375:(equivalent to $ 37300 in 2023) in donations were raised by the sheriff in order to do new DNA tests using the latest advances in testing. In 2022, authorities made public that DNA evidence strongly suggests Hart's involvement. Sheriff Mike Reed of Mayes County said, “Unless something new comes up, something brought to light we are not aware of, I am convinced where I’m sitting of Hart’s guilt and involvement in this case.” Reed said the results of the DNA tests have been known since 2019, but did not go public with the findings until asked to do so by the victims' families.
400:(2021), which determined that crimes involving Cherokee natives on Cherokee lands in Oklahoma fell under tribal rather than state sovereignty, new details about the killings are being investigated by the Cherokee Nation. Writer Faith Phillips stated that she had obtained a written confession to the killings from a Cherokee native, which as of July 2023 was under new investigation, since the case had not been closed by the FBI.
589:
313:. He was represented by Garvin A. Isaacs, a local Oklahoma attorney. He was tried in March 1979. Although the local sheriff pronounced himself "one thousand percent" certain that Hart was guilty, a local jury acquitted him. As a convicted rapist and jail escapee, Hart still had 305 years of his 308-year sentence left to serve in the
280:
A large, red flashlight was found on top of the girls' bodies; a smudged fingerprint was found on the lens, but it has never been identified as it was too smudged for a positive identification. A footprint from a 9.5 size shoe was also found in the blood in the tent. Between 2:30 and 3 a.m. on June
220:
Less than two months before the murders, during an on-site training session, a counselor at Camp Scott discovered that her belongings had been ransacked and her doughnuts had been stolen. Inside the empty doughnut box was a hand-written note, stating in capital letters, "We are on a mission to kill
268:
At around 6 a.m. on June 13, a camp counselor on her way to the shower saw a girl's body in her sleeping bag in a wooded area just outside the tent area. It was discovered that all three girls from tent #7 were missing. As counselors began searching, they discovered the girls from tent #7 had been
212:
and murdered. Their bodies were then left on a trail leading to the campsite's showers, about 150 yards (140 meters) from their tent. The case was classified as solved when Gene Leroy Hart, a local jail escapee with a history of violence and rape, was arrested. However, Hart was
269:
murdered. Two bodies were inside a sleeping bag, crumpled towards the bottom of the bag, and one body was visible on the outside. They had been left on a trail leading to the showers, about 150 yards from their tent. Subsequent testing showed that they had been
350:
million in 2023), alleging negligence. The civil trial included discussion of the threatening note and the fact that tent #7 was 86 yards (79 m) from the counselors' tent. In 1985, by a 9–3 vote, jurors decided in favor of Magic Empire.
248:
At around 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 12, 1977, the night before camp started, the girls huddled in their tents. Among them were Lori Lee Farmer (8), Doris Denise Milner (10), and
Michele Heather Guse (9). The girls were all residents of
367:
would obtain these results. In 2008, authorities conducted new DNA testing on stains found on a pillowcase, the results of which proved inconclusive because the samples were "too deteriorated to obtain a DNA profile". In 2017,
383:
Richard Guse, the father of one of the three victims, went on to help the state legislature pass the
Oklahoma Victims' Bill of Rights. He also helped found the Oklahoma Crime Victims Compensation Board.
880:
487:
236:. DNA testing performed in 2017, taking advantage of a further 28 years of advances in testing, strongly suggests Hart’s involvement in the crime, though the case remains officially
604:
995:
1237:
1222:
709:
1207:
297:
Gene Leroy Hart (November 27, 1943 – June 4, 1979) had been at large since 1973 after escaping from the Mayes County Jail. He had been convicted of
1252:
782:
1217:
427:, about the case was released on Hulu on May 24, 2022, a few weeks before the 45th anniversary of the crimes. It is hosted by actress and singer
1247:
1277:
1267:
1272:
1159:
966:
1212:
1192:
61:
450:
809:
232: – as a suspect, but did not narrow the pool of possible suspects enough, showing that it applied to 1 in 7,700
1125:
1106:
364:
233:
1153:
First person interview conducted on July 13, 2010, with Nancy McDonald, board member when the Girl Scout murders took place.
1227:
431:, who was an 8-year-old Girl Scout in 1977 and had planned to go on the camping trip but became ill and did not attend.
476:
445:
1087:
265:" unit, which was located the farthest from the camp counselors' tent and partially obscured by the camp’s showers.
