5 Horrific Fast-Food Crimes

From late-night robberies to gruesome murders, fast-food restaurants have been the sites of some of the most terrifying crimes. These incidents have left lasting scars on the communities and employees involved. Here are five of the scariest crimes to ever hit the fast-food industry.

The San Ysidro McDonald’s^® Massacre

On July 18, 1984, one of the deadliest mass shootings in United States history took place at a McDonald’s restaurant in San Ysidro, California. James Huberty left his home telling his wife he was “going hunting humans,” drove to the McDonald’s, walked into the restaurant armed with multiple firearms, and began shooting indiscriminately. Over the course of 77 minutes, he killed 21 people and wounded 19 others before being fatally shot by a SWAT team sniper. The McDonald’s was torn down and converted into a memorial.

The Brown’s Chicken^™ Massacre

In 1993, the small town of Palatine, Illinois, was shaken by the brutal murder of seven employees at a Brown’s Chicken & Pasta restaurant. The victims were discovered in the restaurant’s walk-in cooler and freezer, having been shot execution-style. The case went unsolved for nearly a decade until a woman came forward, telling police that her boyfriend, James Degorski, had bragged about the killings with the help of a former employee Juan Luna. DNA evidence from the saliva on a chicken bone and fingerprint on a napkin subsequently confirmed their involvement, leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators. Both men were sentenced to life in prison.

Wendy’s^® Massacre in New York

On May 24, 2000, a former employee and his accomplice carried out a brutal robbery at a Wendy’s in Flushing, New York. John Taylor and Craig Godineaux executed five employees in the basement freezer, leaving only two survivors who played dead to avoid further harm. Motivated by revenge and greed, this chilling crime left a lasting impact on the community and the Wendy’s franchise. Friends and family gathered at Queens Botanical Garden to plant a cherry tree in loving memory of the victims.

The Fast-Food Serial Killer

In the early 1990s, Paul Dennis Reid Jr., infamously known as the “Fast Food Killer,” terrorized the Nashville, Tennessee area with a series of brutal killings at local fast-food restaurants. Between February and April of 1997, Reid targeted three different establishments, resulting in the deaths of seven people. His horrific spree began at a Captain D’s^™, where he killed two employees during a robbery. He continued his rampage at a McDonald’s, taking the lives of three more workers, and concluded at a Baskin-Robbins^®, where he murdered two women after kidnapping them. Despite his attempts to maintain his innocence, Reid was convicted and sentenced to death. However, he died of natural causes in 2013 before his execution date. His case remains one of the most notorious in Tennessee’s criminal history.

Domino’s^® Delivery Driver Vanished

On July 4, 1982, 18-year-old Sherry Eyerly, a Domino’s pizza delivery driver, vanished while making a delivery in Salem, Oregon. A caller had requested three pizzas and specifically asked for the female employee who drove the “orange Volkswagen.” Since that employee wasn’t on duty, Sherry took the order to the address the caller gave around 9:40 p.m., but that address didn’t exist. Her car was later found near the Willamette River with the engine running and part of her uniform nearby.

For 25 years, her case remained unsolved until serial killer William Scott Smith confessed in 2007. Smith had initially targeted a different employee but abducted Sherry instead, strangling her and dumping her body into the Little Pudding River. Already serving a life sentence for other murders, Smith received an additional life sentence for Sherry’s murder, bringing some closure to the community and highlighting the risks faced by fast-food delivery drivers.

The fast-food industry, known for convenience and quick service, has been tainted by horrific crimes, leaving lasting scars on communities. Incidents like the San Ysidro McDonald’s massacre, the Brown’s Chicken murders, the Fast Food Killer’s spree, and the Domino’s Delivery Driver disappearance highlight the dangers faced by employees and customers. These tragic events have prompted enhanced security measures, but their haunting memories remind us of the fragility of safety in everyday life.

References: Aine Cain, The 17 scariest crimes to ever hit the world of fast food | Andy Cordan & Sebastian Posey, Fast Food Murders: A look back at Middle Tennessee’s serial killer investigation, nearly 3 decades later