The Burger Chef Murders in Indiana

by Julie Young

The evening of November 17, 1978, should have been like any other for the four young crewmembers closing the Burger Chef at 5725 Crawfordsville Road in Speedway, Indiana. After serving customers and locking the doors for the night, the kids began their regular cleanup to ready the restaurant for the following day. But then something went horribly wrong. Just before midnight, someone muscled into the place, robbed the store of $581 and kidnapped the four employees. Over the next two days, investigators searched in vain for the missing crewmembers before their bodies were discovered more than twenty miles away. The killer or killers were never caught. Join Julie Young on an exploration of one of the most baffling cold cases in Indiana history.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History, Mystery, Horror

144 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2019

About the author

Julie Young is an award-winning writer from the Indianapolis area whose work has been featured in a number of local, regional and national publications including: The Indianapolis Star, The Indianapolis Monthly, The Indianapolis Business Journal, Michiana House & Home, IN Michiana, South Bend Tribune, ADVANCE for Nurses Magazine, Catholic Teacher Magazine, National Catholic Reporter, Evansville Living, and INTents Magazine. As a former writer with the Associated Press, her work has been seen globally including the online juggernaut CNN.com
She is also the multi-award nominated author of six local history titles. Her first book, A Belief in Providence: a Life of Saint Theodora Guerin was a finalist in the Best Books in Indy awards as well as a nominee for Foreword’s Book of the Year award. She followed that up with Images of America: Historic Irvington, Eastside Indianapolis: A Brief History, A Brief History of Shelby County, CYO in Indianapolis and Central Indiana, Famous Faces of WTTV-4. She has also completed the manuscript for the Indiana Historical Society’s Youth Biography series entitled From Local to Legendary: a Life of Michael Jackson.She has earned a reputation as a guest speaker and a mentor at schools throughout the state and has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show. She lives in New Palestine with her family and plays in a rock and roll band. For more information about Young, please visit

Reviews

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't alive when the Burger Chef murders occurred, but over the years I've heard the murders come up in conversation and having grown up by Chicago; I wasn't all that familiar with what actually happened. Julie Young does an excellent job of setting the scene and not attempting to "solve" the crime four decades later; she's not trying to do a disservice to the police and authorities who toiled over the case, she's merely bringing it to life and trying to make the most comprehensive outline of what is actually known about the gruesome murders. Four young adults and teenagers were abducted from their work and later found murdered. No one has ever been tried or convicted for their deaths. It's dark and fascinating and I'm glad I actually know about this infamous Hoosier quadruple homicide. As a Franklin resident who works in New Whiteland; it was also fascinating to learn about all the Johnson County connections that I didn't know existed in this case. A must read for true crime fans!

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rarely read true crime, but when I saw this book in the "local interest" section of the bookstore, I bought it because, well, I am local, and I am interested. Had the authorities finally cracked this 40-year-old cold case, and I somehow missed it on the evening news? Sadly, the answer to that question is "no." The deaths of the four young people whose faces are on the cover of this book and who were abducted from a fast food restaurant late at night, driven to a dark woods outside of town, and murdered in cold blood remains one of Indiana's most famous cold cases.

Because I don't read much in the true crime genre, I don't quite know how to fairly rate this book. I liked it (if it can be said that anyone "likes" a book about the unsolved deaths of four people). If you've followed my reviews for long, you know that a 3 star rating from me means that you will probably appreciate the book if you enjoy the genre. After reading this book, I felt an immense sadness that these lives were ended so brutally and that those who ended their lives literally got away with murder. (Though I got the impression from the book that the police themselves felt they knew who did it -- or at least, knew one of the people involved -- but they could never prove it, partly because of a gross mishandling of the original crime scene. The Speedway* police in the 1970's were rarely called upon to solve a murder.)

