Joey Johnson, a 20-year-old male, was one of the victims in the tragic incident known as the Kentucky Fried Chicken murders that took place in Kilgore, Texas, on September 23, 1983. On that fateful evening, armed robbers held up the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Kilgore just before closing time. The five individuals present in the restaurant, including Joey Johnson, were abducted and taken to a nearby field on County Road 232.
There, they were executed with a shot to the back of the head. Joey Johnson, along with David Maxwell , Monty Landers , Mary Tyler , and Opie Hughes , were the unfortunate victims of this heinous crime.
The case remained unsolved for over two decades, despite several arrests and investigations. The discovery of a torn fingernail on one of the bodies initially led to the arrest and charging of James Earl Mankins Jr., a man with prior drug convictions and the son of a state representative. However, DNA analysis later concluded that the fingernail did not belong to Mankins, and he was released after the beginning of pre-trial proceedings.
In November 2005, two men, cousins Darnell Hartsfield and Romeo Pinkerton, who were already in prison for other crimes, were arrested and charged with the murders. At the time of their arrest, Hartsfield was serving a life sentence for aggravated perjury in connection with the case. Both men were charged with capital murder and faced the possibility of the death penalty if convicted. In 2007, Romeo Pinkerton pleaded guilty to five lesser counts of murder as part of a plea deal and was sentenced to five concurrent life sentences. He is currently serving his sentence at the James V. Allred Unit in Wichita Falls. In 2008, Darnell Hartsfield was convicted at trial and sentenced to five consecutive life sentences. The Texas Sixth Court of Appeals upheld Hartsfield's conviction in 2010.
Despite the convictions of Hartsfield and Pinkerton, the search for a possible third perpetrator continues. DNA evidence taken from Opie Hughes' body indicated that she had been sexually assaulted, suggesting the involvement of another individual. The case remains a significant chapter in the history of Kilgore, Texas, and serves as a reminder of the relentless pursuit of justice for the victims and their families.
