INSIDE BARBARA DAY'S PRETRIAL TESTIMONY — PART THREE

CAMP SCOTT — Ok, we are in the final installment of Barbara Day's pretrial testimony.

Before we jump in, we owe y'all an apology for getting this out so late. We ended up getting hit with a stomach bug, and between that and this brutal heat wave, we've pretty much been hibernating like a couple of bears. Thankfully, we're feeling much better now and should be back in full swing. We appreciate y'all's patience, and now let's get into the final installment of Barbara Day's pretrial testimony.

In our opinion, this is one of the most important portions of the camp director's testimony. It helps establish Barbara's movements throughout the morning, when she first entered Tent 7, who she remembers being present, the condition of the blood inside the tent, and the timeline of events leading up to investigators fully securing the scene. As always, we're simply sharing what was said during the pretrial testimony and allowing y'all to draw your own conclusions. Ok, let’s go ahead and jump right in.

We left off with the vehicle Barbara spotted parked just outside the camp gate when she and her husband, Richard, left to get milk after reportedly running out during dinner on June 12th, the day the Scouts arrived.

The defense attorney then asked Barbara about an earlier interview he had conducted with her. He asked whether she had told him about the vehicle outside the gate, and Barbara responded that she couldn't recall. When asked if he had recorded their interview, she said no, but remembered him taking notes.

The defense then turned back to the night of the murders and asked what time she and Richard returned with the milk. Barbara estimated they were gone for about half an hour, explaining they picked up the milk and drove straight back to camp. When asked whether she noticed the vehicle upon returning, she said it was gone by then.

After returning to camp, Barbara testified that she unloaded the milk and went into the Great Hall, where she spent some time talking with Ben, the camp ranger, and his wife, Marty, who served as the camp's summer cook. She recalled that Dee Elder, the chief counselor for the Kiowa Unit, came in to get cookies for the girls. Barbara explained that a rainstorm had disrupted the evening activities, so they planned to have "a little party" before the campers went to bed.

After Dee left, Barbara and Richard returned to their cabin for the night. She estimated it was around 9:00 p.m., although she wasn't certain of the exact time.

The defense then confirmed that Barbara's cabin was also the camp director's office, which she said it was. She was asked who was staying in Cedar Lodge on the night of June 12th, and she answered no one. The same was true for the Red Barn cabin and the Chickasha cabin. When the defense broadly asked if anyone was staying in any of the cabins on the property, Barbara clarified that only the director's cabin and the infirmary were occupied.

When asked whether it was her responsibility to ensure the cabins were secured each night, Barbara said no, that responsibility belonged to Ben. She also testified that the council office in Tulsa handled cabin rentals.

The defense then asked what happened after she went to bed that night. Barbara replied that the next thing she remembered was Carla Wilhite pounding on her door.

At this point, the questioning became repetitive, with the defense simply asking Barbara to confirm details she had already testified to during the prosecution's examination regarding what happened after Carla alerted her. Rather than repeat those details, we're going to move ahead.

The defense next asked Barbara more about Ben and his wife, Marty. Barbara testified that Marty prepared breakfast each morning and was usually in the Great Hall by around 6:00 a.m. getting everything ready.

When asked whether Marty was already there after the Scouts were gathered in the Great Hall on June 13, Barbara said she was.

Barbara also testified that Ben and Marty had children. When asked whether their children were at camp that morning, Barbara said she didn't know. She only remembered seeing them after the bodies had been discovered.

The defense then asked about Ben's radio equipment. Barbara explained that he did not carry a walkie-talkie but instead had a CB radio connected to the unit in his truck.

The questioning again covered information Barbara had already provided, including that she sent Ben and her husband, Richard, down to the Kiowa Unit until investigators arrived. We'll skip over those repeated questions and move to the next new testimony.

Barbara testified that after making several phone calls, she returned to the Kiowa Unit sometime between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. to look for Bonnie Brewster.

When asked whether she returned to the area where the bodies were located, Barbara answered, "Standing adjacent to them, yes," estimating she was about 10 to 12 feet away. She said she only glanced toward the area and did not closely examine it.

The defense asked whether she noticed any personal belongings near the bodies during that second trip, and she said she did not.

Barbara testified that while she was there, she spoke with Beverly Huff and Royce, although at the time she did not know Royce's name. The defense then backtracked slightly and asked her to confirm that Royce was already present when she arrived, and she said yes.

When asked who else was there, Barbara said she believed Bonnie Brewster was there, along with ambulances, Dr. Collins, and additional law enforcement officers.

