No Motive, Suspect in Tenn. Slayings

S M Y R N A, Tenn., July 13, 2000 -- The motive behind the triple slaying at aCaptain D’s restaurant remained under investigation today aspolice questioned several possible suspects and witnesses.

“There is no particular suspect they are focusing on,” saidSgt. Scott Byers of the Smyrna Police Department. “They are peoplewho may know something or who may have seen something, or who werebrought to investigators’ attention.”

Police today also identified the third victim as BryanSpeight, 29, an assistant manager who recently moved to Nashvillefrom the Washington D.C.-area.

Dead Bodies Found in Cooler

Speight and manager Scott Myers, 42, of Memphis were found deadin the restaurant’s cooler Wednesday. Police discovered them afterfinding the body of another worker, Troy Snell, 18, in a car parkedbehind a Big Kmart discount store, a quarter-mile behindCaptain D’s.

Snell was found about 2:30 a.m. in the driver’s seat. Policewouldn’t discuss why he was in the car, the significance of wherehe was parked, or who placed the 911 call to report the body.

Autopsies completed today showed the men died from gunshotwounds, but Byers would not say where on the body or how many timesthe men were shot.

“That’s considered confidential information at this time,” hesaid.

No Clear Motive

Initially, police said the men were shot in an apparent robbery.Byers said robbery is still a possible motive, but others are underinvestigation.

“We are not ruling out anything or anyone,” he said.

Byers said the department has received about 100 calls frompeople offering potentially helpful information. Officers also setup a roadblock outside the restaurant Wednesday night to askmotorists if they recalled seeing anything unusual the previousnight. From that, investigators gained several leads.

But Byers said to his knowledge, there was no one who actuallywitnessed the killings.

Police also have interviewed current and former workers of theCaptain D’s and people who are acquaintances of store workers.

Snell’s mother, Billie Snell, said today that police hadgiven her no details as to what happened. She said the family hastentatively set a funeral for Monday.

“If it was a robbery and they gave them the money, why not justleave everyone alone? Why would someone do this?” she said.

Last Night in Management Training

Myers’ family said he was killed on his last night of managementtraining. The Smyrna restaurant was used by the company to trainmanagers from around the country. Myers was supposed to return hissuburban Memphis home this week.

“The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is working very hard onthe case and we are confident they will find the person or personsresponsible for this tragedy,” said Myers’ mother, who refused togive her first name. “Our greatest concern right now is thewelfare of Scott’s wife and children and that’s all we can sayright now.”

Speight did not have any close relatives, police said.

Mourning the Dead

Meanwhile, residents of Smyrna, a small community 20 milessoutheast of Nashville, placed roses and carnations on the lawn andshrubs outside the Captain D’s in memory of the workers.

A 4-foot white cross wrapped in white ribbon and decorated withwhite daisies was placed just outside the yellow police crime tapesurrounding the building, where a security guard was at the door.

“You just ask yourself why it happened to such good people,”said Heather Templeton, 15, who works at the Shoney’s restaurantnext door and went to high school with Snell.

She added that she had worked the closing shift in the past,“but I won’t now.” Her mother spoke to the Shoney’s managertoday and asked that her daughter not work later than 10 p.m.

Reminiscent of Another Killing Spree The scene was reminiscent of the Nashville Captain D’s wherePaul Dennis Reid, a fired Shoney’s cook, began his killing spree in1997.

In three months, Reid killed seven people in three fast-foodrestaurant robberies. Flowers and memorials were placed outside therestaurants as reminders and parents forbad their children to worknights.

Reid was eventually convicted and given death sentences for allseven murders.

Gina Jackson, whose 16-year-old daughter, Sarah, was one of twoCaptain D’s workers killed by Reid, said when she heard about theSmyrna killings, she felt “like it was happening all over again.”

“I can picture those families and the bewilderment in theireyes,” she said. “People think time takes care of it, but itdoesn’t.”

Betty Marshall, spokeswoman for Shoney’s Inc., parent company ofCaptain D’s, said the company hasn’t decided when or if to reopenthe restaurant.

She said the company is providing counseling for the victims’families, assistance with funeral arrangements and help with travelplans for out-of-town relatives. She said the company is consultingwith families about a joint memorial service, should they want one.

“Our thoughts and concerns are with the families,” she said.“We will do everything we can to help the families.”

She said security was upgraded at the company’s restaurantsafter the Reid slayings, but wouldn’t discuss specifics.