📅 Date: September 23, 2026
📰 Source: CNN
📍 Location: Hunt, Texas, USA
🏷️ Topic: Camp Mystic / Texas floods / Criminal investigation
The Texas Rangers are conducting a criminal investigation into Camp Mystic following the devastating July 4, 2025 flooding that killed 28 people at the Christian girls’ summer camp in Texas Hill Country. Court documents show investigators are seeking evidence that could support charges including manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, child abandonment and other offenses.
The investigation centers on the camp’s emergency preparations and response before and during the flood. According to an affidavit by Texas Rangers investigator Brant Johnston, the camp allegedly had inadequate emergency plans, did not conduct sufficient emergency drills or training, and did not have enough adult counselors in some cabins. Investigators also allege that camp leaders did not relocate children from low-lying cabins despite monitoring warnings about the approaching flood.
Texas Rangers obtained 14 search warrants seeking electronic communications and other information involving members of the Eastland family, which operated Camp Mystic, as well as camp staff. The warrants were approved by a Kerr County state district judge last week. Investigators say the information could help determine whether criminal offenses occurred.
The July 2025 disaster occurred when the Guadalupe River rapidly rose beyond its banks before dawn. Twenty-five campers and two teenage counselors at Camp Mystic died, along with camp owner Richard “Dick” Eastland. The broader flooding along the river killed more than 100 people.
A separate state investigation had already identified problems with Camp Mystic’s emergency preparedness. The Texas Tribune reported that investigators found the camp did not have state-required written emergency plans or adequate evacuation measures at the time of the flood. A legislative investigation also identified communication problems and inadequate instructions for counselors.
The criminal investigation does not mean the camp’s operators have been found guilty of wrongdoing. No criminal charges had been filed as of the latest reports. Camp Mystic did not reopen for the 2026 summer season and has also entered bankruptcy proceedings amid lawsuits brought by families of victims.
The investigation could now determine whether decisions made before and during the flood meet the legal threshold for criminal responsibility. Authorities continue to examine electronic records and other evidence as they investigate the deaths.
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