Results tagged “jamesdegorski”

A pair of jurors held out and, after five hours of deliberation, the jury deciding James Degorski's fate came back with a sentence of life in prison. Degorski, convicted a few weeks ago for his role in the 1993 Brown's Chicken murders, could have faced the death penalty, which the prosecution was pushing for. In fact, according to the Sun-Times, 10 of the 12 jurors ultimately favored it but the two who voted against held firm, leading to the life sentence. Jury forewoman Cynthia Rathburn said deliberations were "a little heated and frustrating" and concluded, "It was like that until we realized we were not going to reach a unanimous decision...We reached a point where we agreed we were not going to agree."

The jury charged with deciding James Degorski's sentence have begun deliberations as to whether or not to sentence him to death. Three weeks ago, the jury found Degorski guilty for his role in the 1993 Brown's Chicken Murders. Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Tom Biesty said of Degorski, "He slaughtered them that night. He wanted to do something big and he wanted to be famous. Well, he did do something big and he is famous...and now it's his judgment day." Degorski's attorney, senior Cook County assistant public defender Mark Levitt cited abuse, both sexual and physical, that Degorski and his siblings suffered by their father and told the jury, "Finding mercy where it shouldn't exist is exactly what mercy is." Juan Luna, the other man convicted in the slayings, was sentenced to life in prison in 2007.

• A judge ruled today that Blago can appear on the reality TV show Celebrity Apprentice though are still concerns about how is appearance could affect his upcoming trial.
• The mother of James Degorski, recently convicted for the 1993 Brown's Chicken murders, testified on his behalf today during the penalty phase of his trial.
• Still no word on why a group of federal agents, led by the Chicago FBI office, raided an area goat meat plant.

James Degorski, who was found guilty yesterday on seven counts of murder for his part in the 1993 Brown Chicken's killings, has been ruled eligible for the death penalty by the same jury that convicted him. The next phase begins tomorrow; prosecutors will try to persuade the jury to sentence Degorski to the death penalty while the defense will argue for life in prison. [Sun-Times]

James Degorski has been found guilty on all seven counts in the Brown's Chicken Murders after less than two hours of deliberation. Next up will be the decision if Degorski is eligible for the death penalty and then sentencing will take place.

Closing arguments will begin today in the trial of James Degorski, the second man charged and tried for the brutal 1993 murders of seven people at a Brown's Chicken restaurant in Palatine. It's expected that the jury could begin deliberations by the end of the day. The other man charged in the murders - Juan Luna - was found guilty in 2007. [WBBM, Daily Herald]

• Now at the top of the list for investigators in the Christopher Kelly case: cell phones.
• The IVI-IPO parking meter lawsuit is still churning along.
• Today at the Brown's Chicken murders trial, a Cook County Jail EMT testified that suspect James Degorski admitted the killings to her and claimed to have done it "just for fun."

• Anne Lockett, the ex-girlfriend of Brown's Chicken Massacre defendant James Degorski, testified against Degorski at his trial today.
• WBEZ takes a look at the case of Devon Young, a 25-year-old man shot and killed by police in June 2008, and the seeming lack of a police investigation into the shooting.
• The Trib talks to Patti Blagojevich.

• At his trial for the Brown's Chicken murders, a high school friend of James Degorski testified today that Degorski admitted committing the murders.
• An Aurora man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for acting as a lookout during a gang-related beating that resulted in the victim's death.
• Some local post offices are under review for possible closings.

With jury selection all wrapped up, opening arguments are set for today in the trial of James Degorski, the second man accused of murdering seven people at a Palatine Brown's Chicken restaurant in January 1993. The victims were Lynn and Richard Ehlenfeldt, owners of the restaurant, and five of their employees: Guadalupe Maldonado, Thomas Mennes, Marcus Nellsen, Rico Solis and Michael Castro. The victims' bodies were piled in a cooler and freezer while less than $2,000 was taken from the restaurant. The first suspect, Juan Luna, was tried in 2007 and found guilty on all seven counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison. While Luna confessed and even named Degorski in the confession, jurors won't be hearing that tape at trial. The big break in the case came in 2002 when Degorski's then girlfriend, Anne Lockett, finally gave in and told police Degorski had admitted committing the shootings to her. The Daily Herald has an extensive archive of stories on the murders.

After a little over a week, the jury for the second Brown's Chicken Murders trial - for suspect James Degorski - has been selected. The jury of six men and six women was finalized on Friday and four alternates were chosen yesterday to complete the process. According to the Sun-Times, the jury's racial make-up breaks down like so: "Nine of the jurors are white, two are African-American and one is Hispanic. The alternates are two black men, a Hispanic man and a white woman." Opening statements will begin as planned on August 31. In 2007, Juan Luna stood trial for the killings, resulting in a conviction on all seven counts of murder and a life sentence. The big break in the case came in 2002 when Degorski's then girlfriend, Anne Lockett, finally gave in and told police Degorski had admitted committing the shootings to her. The Daily Herald has an extensive archive of stories on the murders.

The trial for the second suspect in the violent 1993 Brown's Chicken murders isset to begin with jury selection on Thursday; opening statements are scheduled for August 31. Jury selection for James Degorski, charged with shooting deaths of seven people at the Palatine restaurant, could take up to two weeks. In 2007, Juan Luna stood trial for the killings, resulting in a conviction on all seven counts of murder and a life sentence. The big break in the case came in 2002 when Degorski's then girlfriend, Anne Lockett, finally gave in and told police Degorski had admitted committing the shootings to her. The Daily Herald has a nice break-down of Degorski's case as well as an archive of recent stories and developments.

• Nicole Abusharif was convicted today by a DuPage jury in the death of her former lover, Rebecca Klein; she faces a sentence of up to 60 years.
• State health officials have confirmed 82 cases of the swine flu state-wide.
• An August date has been set as the start for the trial of James Degorski, the latest suspect to face trial in the 1993 Brown's Chicken killings.

Over 15 years after the crime and 19 months after the conviction of Juan Luna, the first suspect, James Degorski, 35, will finally stand trial for the killings of seven people at a Brown's Chicken establishment in Palatine. Dergoski's trial will begin on April 30, 2009 per the orders of Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan. The primary issue in Degroski's case revolved around a videotaped confession he gave after the murders, a confession he also said he didn't want to make on camera. Judge Gaughan had originally ruled showing the tape at trial would violate Dergoski's Miranda rights, but an Illinois appellate court ruled the tape admissible earlier this year. Luna's conviction came in May 2007 and he was sentenced to life without parole for his role in the killings; Degroski could still face the death penalty if convicted. If you're looking for a good source of archived material on the case, we recommend the Daily Herald's site. [WBBM, S-T]