Hi, listeners, if you're a fan of true crime and love our show, you're definitely going to want to check out the Spotify original vampire cast unsolved murders, delve into the mystery of true cold cases and unfathomable crimes every Tuesday. One here a little more. First, here are two hair raising episodes from the hit series. If you like them, follow unsolved murders free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Due to the graphic nature of this case, listener discretion is advised this episode includes dramatizations in discussions of murder that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13.

Welcome to Burger Chef. My name is Jane, and I'd love to take your order.

Please tell me you still sell the fun meals with the Spaceward Toys. You mean Star Wars? No, that's William Shatner.

I've been to every burger chef in the greater Indianapolis area, and my little timothee is pitching a fit. I'm so sorry, but we are out to kids are cuckoo for r2 d2. Was that supposed to be funny? I'm sorry. I've got a smart mouth. I didn't realize this was so important.

I know I'm ridiculous, but I've just been so rattled since the cyphers murder. If I can't be happy, I just want my son to be. I think the movie tie deal might be over. I'm so sorry again. Well, for my Timi sake, I just hope they make a sequel soon.

No, they'd be awful.

Why ruin a good flick with a necessary. Oh, my God, is everyone OK, Daniel? All good, there's smoke down the street. It's like a bomb went off a bomb. What's going on with this town? In September 1978, 20 year old Jane Frit was settling into her new role as assistant manager at a Burger Chef store in Speedway, Indiana. This summer had been a rough one thanks to a horrifying July murder that shocked the town.

A surprise bomb going off in September was the last thing Jane or Speedway needed. But more bombs would come, and that wouldn't be the worst of what the town would endure that year. This is unsolved murders, true crime stories, a podcast original, I'm your host, Carter Roy, and I'm your host, Wendy McKenzie.

Every Tuesday, we dive into the world of a real unsolved murder and try to solve the case.

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We're grateful for you, our listeners. You allow us to do what we love. Let us know how we're doing. Reach out on Facebook and Instagram, a podcast and Twitter at Podcast Network. This is our first episode on the 1978 Burger Chef murders in Speedway, Indiana. This week, we'll learn about the strange events that shattered the suburbs peace and quiet and meta for Burger Chef employees whose usual Friday night routine took a terrifying turn.

Next week, we'll cover how they died and the murder investigation that lasted for over a decade.

In 1978, Speedway, Indiana, was a town of just around 12000.

It got its name from the nearby Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indianapolis 500, the world's oldest currently operational auto racing competition.

It was also home to Jane Carol Frit, a young woman on the cusp of adulthood whose ambition and energy would put any race car drivers to shame.

Jane was born in Indiana on May 2nd, 1958, to railroad conductor George Street and his wife Carolyn, while the couple had several other children. Jane was a standout and a force to be reckoned with by the mid 1970s.

Jane was a superstar at Speedway's Avon High. Her list of activities was dizzying gymnastics, choir, pep club, yearbook band and drama.

She also honed her leadership skills as a librarian's assistant and a teacher's aide. But nobody would ever mistake Jane for an uptight teacher's pet.

The cheerful girl nicknamed Sweet Jane was quick with a joke and even quicker with a laugh. Classmates compared her to comedian Lily Tomlin, and there was a sense that she would go on to do great things.

Greatness called out to Jane from the most unlikely of places. A hamburger joint called Burger Chef.

Founded in Indiana in 1954, Burger Chef had expanded to a staggering 100 locations by the 1970s, second only to McDonald's.

Burger Chef was a popular place for teens to get after school jobs. In 1975, 17 year old Jane landed a position at a franchise in the Speedway area.

But Jane didn't just want a job. She wanted a career. By the time she was 20 in 1978, Jane lived in her own apartment and worked at Burger Chef full time, driving a white 1974 Chevrolet Vega to work every day.

Her work ethic and bubbly personality were hit, and she was soon transferred to a higher role. At another Burger Chef on Crawfordsville Road, she took on the task of training new employees like Daniel Davis, a 16 year old amateur photographer who yearned to enlist in the Air Force. The Decatur Central High School junior was known for his sense of humor and upbeat spirit. So there's no doubt that he and Jane had a great rapport.

