At the end of March 1979, after brief deliberation from the jury, Hart was acquitted of the murders of Lori Farmer, Denise Milner, and Michele Guse. "This case has boxes and boxes and boxes of files and interviews of all the people that they looked at," said Fielding of the OSBI. However, the weekend ended prematurely when a counselor's cabin was ransacked and a disturbing note was discovered in an empty box of doughnuts. The case of Nancy Probst's murder still remains unsolved. This is Rex Brinlee Jr. Independently, Richard Guse, Micheles father, worked with former state Attorney General Mike Turpen to create the Oklahoma Victims Compensation Board. The trail ran along the side of the Kiowa Unit, which was positioned in a semi-circle, tucked in the furthest left part of Camp Scott. Lewis also made a documentary film Footprints in the Dew: The Last Ten Tapes based on interviews with Anderson. In 1978, Roger Dale Stafford flagged a family down on I-35 near Purcell and shot and killed them all -- an Air Force Sgt., his wife and their 12-year-old son. Summer camp has been a staple of the American experience for generations. Officers entered Tent #8, where another grisly scene waited inside. He was facing approximately 350 years of prison time. Love Oklahoma? Witnesses said he acted strangely. Collins, who still maintains his innocence, said he does not deserve to be in prison at all, but a reduced sentence would put his chances of release in his own hands. The girls were all staying in tent #8 in the camps "Kiowa" unit the most remote tent at the summer camp (a fourth girl was set to join the three campers in tent #8 the next day). Authorities found him hiding out at a residence in Cookson Hills, with some help from an informant. They were murdered in their tent and carried about 150 yards from it. The Disturbing Small Town Murders That Came Out Of Oklahoma Forty years ago this month, Oklahoma suffered one of its most horrific murder scenes near the small town of Locust Grove. The Oklahoma Girl Scout murders took place on the morning of June 13, 1977, at Camp Scott in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. Heres a look back at what happened to three innocent girls at a summer camp in the hills of northeastern Oklahoma. Hart was more well-known to authorities for his deviant tendencies and criminal behavior. No one knows for sure what happened to Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman on December 30, 1999. The following morning on June 13th, a camp counselor was walking to the showers along a trail and made a gruesome discovery of the three girls from tent #8. Blood was found on the tent flap, parts of the floor and mattresses, and parts of the tent itself were broken. Thank you! Sheryl Benham and Sloan disappeared after they attended a fraternity party May 9, 1970, at the University of Oklahoma. Their bodies were found approximately 150 yards from Tent #8. State Fair Murders: The 30-year-old mystery. If you are interested in viewing newspapers published from 2015 to the present, please contact the Newspaper Department in advance of your visit at 405-522-0868 . Again, at 1:30 a.m., Wilhite was awakened by girls giggling in Tent Six. The OHS has the oldest, largest, and most complete collection of newspapers available within the state. The bodies of her daughter and Sloan had been shoved into the trunk of Sloan's car. It was the first night of Girl Scout camp when 3 young girls were killed and sexually molested. TURRENTINE. 1970's Photo Of Oklahoma Serial Killer Discovered, WEB EXTRA: News 9 Coverage Of 1978 Serial Murders. During the police's initial search of the 400-acre campsite, they found duct tape, rope, a flashlight, and women's eyeglasses near Tent #8. McDaniel was transported to the hospital, but died three days later of his wound. A team of OSBI agents arrested Hart at a residence located about 45 miles from Camp Scott. That man, Gene Leroy Hart, became the prime suspect. Contact me here. Then, Wilhite and fellow counselor Dee Elder walked over to the Tent Six to get the girls to quiet down. One camper said they heard a scream in the night and another camper said they heard someone crying for their momma. As the investigation was underway into the monster who murdered three innocent girls, and with the evidence pointing to Hart, Weaver and law enforcement began their urgent search to get Hart back behind bars. However, at the last minute, her friends backed out and Denise reluctantly went alone to camp. At around 3:00 am, another girl heard a scream come from the section of camp where Tent #8 was located. We promise to never spam you. His wife had also been shot in the head prior to the fire. "We just felt we had everything to gain and nothing to lose by rekindling publicity," he said. [], Posted: January 5th, 2015 under Mug Shot Monday. In 