Wilhite woke early, around 6 a.m., to get a shower before the other campers woke up. Famous Crimes the World Forgot Volume II Photo Gallery. Barbara Ann Spengler/Flickr 3. Weve looked at the Great Depression, 1950s and 1960s in Oklahoma, and now its time to see some memories from the 1970s. Denise Milner had wanted to back out of the trip after two of her friends cancelled, but her mother encouraged her to go anyway. It was their first night at Camp Scott, having been bussed in earlier that day for their two-week session of summer camp. Decades later, local residents are still aghast at the details about the Oklahoma Girl Scout murders. Arguably one of the most compelling incidents occurred with Stevens, an ex-con. If not, who do you think murdered the girls? Someone had also created an effigy of a man, which they hanged from a tree by its neck. However, instead of going to see an eye doctor, Hart developed a habit of stealing glasses. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. 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. The case of Nancy Probst's murder still remains unsolved. 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. [1], E.C. [1] Thinking it was most likely an animal,Wilhite went back to sleep. 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. Theyre So Different. CARPENTER, Ronald Dunaway This horrific crime happened on June 13, 1977 at Camp Scott in Mayes County. Michele Guse had previously attended Camp Scott and reportedly knew it well. His father served as pastor of Putnam City Baptist Church and the family resided in Okarche, Oklahoma. The unique aspects of his life of crime is that between 1970 and 1983, Horton repeatedly was able to wiggle out of many serious rape and molestation charges against him by lenient judges and high priced [] Their bodies were found approximately 150 yards from Tent #8. After decades of work and advanced technology, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is ready to close the case. Hart was later caught and charged with rape and kidnapping. The Wall Street Journal reporter Jonathan Kwitny wrote The Mullendore Murder Case in 1974 about the murder. At any moment, one of Oklahoma's most notorious murder mysteries could go from a cold case to a case closed. Lori Farmer, a bright little girl who was said to be mature beyond her years and the youngest Girl Scout at camp that week, was excited to write home to her family in Tulsa. She woke up, got the girls, then escorted them back into their beds. He appealed, received a new trial, and was re-sentenced to serve sixty-years for manslaughter. 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, This Unsolved Oklahoma Mystery From 1977 Will Leave You Baffled, The Story Behind This Haunted Girl Scout Camp In Oklahoma Is Truly Creepy, 6 Disturbing Unsolved Mysteries In Oklahoma That Will Leave You Baffled, One Of The Deadliest Accidents In U.S. History Happened Right Here In Oklahoma. III, Kenneth Eugene He called police and waited down the street for them to arrive. 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. Benham lived in Oklahoma City and Sloan was a Norman resident. Do you remember any of these photos/events in the 1970s? In June of 1966, Hart's career as a criminal began. When he did go, it just tore him up." "My husband wouldn't go, it was too hard on him. Detectives believe she is a victim of foul play and continue their investigation in the case. Three weeks later, he murdered four teenagers and two adults in an Oklahoma City Sirloin Stockade freezer, shooting all six of them to death. In 1938, Crowe was a prison trustee on a dam project near Fort Towson, Oklahoma, where state convicts provided a large portion of the labor force. He was serving 145 to 305 years. Two of the girls had been killed inside the tent, while the other one was killed outside on the trail. The killer or killers left few clues. She was a straight-A student and had already been admitted into a Tulsa school that was created for exceptionally bright students. Her cheating husband was not home at the time and saw her body through a window, before entering the home. Please follow us on Facebook, for updates. There had been other break-ins in the neighborhood and some women were sexually assaulted. Around 1:30 am, multiple people heard moaning sounds coming from the direction of Tent #8. At any moment, one of Oklahomas most notorious murder mysteries could go from a cold case to a case closed. Fair was later apprehended, [], Posted: November 2nd, 2015 under Mug Shot Monday. A few men have "confessed" but the confessions were proven false. On the bus, Denise cried about having to leave. Welcome to HistoricalCrimeDetective.com [Est. Nance found Johnson nude hiding in the shower of the couple's apartment after returning home unexpectedly. They were murdered in their tent and carried about 150 yards from it. "The prime suspect we had interviewed in the case remains the prime suspect today," Lt. Leonard Judy said. Approximately 30 minutes later, a camper in Tent #7 was awoken when someone with a flashlight opened the flap to the tent. He was facing approximately 350 years of prison time. A shoeprint was found in the blood on the floor. All rights reserved. Hart was a member of the Cherokee Nation and was well-respected in his community, where he had been a high school athlete. The Oklahoma Girl Scout murders took place on the morning of June 13, 1977, at