228:
DNA testing performed in 1989 was officially inconclusive, as it did reconfirm Hart – a member of the
605:"40 years ago, the murders of three Girl Scouts in Oklahoma stunned the nation, created shockwaves still being felt"
1232:
1047:
502:
1242:
1202:
412:, based on the book of the same name by Michael and Dick Wilkerson, was released. The documentary is narrated by
1262:
676:
636:
745:
1257:
54:
363:
was conducted that showed three of the five probes matched Hart's DNA. Statistically, DNA from 1 in 7,700
314:
1048:"Kristin Chenoweth reveals shocking connection to Girl Scout murders: 'I should have been on that trip'"
530:
569:
1080:
Someone Cry for the
Children: The Unsolved Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders and the Case of Gene Leroy Hart
557:
1197:
846:
455:
847:"My Daughter Was Killed at Girl Scout Camp: How an Okla. Mom Seeks Justice 40 Years After Slaying"
324:
at the age of 35 after about an hour of lifting weights and jogging in the prison exercise yard.
1099:
Tent Number Eight: An
Investigation of the Girl Scout Murders & the Trial of Gene Leroy Hart
750:
250:
205:
197:
42:
1156:
387:
Another parent, Sheri Farmer, founded the
Oklahoma chapter of Parents of Murdered Children, a
193:
38:
1150:
996:"1977 Northeast Oklahoma Girl Scout murders case gets fresh look in wake of 'McGirt' ruling"
1052:
767:
714:
370:
338:
333:
281:
13, a landowner reported hearing "quite a bit" of traffic on a remote road near the camp.
8:
731:
1023:
482:
396:
588:
1121:
1102:
1083:
851:
440:
428:
823:
819:
755:
719:
1141:
881:"DNA points to longtime primary suspect in 1977 Girl Scout slayings, sheriff says"
221:
three girls in tent one." The director of that camp session treated the note as a
1163:
306:
258:
229:
581:
413:
1186:
1145:
942:
914:
787:
681:
641:
565:
507:
388:
360:
274:
76:
63:
531:"The Horrifying Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders Remain Unsolved 45 Years Later"
321:
320:
On June 4, 1979, two years after the murders, Hart collapsed and died of a
310:
1167:
972:
886:
610:
417:
270:
217:
in March 1979 after a jury unanimously returned a verdict of not guilty.
677:"Girl Scout murders in Oklahoma remain unsolved 40 years after tragedy"
298:
100:
637:"Jury Finds in Favor Of Scout Council Slain Girls' Parents "Shocked'"
301:
and raping two pregnant women as well as four counts of first-degree
237:
214:
937:
909:
686:
646:
302:
254:
201:
96:
46:
1177:
814:
535:
1174:
has the definitive series on the murders published June 2017.
305:. Raised about a mile from Camp Scott, Hart, a member of the
262:
222:
1000:
209:
1077:
309:, was arrested within a year at the home of a Cherokee
783:"DNA Tests Link Gene Leroy Hart to Girl Scout Deaths"
1025:
Someone Cry for the
Children: The Girl Scout Murders
810:"DNA Testing Inconclusive in Girl Scout Murder Case"
425:
Keeper of the Ashes: The
Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders
410:
Someone Cry for The
Children: The Girl Scout Murders
1118:
The Camp Scott
Murders: The 1977 Girl Scout Murders
675:Keeping, Juliana; Bailey, Brianna (June 14, 2017).
1142:"Three Girl Scouts were murdered thirty years ago"
965:
938:"Three Girl Scouts were murdered thirty years ago"
879:
670:
668:
666:
664:
603:
475:
289:Camp Scott was evacuated and was later shut down.
1151:Voices of Oklahoma interview with Nancy McDonald.
1184:
423:A four-part ABC News documentary series, titled
661:
192:took place on the morning of June 13, 1977, at
16:Unsolved 1977 murder of three girls in Oklahoma
1238:Mass murder in the United States in the 1970s
674:
477:"Convict Acquitted in Death of 3 Girl Scouts"
1223:Deaths by strangulation in the United States
710:"Jury acquits suspect in Girl Scout murders"
503:"Survivor Didn't Like Tent Where Girls Died"
1045:
261:. They were sharing tent #7 in the camp's "
1208:Unsolved mass murders in the United States
1101:. Tate Publishing & Enterprises, LLC.
243:
1028:(Documentary), Barrister Productions Inc.
