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Someone Cry for the Children: The Unsolved Girl Scout Murders of Oklahoma and the Case of Gene Leroy Hart
Book by Wilkerson, Michael
- GenresTrue CrimeNonfiction
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 18, 2011
Those who are interested in the tragic (and still unsolved) 1977 murders of the three Girl Scouts at Camp Scott in Locust Grove, Oklahoma, should read this book to gain one perspective on the crimes and their aftermath. This represents only one side, however, and in the final analysis I find myself unsatisfied by its presentation.
The book was written by two brothers who were on the front lines of the investigation as members of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
My reservations spring from several different aspects of the book.
For one thing, the authors offer full, in-depth discussions as if quoting them verbatim, even if these were private encounters to which neither was witness. At the same time, they refer to and describe themselves in the third person throughout the text. I'm far more familiar with contemporary history books than with so-called "true crime" works, but both of these approaches seem more fitting for historical fiction than for accurate recording of events. In other words, I doubted the reliability of the narrators and their accounts from beginning to end.
Another difficulty I had was with how the authors portrayed the involvement of the Cherokee medicine men and traditionalists in general. At the beginning of the text they seemed to approach the issue with respectful but understandable skepticism, but by the end they seemed to become unquestioning adherents, to the point they come close to attributing the outcome of Gene Leroy Hart's trial (and his life) to something like a spiritual duel about which only a chosen few knew. This shift in perspective never receives adequate explanation, and thus comes across more like a reliance on cheap theatrics (not to mention stereotypes) than anything else.
Perhaps most problematic of all is the way the authors treat the case as an either-or scenario: either Hart was the murderer or he was not. I don't have a particular allegiance to any theory of the crime, but I am aware that significant evidence and several theories suggest that Hart was guilty of involvement in the terrible deeds, but he did not work alone. The authors never deal with the idea that more than one perpetrator was involved, and this seems to be a glaring and problematic blind spot in the book (and, perhaps, the investigation as a whole). The notion of an accomplice is dismissed completely.
The book does, however, portray what a media sensation this became and how profoundly the deaths affected the people of Oklahoma, and in some part it demonstrates the ethnic/racial tensions that flared (and still remain) over the fact the victims were white and black and the primary suspect was Cherokee.
If readers appreciate this is a distinctly one-sided (and arguably "airbrushed") work, they can glean some useful insights into the atmosphere surrounding the case and its place in state, regional, and national history.
The book was written by two brothers who were on the front lines of the investigation as members of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
My reservations spring from several different aspects of the book.
For one thing, the authors offer full, in-depth discussions as if quoting them verbatim, even if these were private encounters to which neither was witness. At the same time, they refer to and describe themselves in the third person throughout the text. I'm far more familiar with contemporary history books than with so-called "true crime" works, but both of these approaches seem more fitting for historical fiction than for accurate recording of events. In other words, I doubted the reliability of the narrators and their accounts from beginning to end.
Another difficulty I had was with how the authors portrayed the involvement of the Cherokee medicine men and traditionalists in general. At the beginning of the text they seemed to approach the issue with respectful but understandable skepticism, but by the end they seemed to become unquestioning adherents, to the point they come close to attributing the outcome of Gene Leroy Hart's trial (and his life) to something like a spiritual duel about which only a chosen few knew. This shift in perspective never receives adequate explanation, and thus comes across more like a reliance on cheap theatrics (not to mention stereotypes) than anything else.
Perhaps most problematic of all is the way the authors treat the case as an either-or scenario: either Hart was the murderer or he was not. I don't have a particular allegiance to any theory of the crime, but I am aware that significant evidence and several theories suggest that Hart was guilty of involvement in the terrible deeds, but he did not work alone. The authors never deal with the idea that more than one perpetrator was involved, and this seems to be a glaring and problematic blind spot in the book (and, perhaps, the investigation as a whole). The notion of an accomplice is dismissed completely.
The book does, however, portray what a media sensation this became and how profoundly the deaths affected the people of Oklahoma, and in some part it demonstrates the ethnic/racial tensions that flared (and still remain) over the fact the victims were white and black and the primary suspect was Cherokee.
If readers appreciate this is a distinctly one-sided (and arguably "airbrushed") work, they can glean some useful insights into the atmosphere surrounding the case and its place in state, regional, and national history.
