New DNA Tests Planned In 1977 Girl Scout Killings

Wednesday, May 23rd 2007, 5:44 pm

By: News On 6

There are new developments in one the most heinous crimes in Oklahoma history, the Girl Scout murders of 1977. Investigators have reopened the case to try a new type of DNA testing on the evidence. News On 6 anchor Jennifer Loren reports that they say the results could finally give them the answers they've been looking for for 30 years.

It was June of 1977. Oklahoma and the entire nation were shocked when three young Girl Scouts were found murdered at Camp Scott near Locust Grove. Eight-year-old Lori Farmer, 10-year-old Doris Milner of Tulsa and 9-year-old Michelle Guse of Broken Arrow had been beaten and sexually assaulted.

There was one suspect in the case, Gene Leroy Hart, who was a prison escapee at the time of the murders. He was tried and found not guilty in this case. But he was returned to prison for other crimes where he later died of a heart attack.

Many years later, DNA testing was introduced. In 1989, the FBI tested blood and semen collected at the murder scene, but the results were inconclusive. Now, as forensic technology continues to evolve, there is a new DNA testing method that could finally break this case. Itâ€™s called the Y-STR test. DNA analysts say itâ€™s especially helpful with sexual assault cases.

When DNA is collected from a rape victim, the sample contains mostly female DNA, which consists of XX chromosomes. There is a smaller amount of male DNA included, containing XY chromosomes. When mixed together, itâ€™s difficult to get a solid DNA fingerprint. But the new Y-STR test isolates only the smaller portion of male DNA, making it more likely they'll find a match.

And the possibility of a match, even 30 years later, brings with it the possibility of closure. The OSBI is conducting the new DNA test. They say the results could be back as early as this week.

The Mayes County District Attorney will announce the results.

Watch the video: Girl Scout Murders Case Reopened