Another great find and well done adventure. Stories like this are always fascinating, I always wonder what happens to places after tragedies like that occur. Was this place used for something else after the camp closed in 1977? It don't look like its been abandoned for 40 years. Thanks for the adventure!!!
I was a 9yo (soon to be 10) GS - at camp - when this happened. I remember the camping trip ending early. When I asked my mom why, she said some GS campers got hurt by a grizzly bear (which led me to research grizzlies), and that all GS camping was cancelled. Many years later, I was talking about that camping experience with my kids when my mom interrupted and said, "Yeah, that's when those 3 little GS campers were murdered." I looked at her and said, "That's not what you and Dad told me. You said they got hurt by a grizzly..." She said, "When your dad and I got the call with what happened, did you really think we were going to scare you with the truth? We were told 3 GS campers had been murdered in their sleeping bags at another campground. The cops didn't know who did it or where he was... I don't think they ever got the guy who did it." I didn't know what to think... I was about 40yrs old... 30 years had gone by... Yet this is the first time (I'll be 53 this summer) I have ever heard the truth... ...and I'm crying for those girls. I'm sure they had been as excited as I had been... It hurts to know they had been horrifically brutalized. I pray GOD took their souls before they suffered...
I was 10 in Ohio which put me in g.s. as well. They didn't shutdown our camp. There was a counselor in each tent. Church camp wasn't effected either- boys were in tents & girls was in cabins each tent & cabin had a counselor. My cousin worked at the church camp & I don't recall anything about this horrible ordeal in Oklahoma
@@Rosethatwantstomove Wow, I can't believe they didn't shut y'all down - especially with the killer still on the loose! Thank GOD y'all weren't hurt. ...
@@RawOlympia It's saddening - and nauseating... I didn't know what really happened, when it happened... 30 years later, my mom's comment was said in passing - literally, as she walked from her bedroom to the garage. Seeing this video is what brought back memories of laughter, singing camp songs, and feeling adventurous - having it abruptly cut short...never really comprehending that 3 families lost their daughters so terribly; and they never got closure. I feel almost guilty for not knowing the truth when it happened, and going home to play with my friends who weren't GS. My parents pulled me out of GS - saying it was too expensive. Back then, you didn't question your parents. Life just moved on. Whoever did it, may think they got away with it - but GOD saw. Justice prevails, even if we can't see it during our lifetime.
That is a wonderful Idea Anastasia. If your old enough to remember it you would have been absolutely horrified. A memorial should have been erected to them.
Oh yes ! That is a wonderful idea. I’ve always been haunted by what happened. I was in high school at the time. An aunt lives not far from there and I visited her every summer. So it gave me chills thinking of what evil was lose in eastern Oklahoma at the time period.
All I could think watching this is I wish there was something for them there. I want to look up how far away it would be, I would try to make something for them. They should be remembered.
I really like how this was narrated. The young man didn't do a lot of talking, when he was in the buildings. I like that because we the viewers get to soak in the surroundings, without someone incessantly talking. The man was also very respective when taking about the tragedy. He used a very respectful tone. I had never heard about this. It's so sad all around. It must have been so traumatizing for everyone involved.
He is real low key and respectful at many of these sites. Can't imagine it not effecting a person to some extent. His hushed reverence is soothing and uplifts the victims. God, what a terrible world this can be.
I like how people stuck up for the guy accused of this, saying “he never could have done something like this”, even though he was already sentenced for raping 2 pregnant women. Yea, sounds like a real pillar of the community.
and he stuffed rags in their mouths and tape over their nostrils so they couldn't breathe, leaving them to die,hart is guilty, the question is who helped him? from what I have read it seems there may have been 2 men and one woman involved, could the female have been one of the counselors
@@leighannkst93 I think she might've meant acquitted of the murders...? Cause he did escape, then they caught him, put him back in prison, went to trial for the murders but was acquitted of that crime. I feel like I learned a lot today.
I watched another story on this case and another counselor had gone to the bathroom in the middle of the night. She reported hearing sounds like a wild animal being hurt and looked around but didn't investigate further. They suspected it was the time the girls were being murdered.
I was at Camp Scott a month to the day before this happened. Our troop leader was a joke. She didn't watch over us, she had her husband and teenage sons come stay while we were there. We heard things in the woods behind our tent (it was a large canvas tent that slept 6-8, with an elevated wood floor & steps at the front leading inside) that didn't sound like animals walking around, we told her, but she couldn't have cared less. I'll never know who or what was lurking in those woods, but when the story hit the news I promised my then 10 year old self that if I ever had kids there'd be no going to camp.( I realized how unsafe we were while we were there.) I kept that promise.
That would be an odd feeling to see pictures after the years of memories you made. The nice summer days back in the 70’s with all the birds chirping and then one creepy night a sick man destroying everyone’s memory’s.
Chris, I’m a 55 year old lawyer and I just have to say that what you do is flat out impressive. So much so that I’m a little envious. If you’re making a living doing this, you should be extremely proud of achieving the American dream. Taking us to the scene of monumental, horrendous and well-known events is truly awesome. You seem to embody the old saying that if you love what do…you never work a day in your life. Keep up and let me know if you need a volunteer assistant. 😉
That's a sad story. It's also sad that the camp was abandoned afterwards. The world is full of crazy people, and it only takes one of them to ruin a lot of lives.
I agree...personally, I think they should have kept it open...In honor of the victims. A lot of GOOD memories could have come out of a tragedy. That's just my opinion, god knows I could be wrong. ✌
@@maxrockatanksyOG We have much more to fear from our government! Thank You for posting this as I was just going to say the exact same thing. People have to spread the word - this ain't no viris - and they are cooking the numbers, too. There is a video in the JU.K. where a lady caught them falsifying someone's death. The government are Lying and people don't get that the mainstream media is an arm of the government - the propaganda arm for them to lie to - what they refer to us as - the (m)asses. Think that's a coincidence that they call us the (m)asses?! Think again!!! This is a PLANDEMIC - not a pandemic! And, Bill Gates is the one behind it all. DO NOT line up to take no vague scene. THAT is what gives people the bloody vIRIS. Same with the flu. I haven't been sick in over 25 years. You get sick if you are around a bunch of people who have HAD the flu vague scene!!! Or, if you take it. People are dumb AF. But we gotta wake them up.
I was just shy of 16 when this happened. My friend and me were going to meet up with some other kids early that morning to go canoeing, we were pulled over by the highway patrol, they wanted to know what we were doing in the area and had we seen anyone. We told them we hadn't seen anyone. The officer very seriously told us to get back to Pryor, not to stop and talk to anyone or stop for anyone if they tried to flag us down. He wouldn't tell us why. We went back to town as we were told and only found out later that morning what had happened. Everyone locked their doors that night something that we didn't think much about doing before. Scary time.
Because our kids can’t play outside alone, even in fenced backyards. Our kids can’t walk to the school bus. We don’t step away from the house for more than 3 minutes without locking the door.
This! And also the other warning signs reported to the counselors by campers. Some saw a light in the woods, some reported seeing a man look into their tent, and I guess a counselor overheard a girl crying for her mama in the middle of the night - but assumed she was just homesick. :(
@@dinimonator987 Let down is putting it nicely. The fact that the Kiowa tents were set up farthest out and that NONE of the units had a camp counselor with them. Why put little kids in tents by themselves (in the woods no less) while the adults sleep in the cabins? So many issues that could've been prevented. Those girls would've lived to see another day.
YES!!! Those poor parents...taking on the responsiblity to bring a child into this world, loving, caring and supporting them...trying to keep them safe....then some GOD DAMNED LOSER comes around, and MURDERS them!!!! Sickening. Sorry about my language. ✌
@Aaron James Yes...I remember, a couple of little girls, maybe more. I worked in Atlantic City for 15 years, there was a rundown hotel I would pass every day, come to find out, there were 3 or 4 girls buried behind it...always made me angry. You can probably Google it...some people believe they are linked to the Long Island killer.
After the murder they moved to camp tallchief and made actual cabins.. my sister and me went after the murders. And anyone who know Girl Scout camp knows the singing is integral. Well we has some pretty dark ones about these murders
I live in Tulsa and this is still a chilling incident to everyone - thank you for the respectful investigation. So many questions about these murders...
I was a girl guide and loved my time learning life skills even taught for 3 years as I got older but Tulsa has some dark history I had a dream one night about 7 years ago about what happened in Tulsa in 1921, people need to know history so we can stop repeating it God bless all.
@@staylifted1876 It was one of those cases where they knew who did it but couldn't prove it. Prior to DNA tests. In sexual assaults today, the loser is immediately identified.
@@staylifted1876 the guy authorities are certain was the murderer died a few years later I think, although he wasn't found guilty, at least he's no longer around.
Yeah the 70s was really bad, glad that young girls and teens only gotta worry about getting kidnapped and put on the human trafficking market, instead of just straight up murder. So much safer now.
It’s only gotten worse. Monsters need not hide in the shadows now, people encourage them to show themselves (apparently being a pedo is accepted now according to the idiots of Twitter). I know that everything is a double edged sword but I’m just focusing on the negative parts for the sake of this comment. There are good and bad people everywhere.
Good Job I grew up and still only live about 10 miles from there and I appreciate the way you respectfully told the story. I remember when this happen and I was only 7 at the time.
It amazes me that when they said the heavy thunderstorm hit they told the girls to go to their tents. It seems they would have been much safer in the building you referred to as "the hall", pictured at 2:50.
Yeah. They should have called the police and all slept in the great hall where it was safer and they could all be together or just send everyone straight home. Such a horrible situation that could have easily been avoided 😔
I agree 300 %. When it involves minors and much open space one can never be too careful and cautious. As a criminal justice major and avid true crime reader/analyst it hurts me to the core that a counselor responsible for young children could be so dense and passive. I would have immediately called the local police station and demanded that they send some officers out to the area. A young child , no matter how big a sweet tooth, would not take doughnuts and then confess that they're going to kill three young girls whom you are accountable for. The red flag was right there.
@@Victoria-qb3dr Absolutely. Girl Scout camping in a Florida state park in 1971 some of the girls said they saw a man prowling around our cabins the night before. The next night the scout leaders woke us all up and told us to roll up our sleeping bags and line up outside. They marched us straight over to the main hall where we all slept on the floor in the same room. Smart move.
I was an 8 year old girl scout at this time. Shortly after this happened my troop went camping at our counsels Camp Toplofty. We were camping in tents and it rained something awful that night. The next morning one of the leaders noticed a girl missing out of one of the tents and went looking for her. They found her sleeping bag outside the back of the tent with an obvious bulge in the sleeping bag. Of course, this story was very new at the time and of course they thought the worst. They finally reached out to touch the bulge in the bag and the girl woke up and moved. She had apparently rolled out under the bottom of the tent and in the rain snuggled down into the bottom of her sleeping bag to stay dry and slept that way all night. Made for a few tense moments at camp...