July 8, 2014
Read this book many years ago as a teenager. I am of Native American background and understand what was going on with the Medicine Man and Gene Leroy Hart. Such a sad book but a very good one at the same time. My Dad remembered this happening because he was up in the Tulsa area at the time. I would definitely recommend this book!
February 12, 2019
Tough read. It’s graphic, and obviously doesn’t have a happy ending. However, it is well written and does a good job holding your attention.
October 24, 2023
I learnt about this case while listening to some true crime documentaries on Youtube. I believe I came across this case very briefly when a Youtuber did a round up of all the unsolved murder cases from way back. This one was mentioned and I remember getting very intrigued and upset at how young the girls were and how disturbing the whole case was.
I recall one of the documentaries mentioned a book that was published by two of the brothers investigators of OSBI and I thought it would contain more detailed investigation and findings that are missing from most documentary and Youtube videos. This book was hard to find!!!
I'm unsure how I feel about this book. Maybe the narration and writing style didn't quite do it for me. I also wanted the book to focus more on the investigation.....the girls but it had more input about the investigators and their past and present relationships with almost everyone involved with the case.
Don't get me wrong, this book packs a lot of detailed (and very disturbing) information, but like I said, it also focused a lot more on the investigators rather than the victims and their parents. Honestly, at some point, you kind of get this vibe that the case is not about the murdered girls anymore, it was more of investigators/law against Gene Hart. Along the way, the poor girls became lost in all the hype and drama that overwhelmed their own murder case.
When I was reading this book, I got the impression like I was watching a bloody 90's cop movie, because of the dialogues and almost screenplay-like "scenes" introduced in this book, to tell the story from the cop's POV. To be honest, I wasn't interested in who was trying to gain fame and political advantage from this case, I don't care which cop was besties or which one was the "troublemaker". I don't care what past and present feelings the copper had towards an individual. I also don't want to offend anyone, but at this point, I don't find the relevance of the "medicine" and "spiritual" connection to the case. Each race, culture and ethnicity influence is important, but with everything else going on in this book, I just don't see the applicability of this one. I understand that this is something vital for the NA, but if it doesn't help with the investigation and conviction of the main suspect, I just don't want to read about it.
What I wanted to know is about the girls, the murders, the suspects, the preliminary findings vs the scientific findings, the investigation progress, the suspect's past/present cases, the interviews of the "witness" and suspects. I wanted the parents' input and the aftermath of this tragedy. I wanted to know about Camp Scott's defense against the safety regulation, the arrest and the court case.
Again, the book had it all, but it was sort of all over the place. I don't think we ever got a good exhibit of who these girls were. In this book, they were just the unfortunate girls who died on the first night at camp. I also felt like there weren't any follow-up interviews about Carla, Dee and Susan part of this case. There weren't any interviews with the other kids who all saw a strange man before the murder took place. The book jumped right into the copper(s) vs the press vs the people of Mayes County. I was wondering why almost every documentary and article mentions low pitch guttural moaning but no significant findings were tied to that. What the hell was it ????
I'm not going to go through the entire book, but I will highlight some parts. The detailed scrutinization by the investigators. They provided details about the suspect's past and present. They also provided reasons why the people had rejected the police's verdict of Gene Hart as their main suspect. They also provided detailed progress of who, why and how Gene managed to elude the police for so many years. The court case and the evidence provided in court to be proved or debunked by the lawyers. That, the book provided decent justification.
But it still felt like watching a 90's cop/crime movie.
The whole thing with Superdog was so overrated and I agree with the brother cops!! They were going around the camp sniffing out the first suspect, Jack Shroff, when he had already told the police that a lot of the items found at the murder scene were stolen from his farm/house. At first, he seemed like the likely suspect, but soon, he was acquitted because it didn't match with their investigation. But Jack was left traumatized by the end of it all. I also felt like the dog's involvement wasn't all wasted, but it was the dog trainer who made a circus out of the whole thing. Over confident and overzealous about his Superdogs.
It baffles me how the NA people stood by Gene Hart after what he did in the past, especially his family and friends, who continuously provided help and protection after he escaped from prison!!
He's no saint, he's a convicted rapist!! Ugh, the rape case from his past was very disturbing to read. My heart breaks for the two pregnant women. His modus operandi is so similar to how the three girls were raped and murdered. The difference is age, but when you think about Gene's own MIL and wife suspected Gene had tried to rape his own 2-year-old son a few years ago, it makes all the sense in the world. This case reminds me of O.J Simpson's case, where people were standing by an obvious suspect and he got away with murder. Gene did not deserve the respect of his community and the big funeral at all!!