When asked how she knew Dr. Collins, Barbara testified that she had "made his acquaintance on several occasions in a very superficial way for a couple of years."

The defense then asked whether she spoke with any law enforcement officers. Barbara said she did, specifically identifying Pete Weaver and Harold, explaining that she showed them where the tents were located.

When asked whether that was the first time she had seen Tent 7, Barbara answered no. She testified that roughly an hour earlier she had already taken Dr. Collins, Pete, and Harold to the tent after counselors identified it as the girls' tent.

The defense attorney interrupted himself, saying, "Well, let me back up a minute. I didn't know you had been at the tent at 7:30."

Barbara then explained that she had led investigators to Tent 7 after counselors pointed out where the girls had been sleeping. Along the way, they also checked several other tents.

When asked who she meant by "we," Barbara recalled that it included Pete, Richard, Ben, and possibly Dr. Collins, although she wasn't certain exactly who all was present.

The defense then asked Barbara what she personally saw when Tent 7 was opened. She testified that she saw a cot with blood on it and additional blood smeared across the floor underneath. She noted that the cot did not have a sleeping bag or mattress cover on it. When asked to describe the blood on the floor, Barbara testified that it appeared smeared, "as though someone tried to wipe it up."

The defense asked whether she searched for a towel or cloth that might have been used. Barbara answered no, saying she "never thought of it." She added that it looked almost as if someone had attempted to clean up the blood.

Barbara testified that after that she looked around the other tents. She recalled Harold climbing into Tent 7 while Pete walked around the back side of the tent to see how the assailant may have entered. Barbara said she left the area afterward and could not remember what she did immediately after that.

The next portion of the testimony becomes somewhat confusing, but we're simply summarizing what appears in the pretrial transcript.

The defense asked Barbara to confirm that her first visit to Tent 7 was with Pete, Ben, Richard, and several others. Barbara said yes. He then asked whether she had been there before approximately 7:30 that morning, and she answered no.

The defense next suggested that she returned to Tent 7 around 8:30 a.m., but Barbara corrected him, explaining that she did not go back inside Tent 7 at that time. Instead, she only returned to the general area where the bodies were found.

The attorney then clarified whether the only time she actually entered or looked inside Tent 7 was during that earlier visit around 7:30 with Pete Weaver and the others. Barbara answered yes, adding that it may even have been a little earlier than 7:30.

The defense then asked Barbara what type of shoes she had been wearing that day.

She testified that she was wearing the same type of shoes in court that she had worn at camp. She explained that she had both sneakers and deck shoes with her, specifically identifying the sneakers as Adidas Country shoes.

When asked about the tread pattern, Barbara said the soles didn't have circular patterns or "bubbles," but instead had straight lines.

The defense then asked whether anyone else entered Tent 7 while she was there with Pete Weaver and Harold. Barbara replied, "Not that I saw."

When asked whether Harold was the only person who actually went inside the tent, she said she believed he was but wasn't completely certain.

The defense also asked whether she observed anything that suggested how the tent had been entered. Barbara answered that she couldn't tell then and still didn't know to this day.

She estimated she remained at Tent 7 for only a few minutes, certainly no more than about ten minutes.

The defense then shifted back to her later trip to the Kiowa Unit and asked whether she did anything besides observing investigators, the crime scene, and security.

Barbara corrected him, explaining he was actually referring to her third trip to the Kiowa Unit.

When asked to clarify, she testified that she made three separate trips:

The first was when they initially investigated.

The second was when she showed investigators which tent the girls had been sleeping in.

The third was when she returned to look for Bonnie Brewster.

The defense then asked whether she eventually found Bonnie.

Barbara said yes. She explained that after finding her, they returned to Barbara's office to talk. Their discussion centered on whether the camp would have to close, the council in Tulsa needing copies of Barbara's records, and trying to determine the identities of the three girls. Barbara added that "that took some time."

Barbara testified that after that conversation, all of the Scouts, except those from the Kiowa Unit, were sent on a hike. The Kiowa campers remained in the craft hut.

When asked whether she spoke with any additional law enforcement officers outside of her three trips to the Kiowa Unit, Barbara recalled introducing herself to Beverly and Royce and believed they may have asked her a few questions.

She also confirmed that investigators eventually established a command post.

The defense then asked whether anyone mentioned Gene Leroy Hart's name while she was in the Kiowa Unit that morning. Barbara responded that she did not recall anyone mentioning him.

She then described what happened after speaking with Bonnie.

