Stewart Baade was 18 when he went camping with his younger brother and friends at Gitchie Manitou State Preserve on the night of November 17, 1973. The group of five teenagers encountered three men — Allen, David, and James Fryer — who were in the park to poach deer. Believing the teenagers had marijuana, the Fryer brothers posed as police officers, armed with shotguns, and opened fire on the campers.

Stewart was wounded in the initial shots. He, his 14-year-old brother Dana, and friends Roger Essem and Michael Hadrath were then rounded up and systematically shot; a 13-year-old girl in the group was taken from the scene and assaulted before being released. Stewart and two of the victims were found the next day by a couple out driving. A lone survivor provided detailed descriptions that led to the quick identification and arrest of the Fryer brothers.

David Fryer pleaded guilty to Stewart’s murder, and all three brothers were convicted and given life sentences. Does anyone have memories of the preserve or that night that could add context to the case?