James Eric Degorski was born on August 20, 1972, in Chicago, Illinois.

On January 8, 1993, a tragic event took place at a Brown's Chicken restaurant in Palatine, Illinois. Seven people were shot and killed inside the restaurant, which had closed for the night. The victims included the owners, Richard and Lynn Ehlenfeldt, and five employees. Among the murdered were teenagers Michael Castro and Rico Solis, who were part-time workers.

The attackers stole about $1,800 to $1,900 from the restaurant. This amount would be worth over $4,000 today. After the crime, the bodies of the victims were discovered in the restaurant by the police. They found some of the victims inside a walk-in freezer and refrigerator, hours after the restaurant had closed.

The case remained unsolved for nearly nine years until March 2002, when Anne Lockett, the former girlfriend of James Degorski, came forward. She told the police that Degorski and his friend Juan Luna were involved in the murders. The police used DNA evidence from the scene to connect Luna to the crime, revealing critical details about how the crime had been planned and executed.

On May 16, 2002, both Degorski and Luna were arrested. During an interrogation, Luna confessed to the murders. He claimed that his confession was made under pressure from police. Degorski also confessed, and a recording of his confession was played during his trial, although his lawyers argued it was obtained under coercion.

The trials for both men were lengthy. On May 10, 2007, Juan Luna was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole. James Degorski’s trial took place later, and on September 29, 2009, he was convicted of the same charges. His sentence was also life without parole.

After the court cases, both men remained in prison at the Stateville Correctional Center. Their actions had lasting impacts, leading to the closure of many Brown's Chicken locations and causing trauma within the community.