So, lets find out what happened then, shall we? At first, it was believed that the disappearance was connected to petty theft. Burger Chef may not be a familiar name to today's generation, but back in the 1960s and 70s, it rivaled the mighty McDonald's for the top spot in the fast food world. door was not. franchise were the first to patent the flame-broiler device. He recalled: Many theories have emerged over the years, linking the Burger Chef murders to drugs. It was also reported that vehicles drove through the area where the bodies were found, compromising the crime scene. was probably a regular at the Plainfield restaurant. an hour or so after close. Brian Kring, a fellow employee, and friend of the four deceased, took the night off to go out on a date. At the time, Alan stated that Jeff slammed Marks head into the van. Journal & Courier 6-16-82 The Berkshire Eagle 5-22-84 Burger Chef Funmeal The weather was dreary and rainy, more of a drizzle 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. [6], By 1969, international expansion was underway with General Foods building ten Burger Chef outlets in Australia. Just typical prep and cleanup. 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. The chain featured several signature items such as the Big Shef and Super Shef hamburgers. The officers [1][8][10] All four victims were still wearing their Burger Chef uniforms. [1] The chain featured several signature items, such as the Big Shef and Super Shef hamburgers. ", Weather Information. Feel free to provide your information to law enforcement, the worst that can happen is that they brush it off and ignore you. The four drove around in the van, and Alan claimed that Mary rambled about Tim and Jeff killing the Burger Chef employees. He remembered seeing two men, Jeff Reed and Tim Willoughby, take the four employees in their van and Jaynes car. The documentary digs deep into the still unsolved murders.[24]. However, they were not able to find any more promising leads or to locate the evidence they believed would have been most useful: the firearm, the handle of the knife, and the chain used in the murders. varies depending on the publication where you find the information. The Burger Chef Murders were never solved. [8][11]Both Davis and Shelton had been shot numerous times with a .38 caliberfirearm. of the killings, many local stations ran stories about the case. debt from one of the employees, but then another employee had recognized Which, props to the man, he succeeded in doing. was locked up. Two bodies found. Forty years have passed since four Burger Chef employees were kidnaped while on the job in Speedway, Indiana. On November 18, 1978, an off-duty employee of the Speedway Burger Chef, 5725 Crawfordsville Road, discovered the backdoor of the restaurant open and the staff missing. 3911 E 15th St, Panama City, FL - (opened . No pictures were taken at the Burger One of the major reasons for the case's being unsolved was the negligence of the authorities. What happened at Burger Chef? Interestingly enough, Burger Chef wasn't originally designed to be a fast food chain. As part of the deal, they came into possession of two so-called Insta . The authorities also found shell casings in the septic tank of a house Donald used to live in. They provided a double burger that was known as the Big Shef, and subsequently they introduced a hamburger that weighed 113 grams and was known as the Super Shef. ask God for forgiveness. 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. All four were considered responsible employees, making what happened on the night of November 17, 1978, quite shocking. At first, the officers had speculated that the employees had cleaned out the cash registers and then fled. It was obvious The program outlines that this Burger Chef would have started packing up at 11:00 p.m. than a downpour with about an inch of raining falling that day. Around 10pm on that fateful night. I am a History Educator and a Lifelong Learner with a Masters in Global History. other options had happened he would have survived. Read More: How Did Rhonda Sue Coleman Die? Business Jayne Friedt was a 20-year-old working as the assistant manager at the Burger Chef restaurant in Speedway. and cleaned up the work that wasn't finished the night before. Any critical forensic evidence 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. The blade of the I didn't name names because of liability reasons, but names can be found in other individuals speculating. QRS communicated that the company sold this brand after it lost millions of dollars. Now, it may be difficult to imagine, but this humbly named chain was once a cultural juggernaut. The lights were on, so he figured his coworkers were still inside cleaning up. Both men were white and in their thirties. [4] They offered a double burger, called the Big Shef, and later the quarter-pound (113 gram) hamburger, Super Shef. how he had committed the murders. Speedway High School's 1979 yearbook included a memorial for Mark Flemmonds. Steak n' Shake added another $1,000 to the fund. Burger Chef's heyday was from the 1960's through the early 1970's. Burger Chef debuted in 1957 in Indianapolis, quickly expanding throughout the country; by 1959, fast food joints were a rage. It's apparent that Burger Chef was way ahead of the curve when it came to this idea. His brother had a white work van. 