Every officer has a case that haunts them, and for Officer Lane Keener, the chilling 1994 Popeyes murders in Gadsden stand out with harrowing clarity. With gripping emotion, Keener recounts the emergency call that accelerated into a high-speed race against the unknown, and the dire moments that followed as they breached the crime scene—a stark tableau of violence that even time can't erase. His story isn't just one of a crime; it's an intimate look at the weight carried by those who wear the badge, revealing the emotional toll extracted from the men and women behind the sirens and flashing lights.
The reverberations of tragedy don't end when the crime scene tape comes down, and this truth is echoed in the heart-wrenching narrative of a medic commander grappling with personal loss in the line of duty. Our guest, a seasoned crisis manager, offers a rare moment of solace and closure within the chaos, shedding light on the unspoken aftermath that law enforcement and first responders endure. As we navigate the delicate interplay between duty and humanity, the episode promises a candid and powerful journey into the challenges, unseen scars, and profound resilience of those who confront darkness to bring us safety and justice.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Joseph Cramer (00:00):
Today I'm here with Gadsden Officer Lane Keener
, who was one of the respondingofficers to the 1994 Popeyes
murders.
Sir, can you remember where youwere when the dispatch call
came through and how quickly youarrived on scene?
Officer, Lane Keener (00:12):
Yeah, I was working with a partner,
Billy Vassar, at the time.
We were CLP officerscommunity-oriented police
working housing.
We were on West.
Megan in the general area ofWest Meagan in Kasdan.
I remember the radio callcoming in, the shots fired,
(00:34):
possible robbery, and as moreinformation came in I realized
how serious the call was and Ivividly remember getting the
call and each time it would comeout there were more victims.
(00:55):
When you saw something terribleit happened at that time Going
from West Megan to East Megan,in total it was probably 15
blocks but it felt like it tookforever to get there.
Joseph Cramer (01:11):
Who was the first one on the scene, self and
Officer Vassar, I can say wewere partners.
Officer, Lane Keener (01:14):
Wayne Sims , Officer Wayne Sims and Officer
Wayne Ammons, I know for sure,were the first four on the scene
.
Joseph Cramer (01:23):
The building was locked when we got there Best I
can remember, I think we had aforced entry into it, if I
remember right.
Officer, Lane Keener (01:29):
I think Officer Sims actually went
through the drive-thru window toget in and let us in, if I
remember correctly.
Joseph Cramer (01:38):
After talking with Officer Randy Phillips last
week, his first memory was thatof Tamika Collins' purse being
on top of the counter.
Do you have any distinctivememories first going into the
crime scene?
Officer, Lane Keener (01:49):
Yeah, there's several distinctive
memories Going in it may soundsilly, but I guess, like him
sitting in the purse, layingthere, something that I don't
know.
It may sound silly, but when Iwent in I had a shotgun and I
(02:19):
was covering Officer Sims and, Ithink, officer Vassar as they
made their way around thecounter.
So I went towards the end ofthe counter so I could see
towards the back cooking areaand I remember looking over all
the leftover chicken the chickenthat was laying in the heat pan
, whatever you call it over thebarrel of my shotgun, and that
was.
That's a memory that's exitedmy mind, memory that's exited my
(02:48):
mind.
I remember coming around thecorner after that they made
entry that far.
I remember coming around thefront counter and getting around
to the back, past the chicken,and seeing Brian Archer laying
in the little office area in thelittle office area.
That was that.
And then going to the actualKiddler where all the employees
(03:12):
were and the amount of bloodthat was on the floor and the
smell.
Those are things that justreally stick out in my head.
Joseph Cramer (03:24):
Can you?
Officer, Lane Keener (03:24):
describe that smell it was.
It was a mix, obviously, offried chicken and batter and the
distinct smell of blood.
It's kind of an irony smell.
(03:50):
I guess if you smell largeamounts of blood when you catch
yourself bleeding or somethinglike that, you don't really
smell blood, but if there'slarge amounts of it it has a
distinct odor.
But with the large amounts ofit it has a distinct odor.
I remember that odor beingmixed in with the fried chicken
(04:13):
and batter and grease and allthe normal stuff that was in the
restaurant at that time.
Joseph Cramer (04:17):
In the video from YouTube we see that you guys
went in with guns drawn At thattime.
Did you guys feel an immediatesense of danger or was this part
of your training?
