Guest host Chris Krok welcomed Illinois-native attorney and author Patrick Wohl to discuss his new book, Something Big: The True Story of the Brown’s Chicken Massacre, a Decade-Long Manhunt and the Trials That Followed. The book revisits one of the most chilling mass murders in Chicago suburban history—an event that has haunted the Palatine community for over 30 years.
The 1993 murders, in which seven people were executed inside a Brown’s Chicken restaurant, went unsolved for nearly a decade. Wohl’s book dives deep into the investigation, the lives of the victims, and the long path to justice. He explained that while the case has been covered in podcasts and news features, many accounts miss key details—especially the human stories behind the headlines. Wohl said his goal was to write a more respectful, accurate, and community-rooted account.
One of the key revelations from the book is the motive behind the killings. While the crime was initially believed to be a botched robbery, Wohl points out that killers Juan Luna and James Degorski made off with only about $1,000, leaving other cash behind. The title of the book, Something Big, refers to the chilling phrase the killers used to describe their motivation—they simply wanted to commit a major act of violence.
Wohl confirmed that Luna had previously worked at the very Brown’s Chicken location where the murders occurred, making the crime even more disturbing. The killers knew some of the victims and still went through with the execution-style murders, entering the restaurant without masks. Wohl explained that their behavior, along with the fact that money was left behind, makes clear that the motive was not financial.
Wohl’s research included interviews with more than 40 people involved in the case, including family members of victims, law enforcement, and attorneys. He also uncovered the story of Martin Blake, a former employee who was wrongly suspected early on and whose life was upended by the false accusation.
The conversation also touched on Anne Lockett, a key figure in solving the case. She was a former girlfriend of Degorski who eventually tipped off police nearly a decade after the murders. Wohl acknowledged the pain caused by her delay but explained that fear and intimidation played a role, and that her testimony may not have been credible early on due to personal struggles. Her information eventually led police to preserved evidence—a discarded chicken bone from the crime scene—which matched Luna’s DNA and confirmed his role.
Both Luna and Degorski confessed to the crimes during police interrogations, although they later attempted to walk back their statements. Wohl emphasized that their guilt was clear and supported by DNA evidence, eyewitness accounts, and strong legal representation on both sides. Neither man received the death penalty, despite prosecutors seeking it. In both trials, holdout jurors opposed capital punishment, resulting in life sentences.
Krok and Wohl also discussed criticism of the Palatine Police Department during the early days of the investigation. Wohl defended the department, noting that investigators brought in all possible outside resources and that the case was ultimately unsolvable until new information surfaced in 2002. He argued that the media’s criticism at the time was unfair in hindsight.
Something Big offers not only a comprehensive timeline of the crime and the investigation but also restores the dignity of the victims and contextualizes the community’s trauma. Wohl’s aim, he said, was to create a work of true crime that was both compelling and deeply respectful.
The book is available now and has already drawn attention for its meticulous research and empathetic storytelling.