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Paul Dennis Reid

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Paul Dennis Reid a.k.a. The Fast Food Killer is an American serial killer, abductor, robber convicted and sentenced to death for a series of massacres at multiple public eateries across Tennessee in 1997.

History[]

Reid was born in Richland Hill, Texas, Reid was imprisoned in 1983 for an armed robbery of a steakhouse in Houston. He moved to Nashville to make a career in country music, rooming with Brian Fozzard in a boarding house.

Throughout the early months of 1997, Reid went on a robbery-homicide spree at various eateries throughout the Montgomery County area of Tennessee. On February 16, he went into a Captain D's in Donelson, lying he was looking for a job. After dropping the ruse, he manager Steve Hampton and Sarah Jackson into a cooler and shot them dead before raiding the cash register. Reid used the spoils to pay for his car. On March 23, Reid took employees at a McDonald's in Hermitage hostage at gunpoint and forced them into the store room. He shot Andrea Brown, Ronald Santiago, and Robert A. Sewell, but his gum jammed when he tried to kill José Gonzalez. When Gonzalez fought for his life, Reid stabbed him 17 times. Gonzalez narrowly survived and pretended to be dead long enough to, after Reid fled with the money in the cash registers, call for emergency response.

On April 23, Reid abducted Angela Holmes and Michele Mace from a Baskin Robbins in Clarkesville. He cut their throats at Dunbar Cave State Park. Reid attempted to abduct his former manager at Shoney's, Mitch Roberts, but was arrested after Roberts resisted Reid's attempts to force him into handcuffs. The juries for Reid's trial were brought from East and West Tennessee to avoid jury bias. Evidence against Reid included his prints on Steve Hampton's IDs, biological traces from the victims in Reid's car and blood on his shoes, gas purchases near the crime scenes, and witnesses placing his vehicle near the crime scenes. Reid was found guilty and sentenced to death for seven count of first-degree murder. He demonstrated paranoia and believed government conspiracies were rigging his trials, and he was indecisive on his motions to appeal his death sentence and waive his appeals. His family and anti-death penalty activists argued Reid was special needs and couldn't make the decisions for himself. His multiple scheduled executions were stayed and rescheduled over the course of years.

Reid is suspected of other killings, including the murders of three bowling center employees in Houston, Texas in 1980, and the murder of Charles Theot, Jr., in 1997 at another Shoney's. He died at Nashville General Hospital from complications of pneumonia and heart and respiratory failure on November 1, 2013, eleven days before he would turn 56.

Modus Operandi[]

Reid targeted public restaurant chains for the purpose of robbery, killing the employees to not leave witnesses behind. Reid usually attacked when the locations were opening or closing so less victims would be around to for him to kill, fight, or worry about calling the police. Reid would gain entry with ruses he'd lie to the employees with, such as looking for a job at the restaurant. After forcing them all into a back room in the restaurant, such as a cooler or storage room, Reid would force them all to lie face down and shoot them all point-blank in their heads execution-style. At the McDonald's Reid robbed, José Gonzalez fought when Reid's gun jammed, so Reid stabbed him more than a dozen times during an altercation, which Gonzalez ultimately lived through. After this, Reid changed his M.O. to instead abducting victims, taking them out to public parks, and cutting their throats.

Known Victims[]

Confirmed[]

  • 1997, Tennessee:
    • February 16, Donelson, Nasville: The Captain D's robbery-murders (both shot in their heads execution-style)
      • Sarah Jackson, 16
      • Steve Hampton, 25
    • March 23, Hermitage, Nasvhille: The McDonald's robbery-murders (all shot in their heads execution-style)
      • Andrea Brown, 17
      • Ronald Santiago, 27
      • Robert A. Sewell
      • José Antonio Ramirez Gonzalez (attempted, but lived; shot at with a jammed gun, then stabbed 17 times)
    • April 23, Clarksville: The Baskin Robbins robbery-murders (abducted and slashed their throats)
      • Angela Holmes, 21
      • Michelle Mace, 16
    • June: Mitch Roberts (attempted to abduct; he escaped)

Suspected[]

  • July 13, 1980, Houston Texas: The Fair Lanes Windfern Bowling Center robbery-murders (shot in their heads execution-style; Max Stoffer was wrongfully convicted)
    • Tommy Temple
    • Arden Falsher
    • Steve Sims
    • Greg Garner (attempted, but barely survived; lost his eye)
  • January 1997: Charles Thoet, Jr (shot)

Note: Reid was also suspected of the Brown's Chicken Massacre, until other suspects were arrested and convicted.

On Criminal Minds[]

  • Season Eleven
    • "Tribute" - Reid is mentioned as a possible serial killer a copycat could've possibly imitated after returning to the United States for his spree.
  • Season Thirteen
    • "Outlaw" - While never directly mentioned in the franchise, Reid appears to be the inspiration for the episode's unsubs, The Outlaw Bikers - All are serial killers with previous criminal records, were active in Texas (though they were all also active in other states in the Southern U.S.), were motivated by robbery (though the Bikers were also motivated by rape), forced victims to comply with their demands at gunpoint, positioned them before shooting them (though Reid also slashed throats), and were stopped in standoffs with police.

Sources[]

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