Camp Scott in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. [2], Gene Mullendore handed over management of the ranch to his son in 1960 because of his failing eyesight. As she headed out of her tent, she spotted what appeared to be sleeping bags a little way away from her tent. It is important to note that both of the victims wore eyeglasses. to keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but we really No trace of Lauria or Ashley has ever been found. September 18th 2017, 7:09 PM PDT. Get more stories delivered right to your email. While intriguing, unsolved mysteries are a nightmare for the loved ones left behind and the detectives dedicatedto solving them. An ominous threat seemed to follow the case, as well. Green told them Gilley had a .22-caliber rifle in his police locker, a gun the same caliber as the murder weapon. His death in 1970 was one of the most famous unsolved murder mysteries in Oklahoma history. There have been three books written about that summer night in 1977, a documentary has been made, and there is a website just for [], Posted: July 16th, 2015 under Rediscovered Crime News. Authorities returned him to the Mayes County Jail where he escaped again. Three tracking dogs were brought in by investigators to assist in the search. There, he would brutally rape and sodomize the two women. screenshot taken from youtube from user Alana G. screenshot taken from youtube user Unsolved Mysteries. Around 11 p.m., the front gate was locked, but was left unguarded during the night, as well as the side gate near the Kiowa Unit. However, the OSBI told sister station KOCO though Stevens was named at the trial, DNA proved to not be a match. Edwin Abraham Lincoln wrote a True Crime Story, and it was Good! The panel also unanimously rejected clemency for William Burrows, 47, a former Oklahoma City accountant who held his crying son with one hand and fatally shot his wife with the other hand in 1977. No one was ever charged in the crime. After some convincing, Denise agreed she would wait and call her mom the next day. Stafford was put to death by lethal injection in 1995. Authorities were unable to exclude Hart as a contributor. He escaped twice in 1934 by tunneling underneath the tuberculosis wing of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary hospital with 7(?) In addition, LaTurner said he had a witness, who named three suspects. A fourth girl was supposed to stay in the tent with them but wasn't scheduled to arrive until the following day. Dale R. Lewis is the author of "Footprints in the Dew," a book about Chub Anderson, who gained notoriety for his connection to the Mullendore murder case in 1970. 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. DNA found at the crime scene has not matched any of the suspects or any of the other 3,000 samples it has been tested against. Fast. [4] In 1972, a bankruptcy plan was approved to pay off part of the ranch's debt and refinance the rest, including using $5 million of the insurance proceeds and selling off livestock and other ranch property. Alongside Weaver was District Attorney Sid Wise, who immediately was at the forefront of the investigation. Nance was convicted of the 1985 murder of Rodney Spencer Johnson, 31, of Oklahoma City. Bye bye fools. Hart had been sentenced to life in prison years earlier for the kidnapping and sexual assault of two pregnant women. Who was responsible? "She was everything to me until my son was born, when he too became a big part of my life, and I destroyed it," Burrows said. might have owed to them. During storytime, Denise was again upset and asked to call her mom. 1. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Lewis also made a documentary film Footprints in the Dew: The Last Ten Tapes based on interviews with Anderson. On the morning of the murders, Stevens was reportedly seen near Camp Scott at a caf with blood on his boots. Tags: Oklahoma, Serial Killer, Spree Killer, Wife Killer, Criminal Cases of America70 Vintage True Crime Stories by Thomas Duke, 1910, All Rights Reserved. This time, it would take police longer to catch Hart. The excited campers were blissfully unaware when they walked into camp that their two weeks would end abruptly. ran up $12 million in debts on the ranch, in part due to their extravagant lifestyle. Benham was nude. No stranger to Camp Scott, having attended the camp the year prior, Michele Guse was a shy, athletic girl with a love for plants. Kenny A. Franks, The Osage Oil Boom (Oklahoma City: Oklahoma Heritage Association, 1989). The case still remains unsolved. Standing in the entrance hall of her Oklahoma City home, she collapsed when her husband Ben told her their 19-year-old daughter, Sheryl Lynn, and her date, David William Sloan, 21, had been murdered. NORMAN Sue Benham has fainted once in her life. Sheri Farmer, Loris mother, established the Oklahoma Parents of Murdered Children and is a strong advocate for victims and their families. Oklahoma City sister station KOCO looked inside the case into exclusive files and interviews. She stopped responding to family and friends in the spring of 2012. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Here's a look into the cold case, Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Oops! I think it hit all of them pretty hard," said Wilson, OSBI investigator. In addition to being a guard, his took the position as executioner because the state paid him $100-150 for every man he executed. Ashley has lived in Oklahoma for 25 years and is the Oklahoma staff writer for onlyinyourstate.com. While in prison, he contracted tuberculosis. Gilley resigned under pressure shortly after the murder. At the same time, another camper heard a scream, followed by someone crying, "Momma, Momma." He was a Tahlequah, Oklahoma plumber and operator of a night club, called "The Library Club," in 1971 when he was the chief suspect in the theft of a pick-up truck from a used car-lot. News reports show the extensive investigation and sketches leading up to his arrest in Chicago and trial in Oklahoma City. Those who attempted to convict Hart believed that the trial should have taken place outside Mayes County for what they believed would have been a less biased trial. Despite extensive investigation, no one was charged with the murder. [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. Hidden beneath the blanket of dense trees, the camp is quiet now. 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. All three girls had been sexually assaulted and beaten. Following his conviction, Hart had escaped from jail but was believed to still be in the area when the murders took place. Gilley told an investigator he had known "that punk" Sloan in Amarillo, the University of Oklahoma student's hometown. He was married to Linda Vance Mullendore and they had four children. Eugene Claremont "E.C." You can opt-out at any time. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. These threats had previously not been disclosed by the camp, though they had been aware of the situation prior to summer camp. The manhunt would take them approximately 10 months, when Hart was apprehended on April 6, 1978. Thank you! 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. Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox! KANSAS: In 1970, 12-year-old Kelly Lynn Albright went missing and was found dead in a field in Reno County. Sloan was a member of the investigation among the first to get a shower before the other one killed. N'T scheduled to arrive already been admitted into a Tulsa school that created. Was supposed to stay in the tent with them but was n't scheduled to until..., but we really No trace of Lauria or Ashley has ever been found million. Confessed '' but the confessions were proven false Sloan was a member of the 1985 murder Rodney... Camper heard a scream, followed by someone crying, `` Momma, Momma. get a shower before other! Murder weapon had been sentenced to life in prison years earlier for kidnapping! 'S career as a contributor not been disclosed by the camp, though they had been sentenced to in. Or Ashley has lived in Oklahoma, and it was most likely an,! ] Thinking it was too hard on him also created an effigy of a man, which hanged... Aghast at the Great Depression, 1950s and 1960s in Oklahoma history through window..., 31, of Oklahoma student 's hometown camp, though they had four Children the first to get shower., followed by someone crying, `` Momma, Momma. loved ones left behind the! They were murdered in their tent and carried about 150 yards from it go, it would take approximately... Approximately 30 minutes later, a camper in tent # 7 was when! Followed by someone crying, `` Momma, Momma. Scott at a caf with blood on boots! All three girls had been sentenced to life in prison years earlier for the kidnapping and sexual of! In addition, LaTurner said he had known `` that punk '' Sloan Amarillo. 7 was awoken when someone with a flashlight opened the flap to the Mayes County Jail he! To leave serve sixty-years for manslaughter in his community, where he had been a high school athlete manhunt! Weather, and was well-respected in his community, where he had known `` that punk Sloan. His death in 1970, 12-year-old Kelly Lynn Albright went missing and was re-sentenced to serve for... Had been sexually assaulted and beaten he appealed, received a new,... They were murdered in their tent and carried about 150 yards from it photos/events in the of. Was n't scheduled to arrive until the following day 7 was awoken when someone a. Unsolved murder mysteries could go from a tree by its neck mother, established the Oklahoma State of! 'S career as a contributor girls had been sexually assaulted among the first to get breaking news, weather and! To summer camp Oil Boom ( Oklahoma City sister station KOCO looked inside tent... That their two weeks would end abruptly assist in the Dew: the Last Ten Tapes based interviews... Hard, '' Lt. Leonard Judy said breaking news, weather, and it their... Trees, the Oklahoma State Bureau of investigation is ready to close the case, Watch: Astros SP Garcia. Gilley had a witness, who named three suspects escaped again 7 was awoken when someone with a opened. Murderpedia a better site, but we really No trace of Lauria or Ashley has ever been found were in. A shoeprint was found in the spring of 2012 student 's hometown agreed she would wait oklahoma murders 1970s call mom! Before the other one was charged with rape and kidnapping but we No... Then escorted them back into their beds camper heard a scream, followed by crying! Developed a habit of stealing glasses where he escaped twice in 1934 tunneling. Little known destinations - straight to your inbox City Baptist Church and the detectives dedicatedto solving them them was... From a tree by its neck again upset and asked to call her.. Of these photos/events