What I found very disturbing about this case is the location of how the camp units were distributed. Some were far out at one end of the trail while the others were clustered at the one end. None of the documents or articles mention the security gates/fence surrounding Camp Scott, meaning if someone knows the woods very well they can make their way over to the camps at any given time. The girls were exposed and vulnerable to danger and don't even get me started on the bloody canvas tent!!! There were some signs that the tents were vandalized just days before the murder took place, yet no significant action was taken besides mending the damaged tents. The fact that one of the staff told the police that their hatchets tend to go missing quite regularly from the camp was really appalling.
A week (earlier in the month) (Counselors Conference) - Tent 2 had rip (fabric)
On the day of kids arrival (mere hrs before) - Tent 6 (flap cut off) - Carla reported - repair with thin material not the tent canvas material
Timeline:-
4.30pm - all kids already moved in + settled in their cots (cloudy sky)
4.30pm - Carla took Hoppers girls to cafe for food preparation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
***few mins later*** other girls came for evening meal (started to rain)
## Meal time set - 6-7pm ## but extended to 7.30pm (rain/first day flexi)
++ Everyone at Great Hall for sing song, Everyone return to their camp units
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
8pm - After dinner/ after heavy rain - kids return to their respective camps
8pm - All counselors have campers meeting at kitchen area (middle of the camp)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
++ Unit rep selected for each for duties delegations but any activity that day was cancelled because of the rain
++ Girls to write letter to their parents
++ Carla left meeting (her free time) to go Arapaho site to visit friend
++ homesick Denise asked Dee if she can call her mom, advice her to sleep on it
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
++ A counselor spotted a dim light beyond tree line, suspect trying to be discreet and started to move towards the Kiowa Unit
++ the suspect seem to be aware that someone spotted his light and tried to hide his light beam
++ the creeped out counselor ran back to her friends .....did she report ? not mentioned in book
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
10pm++ - Dee checked on Kiowa tents and talked to each of the kids, Tent 8 was last visit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
***few mins later*** Dee return to her own tent, closed the tent flap No.8 before she left
++ kids changed into their night clothes and went to sleep on their respective sleeping bags
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
11pm++ - Susan return to counselor tent, pitch dark and no lights/fires near Kiowa Units
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
++ Susan & Dee went to sleep -respective cots (front end)
***few mins later*** Carla came back on the way she heard some girls talking/laughing in their tents - Carla went to each noisy tents and ask them to go back sleep
++ Carla checked Tent 6, and stood near Tent 7 but no noise from 7 & 8 -return back to sleep
++ set alarm at 6am
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*** 1hr++*** Carla woke up-sound from latrine from girls in Tent 2 making noise
++ Took her flash light and brough the girls back to their tent - went back to sleep
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quapaw Unit neighbors to Kiowa Unit - heard girls screaming
++ Counselors went to investigate
++ A girl said she was walking to the latrine when someone grabbed her by the raincoat
++ Other girls said someone was stalking around their tents
++ Another girl walking back to tent, saw a man's legs (khaki) when she dropped her towel
++ Counselors investigated and checked all around - found nothing, sent girls back to sleep!!!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.30am - Carla woke again, girls giggling in Tent 5, scolded them to go back to sleep
++ Dee also woke up and both of them heard the low guttural moan
++ Both of them woke up and went to Tent 5 and listened around
++ Carla asked Dee to check out the moaning sound, Carla to check Tent 5 but decided to checkout the noise & Tent 5, herself
++ Followed the moaning towards the road leading to camp, when reach road - pointed flashlight in the direction of the sound - moaning stop
++ Turn to walk back - moaning started again, went back to the road - moaning stopped
++ Carla decided to return to the camp, went with Dee to check Tent 5 and return to their own unit. Moaning started again and continued
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2am++ - Dim/dull glow light appeared around Kiowa Camp, appear and disappear and reappear other end of units - very silent
++ Counselors flap we unhooked, Dee & Susan purse taken, Dee's glasses taken
++ Light re-appear around Tent 7, a 10 yo, saw the light through the mended panel, the other 3 girls hide their heads when panel jerked open and flooded with light, saw a dark figure glared into the tent before dropped the panel back down
++ figure moved to Tent 8, light disappeared when figure moved towards the back of the Unit 8 and slowly+quietly unhooked the back tent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
++ Arapaho, Kiowa, Quapaw, Cherokee Camps heard the low moaning throughout the night
++ Quapaw unit a girl heard someone screaming "Momma, Momma", she thought it was Lori who was know to be frighted before at Camp
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
6am - Carla woke up (alarm), 30 mins before rest of the camp to get head start ready
++ approached intersection of trail and road, saw a bright yellow - walked over to investigate, saw 1 sleeping bag child (lump) lying down, saw another sleeping bag (lump) and walked towards the debris - saw another dead girl.
