Kerr County District Attorney Lucy Wilke filed a motion on Friday to recuse herself from the criminal investigation into the deadly July 4, 2025 floods at Camp Mystic. Wilke said her long‑standing connections to the Hunt area and friendships with people close to the Eastland family, which owns and operates the camp, have made her uncomfortable and potentially biased.
Reason for recusal and resource concerns
In the motion, Wilke explained that her office is currently down an assistant district attorney and lacks the resources needed to pursue a complex prosecution involving multiple fatalities and extensive electronic‑data warrants. She argued that continuing to lead the case could compromise both fairness and effectiveness.
Request for a special prosecutor
Wilke asked the court to appoint a special prosecutor from the Texas Attorney General’s Office to take over the case. A special prosecutor would provide an independent perspective and ensure that the investigation proceeds without any appearance of conflict.
Texas Rangers’ search warrants
Late last month, Texas Rangers obtained 14 search warrants to seize phone records and other electronic data from members of the Eastland family and several Camp Mystic employees. The warrants were issued as part of the investigation into the flood that claimed the lives of 25 campers, two counselors, and camp owner Dick Eastland.
Camp Mystic’s leadership was accused in an affidavit by Ranger Brant Johnston of failing to adequately prepare for a foreseeable flood threat and of not acting quickly enough as conditions worsened. The affidavit characterized those failures as rising to the level of criminal conduct that “recklessly caused” the deaths.
Potential charges
Prosecutors are considering a range of charges, including manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, child endangerment, injury to a child, and deadly conduct. No criminal charges have been filed at this time.
Eastland family’s legal pushback
Separately, members of the Eastland family have filed motions seeking a hearing on the search warrants and asking the court to halt any review or use of the seized data. Attorneys for Cathryn, Edward Stacy, George, Mary Liz, Richard, and Willetta “Tweety” Eastland argue that the warrants are overly broad and could expose privileged attorney‑client communications and other confidential material tied to ongoing civil litigation involving Camp Mystic.
The family’s legal team contends that the warrants threaten their constitutional rights to privacy and to a fair legal process, and they are urging the court to limit or suppress the evidence obtained.
Community impact
The Camp Mystic tragedy continues to reverberate throughout Kerr County and the surrounding Hill Country. Residents and local officials are watching the legal proceedings closely, hoping for accountability while also ensuring that the investigative process respects due process and the rights of all parties involved.
As the case moves forward, the appointment of a special prosecutor could provide the independent oversight many community members feel is necessary to restore confidence in the pursuit of justice for the victims of the 2025 flood.
Original reporting: San Antonio, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
