Echoes of Injustice: The Unresolved Girl Scout Murders

What if the key to solving a decades-old mystery lay hidden in overlooked evidence? Join us as we unravel the enigma of the 1977 Girl Scout murders in Oklahoma, a haunting case that still grips the community. We navigate the complexities surrounding Gene Leroy Hart's trial, where he was acquitted despite strong suspicions of jury tampering and planted evidence. Dive into the evolution of forensic science and how DNA testing in 2008 and 2018 failed to provide conclusive answers. Sheriff Mike Reed's dedication to testing over 300 items, fueled by the local community's unwavering resolve, reveals a collective pursuit for justice that refuses to fade.

Explore the chilling accounts of Buddy and his accomplices, Flea and Bull, whose brutal actions at the Girl Scout camp left an indelible mark on history. Hear about Sheriff Smith's relentless efforts to secure a confession by negotiating for the removal of the death penalty, and the legacy he leaves behind. With insights from Jennifer, who unearthed critical case files, the episode offers a renewed sense of hope for justice. Our conversation highlights the importance of keeping this tragic case alive in the public conscience. Connect with us on social media to share your thoughts, as we continue to shine a light on unresolved cases that deserve attention.

Chapters

• 0:01 Girl Scout Murders
• 19:25 Unsolved Girl Scout Camp Murders
• 25:06 Justice for Girl Scout Camp Victims

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

DarkCast Network. Welcome to the dark side of podcasting.

Speaker 3: 0:09

Welcome to Murder and Mimosas a true crime podcast brought to you by a mother and daughter duo.

Speaker 2: 0:18

Bringing you murder stories with a mimosa in hand. With a mimosa in hand, murder Mimosas is a true crime podcast, meaning we talk about adult matters such as murder, sexual assaults and other horrendous crimes. Listener discretion is advised. We do tell our stories with the victims and the victims families in mind. However, some information is more verifiable than others. However, you can find all of our information linked in the show notes.

Speaker 3: 0:52

Welcome back to Murder and Mimosas. I'm Shannon and I'm Danica, so this is part two of our Girl Scout murder case and I'll let Danica give you a little bit of the recap. But if you haven't listened to it, I would suggest going back and hearing all of it. But I'll let Danica give you the recap, since she did tell us the information yesterday or on the last episode.

Speaker 2: 1:15

Okay. So yes, you're going to want to go back and listen to it, because I'm going to give you just the overview, the cliff notes, if you will. So the girl scout murders, if you haven't heard of them already. It was in 1977 at a girl scout camp in oklahoma. Three girls on their first night of camp were brutally murdered, and the police have a suspect, gene Leroy Hart, who they end up even taking to trial, but he was found not guilty. However, he did have to serve prison for something else and we ended off with him having died in prison under some maybe suspicious circumstances, under some maybe suspicious circumstances. Today, we need to go a little deeper and see is there someone else that could have been the person who did this?

Speaker 3: 2:13

Okay, so we'll pick up with, like after the trial. They do speak to one of the jurors who had said they were all in agreement, that they felt Jean was being set up by the sheriff and the evidence was planted, such as the pictures they found. One of the sheriff's deputies had said that he saw those pictures in the sheriff's desk and that he took them away from Gene. And we also have a letter we will post from a jury That'll be in our show links, but we will get that to you.

Speaker 1: 2:46

And then when he went in front of the jury, the jury just almost immediately found him not guilty and they said that the state just hadn't proven their case. The case that the state presented was that a picture that Gina Roy Hart had developed in a dark room had shown up at this cave, just out on the ground, not in the cave but strode out on the ground with all the other things they'd picked up. And then what the thing was they thought was their smoking gun was the fact that also out, strode around this cave, there were a couple of items that were from the camp, from the Girl Scout camp, that had belonged to counselors at the camp, some eyeglasses and a case that they went in. And so here again, it looked like a pretty strong case, but that's all they had. They had no fingerprints. They had, of course, back then that was 1977, there was no DNA, none of that kind of thing.

Speaker 3: 4:01

There were, of course, what some felt were that they had are going to test some of the semen. But DNA testing, of course, was nothing like it is today, and that didn't stop the press from forming their own narrative. In the Oklahoman I think that's how you pronounce it Oklahoman newspaper, they ran an article saying DNA test linked G Leroy Hart to Girl Scout deaths. On further examination, the test results showed that Gene's DNA matched three probes out of the five. We're excited to announce our collaboration on a special project for Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October. On a special project for Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October.

Speaker 2: 4:46

Inspired by Rebecca's legacy, a project started by Rebecca Barsotti's mother, Angela, will be working with Moms and Mysteries and Navigating Advocacy to donate 10 bags filled with essential items to local domestic violence shelters.

