The Burger Chef Murders

Setting the Scene: Speedway and Sun King Brewing
Before diving into the tragic details of the case, it's worth noting that Speedway is more than just a suburb of Indianapolis. It's the "Racing Capital of the World," home to the oldest motor speedway in the United States, where the famous Indy 500 is hosted each year. It's a place that exudes excitement and thrill, yet in 1978, it became the backdrop for a chilling crime.

During this episode, we'll also be featuring Sun King Brewing, a local brewery with multiple locations in Indiana and one in Sarasota, Florida. We'll be tasting three types of beer, including the Indianapolis Brewing Company’s Lager, a brand revived by Sun King after the original brewery closed in 1948.

The Disappearance of Four Employees
The story begins on Friday, November 17, 1978, when four employees of the Speedway Burger Chef vanished without a trace. The missing employees were 20-year-old assistant manager Jayne Friedt, 16-year-olds Daniel Davis and Mark Flemmonds, and 18-year-old Ruth Ellen Shelton. Their disappearance was first noticed by a fellow employee who arrived at the restaurant to visit friends. The restaurant was eerily empty, the door unlocked, the safe emptied of $581 (equivalent to about $2,607 in 2022), and the back door left ajar.

Initially, the police believed the disappearance was related to a small-time theft, perhaps an inside job. The absence of any signs of struggle led them to speculate that the employees might have taken the money for a night of fun. This theory was so convincing that the scene was cleaned up by other employees the next day, destroying crucial evidence in the process.

The Grim Discovery
By Saturday, it became clear that something far more sinister had occurred. Jayne’s vehicle was found abandoned, leading investigators to believe that the employees had been kidnapped. The next day, two elderly hikers discovered the bodies of all four employees in a wooded area in Johnson County, about 20 miles from the Burger Chef.

Daniel Davis and Ruth Shelton had been shot multiple times with a .38 caliber weapon, with at least one shot to each in the back of the head. Jayne Friedt was stabbed twice in the chest, and the blade of the knife was found broken off in her body during the autopsy. Mark Flemmonds had been bludgeoned, possibly with a large chain, and choked on his own blood after falling down a hill. The variety of methods used to kill the victims led police to believe that the perpetrators might not have initially planned to commit murder, but something had gone horribly wrong.

A Mishandled Investigation
The investigation was plagued by missteps from the start. The crime scene at the Burger Chef was contaminated when employees cleaned it, and no photos were taken before the cleanup. The crime scene where the bodies were found was also mishandled, with officers driving through the area and worsening the situation.

Despite these setbacks, the police began to piece together a theory. They believed the robbery had gone wrong, possibly because one of the victims, likely Mark Flemmonds, recognized the perpetrator. Mark wasn’t scheduled to work that night, which might have surprised the assailant.

Leads and Suspects
The investigation had a few leads, including an eyewitness who saw two suspicious men in the Burger Chef parking lot. The men were described as being in their 30s, one with a beard and the other clean-shaven with light hair. Composite sketches and even 3D busts were created based on these descriptions, but the case remained unsolved.

In late 1978, a man in a Greenwood bar claimed involvement in the murders, but he later recanted after passing a polygraph test. Another suspect who resembled the bearded man from the sketch shaved his beard before a lineup, raising suspicions, but there wasn’t enough evidence to charge him.

The case took a significant turn in 1984 when a prisoner named Donald Forrester, serving a 95-year sentence for an unrelated rape, confessed to the murders. He claimed that the killings were related to a drug debt owed by Jayne Friedt's brother. According to Forrester, the perpetrators had intended to threaten Jayne, but the situation escalated when Mark intervened. Forrester led police to the crime scene and provided details that matched the known evidence, including the location of the bodies and the broken knife blade.

However, Forrester later recanted his confession, claiming it was coerced. Despite the compelling nature of his confession, the police were unable to secure a conviction, and Forrester died in prison in 2006, taking any remaining secrets to his grave.

A Case That Remains Unsolved
In 2018, the police released a photograph of the knife blade found in Jayne’s body, hoping that someone might recognize it. Despite this and other efforts, the case remains open, with the two primary suspects—the "shotgun man" and the "light-haired man"—still alive and living in Indiana as of 2018. However, the police are not hopeful that they will ever officially close the case.

The Burger Chef chain is no longer around, with most locations sold to Hardee's, and the last Burger Chef restaurant closing in 1996. While Indiana has no statute of limitations on murder, budgetary constraints have hampered the investigation of cold cases like this one. The case is a poignant reminder of how mishandled investigations can leave families without justice and communities with lingering questions.

Remembering the Victims
Despite the lack of resolution, the victims have not been forgotten. In 2018, a resident named Alex planted trees with plaques in memory of the four young employees, hoping that they would be remembered for their lives rather than the tragic circumstances of their deaths. There is also a Facebook group dedicated to the case, with nearly 2,000 members who continue to seek justice for Jayne, Daniel, Mark, and Ruth.

If you have any information about this case, please contact the Indiana State Police at 317-899-8510 or the Indiana Crime Stoppers at 317-232-8477.