Sweet Jane, you got a sec to show me how the registers work? Oh, boss man just told me I could start training on him.

Wait, you're getting a shot at the register? You're six years old, 16, Jane.

Yeah, but you've been working here for about two minutes. You don't have to be a bitter old biddy about it.

I'm a bitter 20 year old crone stripped of brains and beauty, and I'm far too feeble to even recall a love to show you the register ropes.

Jane, quit the jokes and help me out.

Please find Danny Davis. Now, you, too, can enjoy the special suffering that comes with financial responsibility for our.

Jane loved running a tight knit team, but some aspects of the company culture irked her. Of course, Jane was Jane, so she confronted her superiors about it. I want a promotion. I'm dead serious.

Oh, you're never dead serious. Look, I've worked for Burger Chef for three years. I've tracked inventory, I've handled money and I trained everyone on this team. And you know what? I see what Jane? I see Eddie getting promoted.

I see sweet little Danny getting a chance to learn the register when he's barely been here a year. I see lots of men, boys really getting opportunities instead of me. Oh, come on.

Don't make this some kind of sexism thing. I don't know, isn't it? No, I just. You're so busy with school graduated.

I'm a grown woman who lives on her own and works over 50 hours a week. I've proven myself.

So now it's your turn or I'll take my million dollar work ethic in billion dollar smile to the fine team over at Dunkin Donuts.

You wouldn't dare. I've got a sweet tooth. I just might. OK, let's.

OK, you are absolutely an essential part of this team.

No, I pretty much am the team.

And if you think flattery, how does Jane Free Assistant Manager sound? Pretty damn perfect, boss.

Jane was promoted to assistant manager in the summer of 1978, a promising first step for the young woman who dreamed of climbing the Burger Chef corporate ladder chain's fight to get the promotion she deserved undoubtedly served as an inspiration to younger female employees like Ruth Ellen Shelton.

Ruth, do you really have a Bible and a computer textbook out at the same time? Is something wrong? I was told I could do homework on my breaks. Well, of course you can. I was just curious. Religion and science, you know, they're kind of like opposites.

The way I see it, a God made humans and humans made computers. She could argue that the Lord is actually the very first engineer. Huh.

You know, one day I think you're going to make a great nun or possibly a great astronaut, whichever gets me closer to God.

Ruth Ellen Shelton was born into a religious Indiana family on December 19th, 1960. By 1978, she was a quiet 17 year old with a wide range of interests.

The polite kind teenager enjoyed crafting and singing and was passionate about her youth ministry work at the West Side Church of the Nazarene.

However, Ruth was also fascinated by computer science and hoped to study it.

In college, she took business and math courses at Northwest High School, hoping to gain a competitive edge in the male dominated field. Though she was an honors student with an intimidating course load. Ruth also worked a part time job after starting at the Dunkin Donuts next door to Burger Chef.

She joined the Crawfordsville Street Burger Chef team by 1978. It was a busy time, especially once the fun meals started coming with toys from a galaxy far, far away.

Burger Chefs promotional tie in with 1977 Star Wars was one of the first deals of its kind, and the toys remain a collectible today.

It was an exciting time to be a kid in Speedway, but as the summer days grew hotter, the town's adults were dealt a shocking blow.

At three p.m. on July 29th, 65 year old Julia Cyphers was shot dead in her own garage. Her killer was a mysterious, long haired man who had come to inquire about a fine China set that Julia had advertised at a recent garage sale.

Julia's husband, Fred, knew someone had called about coming to see the items, so he innocently brought the man to meet his wife. After hearing a gunshot, he ran to the garage to see Julia on the ground in a puddle of blood and the man escaping in a car.

Julia was a churchgoing librarian who worked with the Girl Scouts, so police were mystified by her violent murder. Speedway was a safe town, and Julia's only possible enemy was businessman Brett Kimberlin.

Julia's daughter Sandra, worked for Kimberlin, who allegedly sexually harassed Sandra's teen daughter. Julia's granddaughter. Julia threatened to file a restraining order against Kimberlin, and police thought the murder might have been his violent retaliation.