I like the “then vs now” images interspersed with the maps and the story. You get a real sense of the space. Great pauses in narration as well. Why the youngest campers were put in the last tent at the back, farthest away from the counselors has never made any sense to me. It’s even creepier knowing they never caught who did this horrific crime.
@@tayachting6345 Yes. And according to the counselors testimony at the preliminary hearing there was a little party going on and boyfriends on grounds. Denise was told by her mom, if she got there and wanted to come home to call her. She asked to call home 2 times and was told no. Ironically it was the same camp counselor that put her in that tent? Why put a scared little girl that wants to go home in the tent closest to the woods?! This counselor said she put these girls together because they were standoffish, quiet and shy.
The owner of the property expected the Girl Scouts to eventually come back and rent again. But whenever there is a mass murder, it ruins the place for generations... A little town in upstate Michigan was like that after a single but infamous murder and a little town N of Lake Tahoe was also like that... both towns just dried up out of fear of the evil that was there. Yes, evil and demons do exist. Stay away from atheists... which are demonic manipulated and always draw demons around them.
I’ve never heard of this tragedy. It literally could have been avoided had the note been taken seriously. Thank you for this tour. You really did your thing!
@@johnv6806Not shut down but have armed guards. We all have guns here. I'm sure if that information would have been shared, many men in this area would have guarded. My dad included.
For anyone interested in the Camp Scott murders, there is a great book that goes into incredible detail and it is called "Someone Cry for the Children" and it's definitely worth the read. I grew up near where this took place and had already known a lot about it but the book is full of stuff you cannot find by researching online.
I was there a few years before. My sister and I went every years for 2 weeks. See my predictive comment under the other campers remark. I can tell you what each building was. I hated the pool because we were little girls and had to undress in front of each other before we got into that freezing cold pool. We love it when it rained. You see, being just 3 steps up on a wooden platform in the deep woods, if it rained and only if it rained were you allowed to pull your flaps down. It felt so much more secure to go to sleep with the flaps down than up, when they were up you were scared all nite long. After the first day, they started picking “Hoppers” from every tent of 4 girls would had to rise up at the first bell, around 0630 to walk alone far up to the main hall/ kitchen where you set the table and got the food for your table and stayed to clean up. Walking down the hwy to go canoeing was horrible, the heat from the hwy brought you close to heat stroke.
You must be near my age. That was back in the days when they taught kids about responsibilities, teamwork and independence at the same time. We were not handled with kit gloves back then and, I don't know about you, but I'm a better person today because of that.
@@crocodile1313 - Nothing is stopping parents from teaching their children responsibilities, teamwork, and independence today. You don't have to go off to some camp in the middle of the woods to learn these skills. I was a young girl in the 70s as well, but I hate comments like this where people act like everything was so much better back then.
@@Kindred04 there is something stopping parents from teaching their kids these values today: child care "experts" who go on all the social media platforms and all the talk shows to say that kids need to "express their true selves" and that they need to "find themselves." This translates as: "let your kids scream their heads off whenever and wherever they want" bc apparently telling them "no" inhibits their creative development
@@Kindred04 They were better... I'm a former teacher turned nurse. I got out when I realized most kids today are a bunch of half wits who lack respect and faith...
I was a girl scout during those years, of course not at that particular camp. It was a very similar camp in another state. One thing that sticks out in my mind, is that we also had a heavy rainfall that season of 1977 and I remember coming out of our tents and going into the dining hall or pavilion as we called it to get out of that heavy rain. So I find that interesting that they allowed the girls to stay in their tents during such a storm, as opposed to gathering them up and putting them in sleeping bags on the floor like we did. There was a big fire place in the lodge/hall/pavilion....whatever any various camp called it and it was an appropriate shelter for a bad storm.....tents are not. That always bothered me about this case. 10, 11, 12 year old girls can scare themselves silly all on their own by just telling stories in tents in the woods under safe and normal circumstances, a storm was probably terrifying to them. How did the staff not realize this?
Our council had two camps. One had a unit cabin you could move into during storms if they got too bad. The other didn't. I worked at the one that didn't during a bad storm. I did night rounds while it was raining so hard you couldn't see far. I had to help the girls rearrange their beds because some of the tents were leaking. I would then yell to the next tent to shine a light so I could find my way to it. Normally we could see every tent from the staff tent. Not that night.
Good points brought up. When I hear of this story, the general feeling I get and that comes to mind for me is that the counsellors were not very attentive in several ways. Neglect on several counts. Being in charge and responsible for other people's children and their safety is a huge responsibility. There are odd parts to this story.
Absolutely fascinating! I've never heard of this incident. Creepy to wander around there knowing what happened. Thank you for putting in pics of what it looked like back then. It really helps. I love your channel!
I get what you're saying but if you knew of all of the places that you yourself have been where people died you would seriously lose your marbles. Lol.
@@MrJasonshores364 so true :). I used to play as a kid where Charles Manson and his "family" lived and even had buried a victim. I could have played right over that guy... they didn't dig him up until after I had grown up.
I was 8yrs old when this happened. I was staying with my aunt and uncle in Locust Grove for a few weeks during the summer. I remember how dark and scary it was around the house. I can’t imagine how scary it would be to be in a tent in those dark woods. My uncle was worried about someone being out in the area trying to hide so he took me and my sister home because he didn’t want his nieces to be hurt or scared. I am glad he took us home because I was scared.
Yeah one of the buildings had updated door handles as well as kids toys scattered and kids paint on the walls... im assuming people have lived on site since the tragedy...
Sick "inspiration"! 😡 ...and why I hate Friday the 13th, as well as Halloween. These gory "slasher" movies make me sick. Bad enough that evil walks the earth and does horrific things to innocent children and adults. We don't need such despicable acts played out on movie screens - with all its gratuitous violence being glorified. I wish these types of movies and video games would cease to exist.
Good for you for recognizing the dates. I suspect this was a ritual killing. That's why no one was ever found or prosecuted. It's the same thing in Michigan where I live. Police always cover for the Satanic Pedophiles. We had a bunch of murders here during this same time with these same group of Saturn Worshippers.
@@midwestlakelife Indescribable horrors abounds behind the protection of those we were taught to trust: law enforcement, medical, religious leaders, even family, friends and neighbors. 🤯
The camp was a stupid design. Who thought “yeah let’s set this up so the councilor can’t see one of the tents. This is a great idea”? I’m shocked the lawsuit against the camp didn’t work. Seems there was clear negligence.
@@RYMAN1321 even if “they might be raped/killed” wasn’t even remotely thought of it’s still obviously a bad idea to have kids out of sight. The fact the family tried to sue them over logistical errors of whatever shows that at least someone thought “hey this set up was not smart”. Less common or not it’s still a bad move on the camps part and I do think they are partly to blame for it ending the way it did. It might not have stopped it completely but there would have been a higher chance that it wouldn’t have happened or at least the killer would have been caught in the act and convicted for the crimes.
@@JamesBond-lj6ms Fair points. But you also have to acknowledge that many people believe he didn’t do it because he was a star football player. And he didn’t look like the type to kill (but did they forget he already raped two women?) People were very naive back then. Also, DNA and forensics were not what they are now.
@@RYMAN1321 yeah I get your points completely. I know things were different back then but I just strongly feel the camp was asking for something bad to happen. When the family tried to sue and it didn’t work surprises me. You’d think a judge and jury would say “you have a point with this suit” and annihilate the camp legally speaking. Right!? This guy already had a conviction for raping women (one of which was pregnant I think) who was also on the run after escaping. And the jury and all these people are “NOOOOO. He wouldn’t kill or hurt anyone!” Like really?
Virtually every safety standard we have these days is in response to something going wrong and frankly the technology of this era makes standardising such practices much easier. Still, it does seem to be a fairly common sense thing to ensure that responsible adults can actually see the children they are in charge of.
The idea of taking my little girl to a GS camp, which I have done, and having something like this happen is still incomprehensible to me, even though it is true.
I joined the Boy Scouts a few years after this happened, and every time I went camping, my mother was a basket case, as she'd read about this and was terrified that it was going to happen to me. It didn't help a decade later when my best friend and I tackled a hike across Southern Ontario that kept us on the trail for a month-and-a-half, when there were no cell phones, and we were lucky to see a pay phone once a week. Today, she'll tell me all about these books she's reading that talk about a crime and its details -- yes, she's read "Killers of the Flower Moon" -- but for the life of me, I can't get her to read a book about this incident. Never any issues for me while camping, and frankly, the closest I've ever been to a murder incident was living five minutes from Darlie Routier!
@@QuarrellaDeVil I don't know if I'm having deja vu but I swear I read this comment on another channel/video before. 🙃 I remembered the details cuz I thought your comment was interesting, especially about your mom being a nervous wreck and taking a hike for month and half w/ only seeing a pay phone once a week (she must not have at all slept for that month and half) and also living close by to Darlene Routier. I don't remember where else I saw it but I remember reading it before. My mom was always a nervous wreck too with hearing about all the murders occurring in 70s and 80s. I was in girl scouts and remember her being one of the leaders and attending all our camping trips to keep an eye on me. As a child you don't always understand their fears but now as a mother myself I understand and appreciate that she watched over me like that. Anything can happen anywhere anytime and although you can't always protect your children from the evils in this world I appreciate all her efforts to protect me and will do everything I can to protect my children. God Bless you and your family!!! 😄
So glad I never heard of these murders when I went camping when I was a kid, granted, I was born 8 months AFTER this happened. These murder gives me chills every time I hear about it. Thanks for the vlog
Its a good reason not to go camping. If you google camping crimes... you'll see that the dirty animals of human race love camping. Because they can't afford to do anything else except sit in the trees, booz it up, and look at porn.
This is still creepy knowing what happened here, but your calm voice and demeanor is always a nice touch! Stay safe with your friends and I wish all of you stay well!
Gene Leroy Hart, the original prime suspect, was officially named the murderer as of May of 2022. What a gutless, ruthless monster. Karma got his ass soon after as he passed away from a heart attack after being arrested for unrelated crimes. The counselors at this camp were grossly negligent. RIP to those three young girls. The case is now officially closed.
This news is such a relief to hear, but I know it probably doesn't change much to the families of the 3 girls since he was still acquitted. But at least he went right back into prison anyway and died there, and at least they finally have a conclusive answer and can have the truth be known to who the killer was that took their babies from them. Its just mindboggling to me though on how many people defended this man at the time of the investigation. Especially considering he was already a convicted rapist w/ a history of violence, and was even a prison escapee. Just....even if he wasn't the killer, HOW can anybody defend or excuse a rapist and an aggressor to others??? I hope he's getting the punishment he deserves in death that he evaded in life for what he did to those 3 girls, on top of his actions towards women.
