Paul Dennis Reid: The Fast-Food Restaurant Murders
Background
Paul Dennis Reid Jr. was an American serial killer responsible for murdering seven restaurant employees during a series of robberies in Tennessee in 1997. The crimes occurred at a Captain D's and a McDonald's in the Nashville area and at a Baskin-Robbins in Clarksville. Because each attack targeted employees working in or closing a restaurant, Reid became widely known as the "Fast-Food Killer."
Reid was born on November 12, 1957, in Texas. Before moving to Tennessee, he accumulated a history of violent criminal behavior. In 1983, he was convicted in Texas for offenses connected to the armed robbery of a Houston-area steakhouse. He received a 20-year sentence but was released on parole in 1990 after serving approximately seven years.
Reid eventually moved to Nashville, where he reportedly hoped to establish himself as a country music performer. He instead worked at several restaurants, including a Shoney's. His familiarity with restaurant operations may have helped him understand when employees arrived, when businesses closed and when cash was most likely to be accessible. During a period lasting slightly more than two months, Reid carried out three attacks that left seven young employees dead and one additional employee seriously wounded.
The Captain D's Murders
On the morning of February 16, 1997, Reid entered a Captain D's restaurant on Lebanon Road in the Donelson area of Nashville before the business had opened to customers. He gained access by presenting himself as a person seeking employment. Inside were 16-year-old employee Sarah Jackson and 25-year-old manager Steve Hampton.
Reid forced Jackson and Hampton into the restaurant's walk-in cooler. Both victims were made to lie on the floor before Reid shot them. He then stole money from the restaurant, including a considerable quantity of coins. Hampton's wallet, which contained approximately $600 intended for his rent, was also taken.
The crime initially provided investigators with few obvious leads. A major break came when Hampton's driver's license and video-rental card were discovered along Ellington Parkway in East Nashville. Fingerprints recovered from the cards were later matched to Reid. Prosecutors also presented evidence that Reid used money from the robbery as part of a vehicle purchase shortly after the killings.
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