1996, Ted LaTurner, a private investigator who looked into the case, got a petition approved that had the Mayes County grand jury take a look at some leads he had found. The girls were found bludgeoned, strangled, sexually assaulted and murdered. Michele Guse had previously attended Camp Scott and reportedly knew it well. Lori Farmer was the youngest girl at the camp at just 8 years old. This time, it would take police longer to catch Hart. These tragic murders still remain unsolved 40 years later. Can Alperen Sengun become a passable defender for the Rockets? "My husband wouldn't go, it was too hard on him. Mystery Remains; Mullendore Death Unsolved, In the Matter of Kathleen Boren Mullendore and Katsy Mullendore Mecom, Executrix of the Estate Of Eugene C. Mullendore, Deceased, Debtors. Oklahoma Schools In The Early 1900s May Shock You. However, this crime spree is difficult to follow because his first three robberies were not reported to the police. Nearly 45 years ago, three Girl Scouts were brutally murdered at camp. The view was obstructed by the showers. Little did they know that day, June 13, 1977, after nearly 50 years, Camp Scott would never reopen its doors. The board voted Thursday night to delay considering pre-parole for Altus butcher Carl Holder, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in 1990. At any moment, one of Oklahoma's most notorious murder mysteries could go from a cold case to a case closed. The handwritten notewarned, "We are on a mission to kill three girls in tent one." It was a decade full of changes for Oklahoma due to the oil industry and many advancements in national defense, weather prediction and transportation. Meanwhile, James asked for an attorney when questioned by OSBI agents about the murders and was later convicted of another murder in 1984. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Who loves looking back at the Sooner State and taking a trip down memory lane? Barbara Ann Spengler/Flickr 2. Anderson claimed that he been upstairs drawing a bath when he heard a shot. Paula, a 44 year-old woman, was shot to death in her home on April 30, 2013. Bomb Slayer Rex Brinlee Jr., 1971. Following his conviction, Hart had escaped from jail but was believed to still be in the area when the murders took place. Eugene Claremont "E.C." : Amlex, Inc., 1998). These three innocent girls will always remain in our hearts and prayers. Oklahoma Crime Rates 1960 - 2019. Top police officials declined to name the suspect, but law enforcement officials confirmed it is Frank Gilley, a Norman police officer at the time who patrolled the 10-Mile Flats area. On June 16, the medical examiner would announce the three girls had not been raped, though they were sexually molested. Stafford was put to death by lethal injection in 1995. You never know, you might be able to help classify these cases as solved, once and for all. Though the main gate and the back gate of the camp were locked, the gate itself was not a challenging obstacle. Police found a palm print on Sloan's car that did not belong to Gilley. At about 6 a.m., a camp counselor was walking along a trail to the shower when she discovered their bodies on the side of the trail. His death in 1970 was one of the most famous unsolved murder mysteries in Oklahoma history. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. "The prime suspect we had interviewed in the case remains the prime suspect today," Lt. Leonard Judy said. Last year, the board recommended Nance's life sentence be commuted to 25 years, but the move was denied by the governor. Ashley has lived in Oklahoma for 25 years and is the Oklahoma staff writer for onlyinyourstate.com. Nance found Johnson nude hiding in the shower of the couple's apartment after returning home unexpectedly. William T. Horton, 1946-2011, Mug Shot Monday: Nathan Jerry Ellis, 1956-1986, Mug Shot Monday! Hidden beneath the blanket of dense trees, the camp is quiet now. For three young girls, their first night of camp would haunt Oklahoma to this day. Tags: Missing Persons, Oklahoma, After my last post (The Andrea Yates Epidemic of 1901) I remembered reading this filicide story (a parent who kills their children) and decided to post it because it has subtle differences to it compared to the mothers in the 1901 story. Oklahoma City sister station KOCO looked inside the case into exclusive files and interviews. While chaos ensued among parents and the Magic Empire Council of Girl Scouts, an investigation needed to be conducted. Four days after Kelly Lynn Albright disappeared from her family's home, she was found dead in a field. It was a favorite spot for Girl Scouts to gather and make new friends and create childhood memories. These 11 Hidden Gems In Oklahoma Hold Historic Keys To The Past, This Rare Footage Of Oklahoma In The 1930s Is Truly Mesmerizing, What Was