Overview of Mark Flemmonds
Mark Sylvester Flemmonds was born on December 31, 1961. He is described as funny and friendly. At the time of his death, he was attending Speedway Indiana High School and was a member of his high school band.
Mark and his family were one of few African-American families living in the area. His parents were Jehova’s Witnesses and according to a friend living in the same apartment complex, Mark and his siblings rarely ventured outside the Big Eagle Apartments in their free time. He was also not allowed to attend the popular dance club for teenagers known as “The Galaxy,” located across the street from the Burger Chef. On the night of his abduction, Mark planned to walk home after his shift with a friend, Kirk Thompson, who was spending time at The Galaxy.
Thompson walked to the Burger Chef to meet Mark at about midnight. Mark was not originally scheduled to work on November 17, 1978, but agreed to fill in for fellow employee Ginger Anderson. Thompson noticed there were still cars in the parking lot, the back door was open, but he didn’t see or hear anyone. He walked home alone.
Mark and three other Burger Chef employees were abducted from the restaurant that evening after closing. The bodies of all four were found in a wooded area in Johnson County, Indiana on November 19, 1978. Danny Davis and Ruth Shelton were shot to death. Their manager, Jayne Friedt, was stabbed to death. Mark Flemmonds died as a result of blunt force trauma and asphyxiation.
In the 1978-79 Speedway High School yearbook, a classmate of Mark Flemmonds remembered his “smiling face” and “laughing eyes,” the jokes he told, and how he cheered others.
Mark Flemmonds was 16 years old at the time of his death.