Barbara testified that she began directing camp staff regarding council business and communicating with families. Meanwhile, her husband, Richard, handled members of the public, the media, and people gathering near the camp entrance, while Barbara focused on caring for the approximately 135 remaining Scouts, making lunch plans and deciding where they would spend the rest of the day.

Barbara testified that before she realized it, it was nearly 7:00 that evening.

When asked which law enforcement officers she spoke with throughout the day, she identified Beverly, Royce, and later OSBI agents.

The defense asked whether she told investigators the same things she testified to in court.

Barbara answered yes. She explained she was interviewed on and off throughout the day and made herself available whenever investigators needed her. She also recalled that the district attorney eventually arrived and believed he may have already been on scene by the time she found Bonnie.

Barbara further testified that she was told OSBI investigators would soon be arriving. She remembered there being numerous law enforcement officers on scene for an extended period but admitted she could only remember faces, not which agencies everyone represented.

She recalled personnel from Locust Grove, the sheriff's office, OSBI, and the district attorney's office, adding that it took her about a week afterward to sort out which officers belonged to which agency.

The defense then asked when she first had a formal interview with investigators.

Barbara testified that it occurred on Wednesday during a personal sit-down interview with an OSBI agent. She couldn't remember his name but recalled that he wrote down her statement rather than having her write it herself. She did not remember whether she signed the statement but testified it was not tape-recorded.

When asked whether she told the agent the same things she testified to in court, Barbara answered yes, and more. When asked what additional information she provided, Barbara said she discussed her own background as well as the backgrounds of the camp staff. She estimated the interview lasted between two and three hours, although she wasn't certain.

The defense attorney then attempted to ask whether investigators questioned her about her sex life, but the prosecution objected, and the judge sustained the objection.

The defense concluded by asking whether investigators collected any physical evidence from Barbara.

She testified that she did not believe they took a hair sample. She confirmed that she was fingerprinted but did not believe investigators collected a saliva sample.

Barbara also testified that investigators asked about the shoes she had been wearing.

Finally, the defense asked whether investigators ever questioned her about Gene Leroy Hart or whether she knew him personally. Barbara answered no. She testified that she had never heard of Gene Leroy Hart until she read about him in the newspapers.

The defense then attempted to question her about photographs that were reportedly found in a cabin on the campgrounds sometime after the murders. He asked Barbara if she knew where those photographs had been found, but before she could answer, the prosecution objected, and the judge sustained the objection.

The defense then shifted to another topic, asking whether she knew where a pair of shoes, reportedly discovered in a cabin several days to a week after the murders, had been found. Once again, the prosecution objected, and the judge sustained it, preventing Barbara from answering.

The questioning then turned to Barbara's interactions with law enforcement after the murders. When asked when she was next interviewed, she testified that she remained in continuous contact with investigators throughout the summer. According to Barbara, some investigators would stop by her home, while others contacted her by phone.

The defense pressed her on when she was actually interviewed again. Barbara explained that, in her mind, there was a difference between being interviewed and simply being questioned. She didn't believe she had been formally questioned again after her initial interview. The defense then rephrased the question, asking when investigators had last come to speak with her. Barbara responded that they didn't stop by again for about three days, and after that she occasionally received visits or phone calls throughout the summer. She said there was no further contact until the following spring.

The defense then asked whether investigators had spoken with her again at Camp Scott. Barbara did not respond to that particular question. He followed up by asking if investigators had requested that she return to Camp Scott after Wednesday. Barbara replied that Wednesday was when investigators conducted her formal interview and fingerprinted her, and she said she was not asked to return after that.

The defense then asked if investigators later met with her at the Magic Empire Council office in Tulsa. Barbara instead answered that they had come to her house on one occasion. At that point, the defense attorney appeared visibly frustrated and told her that wasn't the question he had asked, adding that if she would simply listen to the questions, they would "get along just fine" and everything would go much quicker. When he repeated the question, Barbara answered no. The prosecution objected once again, and the judge sustained the objection.

The defense then asked Barbara if investigators had ever told her that a footprint had been found. She answered yes. When asked what type of footprint it was, Barbara said she had been told it was a sneaker print. The defense then asked how large the footprint was, and she testified that investigators never specified its size.

When asked if she had ever seen the footprint herself, Barbara said she had only seen a photograph. Asked to describe it, she testified that it looked "like an advertising photo" showing a pair of gold suede sneakers. She described the soles as having small circles around the outside edge but said she could not remember the pattern on the inside portion of the sole.

The defense asked if investigators had shown her any additional photographs or other evidence related to the footwear, and Barbara said no. However, she testified that investigators spoke with her again about the footwear during the spring of that year at the Ramada Inn in Tulsa. This time, she said, they showed her an actual pair of sneakers rather than just a photograph.