++ Run back to her camp - woke up Dee and Susan, urge to do a head count of all the girls
++ Carla and Susan started at Unit 2, Dee at Tent 8, they counted each girl by touching them
++ Dee reported back Tent 8 - empty, Carla insisted to keep counting incase the girls shared with other Units - only 24 counted instead of 27 girls
++ Carla return to Tent 8 - saw blood on floor + mattress
++ Carla asked Dee to keep their girls in their respective tents while she seek help from camp nurse, Maryanne
++ Susan discovered the bodies, screamed, touched the lump sleeping backs - no movements
++ Susan assigned to keep other girls in camp, Dee run to her car
++ Met Dee half way there, Maryanne (nurse) continue towards the crime scene. Saw two sleeping bags and walked closer and saw the naked black girl.
++ tried to check for pulse, girl's mouth/nose gushed blood when applied pressure, tried to feel the wrist for pulse but her hands was tied behind her back.
++ Ben saw red and white g-volt flashlight and roll of dark duct tape lying near the bodies - covered by a piece of green garbage-bag plastic- plastic was attached to the lens with masking tape and a hole had been torn in the plastic so that only a small beam of light would be emitted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
My god, that tent don't even look secure considering that the camp site can get pitch dark at night!
The girls were believed to have been murdered around 2am am to 3am (possibility)
- suspect stalked around the camp Kiowa around 2am + stole things
- around 2am time range Quapaw heard a girl screaming momma
(Investigator believe that the suspect entered the rear of the tent, bludgeoned Lori and Michelle first and the commotion woke up Denise who was also beaten and gagged but was made to walk (or carried) out of the camp before brutally raping and killing her, suspect also assaulted the other two girls-dead )
- low guttural moaning throughout the night
I feel so sad that Denise was so home sick and wanted to talk to her mother that night, but she didn't get to at the end. The brutality inflicted in the girls was so harrowing, especially on Denise. She, I believe was well aware what happened to her friends and knew the horrifying fate that awaits her own. The shocking thing is that the whole rape/murder was happening just yards away from the other tents! I truly believe Gene Hart is the rapist/murderer of the girls and he got away with it.
I recall one of the documentaries mentioned a book that was published by two of the brothers investigators of OSBI and I thought it would contain more detailed investigation and findings that are missing from most documentary and Youtube videos. This book was hard to find!!!
I'm unsure how I feel about this book. Maybe the narration and writing style didn't quite do it for me. I also wanted the book to focus more on the investigation.....the girls but it had more input about the investigators and their past and present relationships with almost everyone involved with the case.
Don't get me wrong, this book packs a lot of detailed (and very disturbing) information, but like I said, it also focused a lot more on the investigators rather than the victims and their parents. Honestly, at some point, you kind of get this vibe that the case is not about the murdered girls anymore, it was more of investigators/law against Gene Hart. Along the way, the poor girls became lost in all the hype and drama that overwhelmed their own murder case.
When I was reading this book, I got the impression like I was watching a bloody 90's cop movie, because of the dialogues and almost screenplay-like "scenes" introduced in this book, to tell the story from the cop's POV. To be honest, I wasn't interested in who was trying to gain fame and political advantage from this case, I don't care which cop was besties or which one was the "troublemaker". I don't care what past and present feelings the copper had towards an individual. I also don't want to offend anyone, but at this point, I don't find the relevance of the "medicine" and "spiritual" connection to the case. Each race, culture and ethnicity influence is important, but with everything else going on in this book, I just don't see the applicability of this one. I understand that this is something vital for the NA, but if it doesn't help with the investigation and conviction of the main suspect, I just don't want to read about it.
What I wanted to know is about the girls, the murders, the suspects, the preliminary findings vs the scientific findings, the investigation progress, the suspect's past/present cases, the interviews of the "witness" and suspects. I wanted the parents' input and the aftermath of this tragedy. I wanted to know about Camp Scott's defense against the safety regulation, the arrest and the court case.
