Manslaughter Probe Underway in Camp Mystic Flood Tragedy
WHO:
CNN - Camp Mystic owner Richard Eastland also died in the flood.
CNN - Camp director Edward Eastland offered a tearful apology in court.
CNN - Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls camp, and its owners, including Richard Eastland, are involved in the investigation.
CNN - Brant Johnston, with the Texas Rangers, is a key investigator in the case.
CNN - Christina Yarnell and Brad Beckworth are attorneys representing the family of victim Cile Steward.
WHAT:
CNN - Investigators are seeking evidence of manslaughter, negligent homicide, child abandonment, or other crimes related to the deaths of 27 girls at Camp Mystic.
CNN - The Texas Rangers executed search warrants last week to obtain the electronic communications of the camp’s owners as part of the investigation.
CNN - Brant Johnston stated in an affidavit that Camp Mystic had inadequate emergency plans and failed to have enough adult counselors in some cabins.
CNN - Johnston concluded that Camp Mystic, LLC was aware of and consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk of death to the campers in their care.
CNN - Attorneys for some victims' families stated they have fought for accountability and answers for over a year.
CNN - Steward’s body still has not been found.
CNN - A criminal investigation is underway that could include manslaughter or negligent homicide charges in the deaths of 27 girls.
CNN - The flooding resulted in the deaths of 25 campers and 2 teenage counselors.
CNN - The flooding killed at least 136 people along a several-mile stretch of the Guadalupe River.
CNN - Camp Mystic has filed for bankruptcy reorganization and did not reopen this year.
WHERE:
CNN - The incident occurred at Camp Mystic, located along the Guadalupe River in Texas.
WHEN:
CNN - The flood occurred before dawn on July 4, 2025.
WHY:
CNN - Attorneys for some victims' families expressed that they have fought for accountability and answers for over a year, stating, "Instead, the Eastlands have held hostage the information and answers owed to parents who deserve, more than anyone, to know the details surrounding their daughters’ final moments."
CNN - Investigators allege that Camp Mystic had inadequate emergency plans and failed to conduct necessary emergency drills or training.
CNN - The camp owners allegedly neglected to relocate children from low-lying cabins despite monitoring late-night flood warnings.
HOW:
CNN - Investigators have conducted interviews with witnesses, flood victims, and people associated with the camp, but several, including members of the Eastland family, refused interviews.
CNN - Investigators executed search warrants to obtain electronic communications of the camp’s owners as part of the evidence-gathering process.
CNN - Brant Johnston stated that young campers could not independently recognize a rapidly developing, life-threatening hazard or organize an evacuation without adequate adult supervision.
(UPDATED September 23, 2026 15:00 UTC)
Investigators are looking into potential charges of manslaughter, negligent homicide, and child abandonment following the tragic deaths of 27 girls at Camp Mystic. The Texas Rangers executed search warrants last week to gather electronic communications from the camp's owners, while Brant Johnston's affidavit revealed that the camp lacked adequate emergency plans and sufficient adult supervision in some cabins. Attorneys representing the victims' families have been demanding accountability for over a year, emphasizing that the Eastlands have withheld crucial information that parents deserve regarding their daughters' final moments.
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(UPDATED September 23, 2026 07:58 UTC)
In a tragic turn of events, Richard Eastland, the owner of Camp Mystic, has died in the recent flood, while his son, camp director Edward Eastland, offered a tearful apology in court. Attorneys representing some victims' families have been seeking accountability and answers for over a year, and the body of a victim named Steward has still not been recovered. Investigators have been interviewing witnesses and flood victims, but many, including members of the Eastland family, have declined to participate in the inquiry.
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(UPDATED September 23, 2026 02:06 UTC)
A criminal investigation is underway into the tragic deaths of 27 girls at Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls camp in Texas, where flooding claimed the lives of 25 campers and 2 teenage counselors. Investigators allege that the camp's owners, including Richard Eastland, failed to implement adequate emergency plans and neglected to relocate children from low-lying cabins despite receiving late-night flood warnings. Key investigator Brant Johnston, along with attorneys Christina Yarnell and Brad Beckworth representing the victims' families, is gathering evidence, including electronic communications from the camp's owners, as they explore potential manslaughter or negligent homicide charges.