Authorities returned him to the Mayes County Jail where he escaped again. 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. Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. 's body to be removed from the crime scene and later embalmed before an autopsy could be performed. Hart was later caught and charged with rape and kidnapping. The following day, Darnell tampered with a track switch near Henryetta, Oklahoma, which later caused a passenger train to jump the track. As a result of these concerns, Governor Trapp, in his message to the Tenth Oklahoma legislature, recommends the creation of a statewide law enforcement agency. 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. [5], According to private investigator Gary Glanz, in 2010 Chub Anderson told Glanz that he had killed E.C. They were murdered in their tent and carried about 150 yards from it. Sheryl Benham and Sloan disappeared after they attended a fraternity party May 9, 1970, at the University of Oklahoma. Do you think Gene Leroy Hart was responsible for the murders? Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox! Independently, Richard Guse, Micheles father, worked with former state Attorney General Mike Turpen to create the Oklahoma Victims Compensation Board. In the days following the murders, the investigation would lead authorities to various locations, including several nearby caves and a recently burglarized ranch. Oklahoma Crime Rates 1960 - 2019. 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. A dim light was moving through the woods toward the Kiowa Unit. [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. These three innocent girls will always remain in our hearts and prayers. Though Hart promptly returned to the state penitentiary in McAlister, Oklahoma to serve the remainder of his 305-year prison sentence. These true crime stories from Oklahoma appear on the Historical Crime Detective blog. One camper said they heard a scream in the night and another camper said they heard someone crying for their momma. KANSAS: In 1970, 12-year-old Kelly Lynn Albright went missing and was found dead in a field in Reno County. His wife moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma with their children and planned to divorce E.C. Mullendore. Last year, the board recommended Nance's life sentence be commuted to 25 years, but the move was denied by the governor. 1. Oklahoma City sister station KOCO looked inside the case into exclusive files and interviews. October 15, 1979: 2: Oklahoma, USA: Garry Thomas ALLEN. Anderson said that ranch hand Lonnie Joe Brown, his brother-in-law, had helped him stage the murder to look like intruders had killed E.C., including shooting Anderson in the arm. 1 most stressful city for U.S. workers, Houston leaders delay vote on Hobby Airport concesssions contract, Turner: State takeover of Houston ISD could happen next week, Astros GM provides update on Yordan Alvarez's hand injury, Bun B on bringing Southern rap stars to Houston's Rodeo, Watch: Houston Astros' Luis Garcia debuts new windup, Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious on-air interview with reporter, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston-area pastor calls for state book ban, Former KHOU 11 anchor Lily Jang turns layoff into lucrative real estate career, Houston is in for dust and gray skies as Texas haboob hits city, Your essential and exhaustive guide to 2023 Houston rodeo food, How the Houston Zoo moved its flock of flamingos to a new home, Why the Texans should take Bijan Robinson with the No. Because he was on parole for the rape and kidnapping charges, the court served him consecutive sentences of roughly 90 years. Nearly 45 years ago, three Girl Scouts were brutally murdered at camp. [], Posted: May 12th, 2014 under Mug Shot Monday. She was not keen on the idea of leaving her mom Bettye and her 5-year-old sister. 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. Not only had a monster snuck into the camp and done something so atrocious that it haunts Oklahoma to this day, but there was still a camp full of girls. Following his conviction, Hart had escaped from jail but was believed to still be in the area when the murders took place. It was their first night at Camp Scott, having been bussed in earlier that day for their two-week session of summer camp. He was married to Linda Vance Mullendore and they had four children. Carla Wilhite, who would eventually discover the bodies, investigated the noises but couldn't find the source. When she isn't exploring Oklahoma, she enjoys visiting the beaches of California. This was when he started his career as a burglar, breaking into the homes while the owners were home and asleep. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World Cory. Lori Lee Farmer (8), Michelle Heather Guse (9), and Doris Denise Milner (10) arrived for Girl Scout camp at Camp Scott in Mayes County, OK, on June 12, 1977. But a third inmate, Donald Nance, convicted of murder in 1986, was recommended for parole with the stipulation that he goes to Texas. On the bus, Denise cried about having to leave. Blood was found on the tent flap, parts of the floor and mattresses, and parts of the tent itself were broken. Her cheating husband was not home at the time and saw her body through a window, before entering the home. One of the Kiowa counselors, a young woman named Dee Elder, comforted Denise. If not, who do you think murdered the girls? She woke up, got the girls, then escorted them back into their beds. Nearly 45 years ago, three Girl Scouts were brutally murdered at camp. African violets were one of her favorites. Hart was tried for the murders of the Girl Scouts in