746:"Autopsy shows Hart died of heart attack"
528:
208:, between the ages of 8 and 10, who were
780:
420:. It was directed by Michael Wilkerson.
204:, United States. The victims were three
1253:Child sexual abuse in the United States
993:
935:
877:
845:Pelisek, Christine (February 1, 2018).
844:
707:
601:
394:As a result of the Supreme Court case.
1218:Deaths by beating in the United States
1185:
1120:. CreateSpace Independent Publishing.
907:
634:
630:
628:
500:
1248:June 1977 events in the United States
1157:40 years after the Girl Scout murders
1115:
1096:
1021:
963:
873:
871:
869:
1178:"Murdered Girl Scouts at Camp Scott"
1046:Schonberger, Rachel (May 16, 2022).
781:Trammell, Robby (October 25, 1989).
1278:Native American history of Oklahoma
1268:Incidents of violence against girls
1078:Michael and Dick Wilkerson (1981).
625:
332:Two of the families later sued the
13:
1273:Violence against women in Oklahoma
908:Palmer, Griff (January 17, 1985).
866:
490:from the original on July 8, 2020.
446:List of murdered American children
277:. All three girls had been raped.
14:
1289:
1213:Child murder in the United States
1193:1977 murders in the United States
1135:
994:Herrera, Allison (July 6, 2023).
635:Palmer, Griff (March 28, 1985).
587:
501:Palmer, Griff (March 21, 1985).
403:
1071:
1039:
1015:
987:
957:
929:
901:
838:
822:. June 25, 2008. Archived from
802:
774:
708:Broyles, Gil (March 31, 1979).
529:McAuliffe, Cat (June 3, 2022).
936:Jackson, Ron (June 10, 2007).
738:
701:
602:Stanley, Tim (June 11, 2017).
595:
550:
522:
494:
468:
354:
1:
910:"Victim's Father Given Award"
486:. March 31, 1979. p. 6.
461:
346:million (equivalent to $ 14.2
327:
878:Stanley, Tim (May 6, 2022).
284:
139:Michele Heather Guse, age 9;
7:
964:Olson, Pam (June 9, 2002).
434:
315:Oklahoma State Penitentiary
190:Oklahoma Girl Scout murders
148:Doris Denise Milner, age 10
22:Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders
10:
1294:
1228:Rapes in the United States
758:. June 6, 1979. p. 13
572:. June 17, 1977. p. 1
570:United Press International
408:A 1993 documentary called
292:
562:The Bonham Daily Favorite
378:
178:
170:
162:
154:
145:
136:
127:
122:
114:
106:
92:
53:
34:
26:
1162:August 10, 2017, at the
456:Murder of Marcia Trimble
451:List of unsolved murders
225:, and it was discarded.
1233:Mass murder in Oklahoma
1082:. New York: Doubleday.
558:"Slain Girl's Services"
244:Discovery of the bodies
130:Lori Lee Farmer, age 8;
77:36.162006°N 95.166355°W
1243:Girl Scouts of the USA
1203:Mayes County, Oklahoma
751:Lawrence Journal-World
1263:Female murder victims
1097:McCoy, Gloyd (2011).
82:36.162006; -95.166355
1116:Kelly, C.S. (2014).
