conv.

All stories
WorldActive · 34h

Texas Rangers pursue manslaughter charges against Camp Mystic owners

Search warrant affidavits accuse camp leadership of criminally negligent homicide in the deaths of 27 girls and counselors in the July 2025 Guadalupe River flood.

newest coverage 9h agosummary written 1d ago18 pieces1.2k likes & upvotes46 comments BlueskyYouTubeNewswiresMastodonGoogle News

What to know

  • Search warrant affidavits, executed last week and approved by a Kerr County judge, seek electronic communications of Camp Mystic's owners and staff.
  • Texas Ranger Brant Johnston alleges the camp's leadership consciously disregarded flood risks by failing to relocate campers from low-lying cabins despite monitored late-night warnings.
  • No charges have been filed yet; several Eastland family members and top camp officials have refused investigator interviews.
  • Camp Mystic did not reopen after the flood and has filed for bankruptcy reorganization.

“Young campers cannot reasonably be expected to independently recognize a rapidly developing, life-threatening hazard or to organize and execute an evacuation absent direction from an adequate number of adult supervisors.”

Brant Johnston, Texas Rangers investigator · Associated Press ↗ · Sep 21

Eastland family Camp Mystic owners/operatorsRichard Eastland Camp Mystic ownerEdward Eastland Camp Mystic directorBrant Johnston Texas Rangers investigatorChristina Yarnell and Brad Beckworth Attorneys for a victim's family

Texas Rangers pursue manslaughter charges against Camp Mystic owners
texastribune.org

How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesvideosposts

Peak 3 pieces in one half hour at Sep 22, 7 PM; 18 pieces over 35 hours (12 articles · 1 video · 5 posts) Sep 22, 4:44 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Bluesky 1Sep 22, 5:14 PM — quietSep 22, 5:44 PM — quietSep 22, 6:14 PM — quietSep 22, 6:44 PM — quietSep 22, 7:14 PM — 3 pieces · 1 article · 1 video · 1 post — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1, YouTube 1Sep 22, 7:44 PM — 3 pieces · 3 articles — Newswires 3Sep 22, 8:14 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 22, 8:44 PM — quietSep 22, 9:14 PM — quietSep 22, 9:44 PM — quietSep 22, 10:14 PM — quietSep 22, 10:44 PM — quietSep 22, 11:14 PM — quietSep 22, 11:44 PM — quietYesterday, 12:14 AM — quietYesterday, 12:44 AM — quietYesterday, 1:14 AM — quietYesterday, 1:44 AM — quietYesterday, 2:14 AM — quietYesterday, 2:44 AM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Yesterday, 3:14 AM — quietYesterday, 3:44 AM — quietYesterday, 4:14 AM — quietYesterday, 4:44 AM — quietYesterday, 5:14 AM — quietYesterday, 5:44 AM — quietYesterday, 6:14 AM — quietYesterday, 6:44 AM — quietYesterday, 7:14 AM — quietYesterday, 7:44 AM — quietYesterday, 8:14 AM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Newswires 2, Mastodon 1Yesterday, 8:44 AM — quietYesterday, 9:14 AM — quietYesterday, 9:44 AM — quietYesterday, 10:14 AM — quietYesterday, 10:44 AM — quietYesterday, 11:14 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 2Yesterday, 11:44 AM — quietYesterday, 12:14 PM — quietYesterday, 12:44 PM — quietYesterday, 1:14 PM — quietYesterday, 1:44 PM — quietYesterday, 2:14 PM — quietYesterday, 2:44 PM — quietYesterday, 3:14 PM — quietYesterday, 3:44 PM — quietYesterday, 4:14 PM — quietYesterday, 4:44 PM — quietYesterday, 5:14 PM — quietYesterday, 5:44 PM — 3 pieces · 3 articles — Google News 3Yesterday, 6:14 PM — quietYesterday, 6:44 PM — quietYesterday, 7:14 PM — quietYesterday, 7:44 PM — quietYesterday, 8:14 PM — quietYesterday, 8:44 PM — quietYesterday, 9:14 PM — quietYesterday, 9:44 PM — quietYesterday, 10:14 PM — quietYesterday, 10:44 PM — quietYesterday, 11:14 PM — quietYesterday, 11:44 PM — quietToday, 12:14 AM — quietToday, 12:44 AM — quietToday, 1:14 AM — quietToday, 1:44 AM — quietToday, 2:14 AM — quietToday, 2:44 AM — quietToday, 3:14 AM — quiet 12–3
yesterday8 AM4 PMnow · 3:44 AM ET
  1. 3

    NBC News broadcasts details of the criminal inquiry

    NBC News aired a segment summarizing the warrants and allegations of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide against Camp Mystic's owners.

    1. 8 outlets Camp Mystic faces criminal investigation as Texas Rangers seek evidence of manslaughter, other crimes in flood deaths

      first by NY Post, 1d ago · also Guardian, NBC News, Orlando Sentinel, Baltimore Sun, Mercury News, Philadelphia Inquirer +1

      3 more headlines
    2. 1 outlet Search warrants: Camp Mystic owners could face manslaughter charges after deadly floods

      first by KXAN Austin, 16h ago

      1 more headline
  2. 2

    Victim's family attorneys say warrants were long overdue

    Attorneys for the family of victim Cile Steward welcomed the search warrants but said the Eastland family had withheld information from grieving parents for over a year.

    “For more than a year, families of the 27 angels killed at Camp Mystic have fought, begged, and pleaded with the Eastland family for accountability and answers.”
    — Christina Yarnell and Brad Beckworth
  3. background

    AP details warrant claims of inadequate emergency planning — AP obtained the affidavits directly, reporting that investigator Brant Johnston cited inadequate emergency plans, lack of drills, insufficient counselors per cabin, and failure to relocate campers from low-lying cabins despite monitored flood warnings.

  4. 1

    Affidavits reveal Rangers allege manslaughter, negligent homicide

    The New York Times, reported via the Texas Tribune, revealed the affidavit language accusing camp leadership of crimes against child campers, both deceased and surviving.

    “These offenses were committed against child campers — including both deceased victims and surviving campers of the flood event…”
    — Brant C. Johnston, Texas Rangers
    • texastribune.org

      New: The Texas Rangers appear to be pursuing criminal charges against Camp Mystic, saying in a search affidavit they believe camp leadership committed manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide during last year’s July 4 floods, according to The New York Times.

      texastribune.orgBluesky1d ago1.2k▲view on Bluesky ↗
  5. background

    Kerr County judge approves 14 search warrants — A Kerr County state district judge approved 14 Texas Rangers warrants seeking electronic communications of the Eastland family and other camp staff, citing possible manslaughter, negligent homicide and child abandonment.

  6. background

    Camp Mystic withdraws license, will not reopen — After a state-led probe found the camp lacked required written emergency plans and adequate evacuation measures, Camp Mystic withdrew its application to reopen and later filed for bankruptcy reorganization.

  7. background

    Guadalupe River flood kills 27 at Camp Mystic — Flash flooding before dawn on July 4, 2025 killed 25 campers and two teenage counselors at the all-girls Christian camp; owner Richard Eastland also died. The broader flooding killed at least 136 people along the river.