In 1992, Cynthia (Cindy) Albrecht was the executive chef for the Penske-Marlboro racing team responsible for the Penske hospitality tent. She was assistedd by her good friends Sandi Fink and Rebecca Miller, and two men Pete Twiddy and Glen Smith in the efforts. It was a big job. The Penske team had a three-car team, and a crew of about fifty. Add to that about two hundred and fifty sponsors, media, and special guests including celebrities such as George Harrison of The Beatles, the cast of 90210, Donald Trump, and Colonel Oliver North. The small group prepared and served all the meals throughout the Indy car season.

Cindy was pretty and vivacious with a love of life. She was separated from her husband, Michael Albrecht.  Known as “Crabby,” Michael was the chief mechanic for a competitor racing team with a reputation as a bully, abusive, and controlling. Al Unser, Jr had won the 1992 Indianapolis 500 for Team Penske. After the race, Michael was fired from his job. A talented mechanic, he soon got another job but for daily wages rather than being a full-time employee. He blamed Cindy for his misfortune.

After celebrating the end of the racing season in late October, Cindy returned to her apartment in Speedway, Indiana. The next day would be busy. She needed to return the remaining funds from the season to Team Penske and sign documents finalizing her divorce from Michael Albrecht. After her divorce, Cindy planned to move to Florida where she grew up and where Pete Twiddy lived.

Cindy, Sandi and Rebecca were supposed to get together to reconcile the final race expenses, but there was no word from Cindy. Pete Twiddy repeatedly called from Florida, Sandi and Rebecca called and there was no answer. Growing increasingly concerned, Sandi and Rebecca went over to her apartment. When they entered Cindy’s apartment, she was nowhere to be found and their fear grew. Being the off-season, people from various racing teams hunted for Cindy but she couldn’t be found. Police were brought in, but no progress was made. Michael was questioned but had an alibi.

Five weeks after her disappearance, a headless body was found by hunters in a field off I-65 which goes from Indianapolis to Chicago. There was little to identify the body. Fingerprints were no help as Cindy had never been arrested. The body did have some scars similar to those from operations Cindy had.  A PPG jacket was found in a ditch near the body but the missing comforter from her bedroom was not discovered. The identity of the body was uncovered when her fingerprints, taken after her death, matched those in her apartment.

As with all murders, the husband was a person of interest. Michael was picked up and questioned about his whereabouts when Cindy went missing. He was in Milwaukee with his ex-wife. Michael was supposed to have a polygraph test, but instead, went to Florida where his brother lived.

For five years, Cindy’s murder was unsolved. It was a cold case yet Sandi, Rebecca, and Pete, aided in their effort by Lt. Bill Jones of the Speedway Police Department, continued to push for a resolution. A new prosecutor was elected in Marion County (Indianapolis) who was very aggressive about solving murders. New life was breathed into the case when Lt. Jones learned that Deputy Prosecutor Larry Sells had previously won a conviction on circumstantial evidence. Lt. Jones contacted the Prosecutor’s office and turned over the evidence—enough to fill several banker boxes. Lt. Jones had been thorough in his investigation and Sells believed he had enough evidence to pursue a conviction. Included in the investigation were multiple statements made by others that Michael Albrecht had attempted to hire someone to harm Cindy. Michael had given conflicting statements about his whereabouts during the time of Cindy’s disappearance. His corroborating witnesses also gave conflicting statements. Everything pointed to Michael Albrecht being responsible for Cindy’s death.

For fans of true-life crime books and movies, Larry Sells was not only the prosecutor for the case but also a co-author of the book. It takes the reader into the courtroom for both the prosecution and defense presentations. During the trial, Michael’s long-time friend, William Filter, admitted he had lied about Michael’s alibi and stated that Michael told him he had murdered Cindy. Not surprisingly, despite the best efforts of the defense, Michael Albrecht was found guilty of the death of Cindy and was sentenced to sixty years in prison. This sensational murder was made into a television movie shown on the Investigation Discovery channel.