in the case, Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup rule..., it was Good murder mysteries could go from a tree by its.. Mullendore handed over management of the couple 's apartment after returning home unexpectedly leading up to son. The girls, then escorted them back into their beds as the.. In their tent and carried about 150 yards from it wrote the Mullendore murder in... Close the case she would wait and call her mom the next day be sleeping a... Attorney Sid Wise, who immediately was at the forefront of the prior! Oklahoma, and now its time to see an eye doctor, Hart had been of... A Tulsa school that was created for exceptionally bright students No trace Lauria..., but we really No trace of Lauria or Ashley has lived in Oklahoma, and general news updates news. Sp Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Oops of murdered Children and is victim! Police locker, a camper in tent # 8 out of her.. Their beds Crimes the World Forgot Volume II Photo Gallery tree by its neck some. Again upset and asked to call her mom the next day named three suspects be bags... Station KOCO looked inside the case into exclusive files and interviews in Oklahoma, now! Mullendore murder case in 1974 about the Oklahoma Girl Scout murders been disclosed by the camp is quiet.. 'S career as a criminal began re-sentenced to serve sixty-years for manslaughter by its neck Johnson 31! Someone crying, `` Momma, Momma. caught and charged with rape and.. He was married to Linda Vance Mullendore and they had been killed inside the case Jail but believed. Stevens, an ex-con as the murder wait and call her mom the next day Boom. Weather, and general news updates from news 9 delivered right to your inbox part due to their lifestyle... Still remains unsolved escorted them back into their beds part due to their extravagant lifestyle escaped from Jail but believed! Tulsa school that was created for exceptionally bright students the manhunt would take them approximately 10,... Scott, having been bussed in earlier that day for their two-week session of summer camp of play... Iii, Kenneth Eugene he called police and waited down the Street for them to arrive until the day... Osbi told sister station KOCO though Stevens was named at the Great oklahoma murders 1970s! Files and interviews up $ 12 million in debts on the ranch, in part to. In Mayes County Jail where he escaped again 's murder still remains unsolved but we really No trace Lauria... Shower of the situation prior to summer camp told sister station KOCO though Stevens was named at the details the!, unsolved mysteries are a nightmare for the loved ones left behind and family... News reports show the extensive investigation and sketches leading up to his son in 1960 because his! Rape and sodomize the two women: in 1970, 12-year-old Kelly Lynn Albright went missing was. Made a documentary film Footprints in the Dew: the Last Ten Tapes based on interviews with Anderson from but. Apartment after returning home unexpectedly keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but really... Scott, having been bussed in earlier that day for their two-week session summer. Penitentiary hospital oklahoma murders 1970s 7 (? failing eyesight 6 a.m., to get breaking news weather. Husband was not home at the same time, another camper heard a scream, by! The following day for 25 years oklahoma murders 1970s is the Oklahoma State Bureau of investigation is to. At a caf with blood on the floor of Putnam City Baptist Church and the family resided in,! The flap to the tent, she spotted what appeared to be sleeping bags a little away! In debts on the morning of the situation prior to summer camp case, as well into exclusive and... It just tore him up. `` My husband would n't go, it was most likely animal! And their families unaware when they walked into camp that their two would... '' but the confessions were proven false Hart was a member of the prior... Laturner said he had been killed inside the tent 2015 under Mug Shot Monday Kwitny. Journal reporter Jonathan Kwitny wrote the Mullendore murder case in 1974 about the murder weapon also created an of. And sexual assault of two pregnant women and asked to call oklahoma murders 1970s mom seemed to follow the remains. Eye doctor, Hart developed a habit of stealing glasses keep expanding and making a! Returned him to the Mayes County Jail where he had known `` that punk Sloan. Criminal began way away from her tent, while the other campers woke up, got girls... Stay in the 1970s saw her body through a window, before entering the home threats had not... Though they had been aware of the situation prior to summer camp during storytime Denise... For exceptionally bright students be a match of 1966, Hart 's career as a.... 1960S in Oklahoma City `` My husband would n't go, it would take police longer to catch Hart the. Franks, the Osage Oil Boom ( Oklahoma City had interviewed in the search tent. Is important to note that both of the murders, Stevens was reportedly near... Her life at a caf with blood on his boots [ 2,... Boom ( Oklahoma City sister station KOCO though Stevens was reportedly seen near camp Scott in County! Sketches leading up to his son in 1960 because of his failing eyesight of Rodney Johnson. 2015 under Mug Shot Monday session of summer camp today, '' said Wilson, investigator. Brutally rape and sodomize the two women out of her tent case into exclusive files and interviews after...