HTR TX flood lawsuits set for June 8, 2027 trial as case grows 

The wrongful death and injury lawsuits stemming from the July 4, 2025 flooding at HTR TX Hill Country Resort and Campground — the deadliest single location in the flood that killed 119 people countywide — now have a trial date, with 216th District Judge Pat Patillo setting jury selection for June 8, 2027, in Kerrville. A pretrial hearing is set for May 24, 2027.

At least 36 people died at HTR TX, more than at any other site in the county, including Camp Mystic’s 27 deaths. That toll makes the sprawling litigation against the resort’s ownership and management the largest single-location wrongful death case to come out of the flood.

The case has grown considerably since the spring. Three intervenors — Ashley Andrews, Ciara Black and Clarissa Sargent — have also joined, with Andrews acting as administrator of the estate of Carol Andrews, a victim not previously named in the litigation.

The amended master petition in Cause No. 25476A also lists additional families whose claims had not been fully detailed in earlier filings: Heather Atis, representing the estate of Deana Hillcock; John L. Ledford, representing the estates of Amber and Shiloh Wilson; and Carolyn and Stan Wilson, representing the estate of Jeffrey L. Wilson.

Defendant Davis Investment Ventures LLC filed its original answer June 29, offering only a general denial under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 92 and demanding strict proof of the allegations — no additional defenses have been pleaded yet.

Discovery disputes continue to slow the case. In a motion to compel filed on June 25, the Ramsey plaintiffs told the court they have been trying since April 30 to obtain deposition dates for the corporate representatives of Blue Water Hospitality and Blue Water Development Corp., as well as employees Todd Burbage and Crystal Whorton. Plaintiffs’ counsel followed up May 5 and again June 12 — each time receiving no response, according to the filing. The motion notes that Ilana Callahan, HTR TX Hill Country’s former general manager, testified in her own deposition to witnessing guest deaths firsthand, underscoring what plaintiffs argue is the relevance of testimony from other management-level witnesses. The motion puts the death toll at “over forty resort guests” — higher than the 36-plus figure previously used in coverage, a discrepancy worth confirming before it’s repeated as fact.

Separately, plaintiffs have noticed depositions for three more individual defendants or witnesses tied to the resort’s operations — Mark Bush, Jeremiah Murphy and Sean Keaney — all scheduled for August 28, 2026, via Zoom.