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Families sue Camp Mystic over deadly Texas flood, allege negligence and profit motive

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Families sue Camp Mystic over deadly Texas flood, allege negligence and profit motive


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Families of seven girls and camp counselors killed in the July 4 Camp Mystic flood in Hunt, Texas, have filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit, alleging the camp’s owners ignored flood risks and state safety rules to protect profits.

The lawsuit, filed Nov. 10 in Travis County District Court by attorney R. Paul Yetter of Yetter Coleman LLP, names the families of Anna Margaret Bellows, Lila Bonner, Chloe Childress, Molly DeWitt, Katherine Ferruzzo, Lainey Landry and Blakely McCrory — all of whom died in the catastrophic flooding.

The 75-page petition claims Camp Mystic and its owners “put profit over safety” and “chose to house young girls in flood-prone areas to avoid the cost of relocating cabins.” It also accuses the camp of failing to create or follow an evacuation plan, despite state regulations requiring one.

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“Just such a tragedy hit our State on July 4, 2025,” the lawsuit reads. “When 25 campers and two counselors needlessly and tragically died in the floodwaters at Camp Mystic.”

CAMP MYSTIC MAKES CONTROVERSIAL DECISION ABOUT FUTURE OF TEXAS CAMP WHERE 27 DIED IN FLOODING

Camp Mystic is shown in Hunt, Texas on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (Ashley Landis/AP Photo)

Camp Mystic spans 725 acres along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country, an area long known for deadly flash floods. The filing cites a 1990 interview with then-director Richard Eastland, who reportedly told the Austin-American Statesman, “I’m sure there will be other drownings. People don’t heed the warnings.”

According to the lawsuit, the camp ignored multiple warnings — from weather alerts, staff concerns, and its own experience. Counselors allegedly pleaded to evacuate girls from low-lying cabins but were told to “stay put because that’s the plan.”

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Aerial footage of Heart O’ the Hills in Kerr County, Texas after deadly flood. (Rep. Chip Roy via X)

TIMELINE DETAILED IN THE LAWSUIT:  

• 1:14 a.m. — National Weather Service issued a “life-threatening flash flood” warning.

• 1:45 a.m.–2:13 a.m. — Camp leaders Richard and Edward Eastland allegedly worked to move equipment instead of ordering an evacuation.

• 2:20 a.m. — Counselors reported water entering cabins but were instructed to remain inside.

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• 2:30–3:30 a.m. — Five cabins were evacuated to the Rec Hall; six others were left behind, including Nut Hut, Chatter Box, Wiggle Inn, Giggle Box, Twins, and Bubble Inn.

• 3:35–3:51 a.m. — Richard Eastland’s SUV was swept away as he tried to rescue girls from Bubble Inn; all 13 campers and two counselors in that cabin drowned.

• 3:35–4:09 a.m. — Eleven campers died in Twins Cabin after being told to stay because “the water would go back down.”

CAMP MYSTIC MAKES CONTROVERSIAL DECISION ABOUT FUTURE OF TEXAS CAMP WHERE 27 DIED IN FLOODING

A view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic, the site of where at least 20 girls went missing after flash flooding in Hunt, Texas, on July 5, 2025. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)

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The petition argues that the girls could have safely evacuated within 60 seconds to higher ground if not ordered to remain in their cabins.

Families accuse Camp Mystic of gross negligence, premises liability, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The filing also highlights a written policy stating: “In case of flood, all campers on Senior Hill must stay in their cabins… All cabins are constructed on safe, high locations.”

The lawsuit also alleges that camp administrators misled families after the disaster, telling them the girls were merely “unaccounted for” hours after the floodwaters receded.

A search and rescue volunteer holds a T-shirt and backpack with the words Camp Mystic on them in Comfort, Texas on July 6, 2025.   (Danielle Villasana for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Adding to families’ anger, the lawsuit cites the camp’s decision to announce its reopening for the next summer season while one camper, Cile Steward, remained missing.

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The families are seeking more than $1 million in damages, including wrongful death and exemplary damages, and have requested a jury trial.



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This Week in Texas: $1500 for every Texas Household, ICE accountability, politics in sports

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This Week in Texas: 00 for every Texas Household, ICE accountability, politics in sports


Saturday, July 11, 2026 11:10PM

This Week in Texas: ICE accountability, politics in sports

This Week in Texas, we talk about the fatal shooting in Houston involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Our political insiders, Jacey Jetton and Shea Jordan Smith, offer their perspectives on that and the proposal from Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Gina Hinojosa to give every Texas household $1500 from the state’s rainy day fund.

