Viswa Vanapalli
On the first morning of a Girl Scouts camping trip in Locust Grove, Oklahoma, counselor Carla Wilhite made a gruesome discovery. Then only a teenager, she found three young scouts murdered, leading to a frantic investigation. Hulu’s ‘Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders’ reveals what happened after Lori Farmer, Doris Milner, and Michele Guse were found dead in their sleeping bags. On the show, Carla shared her recollection of the events and what happened in the aftermath. So, let’s find out more about her then, shall we?
Who is Carla Wilhite?
As per reports, Carla Sue Wilhite was only 18-years-old when the Girl Scouts headed out on a two-week camping trip in Locust Grove in June 1977. She was a counselor assigned to the Kiowa camp and was in charge of taking care of the children. At the time, she was particularly impressed with Doris, saying, “She was just a beautiful and radiant child. She was the only African-American and a first-time camper, and I remember thinking we would want to make sure she had a good start and great experience.”
Doris was in the same tent with Lori and Michele. While the girls hadn’t met before, they seemed to be getting along well. According to Carla, the three of them were generally quiet, but they were just as loud as the other tents on that night. After an exhausting night on June 12, 1977, Carla went to bed. But at around 1:30 am on June 13, she heard some moaning noises from the area where the trio’s tent was located.
Carla pointed her flashlight in that direction but didn’t see anything amiss. Thus, she assumed it was an animal and went back to sleep. At around 6 am, Carla woke up to find three sleeping bags in the area where she heard the sounds in the night. As the counselor got closer, she saw Doris’ body — the little girl was naked below the waist, and her hands were bound behind her back. Carla also saw that Lori and Michele were dead in the other sleeping bags. This immediately led to the authorities arriving at the scene.
Where is Carla Wilhite Now?
The authorities eventually arrested Gene Leroy “Sonny” Hart for the murders, but he was acquitted of the crimes in 1979 before dying a few months later. While the camp was shut down after the incident, Carla visited the area in 2015 as part of an alumni group. There, she prayed along with the rest and eventually said she felt good about returning.
As far as her current whereabouts are concerned, it seems that Carla now lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. From what we can tell, she works as an Assistant Professor at a university in the area. In addition, she is also an Occupational Therapist and has worked in the agricultural field with research interests in agricultural health and wellness.
Read More: Where is Sheryl Stokes Now?
