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[00:00:00]

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

[00:00:20]

Hey, nice shot, you come here a lot, probably too much, but in times like these, hey, nothing wrong with the little drink to take the edge off.

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Tell me about it. Say, are you. Oh, never mind. Oh, what's on your mind, man? No, it's crazy. It's just back in November I was here. Didn't you say you had something to do with those dead kids from the Burger Chef?

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Maybe that's what they all say. Swear to God, every guy I know is suddenly growing a beard and hinting about those murders. Well, I do know what happened. I know how they died. And believe me, buddy, it was brutal. So you could tell me more about it, huh? Sure, buddy. If you buy me a few more beers.

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Sorry, buddy, but I'm with the Marion County Sheriff's Department and we don't serve brewskis at the station. Now, put the pool cue down and come with me. We've been looking for you for a long time.

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This is unsolved murders, true crime stories, a podcast original, I'm your host, Carter Roy, and I'm your host, Wendy McKenzie.

[00:01:43]

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

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You can find episodes of unsolved murders and all of their podcast originals for free on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to stream unsolved murders for free on Spotify, just open the app and type unsolved murders in the search bar and podcast.

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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 at Precast and Twitter at Sparkasse Network.

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This is our final episode on the 1978 Burger Chef murders in Speedway, Indiana. Last week, we learned about the lives of the young victims and the late night robbery that ended in their deaths.

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This week, we'll cover the aftermath and investigation of their murders and meet the prisoner who promised to solve the case.

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On the night of November 17th, 1978, 20 year old Jane Frit, 17 year old Ruth Allen Shelton and 16 year old Daniel Davis and Mark Flemons were abducted.

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It happened at the Speedway, Indiana Burger Chef, where they worked and where Jane was assistant manager two nights later on November 19th.

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Their parents received a call from the Speedway Police Department. The conversation was short as the police wish to speak with them all in person.

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The freed Shelton, Davis and Flemons families were hopeful for good news as they raced down to the station.

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Thank you all for coming in. Of course, Chief Copeland. We came as fast as we could.

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I'm glad we were able to reach you before. Keith Copeland, I.

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I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt, but the officer who called said you found our children. Where are they?

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Can we see them? I need to see Mark. His mother and I have been worried sick.

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Mr. Flemons, if you could let me finish. We found Mark, Jane, Ruth and Daniel on a property in the woods in Johnson County about 20 miles away.

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No, I'm so sorry to tell.

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Please don't.

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Your children are all deceased.

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How it appears they were murdered. However, we're still trying to. Who would do this, Jane? Wouldn't she? Everybody loved her.

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It's still early in the investigation. But we're working as fast as we can. And I promise you all we will find who did this and they will pay.

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The victim's parents returned to their homes burdened with the difficult task of telling the tragic news to their other children. Meanwhile, the speedway police held a press conference at 10, 30 p.m. on Sunday, November 19th.

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Chief, can you confirm the rumor that the victims were shot to death? I can confirm that a firearm was used in the murders, but that's all we're comfortable confirming at this time.

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Any idea of how or why the teens ended up 20 miles away, or are they connected to the couple whose land they were found on?

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We're not releasing the property owners names, but we've cleared them of any involvement.

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They had no indication that anything of this sort was happening on their land last night. And they're just as horrified as the rest of us where the victim was taken to the woods and then killed. Or is it possible that killers murdered them beforehand and then dumped the body? Sir? Those are all incisive questions we're busy investigating.

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But simply put, I won't be able to report on anything until after the autopsy. That's all for tonight.

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Speedway police had made several blunders in the two days since the victims were reported missing. First, they had downplayed the case by assuming the teens themselves had robbed the store, even though two of the victim's purses and jackets were still at the scene of the crime.

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Second, they let Burger Chef employees open and clean the store before photos were taken and before the location was dusted for fingerprints. And the first 48 hours after a crime are the most crucial, and speedway police had wasted them.

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By Monday, November 20th, the FBI, the Marion County Sheriff's Department, Indianapolis Police Department and the Indiana State Police all lent their services to the investigation. A sweep of the Johnson County Woods provided no evidence whatsoever. Apart from the victim's blood, investigators found no leads.

