McDonald's Employees Helped Catch Facebook Killer With Deliberately Slow Service

Stephens stopped at a McDonald's drive-thru and ordered 20 Chicken McNuggets and large fries for $5.35, the restaurant's manager, Henry Sayers, told The New York Times.

A female employee recognized Stephens when he came up to the window, then she confirmed with other workers that it was him, according to police and Tom DuCharme, who owns that McDonald's franchise.

The employee took Stephens' money and waited for him to drive up to the next window before calling the police, DuCharme said. Although workers tried to stall Stephens by giving him his chicken nuggets but holding up his order of fries, he didn't wait.

"He just took his nuggets and said, 'I have to go,' and he drove off," Sayers told The Times. He said Stephens didn't speed away from the restaurant but drove at a normal speed.

...By the time Stephens left the restaurant and turned onto Buffalo Road, where police say he ultimately killed himself, police were right behind him, DuCharme said.

When police tracked down Stephens' car, they pursued him while trying to get him to pull over. Law-enforcement officials said the chase did not go over 50 mph.

A state trooper eventually forced Stephens to stop by using what police call the PIT maneuver, in which a pursuing car can force a fleeing vehicle to suddenly turn, causing the driver to lose control and stop.

As officers approached his car, Stephens shot himself, Pennsylvania state police said on Tuesday on Twitter and at a news conference.