Friday, March 7th 2014, 1:31 pm
New information has been released in a triple-homicide case that already has stretched out nearly 22 years and counting.
The Oklahoma State Medical Examiner on Friday released the official autopsy reports for Wendy Camp, 23, Lisa Kregear, 22, and Cynthia Britto, 6. Remains of the three were found in a Pawnee County field last April after a missing persons search that began in 1992 and garnered national attention.
According to the medical examiner's reports, Camp died from sharp-force injuries and gunshot wounds; Kregear died of gunshot wounds to the torso; and Britto's cause of death is undetermined. They all are ruled as homicides.
The reports also reveal, for the first time, that a .357-caliber revolver and a 6.5-inch knife also were exhumed from the 8-foot burial site in rural Jennings.
3/7/2014 Related Story: OSBI: Remains Found In 1992 Triple Homicide; 1 Person Arrested
There was evidence Camp was stabbed, according to the ME. An autopsy report says there is evidence in her sweatshirt, sweat pants and skeleton that are consistent with gunshots, and there was a linear injury to her third rib, which could indicate a stab wound.
Kregear's skeleton had a broken wrist that was likely a perimortem (or near death) injury, and there was evidence of gunshot wounds in her shirt and to her eighth rib and sternum, a report says.
"A linear defect was noted to the shirt; however no specific sharp force injuries were noted to Kregear's skeletal remains," according to the report.
Little 6-year-old Britto's cause of death has not been determined. Last year, News On 6 published a photo of the remains inside the grave, with the trio's personal effects, including clothing, purses and contents visible. The smallest skull in the grave appeared to have remnants of duct tape over the face.
The autopsy report of the child confirms there was tape found on the head (mouth, nose and eyes), wrists and right ankle. The report says the ME couldn't exclude trauma as a factor, but there were no specific injuries or disease to explain the death.
A forensic anthropologist also examined the remains. All three people were identified through DNA samples late last year.
Read The Affidavit Against Grover Prewitt
One person has been charged with accessory to first-degree murder in the homicides. The remains were found on property Grover Prewitt, 61, owned at the time of the murders in '92, The Cleveland American reported from Pawnee County land records.
Prewitt's nephew is Camp's ex-husband. The families reportedly were in a custody battle involving Camp's son. Camp's ex-inlaws -- including Prewitt's mother, Ida Prewitt, and his sister, Beverly Noe -- have both long been thought to be involved in the murders because they were with the trio the day they disappeared. Ida Prewitt died in 2011.
In a 2013 affidavit, Grover Prewitt reportedly admitted to filling a hole with dirt, but said he was reportedly ordered to do so by his mother and that he didn't even look inside because he was afraid of what he'd see. Prosecutors said they think he helped his family carry out the murders, although his remains the only arrest to date.
Grover Prewitt is free on $100,000 bond while awaiting trial and now lives in Bristow. He had a scheduled hearing on Friday in Creek County District Court, but it was passed to May 2, according to the court clerk's office. On Thursday, DA Max Cook said he understood the autopsies were final, but he was waiting to review the official report, and the possibility the hearing would be continued was "likely."
3/7/2014 Related Story: Bristow Woman Denies Involvement In 1992 Triple Homicide
Camp's sister, Aisha Hashmi, told News On 6 Friday morning that she believes Camp fought back until the end and battled for her young child's life. She said that since she saw photos of the grave last spring, she has agonized over and analyzed them constantly, trying to figure out the sequence of events.
"I've replayed it over and over in my head – the way the bones were positioned, trying to decifer what happened," Hashmi said. "I've seen the photos, I'm going to read the autopsy report, and as crazy as it sounds, that isn't going to be hard for me. I just want to know. Not knowing was 50 times worse. I'm thankful because many people don't ever get this chance and their loved ones are never found."
For now, Hashmi has a few more answers, but she said she wants investigators to "stop dragging their feet and start arresting others. I want people to finally get nailed. This is ridiculous."
Hashmi has been engrossed in the case for more than two decades. She still is searching for peace and closure, but talking about how her family died grows easier as time passes. However, there's one thing that still haunts her – not knowing how her niece died or if she already was dead when she was buried.
"All I can hope for is that they all were dead when they were thrown in that grave," she said. "What's hard, what hurts me to think about is, ‘what if they weren't dead yet, and she just suffocated in that grave?' I can't go there.'"
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