Also, a report on big drainage money that the City of Galveston might have let slip through the cracks.

And a look at the intersection of politics and sports, This Week in Texas.

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Copyright © 2026 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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Texas Man Finds Hidden GPS Tracker in His New Truck: “They Didn’t Want Me To Find This”

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Texas Man Finds Hidden GPS Tracker in His New Truck: “They Didn’t Want Me To Find This”


A man in Texas, suspicious about his newly acquired truck, decided to take a look inside. To his surprise, he found a GPS tracker that was monitoring his every move. As expected, people online reacted as they normally do: a collective meltdown.

The man in question is none other than David Allen, also known as ToTouchAnEmu. He is a very popular content creator who has over 9.8 million followers on TikTok alone.

And while he shares a wide variety of content, one of his latest videos addresses this apparent breach of privacy. He detailed how he was surprised and overwhelmed as he went through the terms and conditions after purchasing his new truck.

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His dealer had signed him up and paid for a one-year subscription to CarRx, a platform and mobile app that monitors vehicles’ data. David, however, was not too thrilled to find out exactly what that meant.

Tracking Everything

For starters, he showed that, under the terms and conditions, CarRx would sell all collected information to third parties. David was not too worried about that.

Instead, he showed all the data that the platform collects from vehicles. Understandably, he was shocked.

Monitored information includes the car’s VIN, mileage, oil and battery status, fuel, and charging history. The platform can also track a vehicle’s location, speed, crash detection alerts, braking events, and even camera image and sensor data.

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Finding the Tracker

David, still astounded by the revelation, knew that something was fishy. He asked, “I start thinking, how do they know all that information about my car if they don’t have some sort of GPS tracker on it?”

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And to no one’s surprise, and thanks to a Google search, it turns out that there was, in fact, a tracker installed in David’s truck. And not willing to let it slide, the man got to work immediately.

The Texas man searched for the tracker near the OBD port. He noticed a Y-cable right below it and found the tracker connected to it. The tracker had an IMEI, meaning that it had a SIM card in it, so tracking is pretty much a guarantee.

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Viewers React Accordingly

Of course, David’s video caused a multitude of reactions. Some took issue with how he labeled his SUV a truck, but most viewers were worried about their privacy.

“We need data privacy laws stat!” one said. Another one commented, “This isn’t new, unfortunately. I used to work for GM; they track everything. In real time.”

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The latter comment seemed to echo the majority of reactions. Other users, former car dealership employees themselves, said the exact same thing. 

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Texas Rangers investigating City of Trinidad after water issues, controversial arrests, firings

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Texas Rangers investigating City of Trinidad after water issues, controversial arrests, firings


After controversial arrests, alleged retaliatory firings and a litany of water issues, the Texas Rangers are investigating the City of Trinidad.

What we know:

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The Texas Rangers confirmed to FOX 4 they have begun an investigation into the City of Trinidad.

“We can confirm the Texas Rangers are investigating. As this is an active investigation, we have no further information to provide,” the Texas Rangers said to FOX 4 in a statement.

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Dig deeper:

The law enforcement agency’s investigation comes as multiple lawsuits have been filed against the city over retaliatory firings and controversial arrests related to the city’s water quality issues.

This week, former Trinidad City Administrator and Secretary Lindsey Patterson filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming she had “no record of discipline” when she was terminated in Feb. 2026.

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Patterson’s suit claims she was fired after reporting to the Trinidad Police Department that “public funds belonging to the city were being held by private individuals.”

Former Trinidad City Administrator Lindsey Patterson

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Trinidad’s current City Administrator, Cynthia Dosier, has been listed as a defendant in several of the lawsuits. She has not returned FOX 4’s request for comment since our first report.

On Friday, FOX 4’s David Sentendrey attempted to speak to Dosier at her office in Trinidad. Dosier had no comment when asked about the Texas Rangers’ investigation.

“It’s way bigger than just water”

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What they’re saying:

Trinidad Mayor Dennis Haws previously called for an investigation by the Texas Rangers into the city’s now-public issues. He tells Sentendrey he’s glad that’s finally happening.