I was a Girl Scout my whole childhood and I grew up a county over from Camp Scott. I also went to summer camp every year. My mom was my troop leader, so I asked her recently if anyone had ever mentioned Camp Scott at her leader meetings. She said no one ever brought it up, but she always wondered why the security measures at the modern Girl Scout camps (especially here in Oklahoma) were so strict. Now we know.
I'm from Oklahoma too, about an hour from this camp. I was also a girl scout and because of these events camps were very different. We no longer stayed outside in tents but in buildings with bunk beds rows and rows of them in one large room with our mothers there with us. Everything we did was in large groups with many mother volunteers with us. I used to go to cookie land here in Oklahoma, it is now shut down due to the turnpike sadly.
@@itcantbetruebutis7778 we were victims of robbery during a heavy rain, we couldn’t hear the noises they were doing while opening the car. Police said that’s something that happens frequently
I guarantee you it was Hart. No one else was ever considered a suspect. He also was an escapee when these murders happened right? Also, DNA and forensics were not what they are now though.
@@RYMAN1321 I spoke to one of the jurors on the case (years ago). She said that there was evidence brought up in the trial that brought serious doubt about Hart being responsible. There were also leads that were not thoroughly investigated. I have no idea if Hart was responsible. If he was, karma got him shortly after returning to prison.
@@rlcoop1 there were four medicine men working on this case. One of them prayed with old tobacco and said if Hart was innocent, he'd live, if he was guilty, he'd die. He died.
@@RubyJeans943 Yes, I read that in the book "Someone Cry for the Children". I just thought I would share my conversation with one of jurors on the case.
I remember when this happened. I was a brownie girl scout in Wisconsin and 8 years old. I wasn't allowed to go to the state camp at that time, and our troop day camped in our town for a while. We ended up at bigger camps eventually, but that fear was always with us. When I became a GS leader I still carried that awareness with me and hardly slept while we were in the woods. I'll never forget those little girls and their families as well as the counselors and law enforcement that worked so hard to nail that sob. Thanks for this video!
I was 10 years old that summer and remember this very clearly. That same summer, my parents sent me to Camp Birchwood in Wisconsin, even though I was absolutely terrified of going, after hearing of these murders. Still confused as to why they sent me. 🙄 From what I’m reading, most Girl Scout camps were closed that summer.
AngelaKim: Your comment about watching your campers even more diligently because you were permanently affected by this horrible act is a testament to progress. You've managed to salvage some good from something so evil. Because of that, the deaths were not a COMPLETE waste. I don't know if the fact that the murderer(s) wasn't caught has kept this story so vigorously alive after 43 years or not. I cannot think of the words "Locust Grove" without feeling anxiety. I can't remember if I felt that way about the community's name (Locust Grove) before this happened.
@@drywallpilled By Blue Mounds- I thought it was called Blackhawk? Brain fart. Its not the same now. It was when I and my daughter were both young tho. Hills and caves... A fun place!
In 1977 I was in the Cub Scouts. Thinking back to my childhood years I sometimes wish I could've remained there; eg. look what's going on now GLOBALLY. Becoming an adult is inevitable. There's a sharp contrast to how we perceive things at such a young age. Having your life and innocence snuffed out by another at such a magical moment of one's life is the biggest tragedy of all. Surely Shakespeare had a strong understanding of this. Times Change, People Don't.
What's going on "GLOBALLY" is that life spans are up in every single country on Earth and there is simply no better measure of quality of life. Of course American prominence is declining, the only reason it existed in the first place was that the rest of the developed World was bombed to smithereens. How long did you really think that would last?
@@81licker - I guarantee there were plenty of people in their 50s in 1977 who thought life was "depressing" back then. People tend to view the past through rose colored glasses. Especially if they had a nice, safe childhood. I wouldn't want to go back to my childhood or teen years for anything in the world.
11/12/2020 / this story will haunt me probably for the rest of my life. My heart aches for the families left behind and those 3 precious babies who lost their sweet innocent lives. R.I.P. Little angels
I believe it’s because back then, there were basically no cameras, and DNA testing wasn’t like today. People’s mindsets were also different back then as well. They said since he was a good football player he couldn’t have done something so horrific. LOL
Chris, you are providing such a great service in educating us with your great videos! They are always intriguing! This one is sad where 3 girls had their lives cut short! Thanks!
@@JetSkiSuper7 Yeah! the same POS that KNEW this would happen, stood by and did NOTHING! the perp dies of a heart attack later in prison but not BEFORE he could do 3 murders, go figure! Gene Leroy Hart died just 2 years after the murders, your sky Santa could have saved 3 lives by taking him out 2 years SOONER! These same god apologists yammer on about "oh thank GOD he survived" whn speaking about someone who got out of the hospital after the DOCTORS and NURSES and the medical machines SAVED the person's life and fixed them again! Imagine being a doctor and reading and hearing all the praise for saving YOUR patient's life going to some invisible POS and you get nothing!!
Yeah right, considering your shitty god LET this happen, they aren't "resting" in his hands they're DEAD because he did NOTHING to help them, always a day late and a dollar short!
Excellent presentation, and brings back a lot of weird mrmories. I was actually *at* nearby Camp Garland (Boy Scouts) at the time of the murders! I was fourteen. We were told to bug-out, without being told why, so we went back to Tulsa and *then* heard what was going on. Gave us all chills, because we were *that* close to something this horrific! (about a mile and a half, as the crow flies) I knew the area first-hand, and naturally studied-up on the murders since they are unfortunately a part of my personal history, too. Kiowa Campsite was adjacent to a power-line cut and open farmland, so it was easily accessible by people not associated with the camp. The killer had a perfect set-up, for somebody who knew the area well. I do not remember the rainstorm, but this was over 44 years ago. Like how you managed to find the shots of the camp as it was before (particularly the Great Hall) and intercut it with your present day video!
I remember this being mentioned in the news all the way up here to Detroit. A lot of scout camping was cancelled that year due to fears of copycats. Looks like a cabin or two may have had squatters fairly recently.
I'm from the Detroit area, and I mentioned in another comment that my mother was an absolute basket case when I went camping with the Boy Scouts just a few years after this had happened. Of course, it's another thread completely, but one of the scout camps where I used to go had at least three child predator incidents while I was associated with the Scouts. Nowhere was safe. [Whistling "In the Hall of the Mountain King"]
@@QuarrellaDeVil Not to be offensive to anyone, but there was a famous SNL skit with Alec Baldwin playing a scout leader who was a perv.. hitting upon Adam Sandler. Its pretty funny. Probably here on YT.
@@sanfrancisco9661 If someone wants to be offended, they should turn their anger not towards people who bring up the subject, but rather, towards those who commit the abuse and those who sweep it under the rug. Yelling at you and me won't make the problem go away. With that said, SNL famously had a couple of appearances by the late, great Buck Henry as Uncle Roy, the pervy babysitter in whose charge were Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner.
@@sanfrancisco9661 Hollywood idiots. Not funny anymore, never were. Last funny guy on late night tv was Johnny Carson, all the rest are cheap imitation at best. I won't even start going on about that dip weed baldwin.
Props to you for gaining permission to be there. They don't let just anyone on those grounds. It has me wondering what will eventually become of that land. What will the current owners do with it? Whatever happens I'll say this; anyone who worked at a summer camp like myself knows there is something very disquieting about seeing a camp abandoned. Places like this were built so that kids of all ages could grow and have fun. Seeing one empty and lifeless is not only creepy but tragic as well.
Camping isn't about beautiful weather. My mother took her GS troop camping at Bonnie Belmont on Juliet Low's birthday, Oct 31. We ended up with 6 inches of snow on the ground. No one was injured or fell sick.
Where else would they sleep? The tents had wood floors and were up off the ground. There were steps leading up to them. The tents were large, made out of thick canvas, and had heavy flaps that were tied to the floor to anchor them, about six to eight per side. The girls slept on iron cots with a thin mattress. There were either flaps at both ends that could be tied shut, or zippers. It was standard for girls at the time.
I just watched that, a shame they found that guy not guilty. He is guilty as sin. At least he died in prison a couple years later from a heart attack. Although I've heard some people say he was poisoned.
Just found this channel as very interested in true crime genre. This channel is brilliant and deserves lots more support. Fantastic to tell things most of us haven’t heard about from the past to remind us and keep those poor victims alive in our memories. Brilliant story telling as well, without being too unnecessary and dramatic . Have just subscribed
Thank you for the tour. I remember that case well. I was 19 at the time. I followed that case very closely. I even read the book, Someone Cry for the Children. Personally, I believe Hart was guilty. The evidence pointed to him. Just my opinion.
After watching a couple of your videos , I must say that I really like the relaxed atmosphere of the way you present the stories and the scenes. Your use of juxtaposing the older pictures against the present locations is well done too. Unrelated to the previous comments: why do so many abandoned buildings seem to have a tire in them?
You do a great job narrating your videos. I always feel like I'm there. You speak calmly and instead of rambling you allow us to really hear the environment. Such a nice break from regular youtube.
I never knew about this. Seriously at about this time the Girl/Boy Scout camp I went to was less than 2- 3 miles from Graterford Prison. At the time it was a max security prison so only worst of the worst. The stories we were told there!
I was a camp director at a G.S. camp in Ohio. There is no fencing or barriers around the perimeter to stop anyone from coming on camp. Back when I was a camp director I never even gave it a thought that something like that could happen. I saw this case on the internet about 8 years ago. If I knew about what happened at Camp Scott, I would have definitely had something in place security-wise for the camp I was directing. Don't get me wrong we had security procedures, but nothing to be prepared for something like this. My heart goes out to the girls and their family because I had wonderful memories as a girl and an adult at camp.
The first mistake is surely not having all the tents sited together as was the case here, they should have them all clumped together with the directors/ supervisors camped around the perimeter of the childrens tents.
I also was a camp counselor in Ohio at two different camps and I disagree with placement of tents. The tents are set up to have a feeling of having interaction with nature and a feeling of freedom,not regimental ly set up like a military set up. Poor girls. I feel for all the girls there whose feeling of freedom was shattered for the rest of their lives with those images and memories.
@@patriciabeekman4134 to pipe in on a comment, safety first. yes, in an ideal world no fences, nature over security but as seen down thru the years one rat can show that lax in security can be fatal. This story reads like a Stephen King novel. Adult supervision w/one counselor sleeping in each cabin should have been the rule. Hindsight is 20/20. Such a sad outcome.
A local had bought the place, and for a while opened up the swimming pool to the public ! Awful idea I thought! I have lived 3 miles away from there all my life
I was a kid during those years and I used to go to the boy scout Camp Garland which was very close to Camp Scott. Everyone used to always talk about what happened at Camp Scott back then. The original book about the event is very sad.
