Steve Cartisano, founder of the Challenger Foundation wilderness program featured in Netflix’s Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare, died on May 4, 2019, at age 63. After 16-year-old camper Kristen Chase died of heatstroke during an expedition, Cartisano faced negligent homicide and child abuse charges. Netflix reports that he was found not guilty and later settled with Chase’s parents out of court. The obituary notice recording his death does not state its cause.
Who was Steve Cartisano?
Netflix’s documentary guide describes Cartisano as a former Air Force sergeant who founded and led the Challenger Foundation, a wilderness program for teenagers in Utah. Netflix says he started the program in 1988. The camp operated in southern Utah, around Escalante and the area of what is now Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
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According to Netflix’s December 2023 guide, the program involved stays of 63 days or more and a 500-mile hike. Those figures describe the program as Netflix presents it; they are not independent measurements of every participant’s experience.
What happened at the Challenger Foundation?
Former campers alleged punitive treatment at the program, according to Netflix’s account. The case drew particular attention after 16-year-old camper Kristen Chase died of heatstroke during a Challenger expedition. These allegations and the reported circumstances of Chase’s death are part of the documentary’s account; they should not be confused with the outcome of Cartisano’s criminal case.
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What happened to Cartisano after Chase’s death?
Netflix reports that Cartisano faced child abuse and negligent homicide charges and was found not guilty. The guide also says he settled with Chase’s parents out of court. Radio Times likewise reports an acquittal and civil suits settled out of court, and says Cartisano was barred from operating child treatment programs in Utah and Hawaii. These are reported outcomes: the accounts cited here are not court records.
When and how did Steve Cartisano die?
A notice in the Choctaw Nation’s Biskinik, published in August 2019, identifies Stephen “Steve” Anthony Cartisano as having died on May 4, 2019, aged 63. The notice gives no cause of death, so one cannot be established from that source.
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Where can you learn more about the case?
Netflix’s documentary Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare (2023) examines the Challenger Foundation and the allegations surrounding it. Netflix’s documentary guide provides its account of Cartisano and the program. Streaming availability can vary by region and over time.
For audio, The Opportunist lists a Steve Cartisano bonus episode published June 16, 2023, on Apple Podcasts.
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