The man who killed Julia on July 29th was not Kimberlin, but police suspected he was a hired hitman. The hunt began for the speedway assassin and the investigation gripped the hearts and minds of every local until September 1st, when the speedway bombings began.

When we return, we'll learn about the terrifying wave of bombings that rocked Speedway and describe the fateful night that gave the Burger Chef murders their name.

Hi, listeners, it's Greg. When it comes to true crime, it doesn't get much better than the hit podcast Unsolved Murders.

If you're a fan of our show, you'll love this series.

Every Tuesday on unsolved murders, join co-host Wendy and Carter, as well as an ensemble cast of Voice Actors on an entertaining journey through the crime scene and ensuing investigation of a real life cold case park. Dramatic podcast, part old time radio show.

The Spotify original theme podcast is a modern whodunit filled with major suspense and a whole lot of plot twists. While each murder technically remains unsolved at the end of each case to get a thorough explanation of who the most likely culprit is and their motivation. Some recent episodes include the atrocities of the Atlanta Ripper and the untimely demise of Cleopatra and the suspects and suspicions surrounding the Burger Chef murders. Trust me, the series is a must listen. Follow unsolved murders free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Now back to the story, 1978 started off well for 20 year old Jane Frit, thanks to her promotion to assistant manager at a Burger Chef restaurant in Speedway, Indiana. But her good fortune was soon overshadowed by the terrible events unfolding in her town.

The July murder of an older woman shook Speedway to its core, and the fall of 1978 ramped up tensions to an explosive degree.

I'm reporting live from the speedway high parking lot, where there's been another detonation, the eighth in six days, while the past seven have only resulted in minor injuries and property damage, the speedway high explosion has seriously injured three individuals as we await more from the police.

There's only one question on our town's mind. Where will the speedway bomber strike next?

The speedway bombings were a bizarre series of eight explosions that occurred between September 1st and September 6th, 1978. Small homemade detonators were set off at locations like a shopping center, a motel, a bowling alley, and even under an off duty policeman's car.

The final bombing occurred at Speedway High, where Vietnam veteran Carl DeLong lost his leg. Two others, including DeLong's wife, sustained serious shrapnel wounds.

The bombs components were traced back to one specific hardware store where an employee had no trouble identifying the man who had bought the parts. It was Brett Kimberlin, already a suspect in the July murder of Julia Sypher.

While the bombings came to an end after the blast at Speedway High, it would take years for Kimberlin to be officially charged with them. In the meantime, the bombings were yet another jolt to Speedway's frayed nerves. Locals couldn't believe how many terrible things had happened to their quiet suburb that year. The crimes also impacted the Crawfordsville Street Burger Chef as one of the explosions occurred just up the street from them. The incident prompted a round of resignations. Oh, mom, another one quit today.

Why am I surrounded by cowards? It's not cowardly to want to survive, Jane.

It's not like any of your little minions would know how to react in a crisis like that.

I worry, too.

But those bombs were a freak thing. We've got tons of cops stopping by the sheriff and patrolling the area. What if it's not a bomb?

What if some deranged man with a gun breaks into the store and robs you? You might be unstoppable, but you're not invincible. I've been studying my Charlie's Angels and now I know the best course of action is to flip my hair elegantly and then karate chop my assailant very elegantly, Jane. All robbers want is cash. If they come in guns blazing, I just hand over whatever's in the register. I wouldn't fight, Mom, I promise. Good girl.

Jane was confident she could overcome any challenge that got in the way of her success, but her trust and enthusiasm didn't always rub off on her employees.

Balancing school work and teen life was hard enough without the threat of violence. In the fall of 1978, Ruth Allen Shelton realized she had to make a change.

Ruth, can I pull you to take care of the ladies room, the trash is overflowing. All right. Give me patience, Ruth. Ellen Shelton, is that a whiff of attitude? What's wrong?

I just tried to resign, but it didn't work. What? Explain. Look, this is against you or anybody here.

You're all wonderful. Don't tell me Duncan is poaching you back. Oh, they are so slimy.

No, I'm just overwhelmed, Jane. Between school and church and voice lessons, I need more time for myself. What did Ben say?

He begged me to stay through the holidays. I don't want to, but I know how insane things get made to feel bad creating all this extra work.

