KERR COUNTY, Texas – A Kerr County judge has recently made a significant ruling in the ongoing investigation into the tragic Hill Country flood that occurred in 2025 at Camp Mystic, which resulted in the deaths of 25 campers and two counselors.
The judge denied a request from the Eastland family to limit the search warrants for electronic data. This means that the court-appointed special master can now begin reviewing the seized materials to determine what investigators are allowed to access and what must be kept confidential due to legal privileges.
During the hearing, it was clarified that this ruling does not imply that anyone is guilty of a crime or that charges will be filed. The Texas Rangers had requested access to Apple records for 14 individuals, which included browser histories, call logs, emails, GPS data, photos, and videos. Notably, seven of these accounts belong to members of the Eastland family, including Dick Eastland, the director of Camp Mystic, who tragically lost his life in the flood.
The Eastland family argued that the warrants were excessively broad and sought to restrict the investigators’ focus primarily to information relevant to the July 4, 2025 flood. However, Judge Sid Harle decided against imposing such limits at this time. Instead, he indicated that the special master would perform an initial review, with the possibility of another hearing after both parties have had a chance to examine the findings.
The special master’s role is crucial as they will identify any communications that may be protected by attorney-client or spousal privilege before the investigative team reviews them. After the evidence is seized, it will be handed over to the special master, Judge Keasler, from Austin. Attorney Bobby Barrera, who represents two individuals not named in the search warrants but described as targets in the investigation, emphasized the importance of protecting privileged communications.
“When you have issues of attorney-client privilege that may be in the communications, when you have the issues of spousal privilege between the parties, those communications are protected by law,” Barrera stated, highlighting the legal complexities surrounding the case.
The judge also noted that after the special master conducts their review, both sides will have the opportunity to raise additional concerns. This ruling signifies an important step in addressing the aftermath of the devastating flood and ensuring that the investigation proceeds within the bounds of the law.