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Back at the Burger Chef, police were able to identify a partial tire track in the parking lot, which they hope to connect to the killer's vehicle.

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However, even this trail led nowhere. Once it was clear the two crime scenes would provide virtually no evidence. Police hoped an autopsy might shed more light on the tragic events.

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Coroners of the Johnson County Hospital determined the victims had been killed around three a.m. on Saturday, November 18th, though they were all found dead with blood on their uniforms, their causes of death were remarkably different.

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Ruth, Alan Shelton and Daniel Davis were shot in the shoulders, head and neck, and the bullets most likely came from a 38 caliber firearm.

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A discarded 38 caliber revolver had been found on a street near the Johnson County Woods. But investigators were unable to connect it to the murders.

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In contrast to her younger co-workers, Jane Frej died from knife wounds to the chest. She was stabbed twice and a blade was found in one of her wounds. However, the blades handle was nowhere to be found. It had snapped off during the killing and was not recovered at the crime scene since her body was found a few yards away from Ruth and Daniel.

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Police believe Jane witnessed Ruth and Daniel's murders and tried to escape. One of the killers most likely pursued her and stabbed her.

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Mark Flemons was found even further away from Ruth and Daniel, and his cause of death was the most heartbreaking officer. I'm fairly certain Mark's death may have been accidental.

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What do you mean? There's evidence of blunt force trauma to his head, but that might not be what killed him.

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I think the poor boy died from choking on his own blood and must have been one hell of a beating.

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I can't rule out the possibility that he was bludgeoned, but he was found 160 feet away from the other bodies. Maybe he tried to escape, but accidentally ran into a tree and knocked himself out. A knock on the head wouldn't kill him.

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What if he was running fast in the dark and didn't see the tree? It might. It really has to do with how he landed.

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It seems the angle of his unconscious body led the blood directly into his lungs.

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You're saying if he landed different, he could have made it? We'd have a witness. Sadly, sir, I am.

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The news that Mark Flemons almost survived the murders was a tragic twist in an already tragic case. As the police mulled their next steps, Speedway mourned Mark, Daniel, Ruth and Jane. The Crawfordsville Road Burger Chef, where the victims work, shut down operations until each victim was buried, Burger Chef also promised a 25000 dollar reward for anyone who could provide information that would lead to the killer's arrest.

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Jean, Daniel and Ruth were buried on November 24th, 1978, six days after their murder. Mark was buried on November 25th. Their funerals were attended by large crowds of family, friends and classmates who were utterly bewildered by these shocking deaths.

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Speedway had endured a killing in July and a bombing spree in September. But the Burger Chef murders pushed the town to its breaking point. Local gun stores saw a rise in purchases, and several Burger Chef employees resigned. Their workplace was no longer safe in their eyes, though many parents feared for the lives of their children.

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Jane Freight's mother, Carolyn, tried to quell the paranoia with a wise and measured public statement.

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You can't hide your children or protect them from the world. If you try, they'll be vulnerable and naive when the world finally reaches them.

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There have been times in the past when we have talked of getting away from the crime and violence in society and going to some remote area to live. But one reason we never left was because it wasn't right for our children. They had to learn about the world. We still feel that way.

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While Jane's mother tried to calm Speedway's fears with her statement, Indianapolis Mayor William Hudnut released a much more urgent public plea.

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If somebody somewhere knows something about this terrible crime, I urge you to do your duty as a citizen and step forward from the autopsy.

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Investigators concluded there were at least two killers involved, one with a blade who stabbed Jean Frit and one with a gun who shot Ruth Shelton and Daniel Davis.

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Mark Flemons suffered a blow to the head and died by choking on his own blood. But the autopsy results weren't fully conclusive as to whether his death was accidental or intentional.

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The woods in Johnson County where the victims were found were secluded property 20 miles away from speedway because of this. Police believe the killers knew Johnson County well and may have been residents.

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Their only other lead was a story told by two teenage witnesses on the night of November 17th. The young couple was spending time near the Burger Chef when they were approached by a dark haired, bearded man and his fair haired, clean shaven associate.