Officer, Lane Keener (04:25):
I felt an immediate sense of danger when
the call came out.
If you don't feel the danger,you need to find a different
line of work and say it for you.
Your mind is not the rightplace.
Every call we give on to you,your senses are on high alert.
That's even more so because ofthe nature of the radio traffic,
(04:47):
and I remember the tone in thedispatcher's voice was different
.
Tell this wasn't just a run ofthe mill call, so to speak.
Joseph Cramer (05:00):
You guys were really young in your careers.
Would you say that this was theworst crime scene you had come
across at that time?
Officer, Lane Keener (05:06):
It's probably the worst crime scene.
Definitely that time.
Yes, I got hired in 94 whenthis happened in 94.
Probably the pop top I'm aboutthe top two or three, of course
crowd slings.
(05:26):
One or two crowd slings thatI've ever seen, either one or
two.
I'll break it right there.
Joseph Cramer (05:34):
There were two men involved in this shooting.
I read that they had beenpulled over earlier in the
evening.
Were you one of the officersthat had pulled them over?
Officer, Lane Keener (05:44):
No, After the incident I don't remember
the exact time of event becauseonce it happened we were there
securing the crime scene,processing and helping
detectives and all that goeswith that Suspects had made
their way to Rainbow City.
(06:05):
I think Rainbow Cityapprehended a one or both of
them, I don't remember if thedetectives interviewed them
immediately that night, or if itwas the next day.
Joseph Cramer (06:32):
I wasn't involved in that process I only had
these few questions for today.
If you wouldn't mind, could youkind of sum up your own words
through and through?
Tell me your full experiencefrom the details of that night.
Officer, Lane Keener (06:43):
It like I told you before the interview so
long ago, a lot of details haveleft me, but small things, like
I told you earlier about thesmells and all that still stick
out.
Just kind of summary in anutshell what happened, how I
was involved that night.
I was working COP, communityoriented police.
(07:08):
We was on West Megan, myselfand my partner Billy Vassar.
He was driving.
We received a radio call aboutshots fired, possible robbery at
Popeyes and East Megan.
We start heading that wayimmediately.
Cops kept coming in.
There were victims.
When the cops come in therewere multiple victims.
(07:29):
We could tell that it was goingto be a bad scene.
Showed up on the scene.
Myself and Officer Sims andOfficer Hammonds Officer Vassar,
of course, were first ones onthe scene.
We set up a perimeter to securethe building.
Uh, made entry to the building,walked in.
(07:52):
Uh, once we got in saw brian inthe little office there shot
five times, what I remember,with 45 automatic.
Miracle he he was able thatnight cause he was still able
after being shot five times.
He still kept his calm.
He never panicked.
(08:13):
He talked to dispatch, gavesuspects names, descriptions.
He was able to pass oninformation to dispatcher till
we could get there.
Dispatch passed it on to us.
Obviously I remember Billygoing, officer Vassar going and
talking to Bright and trying tokeep him calm and trying to
(08:38):
reassure him that you know we'rethere, help's there, betch will
be there shortly.
I remember how stoic he stayedthe whole thing.
I don't know if it was, I don'tknow.
Joseph Cramer (08:49):
I've talked to him a few times since then.
Officer, Lane Keener (08:53):
Went and visited him in the hospital
several times, I think it might.
I think partly it's hispersonality and a lot of it may
have been shock what happened tohim, but he's able to stay so
calm throughout the whole ordeal.
We finished clearing the restof the restaurant Once we got
(09:17):
into the kitchen there was bloodon the floor.
It was thick, fresh bloodrunning onto the cold floor of
the restaurant and it startedcoagulating pretty quick and it
was slippery, sticky.
Made our way to the cooler andsaw those bodies laid in the.
(09:41):
Found out later on when one ofthe medics showed up on scene he
said he thought his nephew wasin there and he gave his name
Darryl Collier.
When I was friends with Darrylwe went to school Disney Middle
(10:01):
School together.
He went on to go to Southside.
I went to Gaston High.
I found out that was one ofthem in the cooler.
Obviously it hit home.
Found out one of the girls waspregnant later on down the line.
But to see the victims layingin that cooler stacked, stacked
(10:24):
like sides of beef, you know Ihate to say how cold, but just
how cold and just inhumane theshooters had treated them people
and we were having to securethe crime scene standing there
(10:53):
Once we clear a scene, victimsare checked, medical aid
rendered, then there's a lot ofprocessing of the crime scene.
