered in and around Jennings, Louisiana, a small town in Jefferson Davis Parish.
All of the victims knew each other.
All were connected to the same circle of drugs, informants, and street-level crime.
And all were murdered.

Local law enforcement claimed the cases were being investigated. But years passed. Evidence went missing. Witnesses turned up dead. And no one was ever held accountable.

In this episode of Someone Knows, we peel back the layers of corruption, cover-ups, and community fear that have haunted Jennings for nearly two decades. We examine the lives of the women now known as The Jennings 8, explore the suspects that law enforcement barely touched, and ask the question:

Is there more than one killer?
Or was someone supposed to be silenced?

Because someone… knows.

1. Brown, Ethan. Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8? Scribner, 2016.
   → Investigative nonfiction book providing the most comprehensive account of the Jennings 8 murders, with insider interviews, case files, and local records.
2. Showtime. Murder in the Bayou (TV Docuseries, 2019).
   → Based on Ethan Brown’s book; includes on-camera interviews with family members, law enforcement, and townspeople.
3. Vice News. “Unsolved: The Women of Jennings, Louisiana.” Vice News, 2019.
   https://www.vice.com/en/article/j5wkn7/the-unsolved-murders-of-the-women-of-jennings-louisiana
   → Article highlighting the public distrust in local law enforcement and breakdown of systemic issues in Jefferson Davis Parish.
4. HuffPost. “Eight Women Murdered in One Town — And Police Won’t Talk.” HuffPost Highline, 2018.
   https://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/the-jennings-8/
   → Longform investigative piece outlining the deep corruption and mishandling of evidence in the Jennings 8 cases.
5. KATC News (Lafayette, LA). Various news reports from 2005–2024.
   https://www.katc.com
   → Local station coverage of victim discoveries, interviews with law enforcement, and public updates on the cases.
6. Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office. Press releases and case updates.
   http://www.jdpso.org
   → Official documents and statements made by the sheriff’s office over the course of the investigation.
7. Reddit – r/UnresolvedMysteries. “The Jeff Davis 8” (Community-sourced timelines and theories, verified independently).
   → Used only for supplemental timelines; all core information cross-referenced with verified sources above.

Episode 1: Shelby’s Sweetheart: What Happened to Asha Degree?

On the morning of Valentine’s Day in 2000, nine-year-old Asha Degree vanished from her family’s home in Shelby, North Carolina. No signs of forced entry. No clear reason why. She walked out into the rain—alone—and was never seen again.

Who was Asha? What could have led her to leave in the dead of night? And more than two decades later… why have so few answers emerged?

In this debut episode of Someone Knows, we explore the heartbreaking timeline of Asha’s disappearance, the evidence left behind, and the newest developments that may finally crack open a case that has haunted a family—and a community—for over 20 years.

Because someone, somewhere… knows what happened.

If you have information about Asha Degree’s case, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or your local authorities.

1. FBI.gov. “Seeking Information – Asha Degree.”
   https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/asha-degree
2. Cleveland County Sheriff's Office. (Archived press releases and search efforts from 2000 to present.)
   https://www.sheriffclevelandcounty.com
3. America’s Missing: The Asha Degree Case – Unresolved Podcast.
   https://unresolved.me/asha-degree
4. CNN. “FBI offers reward in 2000 disappearance of North Carolina girl.” February 2015.
   https://www.cnn.com/2015/02/15/us/north-carolina-girl-disappearance/index.html
5. The Charlotte Observer. “Timeline: What we know about the disappearance of Asha Degree.”
   https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article132716779.html
6. WCCB Charlotte. “New Developments in Asha Degree Case.”
   https://www.wccbcharlotte.com
7. Crime Junkie Podcast. “MISSING: Asha Degree.”
   https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/missing-asha-degree/
8. Reddit – r/UnresolvedMysteries. Various user timelines and FOIA findings related to Asha’s backpack and the Dedmon family search warrants.
   (Used for case chronology reference – all citations independently verified.)
9. WBTV Charlotte. “FBI, SBI search property in Burke County in connection to Asha Degree case.” January 2024.
   https://www.wbtv.com
10. Find Asha Degree Facebook Page.
    https://www.facebook.com/FindAshaDegree

Welcome to Someone Knows. A true crime podcast that dives deep into the cases that keep you up at night. Each week, I unravel cold cases, missing persons reports, and stories left in the shadows .. where silence lingers, but whispers still remain.

In this trailer, get a glimpse of what's to come: the haunting details, the unanswered questions, and the one thing every case has in common ... someone out there knows the truth.

New episodes drop every Friday wherever you get your podcasts. 

Music by: Paul Winter from Pixabay