The Burger Chef Murders: 5 Chilling Mysteries That Keep The 1978 Cold Case Active In 2025
Contents
The Victims: A Complete Profile of the Burger Chef Four
The four young employees who vanished from the Speedway Burger Chef on November 17, 1978, were not just a closing crew; they were teenagers and young adults with their entire futures ahead of them. Their biographies are a crucial part of the story, reminding the public of the human cost of this brutal, unsolved crime.- Jayne Friedt (Age 20)
The assistant manager on duty that night, Jayne was the oldest of the four victims and was responsible for closing the restaurant. She was reportedly a dedicated worker. Her car was later found abandoned in a wooded area near the crime scene, and she was the only victim who had been stabbed, with a four-and-a-half-inch knife blade recovered from her chest. Her glasses were also found at the restaurant, suggesting a struggle.
- Daniel "Danny" Davis (Age 16)
A high school student and the youngest victim, Danny worked at the Burger Chef to earn money. He was found shot execution-style in the back of the head. His death, along with the others, highlighted the senseless brutality of the crime.
- Mark Flemmonds (Age 16)
Also a high school student, Mark was found shot execution-style, like Danny. Mark and Danny were found together in a remote area of Johnson County, approximately 20 miles south of the Speedway restaurant. They were reportedly friends and co-workers.
- Ruth Ellen Shelton (Age 17)
Ruth was the fourth victim and was found strangled. She was reportedly a bright, outgoing teenager. Her cause of death—manual strangulation—differs from the gunshot wounds and stabbing inflicted on the other victims, suggesting multiple methods of attack or potentially multiple perpetrators.
The Crime Scene: What Investigators Know (and Don't Know)
The details of the crime scene are what have kept the Burger Chef murders case active, yet frustratingly cold. The initial discovery and subsequent investigation revealed a series of perplexing facts that complicate any straightforward narrative of a simple armed robbery. The incident began sometime after 11:00 p.m. on the night of November 17, 1978, after the restaurant had closed. The following morning, the front door was ajar, and the safe was open and empty. Approximately $581 was missing from the restaurant.The Missing Evidence and Key Discrepancies
A crucial piece of missing evidence is the money. While $581 was taken, a second deposit bag containing over $1,500 was left untouched, hidden in the restaurant's back room. This suggests that the perpetrators either fled in a hurry or were not solely focused on the cash. The victims’ bodies were discovered two days later, on November 19, 1978, in a densely wooded ravine in Johnson County, far from the Speedway location. The brutal and varied nature of the killings—stabbing, shooting, and strangulation—suggests a level of rage, personal connection, or perhaps the involvement of more than one assailant with different weapons.The Enduring Theories: From Robbery to Drug Debt
Over the decades, the Speedway Burger Chef murders have generated several prominent theories, none of which have been definitively proven. These theories form the core of the ongoing cold case file.Theory 1: The Failed Robbery and Recognition
The most common theory is that the crime began as an attempted robbery. However, the subsequent kidnapping and quadruple homicide suggest the robbery escalated violently. A key belief among investigators is that one of the victims, possibly Jayne Friedt, may have recognized one or more of the perpetrators, leading to the decision to eliminate all witnesses. This would explain the extreme violence and the decision to transport the victims miles away from the restaurant.Theory 2: The Drug Debt Connection
One of the most compelling, though unproven, theories involves a drug debt. In the mid-1980s, a man named Don Forester confessed to being involved in the murders, claiming they were connected to a drug debt. While he later recanted his confession, the story suggested the perpetrators were searching for drugs or money related to drug deals, rather than just the restaurant's cash. This theory is often revisited by investigators and true crime enthusiasts, as it provides a potential motive for the intense violence.Theory 3: The "Two Men" Suspects
In 1979, police released composite sketches of two men seen near the Burger Chef around the time of the disappearance. One man, described as having a beard, was later identified, but a second, with a distinctive scar, remained a significant person of interest. Despite numerous leads, neither of these men was ever definitively connected to the crime, and the sketches remain part of the active cold case file.The Modern Investigation: DNA, Genealogy, and The Search for Justice in 2025
The most significant development in the Burger Chef murders is not a new lead, but the application of advanced forensic technology to old evidence. The case, now managed by the Indiana State Police Cold Case Unit, is a prime candidate for modern analysis.The Promise of Genetic Genealogy
As of 2025, the investigation remains active, bolstered by advances in DNA analysis. While police have been tight-lipped about the exact progress, the success of Genetic Genealogy in solving other notorious cold cases (like the Golden State Killer and the 1988 murder of Barbara Blatnik) has given new hope to the Burger Chef case. Investigators have physical evidence, including the knife blade and potential trace DNA from the crime scene, which could now be analyzed using techniques unavailable in 1978. This process involves uploading crime scene DNA to public genealogy databases to find distant relatives of the perpetrator, creating a family tree, and narrowing down the suspect pool.Renewed Media Attention
The case has recently seen a significant surge in public attention, which often prompts new tips and witnesses to come forward. The Murder Sheet, an Indianapolis-based true crime podcast, dedicated a major miniseries to the case titled "You Never Can Forget," bringing new details and interviews to a global audience. This media coverage serves a critical purpose: it ensures that the names of Jayne Friedt, Daniel Davis, Mark Flemmonds, and Ruth Ellen Shelton are not forgotten, and that the pressure to solve the case remains on law enforcement. The Burger Chef Murders remain a painful reminder of a night of terror in Speedway. With active investigators, the power of modern DNA technology, and a dedicated public keeping the story alive, the hope for a final answer—and justice for the four young victims—is stronger than ever in the mid-2020s.
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