Hey, it's Jamie. Today, I'm re-releasing an episode of Murderish about a case widely known as the Browns Chicken Massacre.

Late in the evening on Friday, January 8th of 1993, the employees in one particular restaurant in Palatine Chicago didn't know at the time that they wouldn't be going home that night.

Hours after the restaurant workers began their closing routine, all seven of their bodies would be discovered inside of Brown's chicken, a popular restaurant chain.

It took nine long years for authorities to receive a break in the horrendous case.

The opinions expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect those of the Murderish podcast.

Sensitive topics are discussed. Listener discretion is advised.

The Chicago area weather on Friday, January 8th, 1993 was typical for that time of year. It was cold in the windy city.

The temperature had been between six to 26 degrees with snow falling off and on late in the evening as businesses began to close and employees prepared to go home for the night.

The workers in one particular restaurant did not know at the time that they would not be going home that night.

Hours after they began their closing routine, seven dead bodies would be discovered inside of Brown's chicken, a popular restaurant chain.

Upon entering the bloody scene, officer Ron Conley dispatched back up saying five in the cooler.

This tragedy was the worst mass murder in the Chicago area since 1966 when Richard Speck murdered eight student nurses in their dorm.

It would take nine long years for authorities to receive a break in this horrendous case.

This is Janie and you're listening to Murderish. Join me as I walk you through the case widely known as the Brown's Chicken Massacre.

The village of Palatine, Illinois is a suburb about 30 miles northwest of Chicago. Founded in 1866, the village's motto is a real hometown.

In 1993, the Palatine Police Department had a stellar reputation and consisted of about 80 officers.

Good housekeeping magazine listed it as one of the top 10 police departments in the country.

Prior to January 1993, there had only been one murder in Palatine within the previous four years.

On Friday, January 8, 1993, just a few minutes after the Brown's chicken restaurant in Palatine closed at 9pm, two customers knocked on the door, asking to be let in.

The owners of the franchise, Richard Ellen Felt, who went by Dick, along with his wife Lynn, and the five employees with them that evening were cleaning the store preparing to go home.

Even so, they decided to let the two people inside.

One of the after-hours customers ordered a four-piece chicken meal at 9.08pm, as documented by the cash register tape.

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