However, despite all of the theories, rumors, and tales that have been passed down over the years, the only person who has ever been formally charged with the Girl Scout Murders was Gene Leroy Hart. Collins was sentenced to death for killing Mervin Thrasher, 28, his wife, Sandra, 27, and their children, Penelope, 5, and Robert, 15 months. She was not keen on the idea of leaving her mom Bettye and her 5-year-old sister. Hubbard, 64, was given a 15-year sentence for shooting Tulsa paperboy Keith Hurn, 17, in 1987. A few men have "confessed" but the confessions were proven false. 1975) U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Four years after suspect's death, E.C. Immediately, the news of the brutal murders of the three little girls spread like wildfire. Many questions remain unanswered about the events that unfolded prior to, and at the time of the murders. Further away, police located a crowbar and several empty beer bottles. However, instead of going to see an eye doctor, Hart developed a habit of stealing glasses. News reports indicated Gilley was convicted of assaulting a prisoner in 1968 in Amarillo, Texas, when he was a deputy sheriff in Potter County. Gilley passed a polygraph. But a third inmate, Donald Nance, convicted of murder in 1986, was recommended for parole with the stipulation that he goes to Texas. Carla Wilhite, who would eventually discover the bodies, investigated the noises but couldn't find the source. Police hope publicity will lead to new information. As their search expanded, police found more duct tape along with groceries, photographs, and newspapers in a nearby cave. Her cheating husband was not home at the time and saw her body through a window, before entering the home. The military is preparing for departure on this C-5 aircraft at Altus Air Force Base, 1972. This is Rex Brinlee Jr. Tags: 1970s, Murder, Oklahoma, . This time, it would take police longer to catch Hart. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Though Hart promptly returned to the state penitentiary in McAlister, Oklahoma to serve the remainder of his 305-year prison sentence. Featured below are 14 mesmerizing photos in Oklahoma during the 1970s that showcase some memories during this decade. The bodies of the three little girls had been found roughly 150 yards from their tent on the side of a trail, along with their sleeping bags. Tags: Oklahoma, Serial Killer, Spree Killer, Wife Killer, Criminal Cases of America70 Vintage True Crime Stories by Thomas Duke, 1910, All Rights Reserved. Within months of the murders, Stevens was arrested on similar rape and kidnapping charges. History of the FBI's Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Field Office. Though they assumed it was an animal, when Wilhite went to investigate and shone her flashlight in the direction of the noise, the sound stopped. One was open. 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. Oklahoma Crime Rates 1960 - 2019. in a fight after Anderson had helped deputies serve divorce papers on E.C. "I don't think any of them were prepared for seeing an 8, 9, and 10-year-old girl in that condition. Additionally, the newspaper had been jammed inside the flashlight to keep the batteries from rattling against the plastic exterior. The director of the camp considered the note a prank, and it was thrown away. It was 20 years ago Sunday. If not, who do you think murdered the girls? "The prime suspect we had interviewed in the case remains the prime suspect today," Lt. Leonard Judy said. Sloan's 1968 Pontiac GTO was found May 11. Testimony revealed Hart was a suspect early on. Amateur sleuths and Internet detectives: Now's your chance to prove your skills. Mullendore. The case is almost 50 years old and remains unsolved. Girl Scouts Lori Farmer, Michelle Guse, and Doris Milner were between the ages of 8 and 10 when they were brutally raped and murdered at Oklahoma's Camp Scott on June 13, 1977. 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. In 1956, Ellis and another man were convicted for the murder of Victor Quick in Custer County, Oklahoma. On the night of September 26, 1970 E.C. need your help for this. Tags: Execution, Oklahoma, The 1977 murders of three girl scouts at Camp Scott near Locust Grove, Oklahoma, is, in my opinion, one of the most horrific and fear inducing unsolved cases in American history. However, at the last minute, her friends backed out and Denise reluctantly went alone to camp. The newspapers were from the same issue found inside the flashlight. Green told them Gilley had a .22-caliber rifle in his police locker, a gun the same caliber as the murder weapon. Tags: 1950s, Murder, Oklahoma, Sex Crimes, . These three innocent girls will always remain in our hearts and prayers. 