1053:Entertainment Weekly
1022:Wilkerson, Michael,
826:on December 21, 2016
768:NewspaperArchive.com
715:St. Petersburg Times
336:and its insurer for
334:Magic Empire Council
1258:Mass murder in 1977
732:Google News Archive
73: /
23:
483:The New York Times
397:McGirt v. Oklahoma
21:
1127:978-1-5001-5735-7
1108:978-1-61777-632-8
967:"Shadow of doubt"
441:Crime in Oklahoma
429:Kristin Chenoweth
186:
185:
1285:
1198:1977 in Oklahoma
1131:
1112:
1093:
1065:
1064:
1062:
1060:
1043:
1037:
1036:
1035:
1033:
1019:
1013:
1012:
1010:
1008:
991:
985:
984:
982:
980:
969:
961:
955:
954:
952:
950:
933:
927:
926:
924:
922:
905:
899:
898:
896:
894:
883:
875:
864:
863:
861:
859:
842:
836:
835:
833:
831:
820:Associated Press
806:
800:
799:
797:
795:
778:
772:
771:
765:
763:
756:Associated Press
742:
736:
735:
729:
727:
720:Associated Press
705:
699:
698:
696:
694:
689:on July 19, 2017
685:. Archived from
672:
659:
658:
656:
654:
645:. Archived from
632:
623:
622:
620:
618:
607:
599:
593:
592:
591:
585:
579:
577:
554:
548:
547:
545:
543:
526:
520:
519:
517:
515:
498:
492:
491:
479:
472:
374:
365:Native Americans
349:
345:
342:
234:Native Americans
88:
87:
85:
84:
83:
78:
74:
71:
70:
69:
66:
24:
20:
1293:
1292:
1288:
1287:
1286:
1284:
1283:
1282:
1183:
1182:
1164:Wayback Machine
1138:
1128:
1109:
1090:
1074:
1069:
1068:
1058:
1056:
1044:
1040:
1031:
1029:
1020:
1016:
1006:
1004:
992:
988:
978:
976:
962:
958:
948:
946:
934:
930:
920:
918:
906:
902:
892:
890:
876:
867:
857:
855:
843:
839:
829:
827:
808:
807:
803:
793:
791:
779:
775:
761:
759:
744:
743:
739:
725:
723:
706:
702:
692:
690:
673:
662:
652:
650:
633:
626:
616:
614:
600:
596:
586:
575:
573:
556:
555:
551:
541:
539:
527:
523:
513:
511:
499:
495:
474:
473:
469:
464:
437:
406:
381:
369:
357:
347:
343:
337:
330:
307:Cherokee Nation
295:
287:
246:
230:Cherokee Nation
166:Gene Leroy Hart
81:
79:
75:
72:
67:
64:
62:
60:
59:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1291:
1281:
1280:
1275:
1270:
1265:
1260:
1255:
1250:
1245:
1240:
1235:
1230:
1225:
1220:
1215:
1210:
1205:
1200:
1195:
1181:
1180:
1175:
1154:
1148:
1137:
1136:External links
1134:
1133:
1132:
1126:
1113:
1107:
1094:
1088:
1073:
1070:
1067:
1066:
1038:
1014:
986:
956:
928:
900:
865:
837:
801:
773:
737:
700:
660:
649:on May 1, 2018
624:
594:
582:Newspapers.com
549:
521:
493:
466:
465:
463:
460:
459:
458:
453:
448:
443:
436:
433:
414:Dale Robertson
405:
402:
380:
377:
356:
353:
329:
326:
294:
291:
286:
283:
257:, a suburb of
245:
242:
184:
183:
180:
176:
175:
172:
168:
167:
164:
160:
159:
156:
152:
151:
150:
149:
143:
142:
141:
140:
134:
133:
132:
131:
125:
124:
120:
119:
116:
112:
111:
108:
104:
103:
94:
90:
89:
57:
51:
50:
36:
32:
31:
28:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1290:
1279:
1276:
1274:
1271:
1269:
1266:
1264:
1261:
1259:
1256:
1254:
1251:
1249:
1246:
1244:
1241:
1239:
1236:
1234:
1231:
1229:
1226:
1224:
1221:
1219:
1216:
1214:
1211:
1209:
1206:
1204:
1201:
1199:
1196:
1194:
1191:
1190:
1188:
1179:
1176:
1173:
1169:
1165:
1161:
1158:
1155:
1152:
1149:
1147:
1146:The Oklahoman
1143:
1140:
1139:
1129:
1123:
1119:
1114:
1110:
1104:
1100:
1095:
1091:
1089:0-385-27152-2
1085:
1081:
1076:
1075:
1059:September 17,
1055:
1054:
1049:
1042:
1027:
1026:
1018:
1003:
1002:
997:
990:
975:
974:
968:
960:
945:
944:
943:The Oklahoman
939:
932:
917:
916:
915:The Oklahoman
911:
904:
889:
888:
882:
874:
872:
870:
854:
853:
848:
841:
825:
821:
817:
816:
811:
805:
794:September 17,
790:
789:
788:The Oklahoman
784:
777:
769:
757:
753:
752:
747:
741:
733:
721:
717:
716:
711:
704:
688:
684:
683:
682:The Oklahoman
678:
671:
669:
667:
665:
648:
644:
643:
642:The Oklahoman
638:
631:
629:
613:
612:
606:
598:
590:
583:
571:
567:
566:Bonham, Texas
563:
559:
553:
542:September 17,
538:
537:
532:
525:
510:
509:
508:The Oklahoman
504:
497:
489:
485:
484:
478:
471:
467:
457:
454:
452:
449:
447:
444:
442:
439:
438:
432:
430:
426:
421:
419:
415:
411:
404:Documentaries
401:
399:
398:
392:
390:
389:support group
385:
376:
372:
366:
362:
352:
340:
335:
325:
323:
318:
316:
312:
308:
304:
300:
290:
282:
278:
276:
272:
266:
264:
260:
256:
252:
241:
239:
235:
231:
226:
224:
218:
216:
211:
207:
203:
199:
195:
191:
181:
177:
173:
169:
165:
161:
157:
153:
147:
146:
144:
138:
137:
135:
129:
128:
126:
121:
117:
113:
109:
105:
102:
101:strangulation
98:
95:
91:
86:
58:
56:
52:
48:
44:
40:
37:
33:
30:June 13, 1977
29:
25:
19:
1171:
1117:
1098:
1079:
1072:Bibliography
1057:. Retrieved
1051:
1041:
1030:, retrieved
1024:
1017:
1005:. Retrieved
999:
989:
977:. Retrieved
971:
959:
947:. Retrieved
941:
931:
919:. Retrieved
913:
903:
891:. Retrieved
885:
858:February 23,
856:. Retrieved
850:
840:
828:. Retrieved
824:the original
813:
804:
792:. Retrieved
786:
776:
766:– via
760:. Retrieved
749:
740:
730:– via
724:. Retrieved
722:. p. 3A
713:
703:
691:. Retrieved
687:the original
680:
651:. Retrieved
647:the original
640:
615:. Retrieved
609:
597:
580:– via
574:. Retrieved
561:
552:
540:. Retrieved
534:
524:
512:. Retrieved
506:
496:
481:
470:
424:
422:
409:
407:
395:
393:
386:
382:
358:
331:
322:heart attack
319:
311:medicine man
296:
288:
279:
267:
251:Broken Arrow
247:
227:
219:
198:Mayes County
189:
187:
107:Participants
43:Mayes County
18:
1168:Tulsa World
973:Tulsa World
887:Tulsa World
611:Tulsa World
418:Johnny Cash
361:DNA testing
355:DNA testing
206:Girl Scouts
179:Convictions
80: /
55:Coordinates
1187:Categories
1007:August 17,
693:August 30,
653:August 30,
514:October 6,
462:References
328:Civil suit
299:kidnapping
271:bludgeoned
194:Camp Scott
174:Not guilty
123:Casualties
68:95°09′59″W
65:36°09′43″N
39:Camp Scott
1172:The World
359:In 1989,
285:Aftermath
275:strangled
215:acquitted
1160:Archived
979:June 13,
949:June 13,
921:June 13,
830:June 13,
762:June 13,
726:June 13,
617:June 13,
576:June 13,
488:Archived
435:See also
303:burglary
255:Oklahoma
238:unsolved
202:Oklahoma
163:Suspects
118:Unsolved
97:Homicide
47:Oklahoma
35:Location
1166:in the
815:KOTV-DT
293:Suspect
171:Verdict
115:Outcome
1124:
1105:
1086:
1032:May 8,
893:May 7,
852:People
536:Ranker
379:Legacy
373:30,000
348:
344:
155:Deaths
49:, U.S.
263:Kiowa
259:Tulsa
223:prank
210:raped
93:Cause
1122:ISBN
1103:ISBN
1084:ISBN
1061:2024
1034:2022
1009:2024
1001:KOSU
981:2017
951:2017
923:2017
895:2022
860:2018
832:2017
796:2024
764:2017
728:2017
695:2022
655:2022
619:2017
578:2017
544:2024
516:2020
416:and
371:US$
339:US$
273:and
188:The
182:None
27:Date
1144:in
317:.
196:in
99:by
1189::
1170:.
1050:.
998:.
970:.
940:.
912:.
884:.
868:^
849:.
818:.
812:.
785:.
754:.
748:.
718:.
712:.
679:.
663:^
639:.
627:^
608:.
568:.
564:.
560:.
533:.
505:.
480:.
391:.
253:,
240:.
200:,
45:,
41:,
1130:.
1111:.
1092:.
1063:.
1011:.
983:.
953:.
925:.
897:.
862:.
834:.
798:.
770:.
734:.
697:.
657:.
621:.
584:.
546:.
518:.
341:5
158:3
110:1
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.