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Kentucky Fried Chicken murders
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kentucky Fried Chicken murders were an armed robbery and mass murder which took place at a
Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Kilgore, Texas in 1983. For over two decades it was among the most tragic
unsolved murder cases in Texas history.
1983 Robbery and Murders
On the evening of September 23, 1983, just before the restaurant closed, armed robbers held up the Kentucky
Fried Chicken restaurant in Kilgore, Texas, USA. The five people in the restaurant at the time (who were either
employees of the restaurant or were waiting for someone there) were abducted, taken to a nearby field, off highway
323 on County Road 232 and each executed in the back of the head with the exception of the manager who ran
and was also shot in the head.
The victims' bodies were discovered by local police and Texas Rangers, and were identified as: David Maxwell
(20), Joey Johnson (20), Monty Landers (19), Mary Tyler (37) and Opie Hughes (38).
22-Year Investigation
For 22 years, the case remained unsolved; several people were arrested and one person, James Earl Mankins, Jr.,
an individual with prior drug convictions who was also the son of a State Representative, was charged with the
murders, but was later released after the beginning of pre-trial proceedings due to a lack of evidence.
Finally, in November 2005, two men (already in prison for other crimes) were arrested and charged: Cousins
Darnell Hartsfield (44) and Romeo Pinkerton (47). At the time of arrest, Hartsfield was serving a life sentence for
aggravated perjury in connection with the case. Since they have been charged with capital murder, Hartsfield and
Pinkerton could receive the death penalty if convicted.
2007 Convictions
Jury selection in Pinkerton's trial began August 6, 2007 in New Boston ([1]
(http://cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_218090020.html)).
Jury selection was completed September 27, 2007. Pinkerton's death penalty trial was scheduled to start at 9 a.m.
on October 15, 2007 at the Bowie County Courthouse in New Boston.
Pinkerton plead guilty to five lesser counts of first degree murder on October 29, 2007. He received five
concurrent life sentences as a part of his plea deal.
Hartsfield was convicted at trial in Bryan (Brazos County), Texas (on a change of venue from East Texas due to
pre-trial publicity) and sentenced to 5 consecutive life sentences.
April 18, 2007 news paper article from the Houston Chronicle now have Pinkerton saying he didn't do this crime.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6379602.html
5/7/2014 Kentucky Fried Chicken murders - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_Fried_Chicken_murders 2/2
Darnell Hartsfield and his cousin, Romeo Pinkerton, were both convicted of this crime in 2008.
On February 4, 2010 the Texas Sixth Court of Appeals upheld the convictions of Darnell Hartsfield. It was ruled
that there was sufficient evidence for the conviction.
http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11936380
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kentucky_Fried_Chicken_murders&oldid=581883233"
Categories: 1983 murders in the United States Mass murder in 1983 Murder in Texas KFC 1983 in Texas
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