Subsequently, they added the Works Bar, where customers added their own toppings to hamburgers. The man did give up the names of individuals in a take their coat? had just taken off on the company dime to party. As someone who lives in Indiana, I can assure you that In the episode "Waterloo," the character Peggy Olson pitches an ad campaign to Burger Chef. Jayne was found a few yards away; she had been stabbed twice in the heart, with the broken-off knife still in the body. Then, in 1989, Donald Forrester, a convicted rapist serving time, confessed to the Burger Chef murders. [8] Remaining restaurants that did not convert to Hardee's or new names and branding simply closed. Before the '70s had ended, you couldn't find a Burger Chef north of the U.S. border. A Singapore restaurant called Route 65 additionally created an amazing bargain where its customers could get its crispy chicken burger, french-fried potatoes, and bubble tea for $9.90. found due to the orders given by the Johnson County Prosecutor, Charles With the missing cash and the prospect of four youngsters in the burger joint, authorities allegedly assumed that they had run off with the money. Some officers that were on the scene claimed Ken York was one of the As a result, composite sketches and clay busts were made. He believes that all scenes should be treated as if the worst case With the three departments on the scene, the Speedway Police, the [14] The Indiana State Police continue to keep the case open, and have reportedly investigated the use of DNA-tracing techniques developed since the initial investigations. his death alone. [12][11][13][8][14]Friedt had been stabbed twice in the chest. Their most notable design that never caught on was a concept that they called the Works Bar. It isn't But Olson's feelings don't negatively impact her pitch, and it goes brilliantly. In spite of the fact that he called himself a serial killer and claimed to have been responsible for the deaths of 13 people, there was only enough evidence to convict him of two murders. Because, I realize now, we were starved for it." One man had a beard; the other was clean-shaven with light-colored ("fair") hair. Indianapolis Monthly stated that the police allowed the restaurant to be cleaned up and had one theory that blamed the teenagers for the stolen money. He had been beaten around his head. Scott R. Sanders, the author of a book entitled Burger Chef, said that the first store was made by the president of General Equipment Company, Frank P. Thomas Jr. murders have already been questioned and let go on lack of evidence. than a downpour with about an inch of raining falling that day. did not constitute enough evidence to take him. . would have been erased by the cleaning that had taken place. employees recognized one of the perpetrators. [8][9], In 1972, the chain introduced the Funburger, a hamburger with packaging that included puzzles and a small toy. location for a short period of time, before that she had worked at the An article on MeTV laid out the date that Burger Chef created its Fun Meal. the scene to the best of their ability. QRS communicated that the company sold this brand after it lost millions of dollars. Believing he was dead or dying, Forrester and his accomplices decided to abduct and kill all the employees to eliminate all the witnesses to their crime. It was believed that the employees In a 1979 ad in The Cincinnati Enquirer, Burger Chef outlined what was in their Big Shef dish. debt from one of the employees, but then another employee had recognized Donald stated that he had a few accomplices, and the police at the time believed that multiple kidnappers were involved. Flemmonds was gunned down at work because he came in to cover for the girl whom Kring had taken out on a date earlier that evening. One officer was quoted as saying [1], In 1984, Detective Mel Willsey of the Marion County Sheriff's Department received a call from Donald Forrester, an inmate at the Pendleton Correctional Facility. Mitchell ran this eatery for another 14 years. found the building empty and unlocked, so he called the speedway police . I'm just a armchair detective and have only begun to look this case up. The investigation trucked on, following any possible shred of . [6], By 1969, international expansion was underway with General Foods building ten Burger Chef outlets in Australia. Around six years later, McDonald's released their Happy Meal, and Burger Chef didn't seem to like this development. In Episode 433 Late on the night of November 17, 1978, Speedway, Indiana teenager Brian Kring stopped by his workplace, the Burger Chef fast food restaurant, to visit with his friends and offer them help closing up for the night. In July 1973, Lawrence Journal-World published an ad that said, "Now With Every Order of a Big Shef, Fries, and Any Drink A FREE BURGER CHEF AND JEFF YO-YO." Torontoist furthermore republished some of Burger Chef's original advertisements that were meant to entice the 1969 Canadian public. $15.00 (70% off) Friedt had been stabbed twice in the chest, while Davis and Shelton had both sustained several gunshot wounds. The documentary digs deep into the still unsolved murders.[24]. Cold cases from Indiana discussed, mapped, and brought back into public eye. She didn't need justice, but they needed saved Now, it may be difficult to imagine, but this humbly named chain was once a cultural juggernaut. Investigation Discoverys Murders at the Burger Joint chronicles the events surrounding the quadruple slaying and the inquiry that followed. Their bodies were found in Johnson County two days later. evidence was substantial, but not conclusive. According to legend, the name Burger Chef was selected to give the impression that the new eatery was a more refined alternative to Burger King. The police's initial mishandling of evidence caused many complications, in this case, eventually leading to the murders remaining unsolved to this day. found a man that fit the description and didn't have an alibi, but this Ken York has stated that It was thought to be a case of petty theft, with the assumption that the pilfered cash had been used by the youths to go partying that night. Summoned for a lineup, the man shaved his beard (which he had had for the previous five years) the night before he was to appear. 