In 1983, five people were found shot in a remote field off County Road 232 in Rusk County, Texas. One victim had been sexually assaulted. Investigators discovered the five had been kidnapped from a nearby Kentucky Fried Chicken in Kilgore, a small town with a population just over 11,000, the night before. Victims were three employees of the restaurant and two friends of one of the employees. A $50,000 reward was offered, but no leads bore fruit.
The case went unsolved for 23 years, when cousins Darnell Hartsfield and Romeo Pinkerton were charged with capital murder. However, the DNA found on 39 year old Opie Hughes did not match either suspect. With advances in DNA, DPS re-examined the evidence in 2023, leading to a family of three brothers. Investigation was able to narrow it down to Devan Riggs, whose criminal history included burglary, robbery, assault, battery and attempted murder. He died in the 2010s.
It’s so refreshing to find murders like these being solved with DNA. This reminds me of the Austin yogurt shop murders, which was also recently solved due to DNA.
https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-kfc-murders-cold-case-suspect-identified-devan-riggs.amp
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Add to that list the still unsolved Las Cruces bowling alley massacre.
Which I don’t think will ever be solved unless there’s a deathbed confession
Was no DNA ever found? Such a tragic case...
No sexual assault on any of the victims so no DNA in that way. The victims were all shot execution style so no blood from the perpetrators left at the scene. I believe the only thing that might connect the perpetrators to the crime scene would be the ballistic evidence. But that would mean the police would have a firearm(s) in their custody that links to the crime scene. I doubt that the gun(s) used in this crime are still in circulation
It sounds so familiar to both Burger Chef Murders and Yogurt Shop Murders with victims that included both employees and friends of employees killed.
Anyone who worked closing shift at a fast food restaurant in their teens knows how easily this could have been them. We always had our friends there, hanging out, helping out, heading to the next place, and the doors were rarely locked.
A lot of similarities to the Curtis Flowers furniture shop case as well, though that case itself took on a whole nother story of its own in the aftermath.
Oh you can’t just leave us hanging like that
SPOILER WARNING for people interested in listening to media covering this case. It feels weird to do a spoiler warning for a very real and very depressing criminal case, but there is some excellent journalism out there about it, and it’s quite instructive to see the case play out via real time coverage.
To make an extremely long story as short as I can he was accused of killing four people at a furniture shop he briefly worked helping out at in 1996.
The case itself was tried SIX TIMES, five of them by the ADA of the small district Flowers was from in central Mississippi, all appointing himself as the lead prosecutor. Four separate convictions were overturned by appeals courts for prosecutorial misconduct and other issues. Because Flowers was never acquitted, his cases had only been overturned or dismissed as mistrials, he was not subject to protection from double jeopardy. Each time the ADA (later DA) simply chose to try the case again, and Flowers was never released from prison.
Over the years it came out that multiple witnesses were coerced or promised compensation for testimony that they had seen Flowers in various places at specific times that day, often reporting they had seen him in places that seemed quite implausible based on the distance he’d have to cover on foot. Many of them in later interviews expressed that they could not be certain they had seen Flowers on that specific day or at that specific time, only that they had seen him at some undefined point in the past at some location; but had been gradually convinced by investigators to state that they had. Others insisted that statements presented at court were entirely false, and that they were unaware such statements had been used as key evidence at trial.
There was notably almost no physical evidence connecting Flowers to the crime scene itself. Multiple ‘jailhouse snitches’ came forward at various stages of each trial, suggesting Flowers had confessed to them under dubious circumstances. The prosecution was noted for striking 41 of a possible 42 black jurors during the various trials, and the public sentiment regarding the case was staunchly divided by race. Ultimately, Curtis would be convicted multiple times by all white juries, and spend the next 23 years on death row as the case worked its way through a labyrinth of appeals.
