A 17 year old Burger Chef employee is kidnapped and murdered In the quiet town of Speedway, Indiana, a horrific crime unfolded in November of 1978, forever scarring the community. Ruth Ellen Shelton, a bright and driven 17-year-old Caucasian female with dreams of becoming a computer scientist, was tragically killed. An honor roll student, she was already earning early college credits at the University of Indianapolis and was an active member of the Westside Church of the Nazarene choral group.
On the night of November 17, 1978, Ruth was working the closing shift at the local Burger Chef alongside three of her co-workers: 20-year-old Jayne Friedt, 16-year-old Daniel Davis, and 16-year-old Mark Flemmonds.
Sometime after 11:00 PM, all four employees vanished from the restaurant. A fellow employee who stopped by at midnight found the back door ajar and the safe open, with $581 missing. Initially, law enforcement considered the possibility that the four had taken the money and left on their own, a theory that was quickly dispelled as their purses and jackets were found left behind in the restaurant. This initial misjudgment proved to be a critical error, as the restaurant was cleaned the following morning, destroying any potential evidence. The hopeful anticipation for their safe return turned to dread, and it soon became apparent that they had been abducted.
Two days later, on November 19, the bodies of the four missing employees were discovered in a wooded area in Johnson County, about 15 miles from the Burger Chef. A couple out for a walk on their property made the grim discovery. Ruth Shelton and Daniel Davis were found lying side-by-side, face down, off a gravel path; both had been shot multiple times in the head and neck. Jayne Friedt's body was found a short distance away; she had been stabbed twice in the heart with such force that the blade of the knife broke off inside her chest. Mark Flemmonds was found furthest from the others, near a creek. He had suffered blunt force trauma to his face and had been left to choke on his own blood.
The investigation into the brutal murders has been fraught with difficulties and has remained unsolved for decades. Over the years, various leads and suspects have emerged, but none have resulted in a conviction. One significant development came in 1986 when a man named Donald Forrester, who was already serving a lengthy prison sentence for rape, confessed to shooting Ruth and Daniel. He also implicated others in the stabbing of Jayne and the beating of Mark. However, Forrester later recanted his confession. Another man reportedly bragged about the killings in a bar but passed a polygraph test. This individual, who later took his own life, had provided names of other potential suspects, one of whom died of a heart attack. The son of the man who died from a heart attack later came forward, claiming his father had confessed his involvement in the murders. Despite these and other leads, no arrests have ever been made in the case. The Burger Chef murders, as they came to be known, left a lasting impact on the Speedway community, and the families of the victims continue to await justice for their loved ones.
