David Fryer was born in 1949 and grew up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as the middle brother among three—older brother Allen and younger brother James. There’s limited public information about his early life, but based on courtroom assessments and trial testimony, David was viewed as somewhat passive and susceptible to influence, especially from Allen, who was seen as the ringleader of the trio.

At the time of the murders, David was 24 years old and unemployed, living in relative obscurity with little direction. He appeared to follow Allen’s lead during the events leading up to and during the massacre at Gitchie Manitou State Preserve. Despite not being the youngest of the group, David often deferred to Allen, particularly during the planning and execution of the attack.

David’s statements after his arrest suggested a man who may have been troubled by guilt, though not enough to stop his involvement. His later courtroom remarks expressed regret, and he acknowledged that his imprisonment could not undo the horror of the crimes.

On November 17, 1973, David Fryer joined his brothers, Allen and James, on what began as a supposed drug theft mission at Gitchie Manitou State Preserve in Iowa. The brothers spotted a group of five teenagers from Sioux Falls, South Dakota—Roger Essem, Stewart Baade, Dana Baade, Michael Hadrath, and Sandra Cheskey—gathered around a campfire. Assuming the teens were smoking marijuana, the Fryers retrieved shotguns and planned to rob them.

From a ridge above the teenagers, the Fryers opened fire. Roger Essem was killed instantly. Stewart Baade was wounded. The other three teens fled into the woods. Allen posed as a police officer to get Michael Hadrath and Sandra Cheskey to surrender. Hadrath was shot in the arm. David helped march Hadrath, Sandra, and Dana Baade away from the site while James fetched their pickup truck. Cheskey was tied and loaded into the truck. Allen drove her away under the guise of being a cop. Afterward, David and James executed the wounded Stewart and the others by shotgun.

David’s role was central—he helped corral the victims and participated directly in the executions. According to testimony, he personally shot Stewart Baade, who had already been gravely wounded. After the murders, David returned to the abandoned farmhouse where Sandra Cheskey was being held and was involved in the logistics of holding her captive.

The next day, the bodies were discovered by visitors to the park. Sandra Cheskey survived and described the events in disturbing detail. Though initially met with skepticism due to her calm demeanor, she passed a polygraph and helped police locate the farmhouse. A red fuel tank and a brown pickup truck led authorities to Allen Fryer’s employer’s property. On November 29, 1973, David Fryer was arrested alongside his brothers.

David initially gave a false account, blaming the teens for initiating the violence. But like Allen, he eventually confessed. On February 12, 1974, David pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and one count of manslaughter. He admitted to killing Stewart Baade and expressed remorse, saying he would rather be executed than spend life in prison. "If all my appeals fail, I’ll actually write the governor and ask for the death penalty," he stated in court.

He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He later appealed the conviction, arguing that he hadn’t been given access to all of Sandra Cheskey’s statements before trial. The Iowa Supreme Court ordered a rehearing, which ultimately upheld his conviction.

David was moved to Fort Dodge Correctional Facility, where he remains incarcerated to this day. In 2016, he asked the parole board to commute his sentence to allow the possibility of parole. The request was denied, largely due to emotional testimony from Sandra Cheskey and Lynette Hadrath, sister of one of the victims.