In March of 2019 the case unexpectedly was taken up by the United States Supreme Court (usually less interested in individual criminal trials), which overturned the fifth conviction, and was notable for the fairly scathing opinion and concurring opinion written by Justices Kavanaugh and Alito, who were seen as more likely to side with the State of Mississippi’s case going into the trial by most legal experts. During oral arguments both Justice Alito and Justice Sotomayor (both decorated former prosecutors before their appointments to SCOTUS) made it known that they were deeply disturbed that the same prosecutor had tried all five prior cases and refused to recuse himself each time. Ultimately the DA resigned about a year after the the SCOTUS ruling, and all charges against Flowers would be officially dropped by his successor in 2020. No other people have been charged since, and the crime remains unsolved. Multiple potential suspects have since passed away.
Like I said, the details of the crime itself were fairly similar, however the case is more notable for what happened afterwards.
If you’re interested in a more professional journalist’s coverage of the case I’d suggest Season 2 of In the Dark which covers it in great detail.
When the police are that laser-focused on a suspect that clearly didn't do it, my suspicion that the cops are covering for one of their own increases.
Tbf there was / is quite a lot of circumstantial evidence against Flowers (a shoeprint matching his size and sneakers, bullets matching a gun stolen from his uncle's car in the morning of the murders...). Despite all that, the series of trials was obviously a joke presenting falsified evidence to a racially selected jury and he shouldn't have been convicted.
Edit. And I'm not arguing he did it. More like I don't blame small town LE believing he did. It's not like Winona or Montogmery County has cases like this every year or even every decade. Yes, the LE racism probably played a part but I would bet they were also incompetent to investigate the crime.
Wow that is depressing. Thank you for the summary!
Thanks. Never heard of this
Listen to Season two of In The Dark. The TL;DR is Curtis was tried for that crime six times.
I'm not sure what similarities you're referring to (and if you elaborate please use a spoiler tag for others who may want to listen to the podcast), but the In the Dark podcast series about Curtis Flowers is fantastic. Excellent investigative journalism, well produced, entertaining, and impactful. I won't spoil it, but I listened to it 5 years ago and I still think about the podcast and Curtis Flowers regularly. The In the Dark series about Jacob Wetterling is also very good.
The podcast summary:
Yes, six times.
That’s not too surprising either. In the 70s-80s (and I’ll throw in 1991 as culturally still “the 80s” in Texas) casual workplaces like that could be a lot more casual in terms of friends of employees loitering around. Frankly, when things closed pretty early in general and pre internet/cell phone, if you’re young, there’s really not a whole lot to do with your idle time later at night, so why not casually swing by where your friend works for a chit chat till they close up to kill time and then go hang out afterward?
Sydney River McDonalds murders in 1992, my mom was on mat leave from there when it happened. 4 victims, 3 dead, one woman survived but died in 2018, physically and intellectually disabled after being shot. They caught those guys pretty immediately though.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_River_McDonald%27s_murders my mom was friends with Donna.
Yeah, as a Nova Scotian this one is still known here, at least for people 30+. What a horrible crime.
There's a very low murder rate here and murder in general isn't that common, so this was so shocking - it would have been shocking anywhere. The brutality of it is was horrifying.
I'm so glad your mom was on mat leave at the time, how horrifying to know what happened to your coworkers. Donna was so young, too. Actually, I'm older than all of them now unlike the last time I read about this, and the older I get the younger and younger they feel to me. It's really, really, tragic.
Yeah, I'm in my late 30s now and had the same feeling when I pulled up the wiki. I'm also pretty sure that was the same year that lady working at Big Ben's was murdered in March. I only moved out of the area last year, and whenever a co-worker would be like, things are so crazy now! I was like, are they though? Because we've seen crazy, 30 years ago.
I just read the Wiki page. $2,017 CAD is all the money they got. That’s worth $3,885.13 CAD in 2025. No amount of money is worth taking four people’s lives, but that is such a small amount. And the fact that one of them worked there meant he knew it wasn’t tens of thousands of dollars.