That scene has to be secured tomake sure that it's not
contaminated.
I was one of the officers thatstood there in the back of the
kitchen to make sure it wassecured.
(11:17):
After the initial response thatwas another thing that stuck
out in my mind is standing thereAt one point.
I was in that restaurant bymyself standing in the blood and
again the smells and thedeafening quiet and processing
(11:43):
what had happened.
You know that's something elsethat never leaves you.
You know that's something elsethat never leaves you.
I guess the hardest thing thatnight was Butch.
He was a commander I believe hewas a commander at the time
(12:04):
medics.
I'd known him just about all mylife because he worked with my
dad and my granddad.
They were both gas andfirefighters.
So I'd known Butch a all mylife because he worked with my
dad and my granddad that wereboth gas and firefighters.
So I'd known Butch a long, long, long time.
Well, he came in and that's howI found out it was Darrell and
the cooler.
Butch came in and my job is totalk that anybody back.
(12:26):
And Butch looked me in the eyeand said I think my nephew's in
there.
And what do you say to that?
Well, I guess I'll prove it toy'all, all my training and
everything.
But I was, you know, I let him.
I let him pass.
Of course he didn't disturb thecrime scene or anything, but I
guess to give him closure, hejust wanted to check and I
(12:49):
wasn't going to tell him closure.
He just wanted to check and Iwasn't going to tell him no.
So he left he processed the restof Crown City and then I heard
that suspect was afraid he wasarrested in Rainbow City.
The rest of that was pretty mucha blur.
I don't really remember.
(13:10):
It was so busy and so chaoticafter that.
Up until that, when you'reresponding to a scene, you're
extremely focused, especiallysomething that this series.
You're extremely focused onwhat you're doing and things are
clear and things obviously siton your mind later that you
(13:39):
don't ever forget.
But once you get through themain focus of obtaining your
task and hoping to save lives,and then the other things start
happening.
Other officers get involved,detectives and crime scene
specialists and all that,everything kind of goes a little
chaotic.
(13:59):
Details start to run together.
Then, like I said, I guessthere's two crime scenes that
really, really, really stand outin my head.
Obviously, there's 32 years ofcrowd scenes in my head, but
this one and one other two ofthe main ones that might be a
(14:20):
topic for you later.
What was?
that I will talk about thatlater it was not good and I know
that's not a whole lot, but ithappened quick.
It was a horrible event.
I can't tell you how much myheart hurts for the families.
(14:43):
I know they'll never have thatclosure of watching their unborn
grandchild being raised, theirbrothers, sisters, daughters.
It's affected a lot of lives atnight.
(15:05):
I appreciate you.
Yeah, I'm glad to do it.
Today I'm here with Gadsden Officer Lane Keener
, who was one of the respondingofficers to the 1994 Popeyes
murders.
Sir, can you remember where youwere when the dispatch call
came through and how quickly youarrived on scene?
Officer, Lane Keener (00:12):
Yeah, I was working with a partner,
Billy Vassar, at the time.
We were CLP officerscommunity-oriented police
working housing.
We were on West.
Megan in the general area ofWest Meagan in Kasdan.
I remember the radio callcoming in, the shots fired,
(00:34):
possible robbery, and as moreinformation came in I realized
how serious the call was and Ivividly remember getting the
call and each time it would comeout there were more victims.
(00:55):
When you saw something terribleit happened at that time Going
from West Megan to East Megan,in total it was probably 15
blocks but it felt like it tookforever to get there.
Joseph Cramer (01:11):
Who was the first one on the scene, self and
Officer Vassar, I can say wewere partners.
Officer, Lane Keener (01:14):
Wayne Sims , Officer Wayne Sims and Officer
Wayne Ammons, I know for sure,were the first four on the scene
.
Joseph Cramer (01:23):
The building was locked when we got there Best I
can remember, I think we had aforced entry into it, if I
remember right.
Officer, Lane Keener (01:29):
I think Officer Sims actually went
through the drive-thru window toget in and let us in, if I
remember correctly.
Joseph Cramer (01:38):
After talking with Officer Randy Phillips last
week, his first memory was thatof Tamika Collins' purse being
on top of the counter.
Do you have any distinctivememories first going into the
crime scene?
Officer, Lane Keener (01:49):
Yeah, there's several distinctive
memories Going in it may soundsilly, but I guess, like him
sitting in the purse, layingthere, something that I don't
know.