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The 30 something men scared the teens off by telling them that they were in a dangerous neighborhood. Investigators believe the men were trying to clear the area before they broke into the burger chef.

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Police took the unusual step of hypnotizing the teens to try to prod for more details. They also had a local art student create clay busts of the suspects heads based on the teen's descriptions.

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The couple said the busts bore a remarkable resemblance to the man they'd seen.

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So Speedway police published photos of the busts in local newspapers and set up a hotline for tips.

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During the first week after the murders, 30 officers worked nonstop to investigate over 500 messages on the tip line.

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Hello. I've been consulting my Ouija board and I guess I look a lot like those weird ads in the papers, but I'm definitely not counting my beer. And on the night of the murders, these two spaced out guys got gas. The one with the beard cost me out and I think they were on angel dust.

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Some of the tips were more reliable than others, but none led to a firm suspect. The scruffy bearded look was quite popular in the late 70s, and the Midwest was full of thirtysomething white men who fit the bill.

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Police even considered local businessman Brett Kimberlin and his accomplice, William Bowman, who were suspected of both the recent murder of Julius cyphers and of orchestrating the speedway bombings. However, Marion County prosecutor Steven Goldsmith insisted that no connection had been made as December 1978 turn to January 1979.

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The most promising lead came when detectives learned about a man in a local bar in Greenwood. Witnesses had heard the man bragging about his involvement in the crimes.

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An undercover detective who we'll call Griffin, tracked down the unnamed Greenwood man and got him to talk during a game of pool. When the man brought up his involvement in the Burger Chef murders, he was taken in for questioning.

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Some guys I know they'd rob local fast food joints.

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Sometimes they'd hide behind the dumpsters out back and bust in around closing time.

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Is that what happened the night of November 17th? It's hard to. Remember, it was my first robbery and I was nervous, so I got a little drunk, we were going to hit up a burger chef on the east side and the plan was to just take the money and tie the kids up while we escaped. But then we saw a cop car and that store's lot and we didn't know if they'd clocked us. So you went to Speedway?

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Look, I can help. I can tell you the names of the guys who planned it all.

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OK, all right. Keep talking.

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The Greenwood man story seemed to make sense given the evidence and the police were eager to investigate his unnamed accomplices, especially once they realized they looked a lot like the busts of the suspects.

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However, when they attached the Greenwood man to a lie detector, police were dismayed to discover that his story was a complete fabrication.

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He had not been involved in the murders, and neither had the people he had named after this failure.

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Speedway Police Chief Robert L. Copeland was fired by the Metropolitan Board of Police. Over 200 officers voted to have him ousted due to a complete lack of confidence in his abilities.

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He appeared unable to solve the cyphers murder, the speedway bombings or the Burger Chef murders, and several officers reported low morale and psychological damage due to the stresses of the investigations.

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Capt. William R. Bergen temporarily took over the reins, but in the speedway public's eyes, the damage was already done. It had now been over a year since the Burger Chef murders and the case was still unsolved.

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Nobody knew what Jane, Mark, Daniel or Ruth had done to deserve such a violent murder at the hands of unknown criminals. However, as the investigation continued, police began to ponder the possibility that one or more of the victims had been criminals themselves.

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When we return, we'll learn about Speedway's hidden dark side and how the innocent Burger Chef murder victims may have not been so innocent after all.

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

[00:16:18]

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

[00:16:21]

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.

[00:16:39]

The Spotify original themepark cast as 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.

[00:17:17]

And now back to the story. In November of 1978, four employees of a burger chef were abducted and murdered, their bodies left in the woods 20 miles away from their home of Speedway, Indiana.

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Ruth Shelton and Daniel Davis were shot multiple times. Jane Frit was stabbed twice. And Mark Flemons died from internal bleeding after suffering a blow to the head, although multiple investigative agencies worked on the case.

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They made little progress. By mid 1980, the official task force dedicated to solving the murders was disbanded with nothing to show for it.

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Police suspected that a bearded mystery man in his clean shaven accomplice where the killers but no local criminals were ever connected to the crime or publicly named as suspects with no sense of the killer's identity.