Again, the book had it all, but it was sort of all over the place. I don't think we ever got a good exhibit of who these girls were. In this book, they were just the unfortunate girls who died on the first night at camp. I also felt like there weren't any follow-up interviews about Carla, Dee and Susan part of this case. There weren't any interviews with the other kids who all saw a strange man before the murder took place. The book jumped right into the copper(s) vs the press vs the people of Mayes County. I was wondering why almost every documentary and article mentions low pitch guttural moaning but no significant findings were tied to that. What the hell was it ????
I'm not going to go through the entire book, but I will highlight some parts. The detailed scrutinization by the investigators. They provided details about the suspect's past and present. They also provided reasons why the people had rejected the police's verdict of Gene Hart as their main suspect. They also provided detailed progress of who, why and how Gene managed to elude the police for so many years. The court case and the evidence provided in court to be proved or debunked by the lawyers. That, the book provided decent justification.
But it still felt like watching a 90's cop/crime movie.
The whole thing with Superdog was so overrated and I agree with the brother cops!! They were going around the camp sniffing out the first suspect, Jack Shroff, when he had already told the police that a lot of the items found at the murder scene were stolen from his farm/house. At first, he seemed like the likely suspect, but soon, he was acquitted because it didn't match with their investigation. But Jack was left traumatized by the end of it all. I also felt like the dog's involvement wasn't all wasted, but it was the dog trainer who made a circus out of the whole thing. Over confident and overzealous about his Superdogs.
It baffles me how the NA people stood by Gene Hart after what he did in the past, especially his family and friends, who continuously provided help and protection after he escaped from prison!!
He's no saint, he's a convicted rapist!! Ugh, the rape case from his past was very disturbing to read. My heart breaks for the two pregnant women. His modus operandi is so similar to how the three girls were raped and murdered. The difference is age, but when you think about Gene's own MIL and wife suspected Gene had tried to rape his own 2-year-old son a few years ago, it makes all the sense in the world. This case reminds me of O.J Simpson's case, where people were standing by an obvious suspect and he got away with murder. Gene did not deserve the respect of his community and the big funeral at all!!
What I found very disturbing about this case is the location of how the camp units were distributed. Some were far out at one end of the trail while the others were clustered at the one end. None of the documents or articles mention the security gates/fence surrounding Camp Scott, meaning if someone knows the woods very well they can make their way over to the camps at any given time. The girls were exposed and vulnerable to danger and don't even get me started on the bloody canvas tent!!! There were some signs that the tents were vandalized just days before the murder took place, yet no significant action was taken besides mending the damaged tents. The fact that one of the staff told the police that their hatchets tend to go missing quite regularly from the camp was really appalling.
A week (earlier in the month) (Counselors Conference) - Tent 2 had rip (fabric)
On the day of kids arrival (mere hrs before) - Tent 6 (flap cut off) - Carla reported - repair with thin material not the tent canvas material
Timeline:-
4.30pm - all kids already moved in + settled in their cots (cloudy sky)
4.30pm - Carla took Hoppers girls to cafe for food preparation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
***few mins later*** other girls came for evening meal (started to rain)
## Meal time set - 6-7pm ## but extended to 7.30pm (rain/first day flexi)
++ Everyone at Great Hall for sing song, Everyone return to their camp units
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
8pm - After dinner/ after heavy rain - kids return to their respective camps
8pm - All counselors have campers meeting at kitchen area (middle of the camp)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
++ Unit rep selected for each for duties delegations but any activity that day was cancelled because of the rain
++ Girls to write letter to their parents
++ Carla left meeting (her free time) to go Arapaho site to visit friend
++ homesick Denise asked Dee if she can call her mom, advice her to sleep on it
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
++ A counselor spotted a dim light beyond tree line, suspect trying to be discreet and started to move towards the Kiowa Unit
++ the suspect seem to be aware that someone spotted his light and tried to hide his light beam
++ the creeped out counselor ran back to her friends .....did she report ? not mentioned in book
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
10pm++ - Dee checked on Kiowa tents and talked to each of the kids, Tent 8 was last visit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
***few mins later*** Dee return to her own tent, closed the tent flap No.8 before she left
++ kids changed into their night clothes and went to sleep on their respective sleeping bags
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
11pm++ - Susan return to counselor tent, pitch dark and no lights/fires near Kiowa Units
