GREEN, Ohio — A motel in Green known for its checkered past, including a grizzly triple murder, has been demolished, clearing the way for potential new development.
Steve's Motel, which opened on East Turkeyfoot Lake Road in 1937, was torn down on Monday.
The city of Green purchased the property on 1.9 acres last year for the purpose of razing it. The city is hoping to sell the property to a developer.
The motel, which included 20 cabins, an office, and a house, has been a troubled spot over the years.
Last year, city officials told News 5 that the problems at the motel included deaths and drug overdoses. Data provided by Green revealed 27 EMS trips to the motel since 2017.
"This is a property that for many years has been a drain on city services," said Valerie Wolford, spokesperson for the city.
The most notorious incident at the motel happened in 1991 when the owners, Manher and Jyoti Patel, along with their 6-year-old daughter, Alka were found killed in the red-brick house next to the motel.
All three victims were shot in the head. Captain Scott Cottle from the Summit County Sheriff's Office referred to the killings as "a professional hit."
"It was very cold. The mother and the father-- one was in the dining room and one was kind of in the area between the kitchen and the dining room," Cottle said. "The child was in a bed asleep, just very cold-hearted."
Cottle clearly remembers the high-profile nature of the case because it was his first year as a deputy.
"I was actually assigned security at night. The first few days they kept security, deputies out there," he said.
Cottle said the demolition in no way closes the cold case. Although he doesn't believe any crucial DNA evidence was recovered, there are always possibilities for technological advancements or witnesses coming forward.
He said the case was reopened in 2006 thanks to a grant and eventually two potential suspects were identified.
One of the suspects has died. Detectives don't have enough evidence to charge the other suspect. Cottle believes one suspect hired the other to commit the murders.
"If anybody would know anything, we'd obviously want to hear from them," Cottle said. "We would take this as far as we could and we'd still like to have justice for the family."