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Police focused on piecing together a motive. Why were the victims targeted? Most fast food robberies didn't end in kidnapping and murder, so they wondered if any of the victims were in much deeper trouble than they had at first assumed.

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The investigators questions led them into the seedy underbelly of burgers, chefs, wholesome exterior.

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There had long been rumors that local dealers sold drugs in the Speedway Burger Chefs bathrooms, while most employees were not directly involved.

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An anonymous tipster told police that victim, Mark Flemons, was involved in the drug trade and deeply worried for his own safety.

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Man Mark was scared the night before he died.

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He told me he owed some dope pusher like seven grand, seven thousand dollars.

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This is a 16 year old Jehovah's Witness in high school. How could he possibly be in that deep?

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I don't know.

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Maybe he lied about how much it was, but he was freaked out. If that Busher dropped by Burger Chef that night to collect, maybe Mark knew how bad it would get.

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Police found evidence that Mark may have been a marijuana user, but it was tough for them to imagine. The young man with a good reputation had a staggering 7000 dollar drug debt that would amount to around 28000.

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Today, however, they did feel that if drugs were involved, the victim's kidnapping and violent murder might make more sense.

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Indiana State Police Officer Ken York looked into an unnamed local dealer who operated in Johnson County, where the bodies were found. However, the suspect had already fled Indiana to escape unrelated criminal charges, so the police were unable to apprehend him.

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Rumors persisted that the killings had something to do with drugs, and the whispers weren't just about mark.

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On March 5th, 1981, 29 year old Billy was arrested for selling 30 grams of cocaine when his mug shot appeared in the papers, locals remarked that his dark hair and beard were quite similar to the suspect identified by teenage witnesses in 1978.

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Police were not necessarily convinced that Billy had anything to do with Jane's murder, but they did wonder if Jane shared any of her brother's illegal hobbies.

[00:20:36]

Was your sister a user, Mr. Frit?

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No, sir, not Jane.

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There were traces of marijuana found in her system at the time of her death. So I'm just not sure I can believe you.

[00:20:47]

OK, sometimes she smoked a little pot. Everyone does, you know, but not often. She couldn't handle the smell she wasn't using.

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Was she selling? No.

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You know, the rumors about what goes on in the Burger Chef bathroom. Jane was assistant manager.

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You don't think maybe she wanted a piece of the action? Absolutely not.

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Jane was known she was going places. She wouldn't do that. You can call me a screw up all you want for what I did, but don't bring Jane into it. Then what do you believe happened that night?

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It was a robbery gone bad, I'm sure of it. Jane was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

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Jane's brother was charged for his drug crimes, but police eventually concluded that he was not involved in Jane's death. Interestingly, a year later, suspicion shifted back to Mark Flemons.

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In May of nineteen eighty two marks, 23 year old brother Kevin was charged with the 1981 robbery and murder of drug trafficker Adrian A. Brown. Once again, police wondered if Mark was also involved in the drug trade.

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This angle was explored, but there was ultimately no proof that any of the victims were involved in the sale of illegal drugs. And this line of investigation was politically questionable. It kept the victim's grieving families in the public eye and sullied the reputation of their murdered children.

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Police drop the tactic and once again, the case went cold. It would take another two years before a prisoner's surprising confession. And actually impacted the course of the investigation. By 1984, six years had passed since the Burger Chef murders and the Burger Chef franchise no longer existed, it was sold to the Hardee's corporation for 44 million dollars, and the Speedway Burger Chef was soon remodeled.

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But a new menu and a fresh coat of paint didn't mean Speedway had forgotten about the tragic murders. Indiana State Police Detective Donovan Lindsay was still officially investigating the case.

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He received some unexpected assistance when a local journalist struck up an unlikely arrangement with a criminal in December of 1984.

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A reporter from the Indianapolis Star met with a prisoner at the Marion County jail.

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The unnamed inmate, one of the journalists to write a piece defending him against theft charges and promised he'd give him confidential information in return.

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The reporter, who will call Ray Edwards to maintain his anonymity, hope that the inmate would provide a juicy bit of gossip from the criminal underworld. The information he received would change the course of the Burger Chef investigation for good.