As your friend, I say follow your heart. But as your assistant manager, we need any help we can get to survive the Christmas crazies.

I know. I know. So why just a few more weeks? A few more weeks, kiddo. Then you can hang up your uniform and get busy building spaceships.

That's what all the cool geeks do, right? Something like that. Thanks, Jane. No, thank you.

Ruth's good conscience wouldn't allow her to resign immediately. She knew she'd be putting her friends in a jam and that wasn't her style. Her loyalty made her stay and that's how she ended up on the closing crew on the fateful night of Friday, November 17th, 1978.

Short order cook Mark Sylvester Flemons wasn't supposed to work that night either. Mark was a 16 year old sophomore at Speedway High. He was the youngest of seven siblings raised in a strict household of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Mark was well groomed, stylish and friendly, but he'd had a rough freshman year at Speedway in terms of his grades. By sophomore year, in the fall of 1978, he'd made serious improvements.

His parents, Robert and Blondell, allowed him to take a job at Burger Chef, but they were somewhat reluctant about Mark's new employment.

Mark, I thought you didn't work Fridays. Are you fibbing to me?

No, sir. I switched shifts with Ginger Haggard. She wanted the night off.

So you do whatever Ginger says. You got a crush or something?

No, Dad, I just I was helping her out. I said you could take the job because your grades were getting better and the restaurant's walking distance from home.

But if it's too much of a commitment, I'm sorry. OK, I worry, son, you're doing a whole lot better.

And I just don't want you more distracted than you need to be. You understand? I do.

Mark Flemons tried to back out of taking Ginger Haggard's shift, but his bosses insisted he worked the Friday night closing shift. As promised, fate placed Mark and Ruth alongside Daniel Davis and Jane Frit as Burger Chef fed its last customers on November 17th.

The restaurant closed at 11 p.m. and the real work began for Jane and her well oiled team. Thank you so much for coming in to Burger Chef and have a far out Friday night. OK, kids, the hungry, angry masses have been fed for another day, Danny boy, Daniel Davis, sir. Yes, sir. That's ma'am.

Yes, ma'am. But good try. Hit the bathrooms first, then take out the trash. Bonus points if you can do it without spilling trash. Juice on yourself, ma'am.

Yes, ma'am. Ginger. Oh, Mark, you're not ginger.

I swapped shifts with her, remember? And you looked so thrilled with that decision.

Ha ha. I'm on grills, right? Correct. And Ruth, dear, departed Ruth. Give me a hand with the register so we can get all this loot safely into the safe.

Make sure I don't steal anything.

OK, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. OK, dream team. Let's shut the chef down.

We don't know exactly what the team did that night, but if they followed the usual protocol, the junior members would clean while Jane handled the money.

All she had to do was transfer the day's profits from the register to the safe in the manager's office, a task she'd done hundreds of times. I think about the night was supposed to be unusual, but between 11:00 p.m. and midnight, something terrible happened to Jane and her team.

Just after midnight in the early hours of November 18th alone, Visiter drove by the closed Burger Chef on Crawfordsville Road. It was a 17 year old boy who will call Greg to protect his identity.

Greg was no stranger to this location. He actually worked there alongside Jane and the others. He wasn't scheduled that night, but figured I'd stop by to visit his friends and help with closing.

He knew everyone would be in the back shutting down, so he walked to the back door. It would be locked. The back door was always locked, but he figured he'd test it out before knocking.

That's when an unsettled Greg discovered someone had left the back door open. Hello. Hello, guys.

The restaurant was totally empty with all the lights left on combined with the unlocked back door. This was a highly unusual situation. Greg's worries doubled when he saw the restaurant's empty cash register drawers scattered on the ground.

Oh, God, Greg.

Hurry to the manager's office, which was in total disarray. Someone had clearly been in the safe where all the money was kept. Evidence of a robbery was alarming enough, but that's not what scared Greg most. This site of Ruth Ellen Shelton's jacket on the ground truly terrified him. Greg knew that there was no way that organized, fastidious Ruth would just leave it like that. So he knew what he had to do. Nine one one, what is your emergency?

