Source: Wikipedia

The Sydney River McDonald's Murders occurred on May 7, 1992, at the McDonald's restaurant in Sydney River, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Derek Wood, 19, an employee of the restaurant along with two friends, Freeman MacNeil, 23, and Darren Muise, 18, broke into the restaurant after closing, planning to rob the establishment. They shot, stabbed, and beat three employees to death and left a fourth to die after shooting her in the head. She is now permanently disabled. The victims were:

• Jimmy Fagan, 27
• Donna Warren, 22
• Neil Burroughs Jr., 29
• Arlene Macneil, 20 (permanently disabled)

The killers claim they had not planned on using any violence in the break and enter; it was to be quick and easy money. Yet MacNeil, Muise, and Wood inched their way into the restaurant via a basement door Wood had left ajar earlier in the evening and wore halloween masks. They were armed with a .22 caliber pistol, several knives, and a shovel handle. Expecting to find over $200,000 in the restaurant's safe, the three made off with just over $2,000.

Freeman MacNeil is now in a maximum-security prison in Renous, New Brunswick, sentenced to 25 years before parole eligibility. Darren Muise received 20 years before parole eligibility. Derek Wood was given two terms of life imprisonment for first degree murder and attempted murder, as well as two ten year terms for unlawful confinement and the armed robbery. Wood will be eligible for parole after serving 25 years.

In March, 2007 it was reported that Muise has been working outside his minimum security prison facility in Laval, Quebec. A spokeswoman with Correctional Service of Canada was unable to comment on Muise's case because of confidentiality limitations.

The Sydney River McDonald's murders were one of the highest profile murder cases in Canada as well as the first fast-food murders in the country. The restaurant re-opened two weeks after the killings but was demolished under new ownership in 1999. A new building was constructed a few blocks from the former location down King's Road towards the city of Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Darren Muise is said to have invested an inheritance heavily in the tech industry during the mid to late 90s generating millions of dollars profits from stocks such as BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (NAS: RIMM). As noted by Phonse Jessom in his book "Murder at McDonalds" Muise had planned to work with computers before his 1992 arrest stating them to be the "way of the future". He'll be released in 2012.

Added: April 18, 2007