My aunt went to a religious school that also had a scout group, she belonged there. They went to Camp Scott a couple of months before these girls. She told me that at night, she heard noises among the trees that did not appear to be an animal but a person, but her caretaker didn't even care. They also didn't care much when a girl was hurt or needed something. Neglect definitely killed these innocent girls.
The first camp Scotts owners did after the girls were found was calling their lawyer and insurance agency. Not reaching out to the girl's parents. Disgusting people behind the camp I wonder if your aunt heard the same sounds one of the camp counselors reported the night the girls were killed :/ The counselor said it was a scary guttural sound. Nothing she herself heard before.
A very sad thing to have happened, it must have been terrifying and hard to comprehend for the girls that were there when it happened. Thank you for sharing. x Stay safe and well. xx
You have a niche and it’s interesting to see the actual locations along with the narration. Continue to do what you do. your efforts are on history that we cannot control. Events that unfortunately happen (like this one) are in NO way a good thing and this story is very upsetting. In my own personal experience I understand the loss of children and the pain is horrific and these parents will NEVER forget. God bless the families.
Wow. I worked as a camp counsellor for a few summers and I can't even imagine being on site when something like this took place and having to live with it afterwards. Terrible. Those poor children.
Hard to believe even some Oklahomans haven't heard of this. Whether he was guilty or innocent the name Gene Leroy Hart will be forever seared in the minds of many of us. Oklahoma seemed like a small place in those days and many of us knew people whose lives were directly touched by this event, even if ours weren't.
I have heard some strange stories about this. Gene Hart was the #1 suspect but a certain camp counselor had the opportunity and supposed had a some sexual issues involving young girls but nothing ever came out of it. just rumors I suppose.
@Cathy Wescott I was a "guest" of the state from 78- 81. although I wasn't in MAC, I heard from some who were that he was killed, but in lockup back then that could be considered "natural causes. " I know he was a magnet for controversy.
Hart was acquitted after his death. For him being killed in prison i would doubt it. The Natives have a lot of power in Oklahoman prisons and would protect him most likely
@@VolkXue He wasn't killed in prison. His autopsy showed he died from natural causes, specifically a heart attack, which he experienced while exercising in the prison yard.
@@ogivecrush yeah, there was a supposed DNA link much later but that's not trustworthy either since Oklahoma ended up having a corrupt DNA specialist through those years that got literally sent thousands of cases into jeopardy The mystery fingerprint and 9 1/2 shoeprint seems to be the key to the case. I might go explore this area someday. I always thought they had demolished the camp. Amazed it's not more tagged up
I remember this like yesterday...I was 7 and in Brownies/Girl Guides. My mum was like extra special and watchful over me for like weeks. Even tho I live in Canada it affected all ppl who had children. Such a sad thing to happen.😔
Very interesting coverage. I was a ten yr old scout in Illinois when this happened. Loved camp. This is just devastating to think of the innocence lost of three girls and a camp meant to be a relaxing respite for these girls.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Staying at at friends house in Oklahoma during this crazy epidemic. More info on my Facebook page - facebook.com/mobileinstinct
Mobile Instinct Hey Chris. Very interesting video and story. Hadn’t heard about it until now.
Wow, what a tragic story. Glad to see that you're doing okay. Stay safe and watch out, we're into tornado season.
Glad it didn’t happen in NJ at crystal lake.
Another great find and well done adventure. Stories like this are always fascinating, I always wonder what happens to places after tragedies like that occur. Was this place used for something else after the camp closed in 1977? It don't look like its been abandoned for 40 years. Thanks for the adventure!!!
Awesome job on this one! I've been wanting to take a look at this place for years!
I was a 9yo (soon to be 10) GS - at camp - when this happened. I remember the camping trip ending early. When I asked my mom why, she said some GS campers got hurt by a grizzly bear (which led me to research grizzlies), and that all GS camping was cancelled.
Many years later, I was talking about that camping experience with my kids when my mom interrupted and said, "Yeah, that's when those 3 little GS campers were murdered."
I looked at her and said, "That's not what you and Dad told me. You said they got hurt by a grizzly..."
She said, "When your dad and I got the call with what happened, did you really think we were going to scare you with the truth? We were told 3 GS campers had been murdered in their sleeping bags at another campground. The cops didn't know who did it or where he was... I don't think they ever got the guy who did it."
I didn't know what to think... I was about 40yrs old... 30 years had gone by... Yet this is the first time (I'll be 53 this summer) I have ever heard the truth...
...and I'm crying for those girls. I'm sure they had been as excited as I had been... It hurts to know they had been horrifically brutalized. I pray GOD took their souls before they suffered...
I was 10 in Ohio which put me in g.s. as well. They didn't shutdown our camp. There was a counselor in each tent. Church camp wasn't effected either- boys were in tents & girls was in cabins each tent & cabin had a counselor. My cousin worked at the church camp & I don't recall anything about this horrible ordeal in Oklahoma
@@Rosethatwantstomove Wow, I can't believe they didn't shut y'all down - especially with the killer still on the loose! Thank GOD y'all weren't hurt. ...
terrifying you were there!
@@RawOlympia It's saddening - and nauseating... I didn't know what really happened, when it happened...
30 years later, my mom's comment was said in passing - literally, as she walked from her bedroom to the garage.
Seeing this video is what brought back memories of laughter, singing camp songs, and feeling adventurous - having it abruptly cut short...never really comprehending that 3 families lost their daughters so terribly; and they never got closure.
I feel almost guilty for not knowing the truth when it happened, and going home to play with my friends who weren't GS.
My parents pulled me out of GS - saying it was too expensive. Back then, you didn't question your parents. Life just moved on.
Whoever did it, may think they got away with it - but GOD saw. Justice prevails, even if we can't see it during our lifetime.
Yea god is so powerful he can zap a soul but not stop the murder? Your god is a pathetic monster.
I wish they would clean it up , put in a memorial for the girls and make it someplace people could go to get help or a nice park. STAY safe .
That is a wonderful Idea Anastasia. If your old enough to remember it you would have been absolutely horrified. A memorial should have been erected to them.
Oh yes ! That is a wonderful idea. I’ve always been haunted by what happened. I was in high school at the time. An aunt lives not far from there and I visited her every summer. So it gave me chills thinking of what evil was lose in eastern Oklahoma at the time period.
A beautiful ideal
Great idea. It looks so creepy and sad.
All I could think watching this is I wish there was something for them there. I want to look up how far away it would be, I would try to make something for them. They should be remembered.
I really like how this was narrated. The young man didn't do a lot of talking, when he was in the buildings. I like that because we the viewers get to soak in the surroundings, without someone incessantly talking. The man was also very respective when taking about the tragedy. He used a very respectful tone. I had never heard about this. It's so sad all around. It must have been so traumatizing for everyone involved.
where is this campground exactly?
@@petersuskawicz8900 Oklahoma
I thoroughly agree.
He is real low key and respectful at many of these sites. Can't imagine it not effecting a person to some extent. His hushed reverence is soothing and uplifts the victims. God, what a terrible world this can be.
Were there privy's at this camp?
I like how people stuck up for the guy accused of this, saying “he never could have done something like this”, even though he was already sentenced for raping 2 pregnant women. Yea, sounds like a real pillar of the community.
and he stuffed rags in their mouths and tape over their nostrils so they couldn't breathe, leaving them to die,hart is guilty, the question is who helped him? from what I have read it seems there may have been 2 men and one woman involved, could the female have been one of the counselors
You read my mind...was going to comment something similar to your comment.
Never should have been released
@@Dulcimertunes he escaped
@@leighannkst93 I think she might've meant acquitted of the murders...?
Cause he did escape, then they caught him, put him back in prison, went to trial for the murders but was acquitted of that crime.
I feel like I learned a lot today.
The counsellor in the beginning of story... the one that ignored the note ... can you imagine the guilt that they felt afterwards
I can't fathom, the poor dear. However, she wouldn't have been the only one, as she shared the note with the other counselors.
@@deirdrepasko9056 good point!
How could u ignore something like that my goodness
@@crios042679 exactly!
I watched another story on this case and another counselor had gone to the bathroom in the middle of the night. She reported hearing sounds like a wild animal being hurt and looked around but didn't investigate further. They suspected it was the time the girls were being murdered.
I was at Camp Scott a month to the day before this happened.
Our troop leader was a joke.
She didn't watch over us, she had her husband and teenage sons come stay while we were there.
We heard things in the woods behind our tent (it was a large canvas tent that slept 6-8, with an elevated wood floor & steps at the front leading inside) that didn't sound like animals walking around, we told her, but she couldn't have cared less.
I'll never know who or what was lurking in those woods, but when the story hit the news I promised my then 10 year old self that if I ever had kids there'd be no going to camp.( I realized how unsafe we were while we were there.)
I kept that promise.
Wow were you one of the kids that said you heard something but the leader said it was just kids laughing and to ignore it?
No she said that she was there a month before
Sounds like a larp anyways
So you got scared and decided to deprive your children of a completely normal childhood experience? I guarantee that you're a helicopter mom.
@@SkunkApe407 And your alias says it all. YAAFDB 🤣😂🤣
@@jackshittle wait, you can see me? Shit, gotta go...
I went to Camp Scott the summer of 73 or 74. Very scary that these girls were murdered there just a few years later.
Anita Jernigan , must be strange seeing it in such a state of disrepair.
Hi but how that’s works the girls were by themselves a menor?
Damn you ever think just by chance the killer showed up few weeks later your lucky as hell dumb luck maybe wow that's trippy
so sad!!!!
That would be an odd feeling to see pictures after the years of memories you made. The nice summer days back in the 70’s with all the birds chirping and then one creepy night a sick man destroying everyone’s memory’s.
Chris, I’m a 55 year old lawyer and I just have to say that what you do is flat out impressive. So much so that I’m a little envious. If you’re making a living doing this, you should be extremely proud of achieving the American dream. Taking us to the scene of monumental, horrendous and well-known events is truly awesome. You seem to embody the old saying that if you love what do…you never work a day in your life. Keep up and let me know if you need a volunteer assistant. 😉
Just by your review I am going to subscribe.
I would've subscribed anyways but your comment made it quicker. You may just make a good assistant & asset to this fella the storyteller
I’m alittle envious that you’re lawyer!!..
lol
No lawyer needed.
Why do you point out that you're a lawyer? That is more degrading than what you meant it to be.....
That's a sad story. It's also sad that the camp was abandoned afterwards. The world is full of crazy people, and it only takes one of them to ruin a lot of lives.
Your government is one of the more crazy ones out there...As is mine...