So, if you are interested, the book will be at my local Half Price Books and not on my bookshelf, because I just can't look at those faces without sadness. (*And for those of you who are not familiar with Indianapolis, yes, "Speedway" is so named because the famous track that hosts the Indy 500 every May is there.)

[Doreen Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Should be dedicated to all the victims of unsolved crimes.

[Vanessa Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of history's cold cases (the Zodiac killer, the murder of Valerie Percy, and until recently, the Golden State Killer) stand out as being particularly senseless; the lack of modern forensic techniques as well as conflicts between different, and overlapping, police jurisdictions lead to the evidence slipping through law enforcement's fingers. The Burger Chef murders are another such case. The popularity of the Burger Chef restaurant chain was once (1960s and 1970s) only second to McDonald's. Speedway, Indiana, for the most part a sleepy midwest town was known for being the home of the Indy 500.

That four innocent young people with bright futures ahead of them would have their lives taken from them in such a brutal manner, shocked the state of Indiana and continues to do so. More so, they occurred during a particularly brutal summer and fall (of 1978) when a series of armed robberies, murders and even bombings struck fear into the hearts of Speedway residents and those in the surrounding counties.

Author Julie Young's book chronicles the events of the third weekend of November 1978 very closely and then covers the case's ups and downs over 40 years in exhaustive detail. Interviews with surviving members of the victims' families as well as law enforcement and local media all make this book the first comprehensive look at this case which is still open to this day.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heartbreaking story of four young fast food workers killed during a robbery. This short book (133 pages) also includes brief accounts of several other unsolved Indiana crimes.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to prepare for a library program I am doing because I wanted to familiarize myself with the case a bit more. This looks like such a small book but there is so much information on this case that it was really hard to absorb and follow with all the various people associated with the case, as well as the numerous theories on what happened, who dun it, and why. It's sad and unfortunate that to this day, still, the case remains unsolved. There were quite a few mistakes made from the onset and there is speculation that if, perhaps, some of those mistakes had not been made, it might have been solved, but I'm not sure. Even with advances in technology it still remains unsolved. My heart aches for the families who lost their loved ones to such a senseless crime.

[Stephanie Dargusch Borders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never heard of this cold case before or Burger Chef. Sparse case but the author does what she can—it seems like this case maybe meant something to her personally, with all the photos included, which I really liked.

[Elizabeth Moffett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read about The Burger Chef Murders in Indy with so many ties to Johnson County. I think if the crime scene would have been properly processed, the case would have been solved. What a shame for these families of these 4 young people.

[Leah Beardslee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was 7 when these murders occurred in nearby Speedway. I was fascinated My the book and had the opportunity to talk to the author about it.

[Petrona · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s so sad that this case was never solved.

[Maggie Broderick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is very unsettling to me that this is still a cold case nearly half a century later.

[Sonnigirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very heartbreaking and interesting case. If you like crime solving it will be interesting to you. So crazy that 42 years later we still have no arrests!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read about an unsolved crime in Indiana....

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHO KILLED THESE TEENAGERS!?!

Straightforward narrative of an unsolved murder. Pretty engaging for most of the book!

[Cristi McGill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a true crime fan, but I had several connections to these kids so I was curious about the book. (I'd worked at a Burger Chef just a few miles away in high school and one of the victims went to my high school and lived in my neighborhood.)

I didn't learn anything new which was disappointing. I felt the author relied too much on previously published information.

The photos were lackluster, particularly the cover photos. I felt these kids deserved better than the same 4 grainy school pictures (reprinted from the newspaper) that we Hoosiers have all seen hundreds of time since 1978.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this was available from my library and picked it up after listening to a My Favorite Murder episode on the topic (#196). This was a quick yet informative book on this unsolved murder. My favorite part, oddly, was the little summaries in the epilogue of other unsolved murders in Indiana that share some commonalities to the Burger Chef Murders. It’s hard to wrap up a story that has no real ending, but by bringing others cases into the spotlight as well it made the end extra compelling.