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So you remember those Burger Chef killings, right? I know the guys who did it.

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Are you joking?

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No, I know one of the guys known him forever, actually. What's his name? You'll write my article, of course. What's his name? His name.

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Is Donald Ray for star, Donald Ray Forrester was a 34 year old convicted criminal from New Wheatland, Indiana, by 1984, Forrester had already served multiple prison sentences for a range of crimes.

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On April 1st, 1979, Forrester and an associate abducted a young woman at gunpoint and sexually assaulted her. The woman was able to flee their moving vehicle, and Forrester was sentenced to 95 years in prison.

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In 1983, Forrester tried to escape while he and other inmates were transported to Wishard Hospital for a doctor's visit.

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When prison guards fired warning shots at Forrester and his crew, they fatally injured an inmate named Sylvester Brown.

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Forrester felt strongly that Brown's death was the result of the guards using excessive force. He contacted journalists at the Indianapolis Star to report on the unfair and abusive behavior occurring in his prison.

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Authorities prove that the prison guards had just cause for shooting. Sylvester Brown and Forester's plea for justice went unanswered.

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However, he was on the newspaper's radar and journalist Ray Edwards was intrigued.

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Edwards visited Indiana State Police Detective John Lindsay to ask his opinion. There he discovered that the last man investigating the Burger Chef murders had actually considered Forrester previously. Forester.

[00:25:39]

Yeah, we briefly considered him as a suspect back in seventy nine him and just about every other crook in the Midwest. But Forster was cleared.

[00:25:48]

Not exactly.

[00:25:49]

His ex-wife told us that a few weeks after the murders, Forrester took her to a place near the Johnson County Woods to look for shell casings from the gun that killed Daniel and Ruth.

[00:26:00]

She didn't know. All she said was that he'd taken her on this trip, found six casings and flushed them down his toilet where the casings ever located.

[00:26:09]

No, Forrester took to lie detector tests and the results were inconclusive, just wasn't enough to tie him to the killings. And he stopped talking after that.

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So you don't think he was involved? I think he may know something, but he doesn't trust authority. He hates it. Actually, if he won't talk to us, I sure as hell hope you'll get something out of him.

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On June 24th, 1985, journalist Ray Edwards went to Indiana's Pendleton Reformatory to visit Donald Ray Forrester.

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The convicted rapist had recently found religion, and Edwards hoped Forester's new outlook would make him willing to cooperate.

[00:26:48]

Mr. Forrester, I've done some digging into the Burger Chef killings, and your names popped up as one worth investigating.

[00:26:56]

Is that so, Mr. Forrester? I'll be blunt. Did you kill those children? No. Do you know who did?

[00:27:05]

There are four grieving families out there who are desperate for answers.

[00:27:10]

You're a man of God now. Wouldn't he want you to help? It was drugs.

[00:27:15]

It was all about drugs. And I didn't do it. A couple of other guys did. I just helped hide some evidence afterwards. Right.

[00:27:24]

The shell casings. Can you tell me who orchestrated the murder? I'm afraid I can't do that. Why not? I've got a family out there, too. If I talk, they may suffer the consequences.

[00:27:37]

But you be helping so many other people. Well, who's helping me? I'm stuck in here for supposedly assaulting some girl, which I never did. My trial was unfair and all the witnesses testimony was total bull and the conditions in here. Mr. Forester, please, I'm sorry to upset you and I'm sorry you feel you were treated unfairly. What if we make a deal? What kind of deal?

[00:28:04]

You help me find the Burger Chef killers and I'll see what I can do about getting your case retried.

[00:28:10]

God bless you and God help us all.

[00:28:14]

Softening public sentiment against Forrester's criminal past would not be an easy task, but it was essential if there was a chance of solving the Burger Chef murders.

[00:28:24]

It rested on Ray Edwards shoulders. Next, we'll cover the tense relationship between the Indiana police and Donald Ray Forrester and now back to the story.

[00:28:42]

In June of 1985, convicted criminal Donald Ray Forrester made a deal with a journalist from the Indianapolis Star named Ray Edwards. He would provide information about the 1978 Burger Chef murders in exchange for help overturning the sexual assault charges that had landed him in prison.