2 days ago. ", 19761980: "We really give you the works. In 1975, as a result of this, Wetsons merged with the Nathans Famous fast-food chain, which ultimately resulted in the shutdown of 29 Wetsons outlets and the complete elimination of the Wetsons name. [3], Burger Chef spread across the United States, following a strategy of opening outlets in smaller towns. The term "Burger Chef" was coined in the early 1900s. blood didn't cause him to choke, it is probable that the police would The founders of the The group then ended up in an isolated area and got out of the car. Another associate named by the Greenwood suspect, who fit the description of the fair-haired man, also subsequently was imprisoned for other armed robberies of fast-food restaurants. The first such combination of burgers, dessert, and a toy sold as part of a fast food meal was called the Fun Meal, and it was introduced in 1973. November 17, 1978. Friedt had been stabbed twice in the chest. Another slew of mistakes The theory states that a drug dealer came to the store to collect their debt from one of the employees and, upon being recognized, shot them all. In a photo that was published alongside the above-mentioned fact, you can see an advertisement for Hardee's "Limited Time Only" Big Shefs. Why did no one The cold case that put Speedway, Indiana, on the map. The Burger Chef Murders On November 17, 1978, four young employees working at a branch of the now-defunct fast-food chain Burger Chef in Speedway, Indiana were kidnapped as part of a robbery. later served time on a charge related to a shotgun, thus earning himself One of the major reasons for the case's being unsolved was the negligence of the authorities. bodies before the forensic technicians or the corner even arrived. to checking Roger Dale Stafford. sketches were released to the public and didn't generate new leads, the One of them proclaimed: "Come to a monster opening at Burger chef." 4699 W Cerritos Ave, Cypress, California - (opened May 9, 1997) - Replaced the 4906 W Cerritos Ave location. A short distance from their bodies, Jayne knife had broken off in her chest. by the grace of God. witness description, the State Police had sketches made up. The Burger Chef restaurant closed at 11:00 pm like usual. Burger Chef Murders - Mystery&Makeup . Ever since Burger Chef created this deal, a plethora of fast food chains have implemented this concept. But with no crime scene, no evidence, no photos, and no witnesses, the chances of solving the crime looked bleak. At the time, Alan stated that Jeff slammed Marks head into the van. Indianapolis Monthly also detailed that the bodies of Shelton and Davis were eventually found around 20 miles from the restaurant in the Johnson County woods. While Burger Chef used to be a major chain, competing with the likes of McDonald's, it's largely forgotten today since it fizzled out in the early 1980s. Officers were not Gantz. Salty potato slices and sugary soda are two of the pillars that help hold up the burger experience. To put that number into perspective, McDonald's had 1,600 restaurants. for any information leading to an arrest in connection to the murders. They kind of messed up the crime scene.". The officers He was on the This piece will furthermore discuss this chain's legacy, a TV advertisement that they wanted to film, and the unsolved Burger Chef murders. next-door neighbor was another suspect in York's opinion. Only He was supposed to his brother there to take him home. The Burger Museum's owner, Sef Gonzalez, isn't the only person that seeks out Burger Chef items either. It's fascinating that Peggy says that Burger Chef could provide the same interconnectedness that the moon landing imparted. As Alan ran away, he mentioned hearing a gunshot. Steak n' Shake added another $1,000 to the fund. The man provided the names of others who he suggested belonged to a fast-food robbery gang, whom investigators suspected may have been involved in the case. The following day, the Burger Chef employees were still missing. the suspect had said he was a drug enforcer and had gone to collect a suspects have been vetted. the business to open without collecting evidence was the right decision. (297) $4.50. Burger Chef at its peak had over 1,000 locations across the United States and Canada. This ad featured a mouth-watering burger illustration and lines that pointed to different parts of this dish. In the time after the bodies were found, the authorities had the description of two men who were seen at the restaurant. ", 19701971: "There's more to like at Burger Chef. In 1978, the same years of the murders, there It was noted that the doors were manual lock. They claimed that the company had encouraged them to purchase restaurant upgrades even though it was aware of the pending sale. documented what they had planned to do. discovered that Mark Flemmonds didn't have a headstone. https://solvedandunsolvedcrimes.wordpress.com/2019/09/01/the-burger-chef-murders-1978/. suspect foul play. no longer exists. Where the bodies were found. followers raised enough money to purchase a headstone. Druthers. Art Dolan Jr. gave Jackson, Michigan the 20th Burger Chef restaurant in the U.S. and the first outside of Burger Chef's Indianapolis headquarters. In a New York Times article from that year, the publication stated that Hardee's planned on buying the whole shebang for about $44 million. admitted to not being present at either scene, the Burger Chef or the According to Donald, Jane's brother, the one who was arrested for he owed money for a deal . This man made the restaurant to show off the new food-service machines that his business was manufacturing. The oldest MacDonald insisted that he didn't deliberately name his son after the Mickey D's mascot, but honestly, that makes thisstory all the more strange. He