Results tagged “juanluna”

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.

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]

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.

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.

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]

NBC5 is trotting out a sweeps special they've named "The Woman Who Knew Too Much" (video), an exclusive interview with Anne Lockett, a key witness in the 1993 Brown's Chicken massacre. Lockett waited nine years to tell police that her ex-boyfriend James Degorksi and his friend Juan Luna told her about committing the crime, and in these interviews attempts to explain what took her so long. Degorski is still awaiting trial, but his alleged accomplice Luna was convicted and sentenced to life in prison earlier this year. Degorski's trial is scheduled to begin in February. Lockett was 17 in 1993, and was in the hospital following her fifth suicide attempt when the murders occurred; she says Degorski was abusive, but she was so depressed she stayed with him for two years.

- BREAKING: The Tribune and Sun-Times agree to a historic distribution deal where the Bright One contracts the Tribune to handle most of its delivery. More on this tomorrow after we've had time to let this one sink in. - A Dallas real estate investment firm is thisclose to signing off on an $850 million deal for four downtown office buildings, including 440 S. LaSalle, aka One Financial Place. - United Airlines files lawsuits...

Thanks for your help, Rod. Blagojevich wants to get rid of the "gift card grinch." It's a loophole that lets your gift card lose its value over time. Police on the Northwest Side have issued a community alert for a suspect in two attempted sexual assaults -- One on a 16-year-old girl, in the 3100 block of north Sawyer about 11 p.m. Sunday; the other a 23-year-old woman near the 3000 block of north...

The Spire got zoning approval. Chicago Real Estate Daily is a new site from Crain's that covers ... you got it ... real estate. The closed down Esquire Theater is going to become a 120-room hotel. A teenager went missing during a field trip to Navy Pier yesterday. Juan Luna was found guilty of the Brown's Chicken murders. "Madre" via pantagrapher....

If you lived anywhere in the Chicagoland area during the early ‘90s, you remember the Brown’s Chicken massacre. Chicagoist was only, well, we were a lot younger when seven people were trapped inside a Brown’s Chicken restaurant in Palatine and murdered in January 1993, but we remember how scared we were when we heard the awful story.