Speaker 3: 5:01

These bags are a way to honor Rebecca's memory and help survivors, and we invite you to join us in this important effort. One person in 7,700 American Indians would also match this sample. If all five probes had matched, it would have been one in three million, but that wasn't the case. We also don't even know what probes actually matched. So in 2008, the OSBI tested semen on the pillowcases and a swab from a victim. This would also mean that this would exhaust the evidence from the swab. The results were that the samples were too degraded to create a profile at that time.

Speaker 2: 5:49

Years later, they get a new sheriff in town, but it sounds like every Old West is a new sheriff Right.

Speaker 3: 5:57

They actually do get a new sheriff in town, sheriff Reed, that is and he wants to put this all to rest once and for all. They have over 400 items they can test for DNA, but that's really costly and they don't have that kind of money, which is going to be about $30,000. And this city had been plagued with this for so long that the residents did what they needed to do and they raised the money for the testing. So in 2018, they tested over 300 items, but most were too degraded and not preserved well at the time to get a conclusive reading In a documentary. Sheriff Mike Reed says that they have a partial DNA profile that they have been able to exclude all suspects that he has ever known or heard of, except Jean Leroy Hart.

Speaker 2: 6:56

Okay, at first I thought so Like the case is solved. You said partial DNA profile, right, right.

Speaker 3: 7:03

So yeah, you caught that. So a partial DNA profile cannot prove or disprove that you have the right guy. It sounds like all the other DNA profiles they have over the years are just I mean, they've got the guy. I mean, if you listen and watch this documentary, yeah, it's like they're writing the same narrative again when I went and sat and talked to mike reed, it came back to that same story.

Speaker 1: 7:33

It's general art and that's who it's going to be, and the thing that he would come back to every time to prove you wrong was well, well, the DNA. You know the DNA. So I got to looking in the DNA and I went ahead and published my book before I knew everything I know now. But I got to looking into the DNA and I even called the people. They had. They had first done DNA in 1989, 11 years after the murders, and at that point they had come out. It had been leaked. They didn't come out, they didn't do a press conference, but it had been leaked by someone who was supposed to be close to the case, who was supposed to be close to the case that the DNA matched one in 7,700 Native Americans and Gina Roy Hart being a Native American. They felt like that was consistent with what they were still telling the public that he did it and so he had matched three out of five probes and the other two, I believe they said were inconclusive. So really the whole thing was inconclusive but it was too degraded or whatever. It was. Just the information was leaked and so it wasn't real specific.

Speaker 1: 9:02

Then in 2008, there had been a press conference. By now we've got a DA named Gene Haynes in Mays County, and Gene Haynes had had other items tested. He had sent stuff to one lab and they had never been able to get any useful DNA. And then some stuff was sent to a second lab and the second lab found only one partial DNA. They found a female actually a female, oh, okay, female type and so at that point then he came and did a press conference and just said you know, we haven't found anything useful, everything's too degraded, they couldn't do anything with it, and he had actually had to sign off that they had used up the last of the DNA. He had gotten, I think, the permission of the families to do it and he had to personally sign off because all the DNA was going to be used up. He had to personally sign off because all the DNA was going to be used up.

Speaker 1: 10:06

Now, the DNA I'm talking about is at the time of the murders. The ME medical examiner, dr Neal Hoffman, had swabbed the little girls, of course, oral, vaginal, anal and slides had been made with those smears, and so some of that was still around to be tested, and then I think they had sent a pillowcase and just different items. Well, just the 2008 DNA was worthless, so nothing new was gained. 2019, maybe the current sheriff of Mace County had some more DNA testing done. I say he did the OSBI working in conjunction. They tested more stuff and I believe there was a hair that was tested, a hair or two maybe from the tent floor.

Speaker 1: 11:05

Now I found that to be confusing because I have all of Sheriff Paul Smith's files Now. Keep in mind, the original files were stolen from the sheriff's office. Original files were stolen from the sheriff's office, but after Paul died, I went and found the son of Pete Weaver, the original sheriff, who's deceased by then. Right, and Herb Weaver gave me an ice chest. His dad had piled all of the case files into an ice chest and put them in his shop or barn or some kind of structure, and so herb had told me I could have them. So I've got all of the case records, yeah um which that just blew me away.

Speaker 3: 11:52

That had to have shocked you when you realized that all these files are at the previous sheriff's house in just an ash chest.

Speaker 1: 12:02

That's just crazy to me, Something I didn't put in my book that I will tell you guys is kind of an exclusive for you. Herb Weaver told me a really strange thing and I didn't put it in the book because I had not corroborated it by anybody else. But Herb Weaver told me that the girls bodies were not stacked right outside the Kiowa unit like they were supposed to have been found by. The counselor told me that girls bodies were found strewn within the Kiowa unit, oh, and they were not inside sleeping bags zipped up that you could see them, almost like they were staged. Okay, Little girls to come out and see. You know just even locations of where they were in conjunction to the or in relation to the tents themselves that the girls were in.