I agree...personally, I think they should have kept it open...In honor of the victims. A lot of GOOD memories could have come out of a tragedy. That's just my opinion, god knows I could be wrong. ✌
Angela Baker. Sleepaway camp
Agree
@@maxrockatanksyOG We have much more to fear from our government! Thank You for posting this as I was just going to say the exact same thing. People have to spread the word - this ain't no viris - and they are cooking the numbers, too. There is a video in the JU.K. where a lady caught them falsifying someone's death. The government are Lying and people don't get that the mainstream media is an arm of the government - the propaganda arm for them to lie to - what they refer to us as - the (m)asses. Think that's a coincidence that they call us the (m)asses?! Think again!!! This is a PLANDEMIC - not a pandemic! And, Bill Gates is the one behind it all. DO NOT line up to take no vague scene. THAT is what gives people the bloody vIRIS. Same with the flu. I haven't been sick in over 25 years. You get sick if you are around a bunch of people who have HAD the flu vague scene!!! Or, if you take it. People are dumb AF. But we gotta wake them up.
If it weren’t for being locked down during Covid, I never would’ve learned about Camp Scott.
Ditto!
I’m 59 and this is the first I heard about Camp Scott. I was a teenager when this happened.
Lionardo Peňa what, every single one of them? Idiot!
“Trust the plan” -Q
Same
I was just shy of 16 when this happened. My friend and me were going to meet up with some other kids early that morning to go canoeing, we were pulled over by the highway patrol, they wanted to know what we were doing in the area and had we seen anyone. We told them we hadn't seen anyone. The officer very seriously told us to get back to Pryor, not to stop and talk to anyone or stop for anyone if they tried to flag us down. He wouldn't tell us why. We went back to town as we were told and only found out later that morning what had happened. Everyone locked their doors that night something that we didn't think much about doing before. Scary time.
same here where did all the years go remember around the same time Friday the 13th came out weird or what
@@williamsteele1409 Friday the 13th actually Premiered in 1980, three years later but yeah still very spooky.
Y’all didn’t lock doors back then?
No joke, I’m 27 and surprised to hear such a thing
@@girls_eatkornbread5509 why are you surprised to hear that? We dont lock our doors now 🤷♀️
Because our kids can’t play outside alone, even in fenced backyards. Our kids can’t walk to the school bus. We don’t step away from the house for more than 3 minutes without locking the door.
You went there by YOURSELF?? It feels like Camp Crystal Lake from Friday the 13th.
That's what I'm thinking! Man, fuck this whole story! Fuck it all!
Imagine going there at night 💀💀💀
??
The murder also happened on the 13th. Wondering if it was a Friday.
Or Like Camp Nightwing
2:22 If only they had taken the note seriously.
THANK YOU!
Exactly!!
This! And also the other warning signs reported to the counselors by campers. Some saw a light in the woods, some reported seeing a man look into their tent, and I guess a counselor overheard a girl crying for her mama in the middle of the night - but assumed she was just homesick.
:(
Poor girls were let down by camp leaders
@@dinimonator987 Let down is putting it nicely. The fact that the Kiowa tents were set up farthest out and that NONE of the units had a camp counselor with them. Why put little kids in tents by themselves (in the woods no less) while the adults sleep in the cabins? So many issues that could've been prevented. Those girls would've lived to see another day.
Those poor babies. Killed right in front of each other. My heart breaks for them. For their parents getting that phone call. 😞😞😞😭😭😭
YES!!! Those poor parents...taking on the responsiblity to bring a child into this world, loving, caring and supporting them...trying to keep them safe....then some GOD DAMNED LOSER comes around, and MURDERS them!!!! Sickening. Sorry about my language. ✌
@Aaron James Yes...I remember, a couple of little girls, maybe more. I worked in Atlantic City for 15 years, there was a rundown hotel I would pass every day, come to find out, there were 3 or 4 girls buried behind it...always made me angry. You can probably Google it...some people believe they are linked to the Long Island killer.
@Aaron James Google the Eastbound Strangler....some really creepy stuff.
@Aaron James Sounds like they had their man to me but shoddy police work contaminated the scene
Who said they were killed in front of each other? More likely attacked individually.
I stayed at camp Scott one weekend as a girl scout. I remember having the best time. The murders happened not long after that. So scary
That must be totally shocking! Freaky! Wow Julie, you really dodge a bullit so to speak!
Are you ok?
@ yes I am thank you very much. Very fortunate that our troup was there just days befor this happened.
@Leray Bojangles yes it was a beautiful place to camp. I had so much fun there.
After the murder they moved to camp tallchief and made actual cabins.. my sister and me went after the murders. And anyone who know Girl Scout camp knows the singing is integral. Well we has some pretty dark ones about these murders
Its pretty haunting to see such a beautiful place be tainted with such an horrid tragedy. May these 3 babies rest in peace… ❤️
I live in Tulsa and this is still a chilling incident to everyone - thank you for the respectful investigation. So many questions about these murders...
MS Chronicles I live in Tulsa, for the past 25 years & ive never heard of this. Where is this camp?
@@tammyvance8620 Almost due east of Tulsa about 50 miles...
I was a girl guide and loved my time learning life skills even taught for 3 years as I got older but Tulsa has some dark history I had a dream one night about 7 years ago about what happened in Tulsa in 1921, people need to know history so we can stop repeating it God bless all.
@@pamdrover6801 what happened in 1921 thanks
Tulsa Race Massacre. Pretty bad stuff...
Great job of telling a horrible story and keeping it fact based and not sensationalized. Much respect. ☮️
They really were the babes in the wood, so sad. Sleep peacefully in the arms of the Angel's, little ones
Amen i hope they found the killer
@@staylifted1876 It was one of those cases where they knew who did it but couldn't prove it. Prior to DNA tests. In sexual assaults today, the loser is immediately identified.
@@staylifted1876 the guy authorities are certain was the murderer died a few years later I think, although he wasn't found guilty, at least he's no longer around.
7
@@sanfrancisco9661 what about libby and abby case ?.they got killed in 2017 with dna and video tape evidence and still unsolved.
The 70s was really a bad time for yong girls and teens to live, so much sinister stuff happened
Yeah the 70s was really bad, glad that young girls and teens only gotta worry about getting kidnapped and put on the human trafficking market, instead of just straight up murder. So much safer now.
The 70s were awesome so much better then now. Wake up
@@postandghost9391 lol shut up bruh
@@lisajackson5134 coming from someone born in the 2000’s you would know right? Wake up 🤷🏻♂️
It’s only gotten worse. Monsters need not hide in the shadows now, people encourage them to show themselves (apparently being a pedo is accepted now according to the idiots of Twitter). I know that everything is a double edged sword but I’m just focusing on the negative parts for the sake of this comment. There are good and bad people everywhere.
I was sent here by Lamont At Large. RIP Sweet Angels.
Me too
Ditto
Me too!
Me toooo!
Me too
I went to school with one of the girls and her mother was our teacher. It was very sad
Wow....some tragic stuff. Terrible. ✌
Andy Williams 😳 wow. Did they ever find the killer?
@@Starfish2145 a guy named Gene Leroy Heart
😢
There should have been 3 crosses where they were found. I remember seeing a picture of that but it was way back in the 80's
Good Job I grew up and still only live about 10 miles from there and I appreciate the way you respectfully told the story. I remember when this happen and I was only 7 at the time.
Is your community still worried the killer is amongst you.
You already posted under another name about being "respectful." Give it a rest, dude.
@@getlauriekor REALLY???
@@getlauriekor The killer is dead now.
I remember this story, as I had just turned 9 years old at the time. For years it haunted me, and I never forgot it. Poor girls.
I don't know how people stay sane in a world like this. The more I learn how evil man is, the more I feel myself slipping.
It amazes me that when they said the heavy thunderstorm hit they told the girls to go to their tents. It seems they would have been much safer in the building you referred to as "the hall", pictured at 2:50.
I was thinking the same thing. Hopefully the children were able to set up their tents in the buildings.
Yeah my thoughts exactly.
It was 1977.
@@richardkronberg4925 what does the year have to do with being in the rain ?!
@@PrincessYonna1 hindsight 20/20 didn’t know their was a killer on loose, they did not get killed from lightning, figure it out princess lady.
The fact that the councelers just ignored a note like that with a camp full of little girls is just stupid and sad😔
Yeah. They should have called the police and all slept in the great hall where it was safer and they could all be together or just send everyone straight home. Such a horrible situation that could have easily been avoided 😔
I agree 300 %. When it involves minors and much open space one can never be too careful and cautious. As a criminal justice major and avid true crime reader/analyst it hurts me to the core that a counselor responsible for young children could be so dense and passive.
I would have immediately called the local police station and demanded that they send some officers out to the area. A young child , no matter how big a sweet tooth, would not take doughnuts and then confess that they're going to kill three young girls whom you are accountable for. The red flag was right there.
Especially with an escaped convict may be hiding out in the area.
@@Victoria-qb3dr Absolutely. Girl Scout camping in a Florida state park in 1971 some of the girls said they saw a man prowling around our cabins the night before. The next night the scout leaders woke us all up and told us to roll up our sleeping bags and line up outside. They marched us straight over to the main hall where we all slept on the floor in the same room. Smart move.
Not to mention suspicious.
I was an 8 year old girl scout at this time. Shortly after this happened my troop went camping at our counsels Camp Toplofty. We were camping in tents and it rained something awful that night. The next morning one of the leaders noticed a girl missing out of one of the tents and went looking for her. They found her sleeping bag outside the back of the tent with an obvious bulge in the sleeping bag. Of course, this story was very new at the time and of course they thought the worst. They finally reached out to touch the bulge in the bag and the girl woke up and moved. She had apparently rolled out under the bottom of the tent and in the rain snuggled down into the bottom of her sleeping bag to stay dry and slept that way all night. Made for a few tense moments at camp...
Good ending
Omg. Those camp counselors need to be more on it.
Holy moly, glad the girl ended up being okay.
I can imagine that this brought some relieved chuckles
I can't imagine letting my kid go to camp after this happening!
I like the “then vs now” images interspersed with the maps and the story. You get a real sense of the space. Great pauses in narration as well.
Why the youngest campers were put in the last tent at the back, farthest away from the counselors has never made any sense to me.
It’s even creepier knowing they never caught who did this horrific crime.
Chances are it was one of the Camp Counselors, white male.
They wasn't supposed to be. Youngest should have been put nearest to lodge. But seems nothing was done to protocol that night. 🤔
common sense says keep the youngest closest. unbelievable
@@cynthiawashburn771 Cynthia, now this is what makes think that perhaps people at the camp had something to do with the murders.
@@tayachting6345 Yes. And according to the counselors testimony at the preliminary hearing there was a little party going on and boyfriends on grounds. Denise was told by her mom, if she got there and wanted to come home to call her. She asked to call home 2 times and was told no. Ironically it was the same camp counselor that put her in that tent? Why put a scared little girl that wants to go home in the tent closest to the woods?! This counselor said she put these girls together because they were standoffish, quiet and shy.