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. Ruth Ellen Shelton's mother passed away before the interviews Their bodies were found in Johnson County two days later. [12][13], In January 2007, River West Brands, LLC, of Chicago, Illinois, sued Hardee's Food Systems in the US Patents and Trademarks Office, claiming abandonment of the Burger Chef trademark. Time remarked that they were the first place to advertise the burger, fries, and a drink combo. The proteins included Cajun and curry chicken, as well as some plant based options. the Speedway area. Ruth Ellen Shelton, Mark Daniel and Ruth were found lying side by side, face down. Your email address will not be published. He believes that all scenes should be treated as if the worst case This guy was very robust,handsome,and a womanizer. This case hasn't been He was supposed to his brother there to take him home. [10], When the four did not reappear the following morning and Friedt's Chevrolet Vega was found partially locked in town,[8] concerns grew. When Burger Chef was at the height of its popularity, it was the pioneer of a concept that nearly everyone today associates with McDonalds: the kids meal. evidence was substantial, but not conclusive. Burger Queen was rebranded as Druthers restaurants in 1981, despite the fact that the majority of the alterations were just cosmetic. He was cleared of any Hardees is known to sometimes bring back the Big Chef at certain of its restaurants located in the Midwest, so those of you who are still pining for your Burger Chef fix should keep an eye out for it. 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. Not far away was the body of Jayne Friedt, murdered with a . In 1978, the same years of the murders, there However, while Burger Chef was able to talk a good game, they weren't able to hack it. This lead appears to be another dead end He 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. followers raised enough money to purchase a headstone. One morning in November 1978, the residents of Speedway, Indiana, woke up to the horrifying news of four fast food restaurant employees being brutally murdered. The victims were found in a field in Johnson county. It's fascinating that Peggy says that Burger Chef could provide the same interconnectedness that the moon landing imparted. He then led the police to a spot where he claimed he had thrown the gun into a river. that he was not familiar with the details of the case or how the case Torontoist furthermore republished some of Burger Chef's original advertisements that were meant to entice the 1969 Canadian public. the suspect had said he was a drug enforcer and had gone to collect a The following day, the Burger Chef employees were still missing. It even has an unofficial Facebook page that has over 16,000 likes. Burger Chef was a pretty popular fast-food chain that was founded in 1954, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The chain featured several signature items, such as the Big Shef and Super Shef hamburgers. On Saturday morning, it was quite evident that this was a case of armed robbery combined with kidnapping. The Red Barn (restaurant). She starts by saying that the moon landing felt special partly because everyone was doing the same thing at the same time. The kidnapping had no eyewitnesses. the Speedway location. There is nothing wrong with being an armchair detective. After serving customers and locking the doors for the night, the kids began their regular cleanup to ready the restaurant for the following day. Its handle wasn't ambiguous like McDonald's or an acronym like KFC. It was possible that he was beaten and, at some point, ran into a tree. This man legitimately deserved a medal for his tenacity. It was when the reports responsible for the murder. The national headquarters was located in Indianapolis adjacent to the West 16th Street restaurant. He then led police to the crime scene in the woods, where he accurately described the location and position of the bodies when they were found. On Friday, Nov. 17, 1978, four employees went to work at the Burger Chef on Crawfordsville Road in Speedway, Indiana. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . simply couldn't afford one. However, these cases were subsequently found to be unconnected to the Burger Chef murders. That conference has been called a disaster. http://www.in.gov/isp/2549.htm, "Police Seek Clues in Kidnap-slaying of 4. But with no crime scene, no evidence, no photos, and no witnesses, the chances of solving the crime looked bleak. The investigation also faced several issues because the restaurant was allowed to be cleaned up the morning after the disappearance, which meant that any potential evidence was gone. Chef on Crawfordsville Road in Speedway, Indiana that Burger Chef on Crawfordsville in. To go out on a date, handsome, and a Lifelong Learner a. The major reasons for the murder that they brush it off and ignore you the authorities place to the. 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