Home movies
If you’ve watched the video on the Judith Elwell and Brenda White cases, then you’ve heard reporter John Greiner talk about covering the cases when they were breaking 40 years ago.
You’ve heard criminologist Shawna Cleary giving her theories about the abductor (and yes, she thinks the same person took both girls).
And you’ve also seen flickering, flitting images of a young girl in a pink bathing suit frolicking on the beach with her family. That girl is Brenda White.
The images were recorded about two months before Brenda disappeared and about five months before her body was found in a shallow grave near Harrah. Filming occurred in June 1967 during a family vacation to Pensacola, Florida.
The film clips were provided to The Oklahoman by Brenda’s parents.
There’s something about those images that bring home the loss this family suffered more powerfully than any police reports or interviews or words in a news article.
One moment, Brenda is there, an excited young girl, smiling, laughing and playing in the sand with her brother on the ocean shore. The next, she jumps out of the frame and vanishes.
For me, at least, the moment she disappears from the screen is poignant, foreshadowing what would happen mere weeks later.
Here, then gone.
And far too soon.
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Comments
mark is the only dad i ever had he adopted me when i was a baby he always was tore up about this tragedy my dad is a good man he has a good heart i remember when he was bringing me to boyscout camp he told me about his story of his sister and he got real emotinal when he was telling me he adored his sister i could just tell when he talked about her i was always wondering y he wouldt let me leave his sight and when he told me that story i understood i remember he would only let me ride my bike in the front yard in the grass unless he rode bikes with me he raised me to be a man i am now joing the coast gard and he is the reason y i have made it this far he has a big heart and is probably one of the best men u will meet
TRAVIS IF YOU EVER CK ThIS AGAIN PLEASE CONTACT ME .I AM BRENDA WHITES COUSIN .AND NEED DESPERTALY TO SPEAK TO ONE OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS THAT MIGHT HELP SLOVE THESE CRIMES THANKS SO MUCH REBECCA no_news_82_okc@yahoo.com
I want to say the same thing to Brenda’s family that i said to Judith family.Sorry is all i can do.It makes me feel better leting all of you know how deeplyi feel for you.Your Friend Pat