What I find creepiest about it all is that the remains of the place were simply abandoned and not completely physically removed.
The owner of the property expected the Girl Scouts to eventually come back and rent again. But whenever there is a mass murder, it ruins the place for generations... A little town in upstate Michigan was like that after a single but infamous murder and a little town N of Lake Tahoe was also like that... both towns just dried up out of fear of the evil that was there. Yes, evil and demons do exist. Stay away from atheists... which are demonic manipulated and always draw demons around them.
San Francisco Lol anyone who thinks atheists are harbingers of the devil cannot be all there in the mind.
John B. Lay off the good weed
Mark Madison I can’t because I’m the devil
i think it's too expensive to do that to every building that someone is murdered in. ???
A moment of silence for these poor little girls. May they forever rest in power and in peace.
I’ve never heard of this tragedy. It literally could have been avoided had the note been taken seriously. Thank you for this tour. You really did your thing!
I mean what would you suggest?
"Okay everyone this camp site is hereby permanently shut down because someone found a note!"?
@@johnv6806Not shut down but have armed guards. We all have guns here. I'm sure if that information would have been shared, many men in this area would have guarded. My dad included.
its not a tragedy, two future leg spreaders were removed
yeah, the note and all the other red flags when they got there, Jesus, unbelievable.
@@Blox117 3 children were brutally murdered. You sound like a real winner. Smh
For anyone interested in the Camp Scott murders, there is a great book that goes into incredible detail and it is called "Someone Cry for the Children" and it's definitely worth the read. I grew up near where this took place and had already known a lot about it but the book is full of stuff you cannot find by researching online.
Andrew J. Lewis The book maybe out-of-print, but if you can find it, it’s the definitive work on this horrific case.
@@JD-ku6vd Yeah, I read it almost 20 years ago and I'd like to read it again.
I have it and it is worth reading.
@@JD-ku6vd www.amazon.com/Someone-cry-children-unsolved-Oklahoma/dp/0803782837
WH Thanks! I appreciate the info.
I was there a few years before. My sister and I went every years for 2 weeks. See my predictive comment under the other campers remark.
I can tell you what each building was. I hated the pool because we were little girls and had to undress in front of each other before we got into that freezing cold pool.
We love it when it rained. You see, being just 3 steps up on a wooden platform in the deep woods, if it rained and only if it rained were you allowed to pull your flaps down.
It felt so much more secure to go to sleep with the flaps down than up, when they were up you were scared all nite long.
After the first day, they started picking “Hoppers” from every tent of 4 girls would had to rise up at the first bell, around 0630 to walk alone far up to the main hall/ kitchen where you set the table and got the food for your table and stayed to clean up.
Walking down the hwy to go canoeing was horrible, the heat from the hwy brought you close to heat stroke.
You must be near my age. That was back in the days when they taught kids about responsibilities, teamwork and independence at the same time. We were not handled with kit gloves back then and, I don't know about you, but I'm a better person today because of that.
@@crocodile1313 - Nothing is stopping parents from teaching their children responsibilities, teamwork, and independence today. You don't have to go off to some camp in the middle of the woods to learn these skills. I was a young girl in the 70s as well, but I hate comments like this where people act like everything was so much better back then.
@@Kindred04 there is something stopping parents from teaching their kids these values today: child care "experts" who go on all the social media platforms and all the talk shows to say that kids need to "express their true selves" and that they need to "find themselves." This translates as: "let your kids scream their heads off whenever and wherever they want" bc apparently telling them "no" inhibits their creative development
Chrome lettering
@@Kindred04 They were better... I'm a former teacher turned nurse. I got out when I realized most kids today are a bunch of half wits who lack respect and faith...
someone should mark this spot with a memorial
The girls have their cemetery plot , family visitation, and name plaque. The forrest doesn't need a "memorial." lol
Edward Ralosky-- Some crimes are so barbaric, there is no memorial that would be appropriate. This is one of them.
I agree
Who currently owns the camp property?
@@peterlyons8793 if no one owns it then someone should rebuild the camp and make a museum or something.
I was a girl scout during those years, of course not at that particular camp. It was a very similar camp in another state. One thing that sticks out in my mind, is that we also had a heavy rainfall that season of 1977 and I remember coming out of our tents and going into the dining hall or pavilion as we called it to get out of that heavy rain. So I find that interesting that they allowed the girls to stay in their tents during such a storm, as opposed to gathering them up and putting them in sleeping bags on the floor like we did. There was a big fire place in the lodge/hall/pavilion....whatever any various camp called it and it was an appropriate shelter for a bad storm.....tents are not. That always bothered me about this case. 10, 11, 12 year old girls can scare themselves silly all on their own by just telling stories in tents in the woods under safe and normal circumstances, a storm was probably terrifying to them. How did the staff not realize this?
At our girls camp in NE Wisconsin we were brought into the large hall.
Our council had two camps. One had a unit cabin you could move into during storms if they got too bad. The other didn't. I worked at the one that didn't during a bad storm. I did night rounds while it was raining so hard you couldn't see far. I had to help the girls rearrange their beds because some of the tents were leaking. I would then yell to the next tent to shine a light so I could find my way to it. Normally we could see every tent from the staff tent. Not that night.
and now you girl scouts had such entitlement you needed to destroy the boy scouts. no sympathy for useless fmales. good riddance to them all
Good points brought up. When I hear of this story, the general feeling I get and that comes to mind for me is that the counsellors were not very attentive in several ways. Neglect on several counts. Being in charge and responsible for other people's children and their safety is a huge responsibility. There are odd parts to this story.
I feel each tent should have had an adult in it with the children they shouldn't have been alone
Absolutely fascinating! I've never heard of this incident. Creepy to wander around there knowing what happened. Thank you for putting in pics of what it looked like back then. It really helps. I love your channel!
I get what you're saying but if you knew of all of the places that you yourself have been where people died you would seriously lose your marbles. Lol.
@@MrJasonshores364 so true :). I used to play as a kid where Charles Manson and his "family" lived and even had buried a victim. I could have played right over that guy... they didn't dig him up until after I had grown up.
Thanks for sharing these abandoned places with us. Very sad story this one was. RIP for the little girls that were brutally murdered.
I was 8yrs old when this happened. I was staying with my aunt and uncle in Locust Grove for a few weeks during the summer. I remember how dark and scary it was around the house. I can’t imagine how scary it would be to be in a tent in those dark woods. My uncle was worried about someone being out in the area trying to hide so he took me and my sister home because he didn’t want his nieces to be hurt or scared. I am glad he took us home because I was scared.
I just get the feeling it was somebody local,some one who knew the area,probably planned in advance,so they knew escape routes etc....
I think it was Hart, as no one else was ever considered a suspect.
He was an escapee when these murders happened right?
Gene Leroy hart
I remember my parents talking about this sad story and my brother and sister could not go to camp anymore this was so sad people are still so evil.
The interior of some of those buildings are in remarkably good shape, considering how long they've been empty!
The road looks awfully good too. Not wast you’d expect in an abandoned place.
Tin roof
I couldn't see any tagging throughout the video, surprising for an abandoned site
Yeah one of the buildings had updated door handles as well as kids toys scattered and kids paint on the walls... im assuming people have lived on site since the tragedy...
Things were built to last back then...
Imagine the atmosphere of this place at night.
3-4 years before "Friday the 13th" and "Sleepaway Camp", came this real life camp horror.
Probably where the inspiration came from.
Yep!!
Sick "inspiration"! 😡 ...and why I hate Friday the 13th, as well as Halloween. These gory "slasher" movies make me sick. Bad enough that evil walks the earth and does horrific things to innocent children and adults. We don't need such despicable acts played out on movie screens - with all its gratuitous violence being glorified. I wish these types of movies and video games would cease to exist.
Good for you for recognizing the dates.
I suspect this was a ritual killing.
That's why no one was ever found or prosecuted.
It's the same thing in Michigan where I live.
Police always cover for the Satanic Pedophiles.
We had a bunch of murders here during this same time with these same group of Saturn Worshippers.
@@midwestlakelife Indescribable horrors abounds behind the protection of those we were taught to trust: law enforcement, medical, religious leaders, even family, friends and neighbors. 🤯
Chris, well done and thank you for treating it in the delicate manner in which it should be.
Great videos, thank you!
I will never understand how a scout leader could see a light outside the cabin and do nothing to check it out because she was scared.
I mean, fear is a big part of life. If I saw a random light outside; even though no-one should be outside, I would be scared shitless.
@@Blaise_Blackwell As a camp leader you’re taking the obligation to go look for the safety of those little girls
@@bobsmith12098 Well were they armed? I’m sorry but if they didn’t have a weapon of some kind then they would just become a victim too.
@@alexcovert2526 There’s other camp counsellors that she could’ve told, she also should’ve called the police to come check it out
@@bobsmith12098 called the police? With what phone?
The camp was a stupid design. Who thought “yeah let’s set this up so the councilor can’t see one of the tents. This is a great idea”? I’m shocked the lawsuit against the camp didn’t work. Seems there was clear negligence.
Back then, these kinds of dangers weren’t as known.
@@RYMAN1321 even if “they might be raped/killed” wasn’t even remotely thought of it’s still obviously a bad idea to have kids out of sight. The fact the family tried to sue them over logistical errors of whatever shows that at least someone thought “hey this set up was not smart”. Less common or not it’s still a bad move on the camps part and I do think they are partly to blame for it ending the way it did. It might not have stopped it completely but there would have been a higher chance that it wouldn’t have happened or at least the killer would have been caught in the act and convicted for the crimes.
@@JamesBond-lj6ms Fair points.
But you also have to acknowledge that many people believe he didn’t do it because he was a star football player. And he didn’t look like the type to kill (but did they forget he already raped two women?)
People were very naive back then.
Also, DNA and forensics were not what they are now.
@@RYMAN1321 yeah I get your points completely. I know things were different back then but I just strongly feel the camp was asking for something bad to happen. When the family tried to sue and it didn’t work surprises me. You’d think a judge and jury would say “you have a point with this suit” and annihilate the camp legally speaking.
Right!? This guy already had a conviction for raping women (one of which was pregnant I think) who was also on the run after escaping. And the jury and all these people are “NOOOOO. He wouldn’t kill or hurt anyone!” Like really?
Virtually every safety standard we have these days is in response to something going wrong and frankly the technology of this era makes standardising such practices much easier. Still, it does seem to be a fairly common sense thing to ensure that responsible adults can actually see the children they are in charge of.
The idea of taking my little girl to a GS camp, which I have done, and having something like this happen is still incomprehensible to me, even though it is true.