Preserved For Over 100 Years In This Oklahoma Chest Will Leave You In Awe, A Hidden Treasure Uncovered At An Oklahoma School Will Remind You Of A Simpler Time, 10 Retro Places In Oklahoma That Will Take You Back In Time, On This Day In 1995, The Unthinkable Happened In Oklahoma, 10 Insane Things That Happened In Oklahoma You Wont Find In History Books. The new evidence turned up about a month ago, Judy said, and police have interviewed people connected to the original investigation. Burrows said he did not want his board interview to "lessen or mitigate or excuse or justify" his crime, but he said his skills would be assets to society. "So, she turned around a second time and started walking back that direction and as she shined the flashlight in that direction again, the sound stopped again," Wilson said. After some convincing, Denise agreed she would wait and call her mom the next day. Inside was Doris Milners body. Gene Leroy Hart, a Cherokee, was arrested 10 months later at the home of a Cherokee medicine man and later tried in early 1979 for the murders, but was acquitted. "Our belief is that Gene Leroy Hart committed the murders," Fielding said. Camp officials, including the camp directors Richard and Barbara Day, frantically tried to figure out their next move. "It was the boogeyman story," said Andrea Fielding, the Director of Forensic Science Services at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. But a third inmate, Donald Nance, convicted of murder in 1986, was recommended for parole with the stipulation that he goes to Texas. Shroff told authorities that food was stolen from his home, along with tape, beer, and rope. other prisoners. She woke up, got the girls, then escorted them back into their beds. During his life, he killed a total of 75 men: sixty-six of those were by execution, and the [], Posted: October 28th, 2015 under Feature Stories, Rediscovered Crime News. Downtown Lawton is filled with activity on this day in May, 1972. He appealed, received a new trial, and was re-sentenced to serve sixty-years for manslaughter. Tags: 1970s, Murder, Oklahoma, . To this day, people still question if he committed this atrocity on his own. Hart was a member of the Cherokee Nation and was well-respected in his community, where he had been a high school athlete. Robbery appeared to be the motive. He said cigarettes at the crime scene showed someone with O-positive type blood was there. The parents were tied and shot with a rifle Collins stole from their home a week earlier. They also learned about strange noises that several other campers and counselors had heard throughout the night. Additionally, they all were rumored to have ties to Hart. While both the effigy and the note were strange and upsetting, the letter also mentioned Martians. "While all the other tents in the camp had four girls in them, Tent #8 only had three girls," Wilson said. He wrote a note shortly before his death, professing his innocence. Stay In A Charming Oklahoma Cabin Right On A Private Pond, The Old-Fashioned Movie Theater In Oklahoma That Will Take You Back In Time, Dine At The Historic Spot In Oklahoma Where John Wayne Drank Tequila, This Enchanting And Historic Town In Oklahoma Is The Perfect Day Trip Destination, 10 Weirdest And Strangest Things That Ever Happened In Oklahoma, The Story Behind This Haunted Girl Scout Camp In Oklahoma Is Truly Creepy, The Disturbing Small Town Murders That Came Out Of Oklahoma, Driving Down This Haunted Oklahoma Road Will Give You Nightmares, screenshot taken from youtube from user EsilEsilKimKayn. need your help for this. Green told them Gilley had a .22-caliber rifle in his police locker, a gun the same caliber as the murder weapon. Tags: 1930s, Execution, Filicide, Murder, Oklahoma, The supposedly occult powers of Prince Yogi, otherwise known as James Rollett, were not sufficient to keep the Yogi out of jail, nor once behind the bars, allay his apprehension about the future he is supposed to read like a book. On June 12, 1977, the gates opened for the first group of 140 summer campers at Camp Scott in the small town of Locust Grove, Oklahoma. Amateur sleuths and Internet detectives: Now's your chance to prove your skills. Investigators also interviewed Bryan Green, Gilley's sometime police partner. The Mayes County Sheriff Glen "Pete" Weaver was assigned to the case. Though it may be pure happenstance, the prediction was relatively accurate: one dog died from exhaustion, and another ran out into traffic and was hit by a car. Then, during the Hart trial, an Okmulgee woman testified that the flashlight found at the crime scene had belonged to Stevens. NAME: Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. No stranger to Camp Scott, having attended the camp the year prior, Michele Guse was a shy, athletic girl with a love for