It may sound silly, but when Iwent in I had a shotgun and I
(02:19):
was covering Officer Sims and, Ithink, officer Vassar as they
made their way around thecounter.
So I went towards the end ofthe counter so I could see
towards the back cooking areaand I remember looking over all
the leftover chicken the chickenthat was laying in the heat pan
, whatever you call it over thebarrel of my shotgun, and that
was.
That's a memory that's exitedmy mind, memory that's exited my
(02:48):
mind.
I remember coming around thecorner after that they made
entry that far.
I remember coming around thefront counter and getting around
to the back, past the chicken,and seeing Brian Archer laying
in the little office area in thelittle office area.
That was that.
And then going to the actualKiddler where all the employees
(03:12):
were and the amount of bloodthat was on the floor and the
smell.
Those are things that justreally stick out in my head.
Joseph Cramer (03:24):
Can you?
Officer, Lane Keener (03:24):
describe that smell it was.
It was a mix, obviously, offried chicken and batter and the
distinct smell of blood.
It's kind of an irony smell.
(03:50):
I guess if you smell largeamounts of blood when you catch
yourself bleeding or somethinglike that, you don't really
smell blood, but if there'slarge amounts of it it has a
distinct odor.
But with the large amounts ofit it has a distinct odor.
I remember that odor beingmixed in with the fried chicken
(04:13):
and batter and grease and allthe normal stuff that was in the
restaurant at that time.
Joseph Cramer (04:17):
In the video from YouTube we see that you guys
went in with guns drawn At thattime.
Did you guys feel an immediatesense of danger or was this part
of your training?
Officer, Lane Keener (04:25):
I felt an immediate sense of danger when
the call came out.
If you don't feel the danger,you need to find a different
line of work and say it for you.
Your mind is not the rightplace.
Every call we give on to you,your senses are on high alert.
That's even more so because ofthe nature of the radio traffic,
(04:47):
and I remember the tone in thedispatcher's voice was different
.
Tell this wasn't just a run ofthe mill call, so to speak.
Joseph Cramer (05:00):
You guys were really young in your careers.
Would you say that this was theworst crime scene you had come
across at that time?
Officer, Lane Keener (05:06):
It's probably the worst crime scene.
Definitely that time.
Yes, I got hired in 94 whenthis happened in 94.
Probably the pop top I'm aboutthe top two or three, of course
crowd slings.
(05:26):
One or two crowd slings thatI've ever seen, either one or
two.
I'll break it right there.
Joseph Cramer (05:34):
There were two men involved in this shooting.
I read that they had beenpulled over earlier in the
evening.
Were you one of the officersthat had pulled them over?
Officer, Lane Keener (05:44):
No, After the incident I don't remember
the exact time of event becauseonce it happened we were there
securing the crime scene,processing and helping
detectives and all that goeswith that Suspects had made
their way to Rainbow City.
(06:05):
I think Rainbow Cityapprehended a one or both of
them, I don't remember if thedetectives interviewed them
immediately that night, or if itwas the next day.
Joseph Cramer (06:32):
I wasn't involved in that process I only had
these few questions for today.
If you wouldn't mind, could youkind of sum up your own words
through and through?
Tell me your full experiencefrom the details of that night.
Officer, Lane Keener (06:43):
It like I told you before the interview so
long ago, a lot of details haveleft me, but small things, like
I told you earlier about thesmells and all that still stick
out.
Just kind of summary in anutshell what happened, how I
was involved that night.
I was working COP, communityoriented police.
(07:08):
We was on West Megan, myselfand my partner Billy Vassar.
He was driving.
We received a radio call aboutshots fired, possible robbery at
Popeyes and East Megan.
We start heading that wayimmediately.
Cops kept coming in.
There were victims.
When the cops come in therewere multiple victims.
(07:29):
We could tell that it was goingto be a bad scene.
Showed up on the scene.
Myself and Officer Sims andOfficer Hammonds Officer Vassar,
of course, were first ones onthe scene.
We set up a perimeter to securethe building.
Uh, made entry to the building,walked in.
(07:52):
Uh, once we got in saw brian inthe little office there shot
five times, what I remember,with 45 automatic.
Miracle he he was able thatnight cause he was still able
after being shot five times.
He still kept his calm.
He never panicked.
(08:13):
He talked to dispatch, gavesuspects names, descriptions.