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. NORMAN Sue Benham has fainted once in her life. Inside was Doris Milners body. The courtroom was packed and highly secure. Oklahoma Schools In The Early 1900s May Shock You. He was an escaped convict that had been on the run for 4 years, before being captured. Outside of a Tulsa nightclub, Hart abducted two young, pregnant women from the parking lot and drove them to Mayes County. Here's a look into the cold case, Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Oops! Four days after Kelly Lynn Albright disappeared from her family's home, she was found dead in a field. Nearly 45 years ago, three Girl Scouts were brutally murdered at camp. Justice was also reportedly an acquaintance with Hart and had claimed to have seen the writing on the cave wall. The trial also exposed previous threats at the camp leading up to the summer session, including the slashed tent flap, various burglaries, and a note threatening the incoming campers. They were murdered in their tent and carried about 150 yards from it. It was a favorite spot for Girl Scouts to gather and make new friends and create childhood memories. October 15, 1979: 2: Oklahoma, USA: Garry Thomas ALLEN. Police will not describe the evidence or reveal the person who brought it, but at least one aspect of the case remains the same, they said. A witness in that case, Don Bolding, of Bristow, was set to testify against him. Love Oklahoma? You'll receive your first newsletter soon! LEXINGTON - Two men whose death sentences for separate murders in the 1970s were later modified to life imprisonment were shown no leniency Friday by state parole officials. Fandom Apps Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Nance found Johnson nude hiding in the shower of the couple's apartment after returning home unexpectedly. Collins is a trusty and has had a clear conduct record for almost nine years. 1. After decades . Oklahoma City sister station KOCO looked inside the case into exclusive files and interviews. Can Alperen Sengun become a passable defender for the Rockets? Tags: 1930s, bizarre, Fraud, Oklahoma, The bullet in Chester Comers head made it difficult for him to speak. The case of Nancy Probst's murder still remains unsolved. The rope was similar to that found near the bodies. Despite protestations that he earned his living by telling fortunes, Yogi was arrested Tuesday [], Posted: July 1st, 2013 under Rediscovered Crime News. Mullendore III. Last year, the board recommended Nance's life sentence be commuted to 25 years, but the move was denied by the governor. Nearly 45 years ago, three Girl Scouts were brutally murdered at camp. She had been raped and strangled and was probably dead for a few days before her body was found. He said cigarettes at the crime scene showed someone with O-positive type blood was there. The girls were ages 8, 9 and 10 and were murdered sometime between 2-4 a.m. However, those familiar with the area or even experienced hunters would know that there were three caves surrounding the camp. He just had a thing for stealing glasses everywhere he went," said Marty Wilson, an OSBI Agent. U ncovered: The Lovers' Lane Murders is a five-part investigative podcast into the murders of two teenagers in Norman, Oklahoma in 1970. Just as quickly as he appeared, he disappeared into the darkness, closing the flap behind him. Also near the bodies were rope, a pair of womens eyeglasses and a glasses case, and a red flashlight. Bye bye fools. Tags: 1920s, 1930s, Oklahoma, Skeletal remains of six people missing since 1969 and 1970 were found in two cars at the bottom of Foss Lake, Custer County, Oklahoma Tuesday afternoon (Sept 17, 2013) after authorities found their two submerged automobiles with new sonar they had been testing. Thinking it was most likely an animal,Wilhite went back to sleep. "From Gene Leroy Harts perspective, the best place for him to have that trial was in Mayes County.". "She was very influential in developing a support group for victims families in the state of Oklahoma," Wilson said. Though the trial would reveal surprising information to the public, no one could prepare for the outcome of the trial. When police arrived on the scene, they found Tent #8 covered in blood. Lawrence J. Hogan, The Osage Indian Murders (Frederick, Md. Please refer to our. However, the OSBI told sister station KOCO though Stevens was named at the trial, DNA proved to not be a match. Following his conviction, Hart had escaped from jail but was believed to still be in the area when the murders took place. Some theories carried weight, some theories were unsubstantiated and untrue. Green was later killed in an unrelated incident. The killer or killers left few clues. In addition to being a guard, his took the position as executioner because the state paid him $100-150 for every man he executed. "While all the other tents in the camp had four girls in them, Tent #8 only had three girls," Wilson said. "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. No one was ever charged in the crime. As if this wasn't enough evidence that the killer had been living in the cave, the words The Killer was here. To keep creating The Pardon and Parole Board voted unanimously against recommending parole for Bobby Collins, 37, who killed a Woodward County couple and their two young children in 1975. Featured below are 14 mesmerizing photos in Oklahoma during the 1970s that showcase some memories during this decade. 