On the night of September 23, 1983, five people disappeared from a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Kilgore, Texas. It looked like a robbery at first. But by the next morning, East Texas knew it was something far worse.
The victims were Mary Tyler, Opie Ann Hughes, Joey Johnson, David Maxwell, and Monty Landers. They were taken from the restaurant during an armed robbery, driven to a remote oil lease in rural Rusk County, and killed. Their bodies were found on the morning of September 24, 1983. Each had been shot in the back of the head, and investigators later said Opie Hughes had also been sexually assaulted.
This case haunted Kilgore for decades. Not just because five people were murdered, but because the answers took so long to come.
For more than twenty years, the case stayed open. Then DNA evidence helped investigators charge Romeo Pinkerton and Darnell Hartsfield. Pinkerton pleaded guilty in 2007 and received life in prison. Hartsfield was convicted by a jury in 2008 and also received life. Hartsfield later died in prison in 2022.
But even after those convictions, investigators still believed there was a third person involved. In 2025, advanced DNA testing identified that third suspect as Devan Riggs, who had died in 2010. Because he was already dead, there would be no final trial. Texas DPS said the case is now closed.
The Night Everything Changed
The KFC in Kilgore was closing for the night. Mary Tyler, Opie Hughes, and Joey Johnson were connected to the restaurant. David Maxwell had worked there too, but he was off duty that night. Monty Landers was not a KFC employee. He and Maxwell had stopped by after 10 p.m. to pick up Johnson.
That small detail makes the case even harder to sit with. Some of them were working. Some were only waiting. Some were just in the wrong place at the worst time.
Investigators later said about $2,000 was missing from the restaurant. The victims’ valuables were also taken. But this was never just a robbery. A robbery ends when the money is taken. This went much further.
The location is no longer a KFC, but the building still remains. As of 2025, its occupied by another business, however, the location is still easily identifiable when comparing to old pictures.
The Murder Location
Murder location
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The Victims
Opie Ann Hughes, 39
Opie Ann Hughes was also a longtime KFC employee. She was found away from the other victims, and investigators later confirmed she had been sexually assaulted. Older reporting said her body was found some distance from the others, which led to the belief that she may have tried to get away.
Opie’s name is often tied to the DNA evidence that kept this case alive. That evidence eventually helped identify the final suspect more than forty years later.
Gravesite of Opie Hughes
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Joey Johnson, 20
Joey Johnson was 20 years old, a Kilgore College student, and a member of Phi Theta Omega. In high school, he had been named “Mr. Overton High School.” He was one of the young men connected to the restaurant that night.
Joey was at the start of his adult life. College, friends, plans, and a future were all still ahead of him. That future was stolen in one night.
Grave of Joey Johnson
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Monty Landers, 19
Monty Landers was 19 years old. He was also a Kilgore College student and a member of Phi Theta Omega. He was the only victim not employed by KFC. He had come to the restaurant with Maxwell to pick up Johnson. Friends remembered him as a good, clean-cut young man.
Monty was not supposed to be part of a closing shift. He was not there for work. He was there because of friendship, timing, and chance.
Monty Landers
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David Maxwell, 20
David Maxwell was also 20 years old and a Kilgore College student. He was the president of Phi Theta Omega. He worked at KFC to help put himself through school and support his pregnant wife. He was off duty that night but had stopped by the restaurant.
David’s story carries a quiet kind of heartbreak. He was working toward something. He had responsibilities. He had a young family depending on him.
David Maxwell
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Mary Tyler, 37
Mary Tyler was the assistant manager of the Kilgore KFC. When she did not come home, her 16-year-old daughter became worried and contacted police. Mary was married and had four children. She had worked at the restaurant for years.
Mary was not just a name in a case file. She was a mother, a wife, and the person expected to help close the restaurant that night.
Mary Tyler
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