Speaker 1: 13:56

Now I will tell you since then, just here, not too long ago, I was told that now, keep in mind, he's Sheriff Weaver's son and I know that a subsequent sheriff that was sheriff there. No, he was before there. No, he was right, he was before Paul and Pete. But one of his kids, who was still in the loop on law enforcement and what was being talked, has told the contact of mine the very same story. Oh, wow.

Speaker 3: 14:27

Yes, and so also I want to mention this just because it seemed a little sus to me but they didn't put these results out to the public until 2022 because they said that the parents wanted to wait for the documentary. I mean what Jennifer Morrison we spoke with, talked with one of the parents and asked for the results after she couldn't get a straight answer from Sheriff Reed and was told she had never even seen the results.

Speaker 2: 14:58

I know he said that it was tested against other suspects, but were there any other suspects? I've only ever heard of Gene.

Speaker 3: 15:07

Well, maybe not in mainstream media, but yes, A man named Paul Smith. He beat out Sheriff Weaver in 1981 in Mays County. In his campaign he often spoke of wanting to solve the Girl Scout murders. On Paul's first day as sheriff, he wanted to dive into the investigation. While he was expecting this huge, thick case file, To his surprise he could not find a single file in the entire building on the Girl Scouts. So no worries, though he thought the DNA must have them. So he walked over and asked the DNA must have them. I'm sorry the DA, Too much DNA going on in my head. So he walks over to the DA and he asked Assistant DA Frank Stordendahl if he had them. He was told you will never see those investigation files and you will never get cooperation from this office if you choose to pursue the Girl Scout murder case, I'm sorry.

Speaker 2: 16:17

what? Why would you not want to do everything you can to get this solved? This is three little girls.

Speaker 1: 16:24

So Paul was very frustrated and he had found ever since he'd been sworn into office that he was obstructed just at every turn. Because when Gene DeRoy Hart was found not guilty, all the law enforcement that had worked on the case they just felt, I guess, shafted by the jury. They felt like they had the right guy. They were hurt, they were mad, they were embarrassed, you know whatever. They didn't take it well and they had made the statement publicly that they would not do any further investigation, that there was no need to. They had the right guy and the jury had just messed up Right and I'm not sure to answer your question.

Speaker 3: 17:04

Maybe the good old boy system, if you will. Sheriff Smith went to Oklahoma Attorney General wanting a grand jury in hopes that indictments would be made against the Mays County DA's office for obstruction of justice. He was promised it would be looked into, but nothing ever came of it. Not long after Sheriff Smith was in office, a man named Donald Trammell came to the office and said his wife's brother had a part in killing of those little girls. He said his wife that was his girlfriend at the time said her brother they called him Flea, attractive name and we'll also call him Flea came home around sunrise and was high on something and had blood on his shoes and clothes. Janice asked him what happened and he said he killed a deer, which I mean. You know Oklahoma is not far from us. We know you hit deer all the time. Yeah, it happens. So he sat in the floor that morning spooning water from one pie pan to the next, rambling on about those poor little girl scouts. After he sobered up he threatened his sister if she ever told anyone about what he said or she saw he would kill her, and she believed him. Donald also informed him that Bull, as we will call him, had put his Super Bee, which is a car, in the river. The night of the murders Donald also brought in a roofing hammer that he said was fleas. Sheriff Smith sent this hammer to the OSBI who said the hammer was not used in the murder of the girls. There was also informants that talked with Sheriff Smith saying, after Bull's car had been put into the river, bull and a guy we will call Buddy had come to town barefooted and had a Native American woman named Bird take them to Tulsa to a friend's house. Sheriff Smith checks into this car and finds out since the murders the car had never been licensed again within the last four years. He requested help from the OSBI and the military for help locating the car in the river, which was denied.

Speaker 3: 19:26

Buddy ends up going to prison and his cellmate talks to Sheriff Smith. He said Buddy said he, flea and Bull had been drinking and doing drugs for three days straight. They ran out of beer and didn't have money to buy more. They decided to go to the Girl Scout camp and rob the adults. They went that day but there were too many out there. They went back that night and parked on a nearby dirt path. They went to the far tent and one of the girls almost got away from them. They carried them from the tent and two of them were swinging the girls around by their arms and their legs were hitting the trees. They also pushed sticks up their private areas and they decided they should put the car in the river.

Speaker 2: 20:11

Oh my gosh. Everything about that is disturbing.