[00:29:00]

Forrester was briefly investigated for the murders in 1979 when his ex-wife told police that he'd retrieved shell casings from the crime scene and flushed them down his toilet. However, the casings were never recovered.

[00:29:15]

Now that Forrester was a person of interest, Indiana police were determined to follow through on the hunt for the casings. Unfortunately, that meant going to Forrester's former home and digging through a septic tank full of human waste.

[00:29:31]

Oh, God, the smell. I'm going to have to take a million showers just to get it off me.

[00:29:37]

Nobody said crime solving with a glamorous game. Hold your breath, say a prayer and keep on digging.

[00:29:45]

Oh, wait, wait. I think I found something. The police found three of the shell casings that Forrester flushed in 1979. It was encouraging news and signaled the start of serious headway being made into the case.

[00:30:05]

But in July 1985, Forrester stopped cooperating. He felt like he was being used to make the police look good. It seemed like the only person Forrester trusted was journalist Ray Edwards. Mr. Forrester. Donald, you trust me, don't you? I don't trust anybody. I'd rather talk to you than the cops. Good.

[00:30:31]

Because I'm about to do you a huge favor and tell you something they don't want you to know.

[00:30:37]

They found the shell casings, Donald, the ones you flushed down the toilet in 1979. And your ex-wife hasn't kept quiet about it either.

[00:30:47]

What did she say? She gave the police a name, a man who says you were there the night of the killings. Who was it?

[00:30:54]

I have to know who if it's who I think it is, I could be in danger. He's got connections at the Pendleton prison. Edwards he could have me killed on the inside. Then you'd better cooperate like you promised.

[00:31:08]

Edwards lied when he told Forrester that a suspect had accused him of being one of the killers. But it was a lie and service of a greater truth.

[00:31:17]

Forrester promised he'd cooperate, but he was concerned that his tips would get him killed in prison. Authorities had him transferred to a Marion County jail where he provided information for the better part of a year.

[00:31:30]

Unfortunately, it was a year full of dead ends. Forrester provided hints about the location of hidden evidence, but no evidence ever turned up. He named new suspects, but they were all eventually found to have alibis and were cleared of suspicion.

[00:31:46]

The closest Forrester came to being useful was when he identified an unnamed speedway man whose home was the suspected site of a drug operation.

[00:31:55]

It was also a home that Jane Freed and her older brother, Billy, allegedly visited several times in the late 1970s.

[00:32:03]

Billy was arrested in 1981 on cocaine charges, and there were rumors that Jane was involved in the drug trade, too.

[00:32:10]

So this lead finally felt promising.

[00:32:13]

Police had Forrester called the unnamed suspect and threatened to turn him in. The plan was to record the call and catch the suspect, admitting his involvement on tape. But it backfired when the recording turned out garbled and unusable.

[00:32:27]

Soon afterwards, the suspect approached the police himself to tell them about Foster's call and volunteer to take a lie detector test.

[00:32:36]

He had no idea the police were behind the call.

[00:32:39]

He just wanted to prove his innocence. After the suspect passed the polygraph in late October 1986, police were fed up. Forrester had once again taken them down a dead end road.

[00:32:52]

They visited his Marion County jail cell and threatened to return him to the Pendleton reformatory unless he stopped lying to them. Forrester was scared and asked police to leave the room so he could speak to Ray Edwards alone.

[00:33:06]

There's something, something I didn't tell you. Take your time.

[00:33:12]

I can tell this isn't easy for you, Donald. I knew it was going to happen.

[00:33:16]

What do you mean? Three days before the killing, I was around when a bunch of guys said they were going to hit up that Burger Chef to collect some drug money. Someone owed them big time who Jane freaked. She had a habit she couldn't afford, but they were going to get their money from her no matter what. So three nights later, they went by the store closing time to collect. But why abduct all of them? Jane was grown, but the rest were just kids, kids who should have minding their own business.

[00:33:47]

The Flemons boy try to protect Jane in a fight broke out. He hit his head on the dealer's van and was out cold. That scared them. The dealers thought they'd killed him, so they had to get rid of every witness.