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
++ Susan & Dee went to sleep -respective cots (front end)
***few mins later*** Carla came back on the way she heard some girls talking/laughing in their tents - Carla went to each noisy tents and ask them to go back sleep
++ Carla checked Tent 6, and stood near Tent 7 but no noise from 7 & 8 -return back to sleep
++ set alarm at 6am
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*** 1hr++*** Carla woke up-sound from latrine from girls in Tent 2 making noise
++ Took her flash light and brough the girls back to their tent - went back to sleep
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quapaw Unit neighbors to Kiowa Unit - heard girls screaming
++ Counselors went to investigate
++ A girl said she was walking to the latrine when someone grabbed her by the raincoat
++ Other girls said someone was stalking around their tents
++ Another girl walking back to tent, saw a man's legs (khaki) when she dropped her towel
++ Counselors investigated and checked all around - found nothing, sent girls back to sleep!!!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.30am - Carla woke again, girls giggling in Tent 5, scolded them to go back to sleep
++ Dee also woke up and both of them heard the low guttural moan
++ Both of them woke up and went to Tent 5 and listened around
++ Carla asked Dee to check out the moaning sound, Carla to check Tent 5 but decided to checkout the noise & Tent 5, herself
++ Followed the moaning towards the road leading to camp, when reach road - pointed flashlight in the direction of the sound - moaning stop
++ Turn to walk back - moaning started again, went back to the road - moaning stopped
++ Carla decided to return to the camp, went with Dee to check Tent 5 and return to their own unit. Moaning started again and continued
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2am++ - Dim/dull glow light appeared around Kiowa Camp, appear and disappear and reappear other end of units - very silent
++ Counselors flap we unhooked, Dee & Susan purse taken, Dee's glasses taken
++ Light re-appear around Tent 7, a 10 yo, saw the light through the mended panel, the other 3 girls hide their heads when panel jerked open and flooded with light, saw a dark figure glared into the tent before dropped the panel back down
++ figure moved to Tent 8, light disappeared when figure moved towards the back of the Unit 8 and slowly+quietly unhooked the back tent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
++ Arapaho, Kiowa, Quapaw, Cherokee Camps heard the low moaning throughout the night
++ Quapaw unit a girl heard someone screaming "Momma, Momma", she thought it was Lori who was know to be frighted before at Camp
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
6am - Carla woke up (alarm), 30 mins before rest of the camp to get head start ready
++ approached intersection of trail and road, saw a bright yellow - walked over to investigate, saw 1 sleeping bag child (lump) lying down, saw another sleeping bag (lump) and walked towards the debris - saw another dead girl.
++ Run back to her camp - woke up Dee and Susan, urge to do a head count of all the girls
++ Carla and Susan started at Unit 2, Dee at Tent 8, they counted each girl by touching them
++ Dee reported back Tent 8 - empty, Carla insisted to keep counting incase the girls shared with other Units - only 24 counted instead of 27 girls
++ Carla return to Tent 8 - saw blood on floor + mattress
++ Carla asked Dee to keep their girls in their respective tents while she seek help from camp nurse, Maryanne
++ Susan discovered the bodies, screamed, touched the lump sleeping backs - no movements
++ Susan assigned to keep other girls in camp, Dee run to her car
++ Met Dee half way there, Maryanne (nurse) continue towards the crime scene. Saw two sleeping bags and walked closer and saw the naked black girl.
++ tried to check for pulse, girl's mouth/nose gushed blood when applied pressure, tried to feel the wrist for pulse but her hands was tied behind her back.
++ Ben saw red and white g-volt flashlight and roll of dark duct tape lying near the bodies - covered by a piece of green garbage-bag plastic- plastic was attached to the lens with masking tape and a hole had been torn in the plastic so that only a small beam of light would be emitted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
My god, that tent don't even look secure considering that the camp site can get pitch dark at night!
The girls were believed to have been murdered around 2am am to 3am (possibility)
- suspect stalked around the camp Kiowa around 2am + stole things
- around 2am time range Quapaw heard a girl screaming momma
(Investigator believe that the suspect entered the rear of the tent, bludgeoned Lori and Michelle first and the commotion woke up Denise who was also beaten and gagged but was made to walk (or carried) out of the camp before brutally raping and killing her, suspect also assaulted the other two girls-dead )
- low guttural moaning throughout the night
I feel so sad that Denise was so home sick and wanted to talk to her mother that night, but she didn't get to at the end. The brutality inflicted in the girls was so harrowing, especially on Denise. She, I believe was well aware what happened to her friends and knew the horrifying fate that awaits her own. The shocking thing is that the whole rape/murder was happening just yards away from the other tents! I truly believe Gene Hart is the rapist/murderer of the girls and he got away with it.