March 1979, but the jury found him not guilty. Barbara Ann Spengler/Flickr 2. Solve these real unsolved cases, then alert the police so they can put these babies to bed. Johnson was the leader of the Oklahoma City band Prelude. He was trying to raise money to start a business that used small airplanes and infrared cameras to . Gilley passed a polygraph. "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. Mullendore III was born to Eugene Claremont "Gene" Mullendore Jr. and Kathleen (Boren) Mullendore. Along with the horrific scene, several pieces of evidence were found by detectives in the hours following their arrival at Camp Scott. Hart was more well-known to authorities for his deviant tendencies and criminal behavior. He was the prime suspect and was held in jail for 13 months before the judge ruled there was not enough evidence to convict him. On the morning of the murders, Stevens was reportedly seen near Camp Scott at a caf with blood on his boots. A fellow inmate of Hart's would later tell authorities that Hart had poor eyesight and needed glasses. His death in 1970 was one of the most famous unsolved murder mysteries in Oklahoma history. 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. Oklahoma House Votes To Pass Domestic Abuse Survivors Sentencing Bill, Driver In Custody After Deadly Hit-And-Run Involving Pedestrians, Tulsa Police Say, Tulsa Police Shoot, Kill Man Accused Of Breaking Into Home & Firing At Officers, Netflix's 'Stranger Things' Play To Debut In London This Year. Oklahoma City was a different place, a city that was much more confined . 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. A witness in that case, Don Bolding, of Bristow, was set to testify against him. 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. Love Oklahoma? When he did go, it just tore him up." Chapter 2: The largest manhunt in Oklahoma history kicks off in pursuit of two-time prison escapee Gene Leroy Hart, who, despite being charged with the murders, has a growing number of supporters. ran up $12 million in debts on the ranch, in part due to their extravagant lifestyle. Benham, 61, lives in Oklahoma City with her husband. During storytime, Denise was again upset and asked to call her mom. The next morning, the sun rose on another day at Camp Scott. "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. Do you remember any of these photos/events in the 1970s? Brittany, an 18-year-old college student, was found dead in her Tulsa apartment on September 30, 2004. His wife had also been shot in the head prior to the fire. Hart had been sentenced to life in prison years earlier for the kidnapping and sexual assault of two pregnant women. Despite extensive investigation, no one was charged with the murder. Hart was a member of the Cherokee Nation and was well-respected in his community, where he had been a high school athlete. III, Kenneth Eugene The girls were found bludgeoned, strangled, sexually assaulted and murdered. But there are still some disturbing facts. 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. Nearly 45 years ago, three Girl Scouts were brutally murdered at camp. On the anniversary of the slaying Thursday, Norman police announced a Norman citizen had turned over an object connected with the bloody killing that has renewed the hunt for the murderer. Here's a look into the cold case, Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Oops! Tags: 1970s, Juvenile, Oklahoma, unsolved, Joe Crowes Prison Mug Shot Oklahoma State Penitentiary convict Joe Crowe is a great example of the laxness with which prisons once guarded their inmates. He was serving 145 to 305 years. Suddenly, the light flooded the tent and a male figure stood in the entryway. Mullendore murder case remains active, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=E.C._Mullendore_III&oldid=1140689909, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 07:58. Ashley has lived in Oklahoma for 25 years and is the Oklahoma staff writer for onlyinyourstate.com. WJ Edwards 2-15-39, Convicted of Murder Story 1: Two Are Held in City Death, Shots Blamed on Robbery Fear Two men were held in the city jail Monday and funeral arrangements completed for a third as the aftermath of a shooting Sunday night in a one-room house at 129 West Chickasaw Avenue, Services for [], Posted: August 25th, 2014 under Mug Shot Monday. In fact, it wasnt until his fourth burglary, at the home of a Tulsa police officer, that his crimes came to light. Their bodies were found just south of Robinson Street and west of 48th Avenue NW. Tags: 1920s, 1930s, cop killer, Georgia, Oklahoma, Rich Owens was the executioner for the state of Oklahoma from 1915 to 1947. When Wise and OSBI agents spoke to the press later, they said they had no idea what Weaver had been talking about. He was sentenced to life in prison for first degree murder. Please refer to our. 3 Girl Scouts were murdered at camp nearly 45 years ago. 77-6-17 were written on the cave wall. Chub Anderson died later that year.