When police arrived on the scene, they found Tent #8 covered in blood. Gilley passed a polygraph. [2], Gene Mullendore handed over management of the ranch to his son in 1960 because of his failing eyesight. 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. When she isn't exploring Oklahoma, she enjoys visiting the beaches of California. "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. 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. 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. Todays mug shot belongs to Tulsa bank robber Coney Coffey. in a fight after Anderson had helped deputies serve divorce papers on E.C. The photo will be added to the sheriff's office file on this horrific set of murders that changed the way police dealt with crimes of this magnitude. His death in 1970 was one of the most famous unsolved murder mysteries in Oklahoma history. It also had tape over the lens to dull the light. This time, it would take police longer to catch Hart. U ncovered: The Lovers' Lane Murders is a five-part investigative podcast into the murders of two teenagers in Norman, Oklahoma in 1970. Amateur sleuths and Internet detectives: Now's your chance to prove your skills. First, the tape had been placed over the lens to dull the light. 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. Oklahoma City was a different place, a city that was much more confined . He was hired as a Norman police officer in March 1970. His bodyguard/assistant Damon "Chub" Anderson was shot in the shoulder. The Girl Scout Murders of 1977 still remains unsolved to this day, and is one of the most disturbing crimes to ever come out of the state. On August 19, 1928, Atlanta Police Department Patrolman John McDaniel responded to a disturbance between two acquaintances. Hours later, a camp counselor found the girls' bodies stuffed in their sleeping bags and scattered through the woods. He was facing approximately 350 years of prison time. As with any camp, the first nights are always loud. 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. Ashley has lived in Oklahoma for 25 years and is the Oklahoma staff writer for onlyinyourstate.com. Throughout the search for Hart, authorities would contradict each other several times. Sheryl Benham and Sloan disappeared after they attended a fraternity party May 9, 1970, at the University of Oklahoma. How had this happened? Tags: 1950s, Murder, Oklahoma, Sex Crimes, . Farmer and Guse were found to be bludgeoned to death, and Milner had been strangled. No one knows for sure what happened to Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman on December 30, 1999. 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. When Wise and OSBI agents spoke to the press later, they said they had no idea what Weaver had been talking about. Hart was tried for the murders of the Girl Scouts in March 1979, but the jury found him not guilty. Her cheating husband was not home at the time and saw her body through a window, before entering the home. One of the only places authorities couldnt find blood was on the cot on the right side of the tent. Nearly 45 years ago, three Girl Scouts were brutally murdered at camp. Bomb Slayer Rex Brinlee Jr., 1971. Though Hart promptly returned to the state penitentiary in McAlister, Oklahoma to serve the remainder of his 305-year prison sentence. One of the Kiowa counselors, a young woman named Dee Elder, comforted Denise. It was the first night of Girl Scout camp when 3 young girls were killed and sexually molested. In the days following the murders, the investigation would lead authorities to various locations, including several nearby caves and a recently burglarized ranch. He was trying to raise money to start a business that used small airplanes and infrared cameras to . News reports indicated Gilley was convicted of assaulting a prisoner in 1968 in Amarillo, Texas, when he was a deputy sheriff in Potter County. The Girl Scout Murders of 1977 still remains unsolved to this day, and is one of the most disturbing crimes to ever come out of the state. November 21, 1986: 1: Oklahoma, USA: Sahib Lateef AL . These threats had previously not been disclosed by the camp, though they had been aware of the situation prior to summer camp. The DNA sample was a semen stain found on a pillowcase inside Michelle Guses sleeping bag. He had a sister Katsy, who was married to John W. Mecom Jr., the owner of the National Football League New Orleans Saints. You never know, you might be able to help classify these cases as solved, once and for all. He also helped pass the Oklahoma Victims Bill of Rights, to protect the rights of the victims no less vigorous than the rights afforded to the accused. Their bodies were pocked with bullet holes. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World Cory. After some convincing, Denise agreed she would wait and call her mom the next day. Approximately $480 was missing from the cash register. Famous Crimes the World Forgot Volume II Photo Gallery. The parents were tied and shot with a rifle Collins stole from their home a week earlier. This horrific crime happened on June 13, 1977 at Camp Scott in Mayes County. News reports show the extensive investigation and sketches leading up to his arrest in Chicago and trial in Oklahoma City. Nearly 45 years ago, three Girl Scouts were brutally murdered at camp. Hubbard, 64, was given a 15-year sentence for shooting Tulsa paperboy Keith Hurn, 17, in 1987. For three young girls, their first night of camp would haunt Oklahoma to this day. Many questions remain unanswered about the events that unfolded prior to, and at the time of the murders. "She turned around and started going back to her tent. The military is preparing for departure on this C-5 aircraft at Altus Air Force Base, 1972. The blood type of Collins and the victims is A positive, he said. It is important to note that both of the victims wore eyeglasses. "From Gene Leroy Harts perspective, the best place for him to have that trial was in Mayes County.". The Greatest Rock Stars Who Died Before 30. 77-6-17 were written on the cave wall. 1925 - Tilghman's murder highlights certain problem areas for lawmen at the time - little coordination between agencies, communication difficulties between officers, and lack of a state entity which possessed statewide jurisdiction. He was an escaped convict that had been on the run for 4 years, before being captured. Thinking it was most likely an animal,Wilhite went back to sleep. Downtown Lawton is filled with activity on this day in May, 1972. BIOG: The excited campers were blissfully unaware when they walked into camp that their two weeks would end abruptly. Around 10 that morning, and without any explanation to the other campers, the camp was evacuated, and the girls were bussed back to Tulsa. When he did go, it just tore him up." On that dreary evening, 8-year-old Lori Lee Farmer, 9-year-old Michelle Heather Guse, and 10-year-old Doris Denise Milner returned to their cabin in the Kiowa Unit. He said cigarettes at the crime scene showed someone with O-positive type blood was there. The goal of the program is to assist with the financial burden of violent crime victims. It was a favorite spot for Girl Scouts to gather and make new friends and create childhood memories. Hart had been sentenced to life in prison years earlier for the kidnapping and sexual assault of two pregnant women. Police hope publicity will lead to new information. 