Hi, I'm at the Burger Chef Crawfordsville Road, I work here. Well, not tonight, but I dropped by and the place was unlocked and nobody's here. I think the place was robbed.

Sir, is it possible your friends just stepped out? No, they wouldn't just leave. Not without their stuff. I feel like something real bad happened.

Remain calm and stay at the location. The police will be there in just a few minutes. OK, but please hurry.

A scared Greg waited for police to arrive. A quick drop in on his friends had suddenly spiraled out of control and the young man was now accidentally on the front lines of one of Indiana's most unsettling unsolved crimes. Next will cover the crucial 48 hours after the disappearance of the Burger Chef employees and the mistakes police made that would severely impact the investigation. Now back to the story.

In the early hours of Saturday, November 18th, 1978, Speedway police officers arrived at the Burger Chef restaurant on Crawfordsville Road.

They were responding to a nine one one call from an off duty restaurant employee who had stopped by around midnight to visit fellow employees Jane, Ruth, Daniel and Mark, but found the place unlocked and empty. Both Jane and Ruth's purses and coats were still inside, and the manager's safe had been robbed.

The manager, who will call Ben to protect his anonymity, soon arrived on the scene. It was up to him to figure out just how much money had been stolen.

Well, what's the damage? I've tallied today's receipts and it seems that nearly 600 dollars was taken. There's a hundred left and change, though.

Hmm. How much do you trust your employees?

I trust them with my life, well, with my store at least because we've seen this before, employees, even good ones, they go rogue sometimes, get a little rowdy, skim some money off the day's profits to pick up a six pack or score a little blow.

Jane would never do that and she'd never let anyone else do that.

I'm just saying, don't be shocked if we find them gallivanting around town tonight, if they wanted to slip out and go rogue on my dime, why would they leave the lights on and the door unlocked? Why would Jane and Ruth leave their coats and purses fair?

You sure those four kids were the only ones with access to the door?

The front door stays locked after hours and the back door stays locked always. There's no way anyone else could have gotten in unless. Unless what?

Well, our dumpsters are out back. If someone was taking multiple loads of trash out, they might leave the door unlocked.

They're not supposed to, but it happens.

So maybe that's how someone got inside.

This wasn't the first robbery at a local fast food joint. Several Indiana spots had faced issues with armed robbers striking just after closing to steal the day's profits. Though just under six hundred dollars sounds like a small amount. It would be worth over two thousand dollars today.

Typically, these robberies never resulted in anything more serious than stolen money and shaken employees. The fact that Jane, Marc, Ruth and Daniel were nowhere to be found was both peculiar and unsettling.

When Speedway police became convinced the teens were in danger, Speedway Police Chief Robert Copeland knew it was time to inform their parents.

Around 1:00 a.m., Jane's parents, Carolyn and George, were told their daughter was missing, as were Ruth's parents, Rachel and John.

It's unknown how the Davis family was informed, but we do know that the speedway police took a curiously understated approach when they contacted the family of missing six year old Mark Flemons.

Whoever this is, it better be a good reason for calling this late.

I'm calling from the speedway police. Am I speaking for performance? Yes, this is he.

What's this about, Mr. Fleming? Your son Mark works at Burger Chef on Crawfordsville. Correct. You know, much as I'd like him not to. Yes. He does not come home yet. I don't believe so.

Is something wrong, Mr. Flemons? Please give us a call back when he returns. Thanks.

If police were trying to be vague in order to prevent a panic, it didn't work. Robert Flemons and his wife Blondell knew their son wouldn't stay out this late on his own.

Robert drove to Speedway police headquarters sometime before dawn where he learned that Mark was missing, along with three of his coworkers. The news was broken to him just around the time that the search effort began in earnest.

Officers from the speedway and Indiana State Police were joined by the FBI as they set out on foot by car and in helicopters to search the area for any sign of Mark, Jane, Ruth and Daniel. The first break in the case came for 30 a.m. when Jane Freed's car was found two blocks away from Speedway police headquarters, though it would undoubtably cause more worry and heartache, Speedway investigators had no choice but to inform Jane's mother, Carolyn.

Mrs. Freekeh, can you confirm that Jane drove a white 1974 Chevy Vega?