Crazy I just saw this covered on Fright Factory channel. Got to be one of the most idiotic crimes I've heard of, only surpassed by the the tragedy of it all. Guy actually worked at McDonald's for months to "stake it out" because he thought there'd be around 100,000 CAD in the safe. That's the level of brilliant we're dealing with. Btw, amazing channel if anyone enjoys rarely discussed crimes, events, and other interesting things discussed by someone who is actually enjoyable to listen through. I don't usually shill, but this one imo deserves it.
I used an inflation converter and $2,017 CAD in 1992 is worth $3885 CAD today (or $2,017.18 is $3,885.47 to be exact).
One of them worked there, what made him think they had THAT much money? Did they only empty the safe once a month and that’s why he thought there’d be a lot more in there?
The Hi-Fi murders are also similar, but absolutely horrifying.
I unfortunately heard a description of these during a podcast I listened to about an unrelated case (Season 2 of Cold about Joyce Yost) but where precedents and case law from this case had an impact. I had never heard of the case but it was so shocking and so horrifying, I haven’t stopped thinking of this since.
Roy Rogers Murders 5 sir 4 killed in the robbery but one survived despite being shot in the head because the murderer had put them in the freezer and her blood congealed. The Survivor was able to testify against the murderer. link
Not a restaurant but these remind me of the one at the Chicago mall in 2008. Still unresolved even with all those cameras.
I remember that case it was terrible. Can't understand why it hasn't been solved.
This reminds me of the 2000 Smyrna, Tenn. Captain D's murders. I worked closing shifts at a Captain D's in Oklahoma at that time, and it scared the hell out of my parents. There is also an unsolved fast food murder in my hometown that was probably only a single-victim crime because of it occurred just before a morning shift rather than just after close.
I completely forgot Captain D's existed as a fast food chain until now.
It still does in Tulsa and a handful of deep south states. Whenever I come across one, I eat like a king desperately seeking gout.
We have Captain D’s everywhere here in Southern Indiana/Kentucky area. I went the other day and was surprised they had only 2 workers there. A cook and a cashier. I almost asked the cashier if she felt safe.
I grew up in southern Indiana and that's where I remember it from!
There were also the Cracker Barrel murders of 1995 in Naples, Florida. That was quickly traced to 3 former employees.
My mom loved Cracker Barrel and we ate there several times while visiting Naples in the late '90s to early '00s. I thought about the murders every time but I wouldn't say anything to others at the table.
There was also a double murder at a Casual Male store on Kirkwood Highway in Wilmington, Delaware, in 2004. Gunman entered the store at just about closing time, shot both people working, and left again. No known suspects or motive.
Not all restaurants but similar in the sense that these were retail or entertainment establishments where people were killed usually at open or closing: Las Cruces Bowling Alley masacre. Lane Bryant murders. Brown Chicken masacre took decades, but was finally solved.
Also wild how many of these high profile cases involve prime suspects who are charged with the crime but fortunately exonerated with DNA. Really makes you realize how many false convictions may be out there.
And the Hi-Fi Murders sort of similar just not a restaurant
The McDonald’s massacre in San Diego
when you try telling people that crime peaked in the 90s, they never believe you. It was so crazy. We had multiple serial killers in my small Idaho town.
There's the Cape Breton Macdonalds murders in Nova Scotia. Three convicted, one of them was released on day parole last year after 30 years in jail
Also the San Ysidro McDonald's massacre 1984. 21 were killed.
But why is all this happening?
psychos have easy access to guns
Guns
Sir, this is a Wendy's.
Queens, 2000. "Leave no witnesses"
Not the time or place for dark humour.
Ah yes. Too soon.