I joined the Boy Scouts a few years after this happened, and every time I went camping, my mother was a basket case, as she'd read about this and was terrified that it was going to happen to me. It didn't help a decade later when my best friend and I tackled a hike across Southern Ontario that kept us on the trail for a month-and-a-half, when there were no cell phones, and we were lucky to see a pay phone once a week. Today, she'll tell me all about these books she's reading that talk about a crime and its details -- yes, she's read "Killers of the Flower Moon" -- but for the life of me, I can't get her to read a book about this incident. Never any issues for me while camping, and frankly, the closest I've ever been to a murder incident was living five minutes from Darlie Routier!
@@QuarrellaDeVil I don't know if I'm having deja vu but I swear I read this comment on another channel/video before. 🙃 I remembered the details cuz I thought your comment was interesting, especially about your mom being a nervous wreck and taking a hike for month and half w/ only seeing a pay phone once a week (she must not have at all slept for that month and half) and also living close by to Darlene Routier. I don't remember where else I saw it but I remember reading it before. My mom was always a nervous wreck too with hearing about all the murders occurring in 70s and 80s. I was in girl scouts and remember her being one of the leaders and attending all our camping trips to keep an eye on me. As a child you don't always understand their fears but now as a mother myself I understand and appreciate that she watched over me like that. Anything can happen anywhere anytime and although you can't always protect your children from the evils in this world I appreciate all her efforts to protect me and will do everything I can to protect my children. God Bless you and your family!!! 😄
@@QuarrellaDeVil She’s a sicko.
Yet many think she’s innocent.
I highly doubt it.
So glad I never heard of these murders when I went camping when I was a kid, granted, I was born 8 months AFTER this happened. These murder gives me chills every time I hear about it. Thanks for the vlog
I was born 2 years after but yeah this chills my blood. Rip to the poor girls :(
Its a good reason not to go camping. If you google camping crimes... you'll see that the dirty animals of human race love camping. Because they can't afford to do anything else except sit in the trees, booz it up, and look at porn.
Glad I never heard about it, this happened 5 days before I was born😳
This is still creepy knowing what happened here, but your calm voice and demeanor is always a nice touch!
Stay safe with your friends and I wish all of you stay well!
Gene Leroy Hart, the original prime suspect, was officially named the murderer as of May of 2022. What a gutless, ruthless monster. Karma got his ass soon after as he passed away from a heart attack after being arrested for unrelated crimes. The counselors at this camp were grossly negligent. RIP to those three young girls. The case is now officially closed.
He’s officially been named?
He will burn in hell forever. I totally believe that.
@@arkywonderland420 yup
Hopefully he's now turning on a spit over open flame for all eternity.
This news is such a relief to hear, but I know it probably doesn't change much to the families of the 3 girls since he was still acquitted. But at least he went right back into prison anyway and died there, and at least they finally have a conclusive answer and can have the truth be known to who the killer was that took their babies from them. Its just mindboggling to me though on how many people defended this man at the time of the investigation. Especially considering he was already a convicted rapist w/ a history of violence, and was even a prison escapee. Just....even if he wasn't the killer, HOW can anybody defend or excuse a rapist and an aggressor to others??? I hope he's getting the punishment he deserves in death that he evaded in life for what he did to those 3 girls, on top of his actions towards women.
How sad. I was born in 1966, so the victims were probably my age. I had not heard of this case until now.
Steve B you know hundreds of millions of other people were born in 1966 also. Nothing special
you are special, and 66 was a good year , I had a 66 Malibu , p.s. don't mind the trolls who like picking on peoples comments, they suck.
Quest for Details not like yo mama does
@@Ijustinsultedyou you are weak Jedi ; ) nice try
I knew a guy who was special, his name was Ed.
We called him special Ed.
I was a Girl Scout my whole childhood and I grew up a county over from Camp Scott. I also went to summer camp every year. My mom was my troop leader, so I asked her recently if anyone had ever mentioned Camp Scott at her leader meetings. She said no one ever brought it up, but she always wondered why the security measures at the modern Girl Scout camps (especially here in Oklahoma) were so strict. Now we know.
I'm from Oklahoma too, about an hour from this camp. I was also a girl scout and because of these events camps were very different. We no longer stayed outside in tents but in buildings with bunk beds rows and rows of them in one large room with our mothers there with us. Everything we did was in large groups with many mother volunteers with us. I used to go to cookie land here in Oklahoma, it is now shut down due to the turnpike sadly.
Heavy rain is a perfect scenario to commit crimes; people is inside and the rain sounds muffle any scream. Please be very cautious when raining
it rained earlier..he has that fact wrong.
Be careful while breathing..
@@itcantbetruebutis7778 hahaha
@@CaToRi- true tho I guess heavy rain be an ideal time ⏲️ to commit a crime..
@@itcantbetruebutis7778 we were victims of robbery during a heavy rain, we couldn’t hear the noises they were doing while opening the car. Police said that’s something that happens frequently
This crime is still unsolved as of March 24,2021.
Rest in peace.
I guarantee you it was Hart.
No one else was ever considered a suspect. He also was an escapee when these murders happened right?
Also, DNA and forensics were not what they are now though.
@@RYMAN1321 I spoke to one of the jurors on the case (years ago). She said that there was evidence brought up in the trial that brought serious doubt about Hart being responsible. There were also leads that were not thoroughly investigated. I have no idea if Hart was responsible. If he was, karma got him shortly after returning to prison.
@@rlcoop1 there were four medicine men working on this case. One of them prayed with old tobacco and said if Hart was innocent, he'd live, if he was guilty, he'd die. He died.
@@RubyJeans943 Yes, I read that in the book "Someone Cry for the Children". I just thought I would share my conversation with one of jurors on the case.
Great update Sherlocke
I remember when this happened. I was a brownie girl scout in Wisconsin and 8 years old. I wasn't allowed to go to the state camp at that time, and our troop day camped in our town for a while. We ended up at bigger camps eventually, but that fear was always with us. When I became a GS leader I still carried that awareness with me and hardly slept while we were in the woods. I'll never forget those little girls and their families as well as the counselors and law enforcement that worked so hard to nail that sob.
Thanks for this video!
I was 10 years old that summer and remember this very clearly. That same summer, my parents sent me to Camp Birchwood in Wisconsin, even though I was absolutely terrified of going, after hearing of these murders. Still confused as to why they sent me. 🙄 From what I’m reading, most Girl Scout camps were closed that summer.
AngelaKim:
Your comment about watching your campers even more diligently because you were permanently affected by this horrible act is a testament to progress. You've managed to salvage some good from something so evil. Because of that, the deaths were not a COMPLETE waste. I don't know if the fact that the murderer(s) wasn't caught has kept this story so vigorously alive after 43 years or not.
I cannot think of the words "Locust Grove" without feeling anxiety. I can't remember if I felt that way about the community's name (Locust Grove) before this happened.
Currently a GS also in Wisconsin. Just wondering, what camp were you at?
I was a brownie also hello my dear brownie sad story here
@@drywallpilled By Blue Mounds- I thought it was called Blackhawk? Brain fart. Its not the same now. It was when I and my daughter were both young tho. Hills and caves... A fun place!
In 1977 I was in the Cub Scouts. Thinking back to my childhood years I sometimes wish I could've remained there; eg. look what's going on now GLOBALLY. Becoming an adult is inevitable. There's a sharp contrast to how we perceive things at such a young age. Having your life and innocence snuffed out by another at such a magical moment of one's life is the biggest tragedy of all. Surely Shakespeare had a strong understanding of this. Times Change, People Don't.
Well said my friend... Greetings And Good Health from NYC
@@toddmore7586 Hello :-} (Michigan)
What's going on "GLOBALLY" is that life spans are up in every single country on Earth and there is simply no better measure of quality of life.
Of course American prominence is declining, the only reason it existed in the first place was that the rest of the developed World was bombed to smithereens. How long did you really think that would last?
I wouldn't mind going back to 1977. I was 14. Life was so exciting. Now it's plain depressing.
@@81licker - I guarantee there were plenty of people in their 50s in 1977 who thought life was "depressing" back then. People tend to view the past through rose colored glasses. Especially if they had a nice, safe childhood. I wouldn't want to go back to my childhood or teen years for anything in the world.
the maps and historical pictures were excellent additions
I went there about 1950. It was wonderful. My niece was there the night of the murders but was not hurt, thank God.
1950? how old are you
@@Hallo81398 I’m 81
11/12/2020 / this story will haunt me probably for the rest of my life. My heart aches for the families left behind and those 3 precious babies who lost their sweet innocent lives. R.I.P. Little angels
What a sad story may the sweet baby girls never be forgotten!
I never heard of this before. Its crazy the killer was never caught. Sounds like something straight out of a horror movie.
I believe it’s because back then, there were basically no cameras, and DNA testing wasn’t like today.
People’s mindsets were also different back then as well. They said since he was a good football player he couldn’t have done something so horrific. LOL
Gene Hart was 99% more than likely the killer. He died a few years after this happened in prison.
@@bendak7584 no he wasn't. Lmao
@@cynthiawashburn771 Literally all of the evidence shows that. I get that google is hard to use for some though
@@cynthiawashburn771 he was the killer but there is evidence he had an accomplice
I’m so sorry to the girl’s families. Rest In Peace 🙏🏻
Chris, you are providing such a great service in educating us with your great videos! They are always intriguing! This one is sad where 3 girls had their lives cut short! Thanks!
Im not sure that "educating" is the correct word for this. lol.
The only positive thing to come from this, is the outpouring of prayers and love for those three girls by so many. RIP
May those little angels forever be in God's hands.
Yeah, all praises be to Jeeebus, our Lord and saviour 🤯👈
@@JetSkiSuper7 Yeah! the same POS that KNEW this would happen, stood by and did NOTHING! the perp dies of a heart attack later in prison but not BEFORE he could do 3 murders, go figure! Gene Leroy Hart died just 2 years after the murders, your sky Santa could have saved 3 lives by taking him out 2 years SOONER!
These same god apologists yammer on about "oh thank GOD he survived" whn speaking about someone who got out of the hospital after the DOCTORS and NURSES and the medical machines SAVED the person's life and fixed them again!
Imagine being a doctor and reading and hearing all the praise for saving YOUR patient's life going to some invisible POS and you get nothing!!
Yeah right, considering your shitty god LET this happen, they aren't "resting" in his hands they're DEAD because he did NOTHING to help them, always a day late and a dollar short!
Was not god was a bad person was devil's doing
@@JetSkiSuper7 Hey DEMON boy... why did you change your online name? You already were posting above.
