Something Big: The True Story of the Brown's Chicken Massacre, A Decade-Long Manhunt, and the Trials That Followed
(Paperback)
Publishing Details
Something Big: The True Story of the Brown's Chicken Massacre, A Decade-Long Manhunt, and the Trials That Followed
By (Author) Patrick Wohl
Post Hill Press
Post Hill Press
13th August 2025
United States
Classifications
Physical Properties
Paperback
240
Width 140mm, Height 210mm
191g
Description
Something Big tells the story of the infamous Browns Chicken massacre, a brutal case that captivated Chicagoland after remaining unsolved for nearly a decade.
Customers associate McDonalds with its golden arches and cast of whimsical characters. Burger King has its unmistakable cardboard crowns. And Wendys will forever be known for its mascots red pigtails and iconic Frosty.
The words Browns Chicken, however, have a far less positive connotation for most customers. For anyone whos heard of the Illinois-based fast food chain, these words likely remind them not of the restaurants crispy fried chicken or buttery baked biscuits, but of one fateful night in January of 1993.
A Real Hometown is the trite but apt motto of Palatine, Illinois, a quaint middle-class suburb west of Chicago. On a snowy Friday evening, the staff and owners of the citys local Browns Chicken franchise were closing up when two final customers arrived just past 9 p.m. As the night drew on and the employees hadnt returned home, the families of the owners and workers began to worry, prompting police to investigate. When they entered the dark building, police were shocked to find seven bodies stacked in the restaurants freezer and fridge. The killers, of course, were long gone. In the months that followed, the horrendous story rocked Chicagoland and the case remained unsolved for nine years.
The Browns Chicken massacre is one of the most infamous cases in Illinois history, yet it is often misremembered. In Something Big, Patrick Wohl gives a new account of the story, taking readers behind the scenes and sharing the perspective of the people who lived it.
Author Bio
Patrick Wohl is an author and lawyer originally from Illinois. He received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and attended The George Washington University. His first book, Down Ballot, tells the story of a campaign for state representative that drew national attention because it was viewed as a proxy battle for larger political issues.