I have never understood all the restaurant/small store robbery murders that have happened. Not that it’s ever right to kill someone, obviously, but to kill people and ruin lives over an amount of money that is probably similar to a 2 week paycheck is absolutely crazy to me. Just evilness
We had them in the UK, although on a smaller scale and with no multiple murders that I know of. The first 10 years or so of Crimewatch UK (1984 to 1995 or so) are absolutely littered with "elderly owner of small, often almost absurdly outdated shop murdered for some pitiful amount from the till" cases. Almost none were solved. I guess that a combination of CCTV and retail consolidation (which closed small shops in droves) solved the problem.
I hope they're able to solve the Lane Bryant murders: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lane_Bryant_shooting
This one is surprising. Most of the murders mentioned here have been in the 1980s-1990s, largely before the DNA advances, modern cell technology and quality video footage would help nail suspects. This is from 2008? Mind boggling
Don’t forget the Brown’s Chicken Murders in Illinois: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown's_Chicken_massacre
Only solved because someone blabbed. Actually surprising that it doesn't happen more often.
Truly. It’s so hard to believe that some of these things go unsolved for so long. Blabbing is what humans do. Uncanny how much remains secret, or at least how much goes unreported.
Interesting that there seem to be nothing connecting Pinkerton, Hartsfield and Riggs outside the samples on Hughes' pants. I guess it's harder to establish casual connections between people from that long ago though.
Did the other two guys never turn on the third one? That seems wild to me. And no one who knew Pinkerton and Hartsfield ever said "oh they used to hang with a third guy named Riggs"?
Yeah, that's what I'm wondering here. One guy is alive, so maybe he'll talk now?
The first two guys were cousins
It does make you wonder if the first two arrests were good.
According to the article, they were also linked to the crime through DNA evidence found at the restaurant.
You’re right. I stand corrected.
Browns chicken murders we solved too by DNA years later
Go Allison Ryall (the IGG who solved this).
If you care about these cases being solved with IGG, consider speaking out about Ancestry updating their terms of service to bar IGG’s from using their products (NOT DNA here, we are talking the database of public records, find a grave, newspapers.com,etc). They are shutting down IGG accounts which is why there hasn’t been a lot of coverage on the issue (they shut down Ramapo College’s IGG center access). We can still do IGG, but it will take longer (we literally have to call libraries now to look up the microfilm On obits we had access to via newspapers.com)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/nyregion/ancestry-dna-police.html
This includes ALL law enforcement IGG work; military repatriation, John and Jane does, offender cases and exoneration. But hey, at least you can still use it to determine mineral rights for millionaires !
Thank you for letting us know! I will look into this. Personally Ancestry has done wonders for me. I spent hours on it for years tracking researching who my biological family is, and it’s only right that it help solve these horrendous murders too.
Thanks for looking into it! I am an IGG volunteer with a few orgs doing UHR work and it’s really upsetting that a database that was partially created with user work AND public records that we pay for with with individual subscription money (I pay at least 300 dollars per year for ancestry alone), is now being forbidden for us to use. Not even a conversation about it or trying to come to a solution like GEDmatch did. Just a knee cap right out of the gate that larger organizations will not probably follow (like the FBI, who broke the service terms for the Idaho 4 case that this is probably in reaction to, but they won’t suffer the consequences). A Latin American Doe case can take up to 7 years to solve so far… how much longer are we comfortable making families wait when we have tools to work on the issue ?
Who owns Ancestry.com?
Two young men who worked at a Blockbuster video in Warminster Pa were killed in the early 90's and no one was ever charged.
West Coast Videos, not Blockbuster.
Yes, you are right. Still said it was never solved
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https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-kfc-murders-cold-case-suspect-identified-devan-riggs
https://www.kltv.com/2025/11/21/rusk-county-officials-reveal-3rd-suspect-kilgore-kfc-murder-5/
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Taco Bell murders- https://www.reddit.com/r/Clarksville/comments/1fi50m1/tru_crime_clarksville/
So many people have commented with names or links to other murders at or related to fast food restaurants. I had no idea there were so many. If I was of working age back then I’d be terrified to do any closing shifts.
