SPEEDWAY, Ind. — The site of a former fast food restaurant in Speedway, Indiana, linked to the unsolved murders of four young people in 1978, is set to be demolished in the coming weeks. The building, which was most recently a pawn shop, is expected to make way for a dental office, according to town officials.
The site was once a Burger Chef where four workers were abducted in 1978. The bodies of Jayne Friedt, 20; Daniel Davis, 16; Mark Flemmonds, 16; and Ruth Ellen Shelton, 18, were found a couple of days later in the next county. The murders have been unsolved for 45 years.
Former Speedway police officer Bill Jones, who was starting his career a year before the murders, stated, “People drive by and see the building and they’re always reminded of what happened here.” The building, located near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, has seen various businesses come and go, never catching on for more than a couple of months.
The demolition of the building will mark the end of a long-standing reminder of the tragic event. Burger Chef was a fast-food chain that used to have locations across the country. The hope is that the new development will bring a fresh start to the area and provide closure for the community.