3 of the Most Gruesome Crimes in Illinois History

Illinois is filled with stories that many true crime lovers know and talk about, myself included. People connected and wanted more true crime stories about the area... so I will give you more!

As I've said before, I love a good true crime story. Yes sometimes they make me very angry and emotional, but at the end of the day, I still find my way back. Here are some more spine-chilling crimes that occurred in our beloved state of Illinois.

Brown's Chicken Massacre - Palatine, Illinois: January 8, 1993

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This one really broke my heart. On the cold night of January 8, 1993, seven people in Brown's Chicken in Palatine, Illinois were killed. The victims were found gunned down and put in a literal freezer. This left the entire town distressed and horrified about why or how something this awful could happen.

The jarring part? For YEARS there was no one convicted of the crime because there was no way in 1993 to test for DNA. Isn't that crazy? In 2002, thanks to the testimony of an ex-girlfriend and DNA found a piece of fried chicken, the killers were found. Two men by the names of Juan Luna and James Degorski were convicted of the horrific crime. They're currently both serving life sentences for the murders AND robbery of less than $2,000.

I may be a vegetarian, but today I can say that I'm grateful that a piece of fried chicken was able to bring justice to tragedy.

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The Disappearance of Veronica Jill Blumhorst - Mentoda, Illinois: September 21, 1990

This one really hits home for me because she was around my age when this happened.

According to the FBI.gov, on September 21st, 1990, Veronica Blumhorst left work and arrived home. Her car was parked and locked, the garage was closed up... but she never entered her home and hasn't been seen since. Also, absolutely nothing of hers that she had at the time (purse, etc.) has been found since she's gone missing.

The case sadly remains open. She was 21 at the time, which means she'd be about 55 years old right now. If you or anyone you know has any information, you can submit tips right here. 

RELATED: 2 of the Most Devastating Crimes That Happened in Illinois

Lane Bryant Shooting - Tinley Park, Illinois: February 2, 2008

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This one goes so deep, that I found an entire Reddit thread on it!

A robbery on February 2, 2008, at the Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park left 5 women shot and killed and one also wounded. To this day, the case remains unsolved with only a sketch of the perpetrator from the surviving victim.

However, according to the Reddit thread I found and recent reports from ABC Chicago, new investigators have been assigned to the case and are actively taking tips about the crime. Anyone with information on the case should contact Tinley Park police at 708-444-5394.

If there are any more infamous Illinois-based crimes, definitely connect! I'm happy to highlight and go down the rabbit hole of true crime stories.