Why are you asking?

We found the vehicle abandoned on West 15th Street. There's nobody in there. The keys weren't inside and the passenger side door was unlocked. Was Jane usually good about locking her doors?

Jane always lock your doors, officer.

The car was dusted for prints, but nothing of note was found while police had to go on was the fact that the passenger door was unlocked. The vehicle was a two door car, so the unlocked passenger door would have been the only way to exit the car.

Police mulled over a possible theory that would explain the scant bits of evidence that they'd found so far at some point between 11 p.m. and 12 a.m. on the night of November 17th, one or more robbers, possibly armed, broke into the Burger Chef after an employee left the back door open while taking out the garbage. They held Jane, Ruth, Daniel and Marc hostage while they stole six hundred dollars from the safe.

Then, for reasons unknown, they forced the four young adults into Jane's Vega. Jane drove the car 10 blocks before they made her park it on West 15th Street. At that point, the captors ushered their hostages out of Jane's car and abandoned it.

Police wondered if a second vehicle arrived to take the four missing employees to an unknown destination as Dawn finally broke on the morning of November 18th. Investigators hoped daylight would bring more answers. When the morning shift, employees of the Crawfordsville Street Burger Chef arrived at work on the morning of Saturday, November 18th, they were ignorant of the previous night's events.

Local media was still unaware that Jane, Daniel, Mark and Ruth were missing and Speedway police officers were intent on keeping that fact confidential. Jeff Copeland.

Can you describe the events that occurred here last night? Sadly, the Burger Chef was burgled overnight.

But as you can tell, the morning crew is here to open up for the day. They've already got us in their way.

So I'm sure they'd appreciate it if there weren't any reporters sniffing around, too.

Were there any employees hurt during the robbery?

This is an active investigation in its earliest stages. We'll let the public know of any additional details once they're confirmed.

Thank you. In the early hours, it's unclear just how much the other Burger Chef employees were told about the previous night's events.

Thank you all for coming in. You're a credit to the Burger Chef family. And then what happened here? Which, Jane, is it even safe to be here right now?

What are we going to do? We're going to do what we always do.

We're going to wipe down the counters, clear out the trash, and then we're going to greet the lunch rush with big smiles and bigger savings on value meals.

OK, police. The Burger Chef team was permitted to resume business as usual. And at some point on the afternoon of November 18th, Speedway police realized just how big of a mistake that was. All right.

So we've got Lwanga out talking to the kids parents. We should focus on the crime scene photos and any prints or evidence that was found.

Right.

What's that look on your face before they cleaned up the restaurant? What? The morning crew? We said they could stay open today, so they cleaned up.

Please tell me someone took photos of the restaurant before all that happened. I'm not sure.

Then turn this dang car around and get us back there somehow.

Not a single speedway officer thought to take crime scene photos or dust the restaurant for fingerprints. It was a catastrophic oversight. That may very well be the reason this case is still unsolved today.

While other factors were at play, the first 48 hours are the most crucial part of a missing persons investigation. By initially assuming the Burger Chef, teens had robbed the place themselves and by forgetting to properly document the crime scene, the police had unwittingly botched their own investigation.

There's no doubt that they were trying to do their best. But mistakes have consequences, though officers returned to the cleaned up Burger Chef to take photos and recreate the crime scene. No notable evidence was found as news of the four missing employees began to spread through town.

The police were extra thorough when Speedway locals began to phone in tips about what they saw in the early hours of November 18th.

The first story came in on the afternoon of Saturday, the 18th, from an unnamed teenage couple who were on an impromptu date on the night of November 17th.

It was Friday night around 11, 30 or maybe a bit earlier. I was picking up this beauty from work to walk her home.

We stopped right by Burger Chef. What was your reason for stopping?

Well, nobody could see us and we hadn't had any alone time lately.

What happened next?

We hung out on the railroad tracks nearby, and these two guys just like walked up. It was freaky. Yeah.

They told us to go home. They said it wasn't safe to be out late because of all the crime and stuff lately.

Can you describe the men age, clothing, anything unique, old, like in their 30s they had on these raggedy outfits?