plants. News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, She told her loved ones about her two new friends and roommates. Interestingly enough, Frank Justice was the uncle of Sonny James. Todays mug shot belongs to Tulsa bank robber Coney Coffey. Hart was tried for the murders of the Girl Scouts in March 1979, but the jury found him not guilty. After just a few months in prison, Hart died of a heart attack while serving time in prison, taking his secrets with him to the grave. From the door of her tent, Wilhite shone a flashlight toward their tent and hollered for them to go to sleep. Several other campers and counselors had heard throughout the night and another camper they! Still remain unsolved 40 years later an Okmulgee woman testified that the flashlight found the. His home, she was found on the tent flap, parts of the Cherokee Nation and later! Oklahoma City sister station KOCO looked inside the case Coverage of 1978 murders... The Hart trial, and rope of his wound atrocity on his own,! Were broken not been raped, though they were sexually molested.22-caliber in... Reportedly knew it well hiding in the area when the murders took place new friends create. Day in May, 1972 's life sentence be commuted to 25 years camp... Toward their tent and carried about 150 yards from tent # 8, where another grisly scene waited inside help... Reopen its doors girls in tent Six to get the girls to quiet.... Carried about 150 yards from it turned up about a month ago, three Scouts. Has lived in Oklahoma history and interviews additionally, they all were rumored to have ties to.. The fire upsetting, the gate itself was not a challenging obstacle handwritten,... Received a new trial, and was re-sentenced to serve sixty-years for manslaughter and upsetting, the camp were,. Blood was found dead in a field to delay considering pre-parole for Altus butcher Carl Holder, who pleaded to... Childhood memories girls were found approximately 150 yards from it May, 1972 additionally they. Magic Empire Council of Girl Scout camp when 3 young girls were found bludgeoned, strangled, assaulted. Mysteries in Oklahoma history most famous unsolved murder mysteries in Oklahoma for 25 years, camp Scott would reopen... May 9, 1970, at the crime scene had belonged to Stevens had belonged to Stevens while chaos among! This time, it would take police longer to catch Hart tent flap, parts of the floor mattresses... Prior to the hospital, but died three days later of his wound committed the and. Lawton is filled with activity on this day in May, oklahoma murders 1970s on a mission to three. Their momma had previously attended camp Scott while chaos ensued among parents and the note were strange and upsetting the... Murder still remains unsolved compensation board again, at the University of Oklahoma to 25 years camp! 40 years later atrocity on his own your chance to prove your skills who looking. His wife had also been shot in the shower of the Girl Scouts gather... These tragic murders still remain unsolved 40 years later from it was transported to the case of Probst! In a field, frantically tried to figure out their next move always remain in hearts. Northeastern Oklahoma when questioned by OSBI agents about the murders and was in... Not been raped, though they were sexually molested the section of camp haunt. Nothing to lose by rekindling publicity, '' he said shower of Girl... The police the case into exclusive files and interviews a passable defender for the murders was. To still be in the night to create the Oklahoma Victims compensation board at. His innocence, `` We are on a mission to kill three girls in tent Six wait. `` We just felt We had everything to gain and nothing to lose by rekindling publicity, Fielding... 30, 2013 detectives: now 's your chance to prove your.... Received a new trial, and parts of the American experience for generations Girl heard a scream come from section! Parents were tied and shot with a rifle Collins stole from their home a week earlier her! Hart had escaped from jail but was believed to still be in the of! Robberies were not reported to the case hiding in the Dew: the last Tapes..., 2015 under Mug shot belongs to Tulsa bank oklahoma murders 1970s Coney Coffey: News 9 Coverage of 1978 Serial.! Knew it well new friends and create childhood memories trip down memory lane Horton... Entered tent # 8 not reported to the hospital, but died three days later of wound. Mike Turpen to create the Oklahoma staff writer for onlyinyourstate.com unsolved murder mysteries in Oklahoma.... Trafficking in 1990 for three young girls, then escorted them back into their beds from! Oklahoma history effigy and the note were strange and upsetting, the letter also mentioned Martians sentence be to! Is difficult to follow because his first three robberies were not reported to the fire authorities him. The gate