Read
July 27, 2015I did ditch this, unfortunately - recommended only for those truly interested in the 1977 Camp Scott case. Written like a novel, there's a lot of good ol' boy Oklahoma police work and I think if I'd been more invested in the case I would have pushed through - turns out first person true crime, ala Ann Rule, just isn't my thing.
I want this to be True Detective Season 3 so someone get a copy of this to Nic Pizzolatto STAT.
I want this to be True Detective Season 3 so someone get a copy of this to Nic Pizzolatto STAT.
September 11, 2020
I have searched for this book for quite some time and i was finally able to purchase it off of Amazon for a pretty penny. This is the most expensive book in my collection aside from a few college textbooks. It didn't take long to finish since it is not a lengthy book. I think i had my hopes up for a more in depth perspective of such a heinous crime that i grew up hearing about since the area the crime occurred is close to where i live. The contents provided a very small amount of information that I have not already heard or read in other books and reports over the years. Other than reading it from the perspective of law enforcement and in contrast to Tent Number 8, it was just something to read and pass time. I am thoroughly disappointed that i spent the amount i did on this book. If you like true crime, I would recommend reading this book in conjunction with Tent Number 8. It is a VERY disturbing unsolved true crime book.
July 13, 2017
I thought this might be my gateway back into the true crime genre, but nope. I couldn't get into this one. I think there are a couple more books on the case written by different authors, but they aren't available through my library. I guess I'll stick with the thread for this case on Webslueths (where this book was recommended).
September 16, 2022
I was an adult and lived down the road from the Girl Scout camp when this happened in 1977. I had gone to scout camp as a 12-year-old in western Oklahoma myself. The tents were the same in both camps. In my camp, there was an adult (sometimes a mother) or a counselor assigned to each tent. This was negligence on the part of GSA. This was my second reading of this slanted book.
February 25, 2024
A thoroughly engrossing tale of a complete failure of the justice system, as proven by advanced DNA analysis long after the publication of this book, early in this millennium. My wife lived in the immediate area of these events during the murders and the trial. She remembers the helicopters crisscrossing the woods all around her home during the manhunt.
December 28, 2025
It's hard to say whether I believe he did it or not. My heart says yes. My logic says was there really enough to pinpoint him. This book was so good. I live just north of the Sid Cookerly Memorial Highway. Never knew who he was until i read this book.
January 5, 2019
Not usually a fan of true crime, but this was a fantastic read.
March 30, 2022
One of the first true crime I geeked out about. It is centered around the Oklahoma girl scout murders. A must read for all who love true crime.
June 19, 2022
Not the definitive book on the case that I was expecting.
May 29, 2021
I grew up hearing the stories about Gene Leroy Hart and these murders. After reading this book, I still believe now what I always believed then, the real question is, what do you believe?
August 16, 2014
Many years ago (1978) as I was leaving my home state of Oklahoma for a new job in Texas, the national news carried stories about the tragic murder and assault of three Girl Scouts at a summer camp in the area of the state where I was born. Although I tried to follow the story after arriving in Texas, I was never able to get details. Recently, after visiting one of my longtime Oklahoma friends, she told me about this book and asked me my opinion of it. Since I had never seen the book, she sent it to me and I was pleased to see that it was autographed by several of the law officers who wrote it. In essence the book is the story of the murders, as seen through the eyes of members of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) who investigated the crime. First of all, the nature of the book is that one has to assume that it is somewhat one-sided having been written by law officers involved in the case. Second, the book is not a work of literary excellence but rather a narrative of observations as filtered through the eyes of the law enforcement officers. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating book for me personally because it all happened in the part of the state where I grew up. The headquarters for much of the law enforcement activity was in Tahlequah where my mother and brother still live, the murder site was in Locust Grove where I took my children to swim in return visits to Oklahoma, the accused murderer was a full blooded Cherokee who was born at the same hospital I was in Claremore, Oklahoma and one of the witnesses at the trial was a biochemistry professor at Oklahoma State University where I took biochemistry while working on my college degree. Gene Leroy Hart, the full blooded Cherokee who was arrested for the murders is now part of Oklahoma outlaw legend. The narrative describes how Native American (Cherokee) culture and law, plus tribal "medicine" added complications to the OSBI investigations. Furthermore, political and promotional ambitions of some of the investigators made a seemingly sure conviction less certain. The authors of the book ultimately wanted to bring the story back to the real reason for the investigation---the brutal murder and assault of three little girls---and they end the book pleading that they hope people will forget the "circus" that surrounded the investigation, arrest and trial and remember to "cry for the children" who were victims of this (still officially unsolved) murder.