He was able to pass oninformation to dispatcher till
we could get there.
Dispatch passed it on to us.
Obviously I remember Billygoing, officer Vassar going and
talking to Bright and trying tokeep him calm and trying to
(08:38):
reassure him that you know we'rethere, help's there, betch will
be there shortly.
I remember how stoic he stayedthe whole thing.
I don't know if it was, I don'tknow.
Joseph Cramer (08:49):
I've talked to him a few times since then.
Officer, Lane Keener (08:53):
Went and visited him in the hospital
several times, I think it might.
I think partly it's hispersonality and a lot of it may
have been shock what happened tohim, but he's able to stay so
calm throughout the whole ordeal.
We finished clearing the restof the restaurant Once we got
(09:17):
into the kitchen there was bloodon the floor.
It was thick, fresh bloodrunning onto the cold floor of
the restaurant and it startedcoagulating pretty quick and it
was slippery, sticky.
Made our way to the cooler andsaw those bodies laid in the.
(09:41):
Found out later on when one ofthe medics showed up on scene he
said he thought his nephew wasin there and he gave his name
Darryl Collier.
When I was friends with Darrylwe went to school Disney Middle
(10:01):
School together.
He went on to go to Southside.
I went to Gaston High.
I found out that was one ofthem in the cooler.
Obviously it hit home.
Found out one of the girls waspregnant later on down the line.
But to see the victims layingin that cooler stacked, stacked
(10:24):
like sides of beef, you know Ihate to say how cold, but just
how cold and just inhumane theshooters had treated them people
and we were having to securethe crime scene standing there
(10:53):
Once we clear a scene, victimsare checked, medical aid
rendered, then there's a lot ofprocessing of the crime scene.
That scene has to be secured tomake sure that it's not
contaminated.
I was one of the officers thatstood there in the back of the
kitchen to make sure it wassecured.
(11:17):
After the initial response thatwas another thing that stuck
out in my mind is standing thereAt one point.
I was in that restaurant bymyself standing in the blood and
again the smells and thedeafening quiet and processing
(11:43):
what had happened.
You know that's something elsethat never leaves you.
You know that's something elsethat never leaves you.
I guess the hardest thing thatnight was Butch.
He was a commander I believe hewas a commander at the time
(12:04):
medics.
I'd known him just about all mylife because he worked with my
dad and my granddad.
They were both gas andfirefighters.
So I'd known Butch a all mylife because he worked with my
dad and my granddad that wereboth gas and firefighters.
So I'd known Butch a long, long, long time.
Well, he came in and that's howI found out it was Darrell and
the cooler.
Butch came in and my job is totalk that anybody back.
(12:26):
And Butch looked me in the eyeand said I think my nephew's in
there.
And what do you say to that?
Well, I guess I'll prove it toy'all, all my training and
everything.
But I was, you know, I let him.
I let him pass.
Of course he didn't disturb thecrime scene or anything, but I
guess to give him closure, hejust wanted to check and I
(12:49):
wasn't going to tell him closure.
He just wanted to check and Iwasn't going to tell him no.
So he left he processed the restof Crown City and then I heard
that suspect was afraid he wasarrested in Rainbow City.
The rest of that was pretty mucha blur.
I don't really remember.
(13:10):
It was so busy and so chaoticafter that.
Up until that, when you'reresponding to a scene, you're
extremely focused, especiallysomething that this series.
You're extremely focused onwhat you're doing and things are
clear and things obviously siton your mind later that you
(13:39):
don't ever forget.
But once you get through themain focus of obtaining your
task and hoping to save lives,and then the other things start
happening.
Other officers get involved,detectives and crime scene
specialists and all that,everything kind of goes a little
chaotic.
(13:59):
Details start to run together.
Then, like I said, I guessthere's two crime scenes that
really, really, really stand outin my head.
Obviously, there's 32 years ofcrowd scenes in my head, but
this one and one other two ofthe main ones that might be a
(14:20):
topic for you later.
What was?
that I will talk about thatlater it was not good and I know
that's not a whole lot, but ithappened quick.
It was a horrible event.
I can't tell you how much myheart hurts for the families.
(14:43):
I know they'll never have thatclosure of watching their unborn
grandchild being raised, theirbrothers, sisters, daughters.
It's affected a lot of lives atnight.
(15:05):
I appreciate you.
Yeah, I'm glad to do it.
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