On the evening of May 24, 2000, Ali Ibadat, 40, a man from Pakistan, was working at the Wendy’s on Main Street in Flushing, Queens when he was among seven employees targeted in what has been called the Wendy’s massacre. John Taylor, a 36-year-old former employee, and his accomplice Craig Godineaux forced the staff into the basement office, then to the walk-in freezer, where the seven were bound, had plastic bags put over their heads, were gagged, and were each shot in the head with a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol during a planned robbery of the restaurant safe.

Ibadat died at the scene along with Jean Dumel Auguste, Jeremy Mele, Ramon Nazario, and Anita Smith; two employees, Patricio Castro and Jaquione Johnson, survived, and Castro was able to free himself and call 911. Both Taylor and Godineaux were arrested within 48 hours; survivors provided eyewitness identification, and fingerprint and ballistics evidence tied the pair to the crime. Godineaux pleaded guilty in January 2001 and received life without parole; Taylor was convicted of five counts of first-degree murder in November 2002 and ultimately is serving life without parole after his death sentence was vacated.

Did anyone who knew Ali Ibadat work at that Wendy’s or have memories of him to share?