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. >> Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders: The criminal history of prime suspect. Unfortunately, Oklahoma has many unsolved cases still on the books. Brittany, an 18-year-old college student, was found dead in her Tulsa apartment on September 30, 2004. Though the main gate and the back gate of the camp were locked, the gate itself was not a challenging obstacle. They each were shot more than 10 times on a rural lover's lane in west Norman's 10-Mile Flats. 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. She had been raped and strangled and was probably dead for a few days before her body was found. Just as quickly as he appeared, he disappeared into the darkness, closing the flap behind him. Lewis also made a documentary film Footprints in the Dew: The Last Ten Tapes based on interviews with Anderson. If so, tell us more about them! 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. 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. III, Kenneth Eugene During the day, the three girls had all participated in camp activities and written letters home to their families. 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. "Anybody walking through that camp, unless you had a good flashlight, it would be pretty much pitch black," Wilson said. 1970's Photo Of Oklahoma Serial Killer Discovered, WEB EXTRA: News 9 Coverage Of 1978 Serial Murders. Additionally, they all were rumored to have ties to Hart. 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. Her father, Dr. Charles Farmer, had been the emergency room director at Tulsa's St. John's Medical Center. We Asked, You Answered: What Would You Pick For Your Last Meal On Death Row? Weve looked at the Great Depression, 1950s and 1960s in Oklahoma, and now its time to see some memories from the 1970s. [12] His killer was never brought to justice, and the crime was never solved. Decades later, local residents are still aghast at the details about the Oklahoma Girl Scout murders. On the bus, Denise cried about having to leave. Sloan clothed. 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. The girls were ages 8, 9 and 10 and were murdered sometime between 2-4 a.m. Name: Date: Victims: Location : A: Glen Burton AKE. Forty years ago this month, Oklahoma suffered one of its most horrific murder scenes near the small town of Locust Grove. To the naked eye, a passerby may never notice the caves located near Camp Scott. Paula's home was located at a busy intersection in Manchester and police believe someone had to have witnessed her murder. 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. [], Posted: May 12th, 2014 under Mug Shot Monday. Some of the most infamous Oklahoma murders which you may frequently find on these lists that remain unsolved include the 1997 murder of Doris Milner, Lori Farmer, and Michelle Guse, also known as the Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders, the 2000 murder of Nancy Probst, the 2004 murder of Brittany Phillips, and the 1970 murder of E.C. "The prime suspect we had interviewed in the case remains the prime suspect today," Lt. Leonard Judy said. As if this wasn't enough evidence that the killer had been living in the cave, the words The Killer was here. Suddenly, the light flooded the tent and a male figure stood in the entryway. Then, the campers tents proceeded in a semi-circle away from the Counselors, ending with Tent #8 the victims tent, which was over 80 yards from the Counselors Tent. Tags: 1970s, Murder, Oklahoma, . They also learned about strange noises that several other campers and counselors had heard throughout the night. Do you think Gene Leroy Hart was responsible for the murders? 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. Though the trial would reveal surprising information to the public, no one could prepare for the outcome of the trial. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. He called police and waited down the street for them to arrive. Meanwhile, as the girls were winding down for the evening and the first day of camp was ending, a counselor in the Comanche Unit stared out into the night. Thank you very much in advance. Eventually, Hart was convicted on four counts of burglary for these crimes. Green told them Gilley had a .22-caliber rifle in his police locker, a gun the same caliber as the murder weapon. Didnt matter whether they were prescription glasses or not. The Mayes County Sheriff Glen "Pete" Weaver was assigned to the case. The three girls in Tent #8 had known each other for less than 24 hours when they were murdered. To make things even more challenging for investigators, Hart was from the area and as a result, he had family and friends. During storytime, Denise was again upset and asked to call her mom. Featured below are 14 mesmerizing photos in Oklahoma during the 1970s that showcase some memories during this decade. However, lingering questions remain nearly 45 years later: was Gene Leroy Hart the killer? 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. Mullendore III was born to Eugene Claremont "Gene" Mullendore Jr. and Kathleen (Boren) Mullendore. He escaped twice in 1934 by tunneling underneath the tuberculosis wing of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary hospital with 7(?) E.C. Even more compelling, the photographs found in the cave may have been developed by a man while he served time in Granite Reformatory. Though the witness would later redact their statement, and the theory was widely discredited by authorities, it wasnt entirely unbelievable. In the 1970s and 1980s, the division investigated . Detectives believe she is a victim of foul play and continue their investigation in the case. Coffey robbed a bank in Tulsa in 1924 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Testimony revealed Hart was a suspect early on. Mullendore III. 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. Failing eyesight University of Oklahoma Serial killer Discovered, WEB EXTRA: 9. 3 young girls were killed and sexually molested 8 had known each for! Boren ) Mullendore quickly as he appeared, he said would you for. 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