Barbara also testified that investigators showed her a photograph of a camp counselor from a previous year. When asked if she knew the person in the photograph, she said no. The defense then asked where the photograph had been found, but before she could answer, the prosecution objected and the judge sustained the objection.

The defense next attempted to ask what had been found at Barbara's particular camp, but the prosecution objected once again, and the objection was sustained. Rephrasing the question, the defense asked whether Barbara had been present when the photograph was discovered. She testified that she was not.

When asked if she knew where the photograph had been found and whether she had ever seen it before, Barbara said yes. She testified that she had previously seen the photograph lying on a pile of tarps inside a storage hut across from the infirmary. She said she did not know who the person in the photograph was, but recalled that a counselor who was with her recognized the individual, although she could no longer remember the name.

When asked if investigators had shown her any other pieces of evidence besides the footwear and the counselor's photograph, Barbara responded that she did not believe so.

The defense then shifted to questions about reports of prowlers at Camp Scott. The prosecution asked that the timeframe be narrowed, so the defense specifically asked whether anyone had reported prowlers on the campground during 1977. Barbara testified that she had no knowledge of any reports before the murders. She said it wasn't until afterward that people began recalling disturbances around the camp, but emphasized that everything she had heard was hearsay. She stated she had never personally witnessed any of those incidents and had no firsthand knowledge of them.

Barbara was then asked whether law enforcement had ever shown her a hat or cap as evidence. She testified that she did not believe they had.

The defense concluded this portion of the testimony by asking Barbara about several individuals connected to Camp Scott. She identified Barbara Hostead as a volunteer, a mother, and the director of a Cadet Camporee held in April of the previous year. Barbara also confirmed that her husband's mother had previously served as a camp director.

Finally, the defense asked whether Richard was familiar with the Camp Scott area. Barbara said he was, explaining that he knew the Carlisle family, who lived nearby. When asked whether he also knew the Cavalier family and had visited them during the pre-camp campout, Barbara testified that the family had already moved away.

The defense then asked Barbara whether she had visited anyone in the Camp Scott area during the pre-camp campout. She testified that she had not.

The questioning then shifted to repair supplies kept around the campgrounds. Barbara explained that supplies were stored in various locations throughout Camp Scott. When asked specifically about the Kiowa Unit, she said repair supplies were kept in the kitchen storage closet.

The defense then asked whether she had brought a spool of rope with her to camp. Barbara testified that she had. When asked if she took the rope home with her after leaving camp following the murders, she said she may have. The defense asked whether any portion of that rope had been used while she was at camp, and Barbara replied that not to her knowledge, although she noted that the other counselors had access to it as well. She also testified that, as far as she knew, none of the rope was missing. When asked if she still had it, Barbara said it might still be on the property. When the defense asked her to clarify what property she meant, she answered, "Camp Scott."

The defense then asked whether she had observed any tape or bookbinding material around one of the victims' bodies. Barbara testified that she had not noticed anything other than the body itself.

The defense next asked whether duct tape was kept anywhere on the campgrounds, but the prosecution objected, and the judge sustained the objection. Rephrasing the question, the defense asked if there was any bookbinding tape at the camp. Barbara said she had never purchased any herself, but the camp ranger may have had some. When asked if she had ever actually seen any, she testified that she could not remember.

The defense then asked if duct tape was kept in any of the camp buildings. Barbara replied that she had never purchased or personally seen any, but acknowledged there could have been some in the ranger's shop.

As the questioning came to an end, the defense asked Barbara whether she had told him everything she knew about the case. Barbara responded, "I bet I know other things that I just can't think of or that you haven't asked me."

And with that, Barbara Day's pretrial testimony came to a close.

We know this was a lengthy series, and we appreciate everyone who has stuck with us through it. In our opinion, Barbara's testimony provides some of the most detailed insight into the timeline of events, the movements of camp staff, and the condition of Tent 7 during those critical first hours after the murders. As always, we've simply summarized what was said in the pretrial testimony so y'all can read it for yourselves and draw your own conclusions.

Up next, we'll be diving into the pretrial testimony of Camp Scott Ranger Ben Woodward. As the camp ranger, Ben was responsible for the maintenance and security of the campground and was one of the first people to respond after the girls were reported missing. His testimony provides another firsthand account of what happened during those critical early hours and offers additional details about the condition of the camp, the search efforts, and the timeline investigators were working with.

We'll see y'all in the next installment.

Source: Official Pretrial Transcripts