[Sharma Brenneman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am from a small Indiana town 50 miles north of Speedway. I was 11 at the time of the Speedway bombings and the Burger Chef murders. I remember being terrified as child as it played out in the media. I bought this book on a whim because I drive by the Burger Chef location at least once a month. The book certainly was very informative. This is first time I have read anything in depth about the murders. Very well written.

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

- You can't really spoil a 40 year old cold case -
We knew from the get-go that the author wasn't trying to reinvent the wheel by sharing this case, but after finishing the story, I'm not entirely sure what of significance it contributed.
The glossary to keep track of the countless names mentioned fell short for me, especially with the only 1 photo each of the victims, and nothing of the crime scene or suspects. The background was quipped and didn't allow a connection with the victims, instead the author tried to mimic that through quotes from family and friends we also never get to put faces to.
I did read the ebook version which included a few photos, but unless the print edition included more, these fell short. Some narratives didn't line up with what had been established previously. At one point all of the parents had been told together their children were dead at the police station and then another parent recalled an FBI agent telling them? It also jumped back and forth from hinting that Mark and Jayne might have been responsible for everyone's death because they were related to criminals, from lower class families, and partook in weed (possibly other drugs) themselves. I also didn't appreciate how blasé the author was when Mark Flemmonds' father mentioned being nearly accused that his son had something to do with the disappearance instead of merely being another victim. Of course, I'm trying to go off of only what the author shared, but the multitude of accounts online differ. Then of course the Speedway bombings and Scyphers murder, which weren't exactly followed up on as much as they should've been instead of being treated as a throw away, "oh yeah this also happened around the same time". (After reading a recent interview of a bombing victim's son, it was sad to see that the author merely said 3 injured and never shared the business nature, possible connection to the murder, and fact that he's gotten away with other murder, and basically the bombings - Kimberlin). I don't know. it's an insane story and hard to share much with the fact it's never been solved and they effed the evidence from the beginning. The 70s were a weird time... Wish the author would've shared more from their collection and sources.

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oddly, I received a book sale newsletter for The Burger Chef Murders a few weeks before I was scheduled to visit Speedway, Indiana. While thereI mentioned it, and everyone said they knew all about the crime. It wasn’t far from anyone’s mind as the Burger Chef still stands on Crawfordsville Road, a main thoroughfare in Speedway. Such a sad tale, with so many things going wrong from the onset.

On November 17, 1978, four young people closing the Burger Chef restaurant disappeared. A co-worker driving by at the time decided to stop in and say hello. He found the back door open, the restaurant empty and the safe open. He called police, who investigated and found empty money bags and the remains of a roll of tape. It was determined that $581 was missing, and that the closing crew decided to take the money and go party as there were no visible signs of a struggle. Yet, jackets and purses were left behind. None of the families had believed their children were off partying. For two days, their families were in anguish until their bodies were discovered in a nearby wooded area.

This was a horrendous crime that will probably remain unsolved forever. The crime scene wasn’t photographed or dusted for fingerprints before being cleaned in order to reopen the restaurant. The wooded area had various law enforcement departments driving through areas before they were sealed off. At the time, there was speculation that the Burger Chef murders were linked to another murder as well as a series of bombings taking place in Speedway, or retribution for a drug debt. It’s now theorized that this was a robbery gone wrong after one of the victims recognized one or more of the robbers. However, if robbery were a motive, why didn’t the killers take the money and watches found on the victims? There were leads to individuals, but lack of physical evidence has prevented any arrests.