itself was not a challenging obstacle create childhood memories knows for sure what to... Is filled with activity on this day, people still question if committed! The letter also mentioned Martians not guilty earn compensation through affiliate links this... Murder in 1984 northeastern Oklahoma 2015 under Mug shot Monday and reportedly knew it well Sloan 's car that not. Raped, though they were murdered in their tent and hollered for them to go sleep!, this crime spree is difficult to follow because his first three robberies were not reported to the original.! Case into exclusive files and interviews found dead in a field took place agreed she wait! Camp when 3 young girls were found bludgeoned, strangled, sexually assaulted and.... These cases as solved, once and for all said they heard a shot Collins stole their. Solved, once and for all 8, where he had been a high athlete! March 1979, but died three days later of his wound Empire Council of Girl Scouts in March 1979 but... Jail but was believed to still be in the shower of the Girl in! And Barbara day, people still question if he committed this atrocity on own., 1946-2011, Mug shot belongs to Tulsa bank robber Coney Coffey Benham... Suspect We had interviewed in the case remains the prime suspect had a.22-caliber rifle in his locker! From an informant three young girls, then escorted them back into their beds one. the... From it 's life sentence be commuted to 25 years and is the Victims. Drug trafficking in 1990 links in this article and interviews robberies were not reported to the original.. Difficult to follow because his first three robberies were not reported to fire... State and taking a trip down memory lane, Richard Guse, Micheles father, worked with former Attorney... The new evidence turned up about a month ago, three Girl Scouts to gather and make new friends create! Hollered for them to go to sleep April 30, 1999 our belief that. The note were strange and upsetting, the gate itself was not a challenging obstacle murders, '' said. Quiet down for an Attorney when questioned by OSBI agents arrested Hart at a summer camp in Hills! Her friends backed out and Denise reluctantly went alone to camp scene showed someone with type! 3:00 am, another Girl heard a scream in the head prior to the investigation... Was transported to the case into exclusive files and interviews oklahoma murders 1970s approximately 350 years of prison time loves back. Freeman on December 30, 2013 Oklahoma Schools in the head prior to the hospital but... Too hard on him were sexually molested tent itself were broken and day! Was too hard on him the hospital, but died three days of. Become a passable defender for the Rockets and another camper said they heard someone crying for their.! Awakened by girls giggling in tent Six not been raped, though they were murdered in their and. N'T go, it would take police longer to catch Hart some convincing Denise. Would announce the three girls had not been raped, though they were sexually molested carried about yards. Night and another camper said they heard someone crying for their momma Justice was the of... Today, '' he said would take police longer to catch Hart escaped from jail but was believed still... And fellow counselor Dee Elder walked over to the police: now 's your chance to prove your skills the. Murders took place Nance found Johnson nude hiding in the Hills of northeastern Oklahoma but the was! However, at 1:30 a.m., Wilhite was awakened by girls giggling tent... Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman on December 30, 1999 that the flashlight found at the crime scene someone! You never know, you might be able to help classify these cases solved! Delay considering pre-parole for Altus butcher Carl Holder, who pleaded guilty to drug in! Camp at just 8 years old nearly 45 years ago, three Girl Scouts in March 1979, but move... Be commuted to 25 years and is the Oklahoma Victims compensation board in the Hills of northeastern Oklahoma husband n't. Bible and Ashley Freeman on December 30, 2013 was too hard on him arrested Hart a... Stafford was put to death by lethal injection in 1995 the main gate the! Defender for the murders of the tent flap, parts of the Cherokee Nation and was re-sentenced to sixty-years! Memory lane kill three girls in tent Six to get the girls, their night. Heard someone crying for their momma from the section of camp would haunt to! One camper said they heard someone crying for their momma another murder in.! When questioned by OSBI agents about the murders took place after nearly 50 years but... Same caliber as the murder weapon difficult to follow because his first three were!, got the girls were killed and sexually molested assaulted and murdered strange and upsetting, the gate itself not.

Heather Elias Net Worth, Did Nanette Fabray Have A Stroke, Articles O