“I wanted people here to know that there is going to be transparency at the end of this,” Haws said.

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“We need to know that our office is in order and I think the best way to do that is with a third party having eyes on it and finding out what really is going on here.”

Trinidad Mayor Dennis Haws

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The investigation wouldn’t have come without Henderson County resident Jennifer Combs’ arrest for a Facebook post concerning the city’s water quality. 

“To tell the story to someone they would think you were crazy. You know what I mean?”

She says she’s glad the Texas Rangers are investigating, but that the root of the issue remains: the city’s water issues.

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“I’m just ready for all of it to calm down and what’s going to happen is gonna happen, and the rest needs to be done so we can get back to the real issues of fixing the water. People deserve clean water.”

Trinidad Water Saga

Timeline:

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The saga in Trinidad, which claims less than 800 residents, began in May following Combs’ arrest over the city’s water issues.

Combs’ post stated that people had been hospitalized after drinking the city’s water. FOX 4 has not verified that anyone in Trinidad was hospitalized from drinking the city’s water.

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A Henderson County grand jury declined to indict Combs, who has since filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Trinidad and Gregory which alleges she was arrested in “an act of deliberate political retaliation.”

Since our initial report, FOX 4 has continued to receive images of dirty and discolored water from the residents of Trinidad.

Trinidad officials have admitted the city has struggled to keep its water clean. Combs said the water “looks like the Trinity River.”

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The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) confirmed to FOX 4 it received a complaint regarding the water quality in Trinidad, and that an investigation is ongoing.

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One day after FOX 4’s initial report on Combs, citizen journalist Winston Noles protested outside Trinidad City Hall with a sign with expletives targeting “bad cops.”

Noles was arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct for the sign. The Trinidad Municipal Judge, Shellena Bivens, later dismissed the charge.

On Wednesday, May 27, Alex Estrada and Colby Reyes, two former Trinidad employees, filed a lawsuit against the city claiming the city administrator fired them without cause.

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Reyes, the former Trinidad Water Clerk, says in the lawsuit that she was fired because she “refused to lie” on behalf of Gregory and City Administrator Dosier.

Reyes’ lawsuit claims Gregory publicly fabricated a story that Reyes was frightened by Noles in order to arrest him, in which Reyes says she put in writing she was “never offended” by Noles.

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A law firm representing Estrada and Reyes and Consumer Wellness Center Labs are organizing free independent water testing for people on Trinidad’s water supply as the TCEQ investigation continues.

At a May 28 Trinidad City Council meeting, Judge Bivens was fired as the city’s municipal judge. The issue of water quality in Trinidad was never addressed.

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Gregory, who made his first public comments since FOX 4 initially reported on the story, said he had “nothing to hide” in relation to Combs and Noles’ arrests.

Trinidad Mayor Dennis Haws suggested to Sentendrey that the Texas Rangers should investigate the city and its police department after the recent arrests and water issues have come to light.

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Bivens is considering legal action against Trinidad, with her attorney saying her firing was unjust. “I’m a good judge. I’m a damn good judge,” Bivens told Sentendrey.

In June, a family in Trinidad alleged that after showering with the city’s water, their teenage daughter suffered a chemical burn.

An attorney for the family provided a preliminary water test strip result that showed “dangerous” free chlorine levels in the Logan family’s water. It remains unclear if Trinidad’s recent water treatment led to the Logans’ daughter’s rash.

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A planned meeting for Thursday, June 4 to give an update on the city’s attempts to fix their water quality issues was canceled. Mayor Haws said he did not receive a reason for the cancellation, though a small protest took place outside the planned meeting.

Gregory resigned from his position as Trinidad Police Chief following the multiple controversies. His final day with the department was June 19.

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Gregory has declined interview requests from FOX 4, citing pending lawsuits.

Following news of Gregory’s resignation, the Trinidad judge who approved the arrest warrant for Combs wrote a scathing letter against him and his police department.

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McKee’s letter questions “the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of information presented” to him by two Trinidad police officers in relation to Combs’ arrest warrant.

What’s next:

Interim Trinidad Police Chief Cameron Beckham told Sentendrey over the phone he has a meeting with the Texas Rangers in the next few weeks and plans to fully cooperate with their investigation.

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The Source: Information in this story comes from the Texas Rangers, the City of Trinidad and previous FOX 4 reporting.

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