Excellent presentation, and brings back a lot of weird mrmories. I was actually *at* nearby Camp Garland (Boy Scouts) at the time of the murders! I was fourteen. We were told to bug-out, without being told why, so we went back to Tulsa and *then* heard what was going on. Gave us all chills, because we were *that* close to something this horrific! (about a mile and a half, as the crow flies) I knew the area first-hand, and naturally studied-up on the murders since they are unfortunately a part of my personal history, too. Kiowa Campsite was adjacent to a power-line cut and open farmland, so it was easily accessible by people not associated with the camp. The killer had a perfect set-up, for somebody who knew the area well. I do not remember the rainstorm, but this was over 44 years ago. Like how you managed to find the shots of the camp as it was before (particularly the Great Hall) and intercut it with your present day video!
Maybe some of you boys snuck out that night.
I had to google this case as I hadn't heard of it. The fact that it still remains unsolved is so very sad. Thank you for taking us with you.
It IS solved. Years later, DNA evidence showed that it was Gene Leroy Hart after all.
Being from Oklahoma, I remember when this happened. I was a previous girl scout & this was devastating.
I remember this being mentioned in the news all the way up here to Detroit. A lot of scout camping was cancelled that year due to fears of copycats.
Looks like a cabin or two may have had squatters fairly recently.
I'm from the Detroit area, and I mentioned in another comment that my mother was an absolute basket case when I went camping with the Boy Scouts just a few years after this had happened. Of course, it's another thread completely, but one of the scout camps where I used to go had at least three child predator incidents while I was associated with the Scouts. Nowhere was safe. [Whistling "In the Hall of the Mountain King"]
@@QuarrellaDeVil Not to be offensive to anyone, but there was a famous SNL skit with Alec Baldwin playing a scout leader who was a perv.. hitting upon Adam Sandler. Its pretty funny. Probably here on YT.
@@sanfrancisco9661 If someone wants to be offended, they should turn their anger not towards people who bring up the subject, but rather, towards those who commit the abuse and those who sweep it under the rug. Yelling at you and me won't make the problem go away. With that said, SNL famously had a couple of appearances by the late, great Buck Henry as Uncle Roy, the pervy babysitter in whose charge were Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner.
@@sanfrancisco9661 Hollywood idiots. Not funny anymore, never were. Last funny guy on late night tv was Johnny Carson, all the rest are cheap imitation at best. I won't even start going on about that dip weed baldwin.
Props to you for gaining permission to be there. They don't let just anyone on those grounds. It has me wondering what will eventually become of that land. What will the current owners do with it? Whatever happens I'll say this; anyone who worked at a summer camp like myself knows there is something very disquieting about seeing a camp abandoned. Places like this were built so that kids of all ages could grow and have fun. Seeing one empty and lifeless is not only creepy but tragic as well.
Im still trying to grasp why, during a nasty thunderstorm, they sent these kids out to sleep in tents.
Great point.
It was the 70s
@@dialog2012 and?
Camping isn't about beautiful weather. My mother took her GS troop camping at Bonnie Belmont on Juliet Low's birthday, Oct 31. We ended up with 6 inches of snow on the ground. No one was injured or fell sick.
Where else would they sleep? The tents had wood floors and were up off the ground. There were steps leading up to them. The tents were large, made out of thick canvas, and had heavy flaps that were tied to the floor to anchor them, about six to eight per side. The girls slept on iron cots with a thin mattress. There were either flaps at both ends that could be tied shut, or zippers. It was standard for girls at the time.
There is a book and a documentary called Someone cry for the children.
I just watched that, a shame they found that guy not guilty. He is guilty as sin. At least he died in prison a couple years later from a heart attack. Although I've heard some people say he was poisoned.
It would be nice if it was revised. It’s been out of print for quite some time.
I really appreciate the history and archival photos you add to your videos. Very informative, though this one is so sad. RIP little angels
This is horribly sad. I'm not from that area and never knew about this. Thank you for covering the story. These people deserve to be remembered.
Just found this channel as very interested in true crime genre. This channel is brilliant and deserves lots more support. Fantastic to tell things most of us haven’t heard about from the past to remind us and keep those poor victims alive in our memories. Brilliant story telling as well, without being too unnecessary and dramatic . Have just subscribed
Thank you for the tour. I remember that case well. I was 19 at the time. I followed that case very closely. I even read the book, Someone Cry for the Children. Personally, I believe Hart was guilty. The evidence pointed to him. Just my opinion.
Same here
You're correct. He was officially named as the killer.
After watching a couple of your videos , I must say that I really like the relaxed atmosphere of the way you present the stories and the scenes. Your use of juxtaposing the older pictures against the present locations is well done too. Unrelated to the previous comments: why do so many abandoned buildings seem to have a tire in them?
This is the best narration & look at this case. Dude you did a great job.
I really appreciate the facts. Thank you for not making it some kind of HAUNTED story.
This makes me so sad, I like to think they are looking down and appreciate you honoring their memories. So that awareness can be made to this day.
So sad. Stay safe. Thanks for the adventure and the respect you showed in talking about this place
Oh, man. FU. You've posted that "respectful" BS three times under three different names. Grow up.
You do a great job narrating your videos. I always feel like I'm there. You speak calmly and instead of rambling you allow us to really hear the environment. Such a nice break from regular youtube.
I never knew about this. Seriously at about this time the Girl/Boy Scout camp I went to was less than 2- 3 miles from Graterford Prison. At the time it was a max security prison so only worst of the worst. The stories we were told there!
I was a camp director at a G.S. camp in Ohio. There is no fencing or barriers around the perimeter to stop anyone from coming on camp. Back when I was a camp director I never even gave it a thought that something like that could happen. I saw this case on the internet about 8 years ago. If I knew about what happened at Camp Scott, I would have definitely had something in place security-wise for the camp I was directing. Don't get me wrong we had security procedures, but nothing to be prepared for something like this. My heart goes out to the girls and their family because I had wonderful memories as a girl and an adult at camp.
The first mistake is surely not having all the tents sited together as was the case here, they should have them all clumped together with the directors/ supervisors camped around the perimeter of the childrens tents.
I also was a camp counselor in Ohio at two different camps and I disagree with placement of tents. The tents are set up to have a feeling of having interaction with nature and a feeling of freedom,not regimental ly set up like a military set up. Poor girls. I feel for all the girls there whose feeling of freedom was shattered for the rest of their lives with those images and memories.
@@patriciabeekman4134 to pipe in on a comment, safety first. yes, in an ideal world no fences, nature over security but as seen down thru the years one rat can show that lax in security can be fatal. This story reads like a Stephen King novel. Adult supervision w/one counselor sleeping in each cabin should have been the rule. Hindsight is 20/20. Such a sad outcome.
@@vikkinicholson2300 sad but true....those safe and wonderful days are gone. Today things are a little scarier
@Jeff Holland sorry but guns don't stop evil all the time either. And guns also kill innocents too... 🤍🙏❤🙏💛
May they rest in heavenly peace 🕊️❤️🙏 They would have been well into their 50's
Love the 'then and now' photos of the camp! Though, I hate the circumstances that put this spot on the radar :(...
Great work thanks for sharing!
Looks like people were living there later on. Some of the items I noticed were of later times.
At least the mid 1990s
I noticed a blue PEX water line (modern plastic plumbing) under one of the sinks in one of clean buildings.
A local had bought the place, and for a while opened up the swimming pool to the public ! Awful idea I thought! I have lived 3 miles away from there all my life
Someone bought the land and actually rented those houses out.
@@mikeymike758 yea i do construction and i was like huh... they had pex pipe in the early 90's
I was a kid during those years and I used to go to the boy scout Camp Garland which was very close to Camp Scott. Everyone used to always talk about what happened at Camp Scott back then. The original book about the event is very sad.
My aunt went to a religious school that also had a scout group, she belonged there. They went to Camp Scott a couple of months before these girls. She told me that at night, she heard noises among the trees that did not appear to be an animal but a person, but her caretaker didn't even care. They also didn't care much when a girl was hurt or needed something. Neglect definitely killed these innocent girls.
The first camp Scotts owners did after the girls were found was calling their lawyer and insurance agency. Not reaching out to the girl's parents. Disgusting people behind the camp
I wonder if your aunt heard the same sounds one of the camp counselors reported the night the girls were killed :/ The counselor said it was a scary guttural sound. Nothing she herself heard before.
A very sad thing to have happened, it must have been terrifying and hard to comprehend for the girls that were there when it happened. Thank you for sharing. x Stay safe and well. xx
You have a niche and it’s interesting to see the actual locations along with the narration. Continue to do what you do. your efforts are on history that we cannot control. Events that unfortunately happen (like this one) are in NO way a good thing and this story is very upsetting. In my own personal experience I understand the loss of children and the pain is horrific and these parents will NEVER forget. God bless the families.
I was 13 i lived a few miles west of this location. During 1977 and this is a tragedy ill remember my whole life.
I'm 35 went to several summer camps in my childhood
I'm grateful for the days we had at camp. They was some of my best childhood days
Wow. I worked as a camp counsellor for a few summers and I can't even imagine being on site when something like this took place and having to live with it afterwards. Terrible. Those poor children.
Hard to believe even some Oklahomans haven't heard of this. Whether he was guilty or innocent the name Gene Leroy Hart will be forever seared in the minds of many of us. Oklahoma seemed like a small place in those days and many of us knew people whose lives were directly touched by this event, even if ours weren't.
I have heard some strange stories about this. Gene Hart was the #1 suspect but a certain camp counselor had the opportunity and supposed had a some sexual issues involving young girls but nothing ever came out of it. just rumors I suppose.
@Cathy Wescott I was a "guest" of the state from 78- 81. although I wasn't in MAC, I heard from some who were that he was killed, but in lockup back then that could be considered "natural causes. " I know he was a magnet for controversy.
Hart was acquitted after his death. For him being killed in prison i would doubt it. The Natives have a lot of power in Oklahoman prisons and would protect him most likely
@@VolkXue He wasn't killed in prison. His autopsy showed he died from natural causes, specifically a heart attack, which he experienced while exercising in the prison yard.
@@ogivecrush yeah, there was a supposed DNA link much later but that's not trustworthy either since Oklahoma ended up having a corrupt DNA specialist through those years that got literally sent thousands of cases into jeopardy
The mystery fingerprint and 9 1/2 shoeprint seems to be the key to the case.
I might go explore this area someday. I always thought they had demolished the camp. Amazed it's not more tagged up
I remember this like yesterday...I was 7 and in Brownies/Girl Guides. My mum was like extra special and watchful over me for like weeks. Even tho I live in Canada it affected all ppl who had children. Such a sad thing to happen.😔
Cheetylicious meow you where born in 1970
Very interesting coverage. I was a ten yr old scout in Illinois when this happened. Loved camp. This is just devastating to think of the innocence lost of three girls and a camp meant to be a relaxing respite for these girls.
I appreciate the steady hand while filming, good quality.
The sister of one of my childhood friends in elementary school was one of the victims and it's something I've never forgotten to this day.