Speaker 3: 20:15

Very disturbing. Sheriff Smith goes to talk to Buddy in prison and tells him he has enough to charge him with the murders. He says he didn't kill the girls, he just helped with pushing the car in the river. He tells them that he was there and he was going down with the rest. But Buddy relents and says okay, if you take the death penalty off the table, I'll tell you everything. The sheriff knows that he doesn't have the call to do that and he tells Buddy that. But he says I'll tell you what, I'll talk to the DA and see what I can do. But he said he would talk to the DA. So Sheriff Smith went to Claremore, oklahoma, and he spoke to DA Jake Graves. The DA would not go back to the prison with the sheriff but said he would call the OSBI. Sheriff Smith then went to the attorney general's office for assistance and still got nowhere. He then went to the FBI which said it was out of their hands. It sounds like the biggest turnaround ever.

Speaker 2: 21:21

No joke, I feel like when you're trying to.

Speaker 1: 21:24

So Paul drove immediately up to the VA's office and Buddy had told Paul. I left a step out. Paul pulled Buddy out of his cell and told him what he knew Right, what he told. And he said Buddy, I have enough. Right now I could charge you with first-degree murder and you're looking at the death penalty for this crime.

Speaker 1: 21:48

You know these three poor little babies done the way they were. And Paul knew Buddy, he'd had him in and out of his jail and he'd had his dad in and out of his jail. And Paul knew Buddy, he'd had him in and out of his jail and he'd had his dad in and out of his jail. They were almost like a crime family, the Bristols. And so Paul said that he could see the fear on Buddy. He was just shaking and genuinely scared and told Paul I will tell you everything if you will take the death penalty off the table.

Speaker 1: 22:13

And Paul, being the pure as the driven snow type of guy that he was, he said to me later he almost wished that he would have let buddy just tell him everything. But he, he was honest with him and said buddy, I can't make a deal like that with you. Only the DA can make a deal with you. And so he said what I will do is I'll go to the DA and see if he will come down and talk to you. So when Paul drove to talk to Jack Graves, he was told that Jack Graves would not go and he had pretty strong language in letting Paul know that he wouldn't go down there.

Speaker 3: 22:53

So some of the suspects, of course, have died. I mean, this happened the year I was born, and that's been quite a while. While this case has never been solved, I hope In a world where anything can happen, being prepared with critical information can make all the difference. That is why we have partnered with Help you Find Me, which is a platform where you can securely share your private information with loved ones.

Speaker 2: 23:28

They have so many different features, such as the live location, travel itinerary, medical information and more, All important to have, especially if you go missing.

Speaker 3: 23:39

As a murder and mimosas listener. You can get 20% off the power plan using code MMPOWER20. That's MMPOWER20. So head on over to helpyoufindme and get your set up today. I hope this case will be solved and Jennifer Morrison and others are pleading with anyone who can or will help them. She has tons of evidence in her possession. If she could only get it into the hands of someone that could help with the case. Did this change the way how Girl Scout camp is done now? Well, Camp Scott has never been used again after that fatal knot. Camps have changed many things. I know when I went, I was young and we didn't get to sleep in tents. We slept in cabins with an adult and each one with us. We definitely didn't cover all the research that it took for this podcast. There is a vast amount out there, but if you can help Jennifer in any way, please do so and we will have the way in how to contact her or how to help in our show notes.

Speaker 2: 24:55

Yes, we'll have a link for contact information for Jennifer and she also has a book, I believe. Is that right? Yes, we'll have a link for her book as well. It's all very, very interesting. And I do want to say that Sheriff Smith has since passed correct. Yes, he has passed, but she worked very closely with Sheriff Smith and that's where she got a lot of her information and then people have come to her simpson, so this is well vetted information. It's not just her on her own.

Speaker 3: 25:25

She had someone who you know had access to a lot of things and and, as and as she said in her interview, um, they did get all those files um that they took from or that the previous sheriff had taken from the sheriff's office, because he didn't want you know, smith to have those. So Sheriff Weaver did take those and his son did give them to Jennifer and after his passing, so they have all those case files too. They want to get in somebody's hands If they ever can.

Speaker 2: 25:59

Yes, but someone who can make something happen and get justice For the three little girls who just wanted to go to Girl Scout camp. You got to hear parts Of the interview with Jennifer. However, if you would like to hear the full interview with even more in-depth information, you can find us on Patreon and hear the entire interview, which is very interesting.

Speaker 2: 26:37

We always recommend more bubbly and less oj cheers if you'd like to see pictures from today's episode, you can find us at murdermimosas on instagram. You can also find us at murdermimosas on tiktok twitter and if you have a case you'd like us to do, you can send that to murdermimosas at gmailcom. And lastly, we are on Facebook at Murder and Mimosas Podcast, where you can interact with us there. We love any type of feedback you can give us, so please write and review us on Spotify, itunes or wherever you listen to your podcasts.