Episode Details

In Chicago, homicide was only part of the story. Behind the courtroom doors, justice had a price—and sometimes, the people sworn to uphold the law were just as dangerous as the criminals they prosecuted.

This week on Death by Misadventure, Jacy Nova sits down with Gregg Owen, a former touring rock musician turned Chicago homicide prosecutor whose extraordinary career took him from the concert stage to the darkest corners of the criminal justice system.

In the late 1960s, Gregg played keyboards with The American Breed, known for their million-selling hit "Bend Me, Shape Me," and shared stages with legendary bands like The Doors. But an unexpected opportunity during law school changed everything, setting him on a path that would lead to some of Chicago's most notorious criminal cases.

With 62 convictions in 64 jury trials, Gregg became Illinois' first Chief of Gang Prosecutions, taking on violent street gangs, organized crime, and a justice system riddled with corruption. His career placed him in the middle of a courthouse culture that would eventually be exposed through the FBI's infamous Operation Greylord investigation.

His new true crime book, Convergence, takes us inside the chilling Apartment 131 murders. In March 1976, Gio Messina and Delphine "Tinker" Moore were found brutally stabbed to death inside a Chicago apartment. Although investigators quickly identified a suspect, the case would take four years to reach trial, with missing evidence, reluctant witnesses, and powerful interests threatening to derail justice.

In this revealing interview, Gregg takes us behind the scenes of the investigation and into the courtroom, sharing how he and his fellow prosecutor built their case, overcame extraordinary obstacles, and ultimately secured a conviction in a trial that nearly never happened.

From rock and roll to Chicago's criminal underworld, discover what it really takes to bring a killer to justice when the system itself stands in the way.