[6]. He had a sister Katsy, who was married to John W. Mecom Jr., the owner of the National Football League New Orleans Saints. HALE, Harold Loyd McELMURRY Coffey robbed a bank in Tulsa in 1924 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Authorities believe that Scherer was abducted by person (s) unknown after a robbery. Eugene Claremont "E.C." Mullendore III (October 26, 1937 - September 26, 1970) was an heir to one of the largest cattle ranches in Oklahoma. "There was talk early on in the legal proceedings to have this case moved to a different venue," Wilson said. Mrs. Freeman's body was found in the mobile home but Mr. Freeman and the 2 girls were not found. Because of this, he had a vast group of staunch supporters. As she headed out of her tent, she spotted what appeared to be sleeping bags a little way away from her tent. In fact, it would later become known that Wise had made a book deal with a local reporter in exchange for information. Name: Date: Victims: Location : A: Glen Burton AKE. Soon after his initial investigation, Sheriff Weaver already had some working theories in mind. [1] E.C. There were no witnesses to her apparent kidnapping. To keep creating Who was responsible? A team of OSBI agents arrested Hart at a residence located about 45 miles from Camp Scott. The parents were tied and shot with a rifle Collins stole from their home a week earlier. To the naked eye, a passerby may never notice the caves located near Camp Scott. Bibliography. The killer or killers left few clues. OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) The year was 1987. 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. Another investigation led, in 1971, to Gilley being charged in Cleveland County District Court with a misdemeanor of impersonating an officer. Someone had also created an effigy of a man, which they hanged from a tree by its neck. Predictably, this information sparked controversy. BIOG: However, at the last minute, her friends backed out and Denise reluctantly went alone to camp. From the darkness, behind Tents One and Two, Wilhite heard a "low, guttural sound" or a moaning coming from the woods. Anyone could get out. He just had a thing for stealing glasses everywhere he went," said Marty Wilson, an OSBI Agent. Tags: 1970s, Oklahoma, Psychopath, Sex Crimes, This unfortunate face belongs to Nathan Jerry Ellis, killer and rapist. They noted that the flashlight had newspaper stuffed inside it to keep the batteries from rattling. 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. Because of degradation, they were unable to get a full profile but did obtain a partial DNA profile. "Our belief is that Gene Leroy Hart committed the murders," Fielding said. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Camp Scott closed its doors on that day, never to reopen, after hosting nearly 50 years of Girl Scout camps. The manhunt would take them approximately 10 months, when Hart was apprehended on April 6, 1978. "There was not necessarily a barrier that would keep people out," said Marty Wilson, an OSBI Investigator. In the daylight hours back in November 2000, Nancy was beaten and shot to death, while her 9 month old baby was in the room next to hers. The police received a few tips on the whereabouts of her body but the tips only led them to a dead-end. Three weeks later, he murdered four teenagers and two adults in an Oklahoma City Sirloin Stockade freezer, shooting all six of them to death. Pat Garrett (57), an American Old West lawman, bartender and customs agent well known for killing Billy the Kid was himself murdered on 29 February 1908. Around 6 am the following morning, a counselor named Carla Wilhite discovered the lifeless bodies of Farmer, Guse, and Milner stuffed into their sleeping bags near the main road into camp. plans and enthusiasm The case of Nancy Probst's murder still remains unsolved. Eugene Claremont "E.C." However, he did return to prison for his original crimes, where he died of a heart attack on June 4, 1979, at the age of 35. This horrific crime happened on June 13, 1977 at Camp Scott in Mayes County. E.C. "From Gene Leroy Harts perspective, the best place for him to have that trial was in Mayes County.". "She was the kind of person who cheered up every one around her.". Hidden beneath the blanket of dense trees, the camp is quiet now. Didnt matter whether they were prescription glasses or not. Sloan clothed. The victims were three Girl Scouts, between the ages of 8 and 10, who were raped and murdered. Sloan's 1968 Pontiac GTO was found May 11. NAME: Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Having sold enough Girl Scout cookies to be able to attend camp with her friends, Denise Milner had been excited about going to camp. "Didnt matter if they were mens or womens glasses. . Famous Crimes the World Forgot Volume II Photo Gallery. It was 20 years ago Sunday. Theyre So Different. Tags: 1920s, 1930s, Murder, Oklahoma, William Tyson Horton was a serial rapist and child molester from Oklahoma City who operated between 1970 and 2010. "We just felt we had everything to gain and nothing to lose by rekindling publicity," he said. "She turned around and started going back to her tent. Approximately $480 was missing from the cash register. All rights reserved. He was a decent athlete and had some great performances, especially during his senior year of high school. However, instead of going to see an eye doctor, Hart developed a habit of stealing glasses. It was a favorite spot for Girl Scouts to gather and make new friends and create childhood memories. Stafford was put to death by lethal injection in 1995. Officials said they believe he now lives near Dallas. Upon arrival, investigators were faced with a gruesome scene. Mullendore III. For three young girls, their first night of camp would haunt Oklahoma to this day. Tags: 1930s, bizarre, Fraud, Oklahoma, The bullet in Chester Comers head made it difficult for him to speak. Bye bye fools. Fair was later apprehended, [], Posted: November 2nd, 2015 under Mug Shot Monday. , a young woman named Dee Elder, comforted Denise of going to see an doctor... Between the ages of 8 and 10, who would eventually discover the bodies, investigated noises! Nation and was well-respected in his community, where he escaped again it would later authorities... 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