Bio

Francis Donald Nemechek was born on June 29, 1950. He grew up in Kansas. Nemechek’s parents divorced when he was young, which affected him deeply. 

In 1972, he married Cindy, but their marriage ended in divorce just two years later. The couple had one son together. Nemechek had issues with visitation rights for his son, which caused him distress.

After his divorce, Nemechek was often seen working at various jobs, including at a welding shop. He spent his free time fishing and hunting coyotes. Friends and family noted that he became withdrawn and isolated following his divorce. He struggled to connect with others and became increasingly troubled.

Murder Story

On December 13, 1974, Francis Nemechek shot out a tire of a car traveling on Interstate Highway 70. He then abducted the car's occupants, two women and a small boy. Nemechek shot and killed the women and left the boy, who wandered away from the scene and froze to death.

On June 30, 1976, Nemechek abducted a 20-year-old woman from Hays who was riding a bicycle. He took her to a secluded area and killed her.

On August 21, 1976, he targeted a 16-year-old girl while she was at work as a rangerette at Cedar Bluff Reservoir. Nemechek abducted her and stabbed her to death.

Nemechek was arrested and later confessed to the murders. In February 1977, he was found guilty of first-degree murder for all five victims. He received a sentence of five life terms in prison. Nemechek’s attempts at parole have been repeatedly denied, and he is currently held at Lansing Correctional Facility.