In a tragic case that has haunted East Texas for over four decades, significant advancements in DNA genealogy have led to the identification of the alleged final perpetrator associated with the infamous 1983 Kentucky Fried Chicken murders. This development brings closure to a case long considered unsolved, shedding light on one of the state’s most notorious mass killings.
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The events unfolded on 23rd September 1983, when five individuals were abducted from a KFC restaurant in Kilgore during a robbery. Victims Opie Hughes, 39, Mary Tyler, 37, Joey Johnson, 20, David Maxwell, 20, and Monty Landers, 19, were taken from the restaurant and subsequently found shot dead at a remote oil field in Rusk County. Investigators revealed that the victims had been executed with gunshot wounds to the back of the head, while Hughes was also sexually assaulted. Approximately £1,600 was reported stolen from the establishment.
In the years that followed, two men, Romeo Pinkerton and Darnell Hartsfield, were convicted of the murders, following the collection of DNA evidence linked to them in 2007 and 2008. Despite this, an additional DNA profile extracted from Hughes’ clothing remained linked to an unidentified third individual, leaving investigators puzzled for decades.
The breakthrough came in November 2025, when authorities identified the final alleged perpetrator, Devan Riggs, through state-of-the-art DNA testing and forensic genealogy methods. Notably, Riggs had passed away over ten years prior to this revelation, meaning that no new arrests will be made in connection with the case, leading law enforcement to declare it officially closed.
The investigation into the KFC murders faced considerable challenges early in its trajectory. Rusk County District Attorney Micheal Jimerson recounted a significant misinterpretation of evidence surrounding the case, particularly during the autopsy process. A fingernail found at the scene was mistakenly believed to belong to a suspect when, in fact, it was a victim’s fingernail, which pushed the investigation down a lengthy and erroneous path. This led to prolonged suspicion surrounding Jimmy Earl Mankins Jr., who was later cleared through DNA tests; Mankins has since passed away.
Jimerson highlighted the critical role of advancements in DNA technology in rectifying early investigators’ assumptions. Former Assistant Texas Attorney General Lisa Tanner also remarked on how improved technology helped prevent a possible miscarriage of justice. She noted that by the mid-1990s, advances in DNA testing had already ruled out the fingernail theory as a pivotal piece of evidence linking suspects to the crime.
As forensic science evolved, DNA sampling techniques progressed significantly, leading to further breakthroughs as criminal DNA databases expanded in the early 2000s. However, the crucial third unidentified DNA sample uncovered during the investigation remained unsolved for many years. Tanner explained that authorities systematically excluded 231 potential suspects as they sought a connection to this lingering mystery.
In 2023, the Texas Rangers revisited the evidence related to the case through a programme aimed at examining historical sexual assault kits. This led to Hughes’ clothing being sent for advanced DNA testing and genealogy analysis in 2024. Eventually, investigators narrowed the suspect list to three deceased brothers, culminating in the identification of Devan Riggs as the source.
Following the identification, investigators alleged that Riggs not only participated in the murders but was also responsible for the sexual assault of Hughes. Additionally, during a separate investigation shortly after the murders, authorities noted that stolen property had been recovered, alongside a confession from Riggs’ brother regarding their involvement in the crimes.
Though the KFC murders trial will not resurrect to seek justice for the victims, the recent developments have provided a much-needed resolution to a case steeped in sorrow and unanswered questions for more than four decades. Tanner concluded by stating that while further trials would not occur to deliberate over these heinous acts, the identification of Riggs allows a measure of peace for the families affected by this tragedy.