Inside The Texas KFC Murders Which Left 5 Men Dead And An Unidentified Suspect For 42 Years

Over four decades have passed since one of the most horrifying cold cases occurred in Texas. After over 40 years, prosecutors say that they have finally identified the last perpetrator linked to the infamous “KFC murders.”

It was one of the longest nights in Texas, which began with a robbery and ended with five men losing their lives. The final suspect in the incident was recently identified as Devan Riggs. However, he reportedly passed away a decade ago.

Since the man is dead, no criminal charge could be filed against him. However, officials say that with his identification, the case was finally closed after 42 years.

The killings unfolded on September 23, 1983, in Kilgore, Texas. Three workers inside a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant were closing up the outlet for the night. The workers were identified as Opie Huges, 39, Mary Tyler, 37, and Joey Johnson, 20.

Johnson’s friends, David Maxwell, 20, and Monty Landers, 19, were also inside the restaurant at that time. Investigators said that armed men suddenly entered the establishment and attempted a robbery. They abducted all five men and drove them miles away to rural Rusk County.

The bodies of the victims were discovered on a remote East Texas oil field the next morning. According to authorities, all five of them were killed in an execution style. In addition, it was also determined that Hughes had been s-xually assaulted.

Despite the case sparking massive fear and concerns among the general public, the investigation stalled for decades as no suspect could be identified. In addition, there were some mistakes in the early investigation, which made things difficult.

A man named Jimmy Earl Mankins Jr. was initially linked to the murders after investigators tried to tie him to the crime scene over a torn fingernail. However, he was ruled out as a suspect following a DNA examination.

In the mid-2000s, a breakthrough in the case finally arrived. With the help of advanced forensic testing, investigators finally confirmed two suspects in the case. Romeo Pinkerton and Darnell Hartsfield were convicted in 2007 and 2008.

However, despite the convictions, the case could not be closed as investigators believed that there was one more suspect. DNA recovered from Hughes’ clothing did not match either Pinkerton or Hartsfield.

The unidentified suspect bothered investigators on the case for decades until it was reopened in 2023. The Texas Department of Public Safety reopened the investigation using forensic genealogy techniques.

The testing narrowed the search for the man to a group of brothers from East Texas, and Devan Riggs was finally identified.