So did the first two convicted refuse to identify the third suspect ?
Correct. Pinkerton plead guilty while Hartsfield was found guilty by trial but maintained his innocence. Hartsfield died in prison but maintained the real killer was still out there.
I'm so confused, so all three guys DNA was found at the crime scene? Does the police believe there were 3 perpetrators? Were they connected in any way, were they friends? Otherwise it's hard to believe that yhey committed the murder together. Or does the police believe there was something wrong with the first DNA test?
From what I read, the first two men arrested had DNA at the scene of the kidnapping, the KFC. Neither were a match to the DNA on the rape victim. That was recently tested to reveal the third suspect.
But it's possible that they just were the kfc customers, or was the DNA discovered on some items related to the crime?
Looked into it further and according to this news article, Pinkerton’s blood was on a napkin at the restaurant and Romeo’s blood was on the cash register tapes.
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Man-convicted-in-KFC-deaths-says-real-killer-1736328.php
Thanks, now it's more clear. But the connection between the cousins and the new suspect was not known, they were not friends or something? He can't just be some random person.
That’s an excellent question. Hopefully it will be revealed, but Pinkerton is the only one of the three still alive to ask. Now we have so many tools like cell warrants and social media to analyze what kind of contacts they have but back then they didn’t have any of that.
There were three perpetrators, cousins Darnell Hartsfield and Romeo Pinkerton, convicted in 2007, then with advancements in DNA , which led them to three brothers, of which they then narrowed it down to one brother Devan Riggs, Darrell and Romeo had their DNA found inside the crime scene, Devon Riggs DNA was found on one of the victims,
Yes, three perpetrators. DNA of the two guys that were convicted was found at the restaurant and positively identified in 2004. DNA for the third guy was found on one of the victims and not positively identified until now.
This sounds so similar to the Burger Chef murders. People are saying it sounds like Austin Yogurt Shop, but those girls were like in the store. Kidnapping four or five people and taking them to a field is very daring and I think, unusual, MO.
And that one doesn’t seem likely to be solved. They really made a mess of the physical evidence.
This is great news and it gives me hope that cold cases like the Burger Chef murders will be solved one day.
Maybe if there is evidence on the bodies. Unfortunately the crime scene at the restaurant was wiped clean before they knew of the deaths. But as long as there is time, there is hope
I have always believed that one of the victims recognized one of the would be robbers which is why the 4 were driven away from the store and killed. Mark Flemmonds was not supposed to work that night. That, IMO, is a huge clue. A palm print found on Jayne Friedt's car matched one of Mark's older brother's friends. Mark was the only victim not stabbed or shot, and some people theorize that he ran away from the scene in the dark and directly into a tree where he went unconscious and died from choking on his own blood. Investigators say that if he fell down unconscious on his stomach, he would have survived. That, IMO, is another huge clue. Whoever killed the other 3 did not make sure Mark was dead before leaving the area.
It’s probably more than one person, right? Multiple weapon types would suggest multiple suspects.
Definitely more than one person involved.
And that’s the heartbreaking part of these senseless murders. It was all over barely $500. Human lives for $500. If you have multiple perpetrators they split the money and it becomes even more ridiculous. Like some kind of dark O. Henry short story.
I have been following this case for years. This is very gratifying news.
There was a string of fast food murders in Nashville in the early to mid 90’s:
This case was covered on Cold Case Files on Netflix. It gives a great personal insight to the victims and their families. I'm sorry he died before he could be brought to justice.
I’ll have to take a look.
I stand corrected, its on Tubi. Season 2, ep 15 - "Friday Night Gohsts".
So were the first two that were arrested actually connected to this crime or is it a case of police being too focused on the wrong people like the yogurt shop murders?
The first two were identified by blood found at the restaurant.
Thank you.
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The rape victim in this case was the 39 year old woman