[00:34:00]

The hope was that Forester's tearful admission would solve the case. But police soon realized one of the unnamed suspects in Forester's testimony was in prison at the time of the murders. He couldn't have been involved.

[00:34:13]

The frustrated investigators felt like they had been fooled too many times.

[00:34:19]

They were now certain that Forrester was either a compulsive liar or much more involved in the murders than he previously claimed to be. They put even more pressure on him.

[00:34:29]

Forrester finally cracked on November 10th, 1986, during a police visit to his cell. He named three new suspects and described the crime scene in the murders in shocking detail.

[00:34:42]

I don't know where the other half of the knife that killed Jane is, but I do know where the gun went. What happened to the gun forester? It was tossed into the White River a little bit after the murders. And how do you know this? Because I pulled the trigger.

[00:34:58]

I'm the man who shot Daniel and Ruth.

[00:35:02]

After a year and a half of misdirection, Donald Ray Forrester confessed to the murder of two of the Burger Chef victims, it was a huge victory for the Indiana police who had been investigating the killings for eight years.

[00:35:18]

But the victory was short lived. One week after his confession, Forrester recanted his story and told journalists that police had bullied him into confessing.

[00:35:29]

I don't understand, Donald. You confessed a week ago. Why recant now? I was forced to confess. The cops drugged me drunk. I was the one who brought the police to you and I was there for some of the interrogations. They're tough bastards, but they didn't force you to confess and they sure as hell didn't drug you.

[00:35:48]

You weren't there for all the visits. They're obsessed with solving the case, with looking like heroes. They said if I didn't confess, they'd send me back to Pendleton, where someone would kill me for being a snitch.

[00:35:59]

Say, I believe you say you were coerced and you actually had nothing to do with the murders. Whoa.

[00:36:05]

Now, I didn't say that. Donald, you're not making sense. I said I knew the robbery was going to happen, and I said I helped get rid of the evidence afterwards. That's all true. But I wasn't there that night and I didn't kill any of those kids.

[00:36:18]

But you admitted to being an accomplice. They're going to put you on trial for this. I hope they do. What how else am I going to prove? I've been a victim of police abuse for years. It's my only chance to show the world that I am not a criminal.

[00:36:31]

It's also your only chance to gain public sympathy and fight those sexual assault charges, keeping you in lockup.

[00:36:40]

Well, now, wouldn't that be nice?

[00:36:44]

Marion County prosecutor Stephen Goldsmith assembled his deputies and investigators on December 20th, nineteen eighty six to make a decision about taking Forrester to trial.

[00:36:55]

On the one hand, Forrester was a criminal with detailed knowledge of the murders, who named his fellow killers and admitted to murdering two victims and hiding evidence in the aftermath.

[00:37:06]

On the other, police were unable to connect the suspect's name to the crimes. Forester also had the powerful motive of wanting to overturn the sexual assault charges against him, and many suspected he would do anything to keep his name in the papers, even if it meant lying about the Burger Chef murders.

[00:37:25]

It wasn't an easy decision, but authorities were bound to go where the case took them. Without Forrester's cooperation and confession, they simply did not have enough evidence to place him at the scene of the crime.

[00:37:37]

When the meeting concluded, Goldsmith held a press conference. He announced that while Donald Ray Forrester would still be investigated, he would not be charged with the murders of Ruth Shelton and Daniel Davis after the frustrating events of 1986.

[00:37:54]

The journalist from the Indianapolis Star, who we know is Ray Edwards, continued his relationship with Donald Ray Forrester.

[00:38:02]

Forrester was transferred to a prison in Michigan City, Indiana. Though he initially adjusted to life there, it soon became clear that the man was not well.

[00:38:13]

Donald, are you still working as a porter at the prison? Yes, sir. I've got me cleaning offices and handing out meals from five thirty in the morning to lights up.

[00:38:23]

Well, it's good to keep busy. It is, but I don't think I have a choice. The device they put inside me makes it impossible for me to misbehave what device? They drugged me, Edwards.

