Twin brother of Brown's murder victim dies

Seventeen years later, the Brown's Chicken & Pasta murders have claimed another victim.

Jerry Mennes' life changed forever on Jan. 9, 1993, when the bond with his twin brother, Thomas, was cut short. Thomas Mennes, 32, was among the seven victims killed at the Palatine fast-food restaurant.

Jerry Mennes' son said his father, who once enjoyed practical jokes, fishing and bowling, became more reclusive after his identical twin brother's death.

"He would go into his room and play Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin in memory of the stuff he listened to with his brother," said Jerry Mennes Jr., referring to the hard rock groups they both loved.

Jerry K. Mennes Sr., a machinist by trade, died Jan. 4 at Adventist GlenOaks Hospital in Glendale Heights. His son said the death certificate states the cause of death was acute respiratory failure from severe depression. He was 49.

A GlenOaks doctor signed off on the death certificate.

Depression-related deaths are rare, Lake County Coroner Dr. Richard Keller said, adding he's never indicated a cause of death was depression-related.

"Usually, nearly always, depression-related deaths are due to something else," Keller said. "Can they develop medical problems related to it? Certainly it's possible." He noted that depression cases in general have risen in recent years, related to the everyday problems in society.

Mennes, born in Elgin, graduated from Palatine High School and spent most of his life in the village, where tragedy followed him.

Six years after his brother's murder, his father, Emil Mennes, was murdered in 1999 in Palatine. He was stabbed by Melvin Paige, then 16, who said the 78-year-old man gave him a disrespectful glance on the street. Paige is serving a 50-year sentence for murder.

Jerry Mennes struggled with the weight of the two senseless murders, but it was the loss of his wife that seemed to push him over the edge. Diane Mennes died of heart problems in March 2006. Her husband then stopped caring for himself and suffered a stroke.

"His health went down after Mom passed," his son said.

Before the tragedies, Mennes was fun-loving, just like his twin brother. Kendra Smith, who was married to another Mennes brother, Robert, recalled growing up with the twins, first meeting them when they were 8 years old. As a boy, Jerry Mennes enjoyed visiting and playing with his nieces and nephews. Smith also remembers his smile and enjoyment of sports, including professional wrestling.

"He was so funny and trippy; he had a great personality," Smith said.

Mennes never shared his thoughts about Juan Luna and James Degorski, the pair responsible for his brother's death.

Luna was convicted in 2007, while Degorski was convicted last year. Both received life prison sentences. Mennes' health prevented him from being fully aware during Degorski's sentencing. He had little to say after Luna escaped the death penalty.

"It didn't matter to him whatever they (the jury) did, as long as some justice was served," his son said. "His brother was gone, and that was the main thing."

Father and son eventually moved into a Hoffman Estates apartment together.

While his father's depression kept the two from being close, Jerry Mennes Jr. said he saw a new side to his father after the family tragedies hurt his relationship with his dad.

"He was helping me so I could get caught up on bills and paying a majority of the rent," his son said. "Whatever happened in my childhood was washed away with him moving in with me, helping me with bills and being there in the end."

A memorial service for Mennes will be held at 7 p.m. today at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 1130 N. Hicks Road in Palatine. Besides his son, he is survived by his brothers, Frank, Bob and Larry.