The book is short, the writing is concise and the story is compelling.

https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a resident of Indiana but I don't remember these murders at all. (guess I was too busy with my first job) So, to abate my curiosity, I picked up this book and quickly read it. The research was well done and thorough, even as it was repeated constantly throughout the story.
One of the most interesting aspects of the story was whether there was any connection to the murders and two other unsettling events that happened to the small burg of Speedway during the summer of 1978. One was the unsolved murder of a resident as she interacted with visitor in her garage and a number of random bombings throughout Speedway.
The author completely details the grisly kidnapping and murders of the 4 young Burger Chef employers as they ended a Friday night shift. She also does a creditable job providing background and family information on each victim. There are copious characters that readers might have difficulty keeping straight. Thank goodness there is a listing in order of appearance of all those mentioned in the book.
The reason that it is still a cold case in Indiana today is hard to accept for many, even though most immediate family members of the victims are no longer with us. Was it the perfect crime or did the different police agencies responding to the event botch evidence recovery so badly that it greatly hampered progress toward finding the killer or killers? 1970s limitations in forensic technology certainly didn't help the situation. Was it just a robbery gone wrong or was there a direct connection between one or more of the victims and the killer(s)?
You'll need to decide for yourself as you plow through this book.

[Allison Delestowicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grew up in Illinois, but call Indiana home.

I love true crime and in particular, unsolved murders and disappearances. I listened to a story on the Burger Chef murders on the Unsolved Murders podcast and they had mentioned this book as a reference for the featured case.

So, naturally interested in the case, I wanted to read this. This case is just as bizarre now as it was over 40 years ago. Living in Indiana, I am very familiar with many of the locations mentioned in this book. I would drive by the location of where Burger Chef once stood on my way to a contract job three days a week.

Author does a good job featuring this case. There are some things I would have liked to read about, such as more in depth analysis of the crime scene in addition to where the workers were found. The police could have done a better job in my opinion on assuring crime scene evidence was preserved at the restaurant instead of letting the morning crew clean up. So many other things could have been done differently to potentially have solved this case.

Enjoyed the pictures provided, kind of wish there was more of a background on the workers that were murdered to get a better idea of who they were. Author also includes some unsolved cases in Indiana in the epilogue. Overall, decent read.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard of the Burger Chef murders a few years ago… after growing up in Indiana and having spent plenty of time in Indianapolis, I was very surprised that I had never heard of the crime before. Since it’s an older unsolved crime, I suppose there are limitations on what information is able to be released… both from a police perspective on relevant info to the crime, forensics, and from passage of time and peoples memories. However, it leaves the book a bit lacking on the excitement.

Another slight criticism is lack of explaining of distances and locations. I’m familiar with Indianapolis, the surprising areas, and the major hubs of Indiana, so I had no issue with that, BUT if you’re not familiar with it, it could be annoying. Young just throws out locations and areas of Indy without any explanation of what it is or even mentioning what it is. Maybe a casual reader wouldn’t notice, but I picked up on it because I am familiar and felt she was switching around quickly.

If you’re a true crime fan, and aren’t familiar with this case… definitely go for it. If you know this crime, skip.

[Bill reilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Burger Chef was a popular fast food chain in the 1970s in some parts of the country. We did not have any of the restaurants here in New York but the author lived in Indiana at the time of the murders in November of 1978.
Three high school students and a twenty-year-old were abducted and shot dead in a robbery on a Friday night night in Speedway, Indiana. Their bodies were discovered two days later in a wooded area.
The investigation was doomed from the start as the police allowed a clean up the morning after the crime, thus losing any possible evidence, including fingerprints.
Four deaths for $581; the quiet, low crime community was in shock over the senseless killings. On the day of the front page news, the Jim Jones mass suicide was the smaller item in the local newspapers.
The coroner determined that two of the deaths were from gunshots, one from head trauma, and the fourth by a multiple stabbing. A $25,000 reward led to nothing but false leads. The families received prank calls and the local and state police lacked cooperation between agencies.
The book was published in 2019, forty years after the crime and it remains an unsolved mystery.

[Tracie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is my vow: I will never read another true crime book that is self-published through a website that has a page titled "Make Me an Author."

I live in Indiana, I'm familiar with the area the crimes occurred, the book appeared to be a quick read (it was), and Burger Chef loomed large in my childhood. It turns out that wasn't enough for me to add a star to my review.