claimed that they were the result of a drug debt that Jayne owed. [12][11][13][8][14] Friedt had been stabbed twice in the chest. She had only been working at the Speedway Sergeant Bill Vann of the Indiana State Police stated that he felt that But while the murder weapon was a .38-caliber, the casings found were .22-caliber. conference. It just goes to show you how Burger Chef's creator patented some interesting designs throughout the chain's pretty short history. Burger Chef. He came to close up late at night and found the entire joint empty and the cash locker open. The same day that the We got here fast as we could.". The enlargement was completed in 1975 at a loss of $1.3 million US dollars (which is equivalent to $6.25 million in 2020). A year after the The final restaurant to carry the Burger Chef name closed in 1996. [7], Police did not initially consider the case to be serious, given that management reported the loss of only approximately US$581 (equivalent to $2,414 in 2021) from the safe[8] and no clear signs of a struggle. Two days after their deaths, their remains were discovered in Johnson County. Ken York is a retired detective turned private eye. So, lets find out what happened then, shall we. The murders date back to November 17, 1978, when robbers targeted a Burger Chef fast-food restaurant in Speedway, just outside Indianapolis, said the Indiana State Police. county. Monday due to the tragedy at hand. Louis All of the Burger Chef establishments in St. Louis were rebranded as Hardees some time around the year 1986. blood when he fell to the ground. One of the gals said she let off a guy we all knew him. Deciding to pay them a visit, he walked up to the back door and noticed it was open, which was odd. Two days later, each of their bodies was found in a wooded area in Johnson County. It began operating in 1954 in Indianapolis, Indiana, expanded throughout the United States, and at its peak in 1973 had 1,050 locations, including some in Canada. victims were not found until November 19, two days after they On November 10, 2018, one week before the fortieth anniversary, a small dedication ceremony for family and friends was held at the memorial site at Leonard Park in Speedway. [1] Ken York, one of the original investigators on the case, has noted that the deaths of the Greenwood suspect and the bearded suspect, from an apparent suicide and a heart attack respectively, came suspiciously close after the release of the armed robber named by the Greenwood suspect. scene was hectic and haphazard at best. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It doesn't have a happy ending, but it The only thing was, It specialized in burgers. Unfortunately, for Burger Chef, the lawsuit was unsuccessful. Plainfield location. from the bar. He must have recognized one of the culprits, according to investigators, which led to the group's abduction. At the start of each line, some bars of text described the additional items that could be added to a burger at the station. The lights of the restaurant were still on, and the door was unlocked. charged. After serving customers and locking the doors for the night, the kids began their regular cleanup to ready the restaurant for the following day. Burger Queen was rebranded as Druthers restaurants in 1981, despite the fact that the majority of the alterations were just cosmetic. https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KIND/1978/11/17/DailyHistory.html?req_city=&req_state=&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=, All Posts were originally posted on my wattpad account. The knife's handle was broken off and gone, but an autopsy later turned up the blade. was locked up. slaying. "too many chiefs and not enough Indians.". "They didn't process it as a murder; they didn't know it was a murder," said detective Virgil Vandagriff. In the same year that Frank and Donald Thomas established their restaurant in Indianapolis, Indiana, they received a patent for the flame broiler, which was developed by their parent firm, General Equipment Corporation. Theories and serial killer studies included. . the Speedway area. Another said, "ADD A SLICE OR TWO OF FRESH TOMATO." Indiana State Police Case Overview. ", Jayne Friedt. When this employee arrived, he Other employees arrived at the restaurant and cleaned up any possible evidence that could have been left inside the night before. The search led them to Franklin, Indiana. He was convicted of murdering fast The Dalton store opened in 1969. The bodies of all four youths were discovered on Sunday afternoon by hikers in a Johnson County wooded area, some 20 miles (32 km) away. But at a bar I worked at, the conversation turned to the Speedway Burger Chef murders. Flemmonds was found. During the peak of franchise, He Money and watches were found on the dead victims, implying that robbery might not have been the sole motive for the murders. In her interview, she told the killers that she hoped they would At the time, Burger Chef About seven months after the Burger Chef incident, Mary was found shot to death in a barrel. This led to the police not exerting their full force in finding the four workers, Jayne Friedt, Daniel Davis, Ruth Shelton, and Mark Flemmonds. That being said, just imagine living in a universe where getting unlimited pickles for free was the norm. As part of the deal, they came into possession of two so-called Insta . He ended up selling this establishment to his stepdaughter, who then turned it into a Pleasers. Any critical forensic evidence Instead, they thought that the Plus, Ruth and Jaynes jackets and purses were still at the restaurant. Hardee's isn't the only group that temporarily brought the Burger Chef brand back. Both men were white and in their thirties. On phrase stated, "PILE ON THE PICKLES!" The franchise disappeared over time, but its stories lived on for the infamous crime at Burger Chef in Speedway, Indiana. how he had committed the murders. Another declared, "Burger chef heard Toronto likes good food. 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