Families of missing girls ask governor for help

CLEORA, Okla. (AP) -- Relatives of two missing teen-age girls are urging Gov. Frank Keating to intervene and speed up the search. Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible have been missing since Dec. 30, when

Monday, January 24th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

CLEORA, Okla. (AP) -- Relatives of two missing teen-age girls are urging Gov. Frank Keating to intervene and speed up the search. Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible have been missing since Dec. 30, when the charred bodies of Freeman's parents were found in thei rburned home outside Welch. Danny and Kathy Freeman were shot to death.

Copies of a letter written by the girls' families to Keating are being put in businesses in several northeastern Oklahoma communities. The letter urges Keating to "utilize every means that you have available to you as governor of our state to find and bring these two little girls home and to punish those responsible."

It also questions the message being sent to small communities if the disappearances are not solved. "Does it tell our children that when they kiss their parents good night that it might be the last time they are seen again?" Residents are being asked to sign the letters and send them on to Keating, though some are writing letters of their own. The letters will be gathered up today or Tuesday and sent on to Keating by midweek.

Keating spokesman Dan Mahoney said the governor was "willing to look at the case and do whatever we need to do to find the girls." Families members decided on the letter as authorities continue to investigate leads. Federal and state authorities have followed up on several leads in the disappearances.

Earlier this month, divers searched abandoned mine shafts near Picher. Delaware County Sheriff Jim Earp said the latest lead had a car possibly being driven off a cliff into Grand Lake with the girls' bodies inside. Authorities began searching Friday and found three vehicles, but no bodies.

Lauria's mother, Lorene Bible, said the families "are doing a lot of praying" and are hopeful about a segment featuring the girls' disappearance that appeared Saturday on "America's MostWanted: America Fights Back." But for now, Bible said, it seems the girls have dropped off theface of the earth. "When there's a lead they (authorities) run it down," Bible said. "They just aren't leading anywhere."