1978 The Unsolved Burger Chef Murders

A Haunting Mystery

Curiosity Chronicles
7 min readJun 22, 2024
From Left to Right: Daniel Davis, Jane Friedt, Mark Flemmonds, Ruth Shelton

The Burger Chef murders remain one of the most haunting unsolved mysteries in American criminal history. On November 17, 1978, four young employees were abducted from a Burger Chef restaurant in Speedway, Indiana, and later found brutally murdered. The case remains unsolved despite extensive investigations, casting a long shadow over the community and law enforcement officials who continue to seek justice.

Burger Chef Restaurant

The Victims

The victims of this tragic case were:

Jayne Friedt: Jayne, 20, was the assistant manager of the Burger Chef. Known for her dedication and kind heart, she was working to support her family and had dreams of a bright future.

Ruth Shelton: Seventeen-year-old Ruth was a high school student working part-time at the restaurant. She was described as intelligent and compassionate, with aspirations to pursue a career in science.

Daniel Davis: Daniel, affectionately known as Danny, was 16 years old. He was a cheerful and hardworking teenager, well-liked by his peers, and had a keen interest in music.

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Curiosity Chronicles

I love to write about weird and little known history, unsolved mysteries, true crime and cold cases.