Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders - Who was murder suspect Gene Leroy Hart and how did he die?

The upcoming documentary by ABC News, Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders, is all set to premiere on Hulu on May 24, 2022. The four-part documentary will retell the gruesome story of three young girls, aged 8-10, who were murdered on the first night in Camp Scott, a Girl Scout camp in Oklahoma.

Renowned actor and singer Kristin Chenoweth will participate in retelling the tale as she was one of the girls who was supposed to be in that very camp but could not attend due to an illness.

One of the most striking things about this crime is that the prime suspect Gene Leroy Hart, a prison escapee, managed to dodge prosecution for this crime, leaving the case hanging to this day. Hart did get convicted for his previous crimes and died in prison in 1979.

Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders is set to explore the murders as well as the case against the prime accused.

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Who was Gene Leroy Hart from Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders?

According to reports, on the morning of June 13, 1977, three young girls, Lori Lee Farmer (8), Doris Denise Milner (10), and Michele Heather Guse (9), were found assaulted and murdered on a trail leading to the showers on the camp's grounds.

Reportedly, some time before the crime took place, one of the camp counselor's tents was ransacked. Someone left an anonymous note behind that allegedly said:

"We are on a mission to kill three girls in tent one."

This was dismissed as a joke at the time.

Soon after the investigations began, according to Crime Museum, police narrowed down on Gene Leroy Hart, a Cherokee man who was raised a mile away from Camp Scott. At that time, Hart was a wanted convict who escaped from Mayes County Jail in 1973.

Gene Leroy Hart was convicted of kidnapping and assaulting two pregnant women in a separate incident, along with four counts of burglary. After an extensive manhunt, Hart was found in April 1978 and charged with the assault and murder of the three young girls.

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What happened to Gene Leroy Hart after the conviction?

Despite strong evidence against Hart, his defense team allegedly made a compelling case involving a different hair sample on the duct tape found on the crime scene, and accusations of racial profiling. Hart was ultimately acquitted of all charges after the jury did not find him guilty.

He reportedly returned to prison for his previous crimes as he was yet to serve 305 years out of his 308-year sentence.

Shortly after Hart returned to prison, he died of a heart attack. He was 35-years old at the time.

Though he was never formally charged, many, including Mayes County Sheriff Mike Reed, believed that he was behind the murders. Reed reportedly reopened the case much later and tried to find conclusive evidence with the help of newer technologies. Reed commented:

"I pray that there’s something that we’ve done that gives the family a second of something that even resembles closure or acceptance or something."

He also commented on Hart's conviction on the news, saying:

"Unless something new comes up, something brought to light we are not aware of, I am convinced where I’m sitting of Hart’s guilt and involvement in this case."

Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders will take a detailed look at the case and at Gene Leroy Hart when it premieres on Hulu on May 24, 2022. All four episodes will drop at the same time.