September 12, 2012
This is another book pertaining to the girl scout murders in Locust Grove, OK in 1977. Again, this may be more interesting to me because the crimes happened so close to my home. I thought this book was much more interesting than "Tent Number Eight", however. This was written by a couple of the detectives working on the defense team and went into greater detail about the evidence that was gathered. Throughout the trial, the media really did seem to play Hart up as a hero and made the defense team look as though they planted evidence. I think the media was the reason Hart was acquitted. I remember thinking during the trial that there was no way he could have committed the crimes alone, however the book paints an entirely different picture of what this guy was capable of doing. The book gives a lot of very interesting information about the medicine men of the Cherokee Nation. I would recommend this book, even if you are not from the area. It's amazing how many people supported Hart during the trial, however I would imagine that very few supporters would have taken a road trip with the guy and certainly wouldn't have trusted their daughters with him. It's quite sad that he got so much attention that the general public seemed to forget about the little girls.
February 8, 2011
THis is perhaps one of the most haunting books I have ever read. I first read it back in the 80's. In the past year, my husband ran across articles and stories about the original event and wanted to read the book. Locating it was a problem. Used versions (even paperbacks) usually run about 25.00 and up, if you can locate them. I read it again and it had the same effect on me and my husband. It is not great literature, but it succeeds in pulling you into the time and events involving these horrendous Oklahoma Girl Scout murders. It attempts to identify and understand the people who tried so hard to answer the call for justice and their search for the truth. I believe the case is still officially unsolved.
February 6, 2016
This was an excellent read. Written by two of the many, many investigators on this case, the story starts the day before the crime and follows the investigation and trial to the bitter end. Makes clear who the authors thought the killer was and what became of that sterling character. Chilling case of a criminal tried primarily in the papers at the expense of justice. Really gives a good picture of the cultural clash between the huge local Indian population and "white man's justice," and the numerous investigators forced to straddle the line between the two. I'm sorry to say the three murdered Girl Scouts were almost entirely lost in the hysteria that followed as soon as a suspect was identified.
March 21, 2012
I haven't read any True Crime in a while, but started this because the infamous Dog Handler John Preston makes an appearance. In case you don't know, Preston and the evidence from his dog were instrumental in the convictions of two men from my area whose verdicts were recently overturned on DNA evidence (thanks to Project Innocence) after more than 25 years in prison. There are many more cases he was involved in, but the State Attorney refuses to proactively review them.
Great writing.... Gives a good feel for the slogging detailed frustrating work involved in solving crimes.
Great writing.... Gives a good feel for the slogging detailed frustrating work involved in solving crimes.
September 27, 2012
Details the 1977 girl scout murders known to many of us from Oklahoma. Written by people inside the investigation, one is left with the certainty that the right person was arrested and tried for the murders. That person, Gene Leroy Hart, was aquitted of the crime, then succombed to heart failure within a couple of months. A movie about the murders is being contemplated, if funds can be raised.
February 25, 2015
I remember these murders that happened close to my hometown. This horrible crime affected me in that I refused to attend my Girl Scout camp. This book educated me on the details of what happened when I was too young to follow the story back then. Since I had a reason to read this book, I found it interesting. But to others who aren't familiar, the writing will seem dry.
October 30, 2011
If you get a chance, see the documentary which aired on the Discovery Channel back in 1994 by the same OSBI agents who wrote this book. It is a very detailed account of this infamous crime, the impact it had on many lives, the manhunt for the killer and the trial which followed. VERY disturbing.
June 10, 2014
An account of the trial of a Cherokee Indian for a triple murder in the seventies. Interesting insight into Indian culture, but the police procedural exposition was overly detailed and dull at times. Too much focus on the law enforcement protagonists.
June 24, 2009
This is the book that originally sparked an interest in true crime and forensics. At the age of 13 or 14 began the insatiable desire to know why people hurt other people maliciosly
March 7, 2016
This one will rip you heart out. A well written book for a easy read but have tissue handy.
January 26, 2016
One of the most craziest books I've ever read. The authors - two former OSBI agents - worked the case.
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