SPEEDWAY, Ind. – The former site of a Burger Chef restaurant, where a notorious unsolved crime took place in 1978, is set to be demolished and replaced with a dental office, town officials announced.
The building, located a short distance from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was where four young workers were abducted and found slain two days later in a field a county away. Over the years, the building has housed several businesses, including a pawn shop that closed in 2016.
The decision to demolish the building comes after years of unsuccessful attempts to revitalize the site, according to Speedway Town Council President Vince Noblet. The fate of the building has been a constant reminder of the tragic events that unfolded there over four decades ago.
In November 1978, the abduction and murder of the Burger Chef employees shocked the community. The assistant manager, Jayne Friedt, was stabbed, while three other workers, Daniel Davis, Ruth Shelton, and Mark Flemmonds, were also found dead. The heinous crime has remained unsolved, leaving a lasting impact on the local community.
The Burger Chef chain, once popular across the U.S., has since become defunct. The decision to demolish the former restaurant building marks the end of a chapter in Speedway’s history, as the town looks towards a new future with a dental office taking its place.
The new dental office will stand as a symbol of hope and progress, representing a fresh start for the location that holds a dark past. This redevelopment project signifies the town’s resilience and determination to move forward from the tragic events that occurred at the former Burger Chef building.