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Site Of The Burger Chef Murders Of 1978 Taken On 8-24-18. Photo By Chief Celebrity Publicist Toni Embry on

10 Chilling Facts About The Burger Chef Murders

On the night of Friday 17^th November 1978, four young employees of the Burger Chef restaurant went missing. It was previously thought that it was a petty theft as the restaurant’s safe was open without the cash inside. However, it later turned out to be murder cases, the Burger Chef Murders that took place in Speedway, Indiana, the United States.

During the closing time of the restaurant, between 11:00 PM and midnight, assistant manager Jayne Friedt(20), Daniel Davis (16), Mark Flemmonds (16), and Ruth Ellen Shelton (18) went missing. Their fellow employee found the four missing, the safe opened without struggle and US$581 equivalent to $2,414 in 2021 was missing.

Police thought that it was a minor theft case, but the case later turned out to be an abduction after the four never returned to work. By Sunday, the case turned out to be a murder case after the four bodies were discovered. Investigators had some or all suspects in the murders but there was no physical evidence to prosecute them.

Below are the 10 Chilling Facts About The Burger Chef Murders:

1. Four Youthful Workers of Burger Chef Restaurant Disappeared from their Place of Work

Employees at a burger shop. Author; Joseph.

On 17^th November 1978 between 11 PM and midnight, four youthful workers of Burger Chef restaurant disappeared from their working place. The time of their disappearances was during the closing time of the joint.

The four youthful employees of the Burger Chef restaurant included 20-year-old assistant manager Jayne Friedt, 16-year-old Daniel Davis, 16-year-old Mark Flemmonds, and 18-year-old Ruth Ellen Shelton. Their fellow employee came by the restaurant at midnight to visit them but found the place open and deserted.

2. The Case was Initially Treated to be a Robbery

That midnight, a fellow employee found the safe of the restaurant open and the back door open. Police officers who responded to the scene found two empty currency bags and an empty roll of adhesive tape next to the open safe.

This case was not considered to be a serious matter as the management revealed that they lost US$581 from the safe. There was also no indication of a struggle which made them believe that it was a petty case of robbery. The authorities assumed that the youthful employees had gone partying using the money they had taken from the safe.

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3. The Restaurant was Cleaned Wiping Out All Evidence

The location of the Burger Chef murders. Author; Xnatedawgx.

Several investigations done that evening led to the discovery of the purses and jackets of the missing women. This led to the cleaning of the scene by employees of the Burger Chef restaurant early in the morning on Saturday.

However, investigators led by Buddy Ellwanger, who was an officer from Speedway admitted that they had 鈥渟crewed up from the beginning鈥�. Cleaning and reopening the restaurant meant that all the crucial evidence was eliminated from the crime scene.

4. The Case Turned out to be Abduction after the Car of One Victim was Found not Locked

The restaurant management expected the four employees to return to their places of duty the following morning. However, the four never showed up raising doubts about their whereabouts as the case was treated as a mere theft.

Later on, Jayne Friedt’s Chevrolet Vega was found in town with the doors partially locked. This brought about concerns that the four had been abducted as they were closing the restaurant. It was believed that their attack began when they were removing the trash bags through the back door.

5. Hikers Found Bodies of the Four Youthful Employees 32 KM Away

Police officers and investigators working on a crime scene. Author; Faruk.

After concerns rose about the possible abduction of the four youths, authorities began searching for them. On Sunday 19^th November 1978, the bodies of the four were found by a group of hikers. The bodies were dumped 32 kilometers away from the restaurant in a wooded area of Johnson County.

6. Davis and Shelton were Shot to Death Multiple Times

The hikers Found the four bodies of the youthful employees of the Burger Chef restaurant in a wooded area. Officers rushed to the scene and found out that they had been murdered in a gruesome way.

Davis and Shelton had been shot several times. The two were killed by the bullets from a .38 caliber firearm that was used by their assailants.

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7. The Other Two were Killed by Stabbing and Bludgeoning

A weapon used to commit murder. Author; Cottonbro.

Jayne Friedt and Mark Flemmonds were murdered in gruesome ways too like the other two who were shot multiple times. Jayne was stabbed twice in the chest using a knife. The handle of the knife seemed to have broken off and was missing.

The blade of the knife was later found in her chest of Jayne during an autopsy. Mark Flemmonds’ death was determined to be through bludgeoning using a chain. He died from choking on his blood.

8. All Victims had their Work Uniforms on & their Belongings Intact

The manner of the homicides of Jayne, Mark, Davis, and Shelton shocked many people as they were killed by shooting, stabbing, and bludgeoning. What shocked many was the intentions of the assailants who never took anything from the four.

The four victims had their Burger Chef uniforms on when they were found murdered. Their valuables like money and watches were found on them which implied that these murders were not motivated by robbery.

9. The Murders were Linked to a Botched Robbery at the Restaurant

Current Photo Of The Burger Chef Murder Site (1978). Author; GlaceEntertainmentPR.

There were several theories and speculations on what might have led to the murders of the four employees of the Burger Chef restaurant. Investigators started working on a lead theory that the four were kidnapped after a botched robbery.

They believed that the assailants might have blown their cover and were seen by one of the victims during the suspected robbery. It is believed that Mark who was covering for another employee鈥檚 shift might have recognized the killers which led to their murders.

10. One Suspect Confessed that Murders were Due to a Debt of Drug Money

As investigations went on, a detective received a call in 1984 from Donald Forrester, an inmate at Pendleton Correctional Facility. The inmate was willing to confess to the Burger Chef Murders to get a transfer to another facility.

Forrester confessed to having shot Davis and Shelton, led the investigators to the crime scene in the woods. He also revealed that they had gone to the restaurant to threaten Jayne Friedt because his brother owed them drug money.

However, Mark Flemmonds jumped in to defend and protect her which led to a fight. Flemmonds was badly injured which made the assailants believe he was dying or dead.

The assailants decided to abduct and kill the other employees to eliminate all the witnesses. However, the inmate denied making the confession after the whole information was leaked.

The Burger Chef murders sent chills across the nation, but the suspects have not been prosecuted due to a lack of physical evidence. A memorial was built by the family and friends of the victims who raised money and planted four red oak trees which were adorned with a short biography of each victim.

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