[00:38:38]

They put some some machine inside of me and they're controlling my thoughts and my actions.

[00:38:45]

I'm sorry, but I think I'm going to have to hang up. Wait, wait.

[00:38:49]

Before you go, there's something I need to tell you about the Burger Chef murders, something I haven't told anyone.

[00:38:58]

Goodbye, Donald.

[00:39:03]

Donald Ray Forrester spent weeks in a psychiatric hospital in 1987 where he was prescribed Thorazine and antipsychotic medication over the years.

[00:39:14]

He dropped hints to investigators and fellow inmates that he knew something about the murders, but his credibility was shot. Indiana police were wary of trusting him after the ordeal he put them through in 1986. They didn't want to make the same mistake again.

[00:39:30]

Forrester spent the rest of his life in prison before dying of cancer at the age of 56 on June 27th, 2006. The case remains open today, though there isn't much hope left for solving it, the last living parent, Ruth Shelton's mother, Rachel, died in 2013, and the victim's siblings and friends have shied away from discussing the murders.

[00:40:02]

Investigators in speedway locals remain torn about the motives behind these tragic killings. Some think they were the result of a routine robbery gone wrong. Perhaps Gene Freed and her young, feisty crew fought back harder than the robbers suspected and had to be taken out.

[00:40:20]

Others believe the killings were drug related and suspect either Jane or Mark were in deep debt to local drug dealers and got themselves and their friends killed because of it.

[00:40:30]

While both Jane and Mark siblings were later arrested for serious drug related charges. Investigators never found any solid evidence that the Burger Chef employees were also involved. Maybe their siblings turned to a life of crime because of the 1978 murders. Grief can change a person dramatically, regardless of the killer's motives.

[00:40:52]

No one has been officially charged since the 1978 Burger Chef murders happened 42 years ago.

[00:40:59]

With that said, Donald Ray Forrester remains the most credible suspect. He had detailed knowledge of the crimes, hid the shell casing evidence after the murders, and had a criminal history that includes the abduction of a young woman.

[00:41:14]

I disagree, at least on the notion that he was one of the killers. Forrester was definitely connected to the killers and may have cleaned up after their mess. But the few truths he told investigators came with a slew of lies.

[00:41:28]

He was also later diagnosed with a mental illness that made his perception of fact and fiction unreliable. I believe some unknown murderer pulled the trigger.

[00:41:38]

In Speedway, Indiana, the Burger Chef murders of 1978 were the tragic capstone. Do we year that included the murder of a 65 year old woman in a series of bombings that seriously injured several people.

[00:41:51]

It was the year Speedway lost its innocence. And since many of the victim's friends and siblings are only in their 50s and 60s today, it's unlikely the memory of that terrible year has faded after the murders.

[00:42:04]

An official at Burger Chef revealed to police that Jane Friede was going to be promoted to store manager by the start of 1979 for a 20 year old woman who often saw male co-workers get rewarded instead of her, it would have been a huge validation for her years of dedicated service.

[00:42:22]

The driven but cherry girl, nicknamed Sweet Jane, wanted to succeed at all costs, and she trained her teenage team to provide efficient service with a smile.

[00:42:32]

But unfortunately for Jane, Mark, Ruth and Daniel, Death had a taste for fast food. Thanks again for tuning into unsolved 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. To be extremely helpful to our research.

[00:43:04]

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[00:43:25]

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[00:43:28]

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[00:43:34]

We'll see you next time. Yeah, if we live till next time.

[00:43:39]

Unsolved Murders True Crime Stories was created by Max Cutler. And as a podcast studio's original executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, Sound Design by Kenny Hobbs with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Carly Madden, Izabel Away and Paul. This episode of Unsolved Murders was written by Amin Osman with writing assistance by Abigail Canham. The amazing cast of Voice Actors includes Dan Velasquez, Joe Hernandez, Mike Capozzi, Samantha Moore, Skycrane and Harris Marxian. It stars Wendy Mackenzie and Carter Roy.

[00:44:18]

Thanks for listening if you enjoy these episodes and want to hear more. Remember to follow unsolved murders free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes, Air Weekly every Tuesday.