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. Sloan clothed. Chub Anderson died later that year.[6]. : Amlex, Inc., 1998). Camp officials, including the camp directors Richard and Barbara Day, frantically tried to figure out their next move. An ominous threat seemed to follow the case, as well. It is rumored that a local Medicine Man placed a curse on the tracking dogs and stated they would die. They were met by their worried parents who hoped and prayed their daughters would step off the bus from camp a camp they had trusted to keep their daughters safe. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World Cory. Michele Guse had previously attended Camp Scott and reportedly knew it well. might have owed to them. The board voted Thursday night to delay considering pre-parole for Altus butcher Carl Holder, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in 1990. A note was left inside the doughnut box that someone vowed to murder three campers. Lori Farmer and Michele Guse were in the others. Love Oklahoma? The statement named Sonny James, Frank Justice, and Bill Stevens as the suspectsall of whom had substantial run-ins with the law. As soon as she did that, with the light not being shined in that direction anymore, the sound started back up," Wilson said. Kenny A. Franks, The Osage Oil Boom (Oklahoma City: Oklahoma Heritage Association, 1989). You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Alongside Weaver was District Attorney Sid Wise, who immediately was at the forefront of the investigation. Because of degradation, they were unable to get a full profile but did obtain a partial DNA profile. The DNA sample was a semen stain found on a pillowcase inside Michelle Guses sleeping bag. When she isn't exploring Oklahoma, she enjoys visiting the beaches of California. During storytime, Denise was again upset and asked to call her mom. Gilley told an investigator he had known "that punk" Sloan in Amarillo, the University of Oklahoma student's hometown. 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. In one instance, Weaver told the media the murder weapon had been found. Allegations of obstruction and cover-ups have plagued the Norman Police Department in the years since the murders, but changes made hope to rectify those concerns. E.C. These true crime stories from Oklahoma appear on the Historical Crime Detective blog. Solve these real unsolved cases, then alert the police so they can put these babies to bed. Get more stories delivered right to your email. [1], E.C. Barbara Ann Spengler/Flickr 3. Coffey robbed a bank in Tulsa in 1924 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Hidden beneath the blanket of dense trees, the camp is quiet now. "She was the kind of person who cheered up every one around her.". Thank you! Summer camp has been a staple of the American experience for generations. "Anybody walking through that camp, unless you had a good flashlight, it would be pretty much pitch black," Wilson said. to keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but we really In fact, before leaving her home in Broken Arrow, her mother GeorgeAnn told a newspaper that Michele insisted she take care of her plants while she was away at camp. [3], There were a number of theories speculated on about who the murderer was and what the motive was, often involving the large debt on the ranch or his insurance policy. Predictably, this information sparked controversy. She has driven hundreds of thousands of miles in her car that has been wrapped with photos of Brittanyhoping to bring awareness to this decade-long case. As he lay on the floor of a mechanics garage in Blanchard, Oklahoma, his head bandaged with a bloody towel, state crime bureau agents and lawmen from four counties knelt down to try and make sense of his mumbling, incoherent words. She was a straight-A student and had already been admitted into a Tulsa school that was created for exceptionally bright students. With their fourth roommate set to arrive the following night due to a scheduling error, the trio got situated in their unit and wrote letters back home. The years have smoothed much of the pain, Sue Benham said. 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. Authorities were unable to exclude Hart as a contributor. Despite extensive investigation, no one was charged with the murder. That evening around 7 pm, the three girls sought shelter from a thunderstorm in Tent #8, known as Camp Kiowa. The Tents where the Girl Scouts stayed were fanned out around the counselor's quarters in order to keep an eye on the girls, but Tent #8 was the furthest away and almost impossible to see at night. The area or even experienced hunters would know that there were three caves surrounding camp! Investigator he had known `` that punk '' sloan in Amarillo, the newspaper had been the! Tenth Circuit, Four years after suspect 's death, E.C habit of stealing glasses everywhere he,. Usa: Garry Thomas ALLEN this time, it would take police longer to catch Hart for 4 years but! 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