The author has college freshman-level research skills and completed C+ information gathering. The result is a lackluster retelling of the decades-long investigation was frequently bungled and never officially solved.

Opportunities the author missed that Ann Rule would have turned into true crime gold:

Descriptions of two of the victims' personalities should have included foreshadowing of later information about them, leading to reader Ah-ha! moments.

Rather than name every last person that was even minimally involved in the investigation, beef up the storytelling and descriptions of the main investigators.

Leave out the photos of Burger Chef restaurants that served no purpose, but better organize the information about crimes at other Burger Chefs.

[Natalie Collins Wahle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great read! Especially as someone who lives in Indianapolis. I recognized so many of the landmarks discussed throughout the book which made it hit even more home how this tragedy really still haunts the city.

I knew about the general murder that occurred. But learning more about the history of what was going on in Speedway and Indianapolis at the time really gave a lot of color to the story. As well as learning more about the victims, and the theories behind what could have happened. It was well researched and organized.

My favorite thing the author did (and really all authors should do) is have an index of all the people who are mentioned in the book and what their role was. It was so helpful.

Another thing I liked was that at the end the author also included information about other unsolved mysteries in Indiana. Since the book was published in 2019, it mentioned Delphi. Wild to think that has since been solved.

Definitely will be recommending this one! Especially to Indianapolis natives.

[Wanda Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I well remember the murders that took place in 1978 and I never hear the name 'Burger Chef' without thinking of this tragedy. Many thanks to Julie Young for keeping the story in the minds of people who have never heard of this crime and for those who have forgotten. I always felt that someone had to know who perpetrated these murders but I did not know how close the police were to solving it. When reading about the crime scene and other issues with the investigation I can't help but think that this would be a class in 'How Not to Investigate a Crime'. Times were different then and we have learned so much about criminal investigations and preserving crime scenes that everyone who watches tv is an amateur detective these days. I am still hoping that someone will come forward with a death bed confession so everyone who remembers can finally have an answer.

[L.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had heard about the Burger Chef murders before, but didn’t know any details. Turns out that’s because there aren’t any details to be had. The police, assuming the kids had just run off, allowed the crime scene to be completely cleaned before any evidence was collected. Not only was no evidence collected, they didn’t even take any pictures. The site where the remains were discovered wasn’t much better. Several local agencies, warring for control, trod all over the crime scene, driving over tire tracks, contaminating evidence, taking evidence home with them in the pocket of their coats. They made the folks who responded to the Nicole Brown-Simpson crime scene look like geniuses. Considering how little information there was to be had, the author did good job putting together an interesting story.

[Rick Reitzug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I lived in Indiana when these murders occurred, my sister-in-law actually lived in Speedway (the site of the murders) at the time, and I remember when the murders occurred but never knew what happened in their aftermath. Additionally, the book was free using my Amazon credits AND it was fairly short (I read it in a day). All that being said, the book was "ok". It satisfied my desire to want to know more about the aftermath of this senseless tragic crime and was reasonably interesting and well-written.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid, quick True-Crime book. I had not heard of this story, but it was such an interesting, and sad crime.
The author does a good job of explaining the evidence, and also telling the stories of the victims and their families. The investigation is frustrating to read about, as assumptions and mistakes are made. I liked the different photos and maps the author provides throughout the book, especially those of the town.
Although it is not known what happened, the author provides some ideas and theories, without every sounding like she's puffing her book out with speculation.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book clearly didn’t have the benefit of an editor at a big-name publisher, but I found it to be thorough, informative and respectful.

I picked this up at an independent bookstore in southern Indiana while on vacation recently. I grew up in Indianapolis but was young when these murders took place, so I don’t remember anything about them. More surprising to me was that I hadn’t heard about them in the years since. This book was a good recap of the events in the case up to the date of its publication. Such a sad, terrible story.