Oh, the one who spoke to us had dark hair and a dark beard and a mustache. He was blowing his nose in a handkerchief at the same time.

The other one didn't talk, but he was clean shaven and had like lighter hair. I think. Anyway, we got out of there and cut through the Burger Chef Flot on the way.

Did you notice anything in the parking lot? No.

Oh, well, there was a white car parked there. It was so cool. I drive.

Oh, babe, you look great in that car anyway. Officer, does that help?

It does. I was wondering and of course, we'll have to get your folks permission, but how would you kids feel about being hypnotized by some police took the unusual step of bringing in.

The sergeant who is familiar with hypnosis to pull memories from the couple's minds between the interview and hypnosis, police now confirm that Jane's White Vega was still at Burger Chef before it was driven away after midnight. They also had possible suspects in mind, two 30 something men in shabby clothes, one dark haired and bearded, the other fair haired and beardless.

A man named Michael Grider was also hypnotized after he called in to report something he'd seen around the time of the robbery. He was stopped at a red light and noticed a small car with the windows fogged up. He could just make out the sight of a bearded man in the car.

Police thought the fogged up windows might indicate frantic behavior within the car, like four young adults struggling to break free from captivity. However, it doesn't appear that graters testimony added any more specific details.

The final set of tips came from people who lived on nearby Lupine Drive.

I saw two cars. One was a van with a Two-Tone exterior.

They were driving fast, which concerned me because they didn't have their lights on. It seemed like the car had some kids in it and I think I heard a scream as they passed them. Both cars stopped. Suddenly, I think someone got out of the van and walked to the car.

Another eyewitness had a slightly different variation on the story.

Yeah, I saw two cars driving down the street, no lights on. They definitely slowed down as they drove, but I don't know if they ever stopped.

Interestingly, Ruth, Ellen Shelton's family also lived on lupine, but her parents said they hadn't seen or heard any of the activity that their neighbors had reported.

By the morning of Sunday, November 20th, Speedway police were still on the lookout for any sign of either the missing Burger Chef team or the two mysterious men who may have been involved with their disappearance.

They would soon make a horrifying discovery more than 20 miles away. A couple who will call Bill and Elland own land in the woods near Stones Crossing Road in Johnson County, Indiana, around three 15 p.m. on the afternoon of Sunday, November 20th. They went for a brisk autumn walk across their properties. It's so nice out, you'd hardly know it was November. Oh, God, Ellen, are you all right, Bill? Look down in the dirt, those children, are they?

Oh, please tell me they're just passed out.

I don't think so, hon. Look at this girl's shirt. It's some kind of uniform Bill. We should get out of here.

Wait over there. Phil, what's happening, there are two more over here, a boy and a girl, they're dead to these uniforms.

I, I think they're from Burger Chef. It's those teenagers, the missing ones on the news. How in the hell did they end up here? Come on, we've got to call the police.

Jane Frit, Ruth Ellen Shelton, Mark Flemons and Daniel Davis were all found dead from the couple's property in rural Johnson County, over 20 miles away from the Burger Chef restaurant in Speedway.

The Hager's rushed home to call the Indiana State Police by the night of Sunday, November 20th. The story would transform from a missing person's case to a murder investigation that would last an entire decade.

Join us next week as we delve into the shocking ways the Burger Chef murder victims were killed. The hunt for the mysterious bearded man and the convicted criminal whose ominous tips may pin him as one of the burger chef killers. Thanks again for tuning into unsolved murders. We'll be back on Tuesday with part two of the Burger Chef murders for more information on the Burger Chef murders.

Amongst the many sources we used, we found the book The Burger Chef Murders in Indiana by Julie Young.

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We'll see you next time if we live till next time. Unsolved Murders, True Crime Stories was created by Max Cutler and his podcast Studio's original executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, Sound Design by Kenny Hobbs with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Carly Madden, Isabelle Away and Paul Maula. This episode of Unsolved Murders was written by Amin Osman with writing assistance by Abigail Cannon. The amazing cast of Voice Actors includes Susanna Corrington, Dan Velasquez, Joe Hernandez, Mike Capozzi, Tiana Camacho and Harris Marks.

And it stars Wendy Mackenzie and Carter Roy.