Kentucky Fried Chicken murders

The KFC murders were an armed robbery and mass murder which took place at a KFC restaurant in Kilgore, Texas in 1983. For over two decades it was among the most tragic unsolved murder cases in Texas history.

On the evening of September 23, 1983, just before the restaurant closed, armed robbers held up the KFC in Kilgore. 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, 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).

For 22 years, the case remained unsolved; several people were arrested and one individual, 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 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.

Jury selection in Pinkerton's trial began August 6, 2007 in New Boston ( [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.