From Killer to Courage: The Story of Kenny Morrow

If there’s one case from my years of criminal investigations that still stands out to me, it’s the story of Kenny Morrow. On paper, Kenny was everything a prosecutor despises — a convicted killer, a narcotics dealer, and a career criminal whose rap sheet dated back to the mid-1960s. But those records tell you nothing about the man he became or about how he almost single-handedly helped bring down one of the most violent street gangs in Chicago history — the El Rukns.

I first encountered Kenny’s name while heading an investigation into street gangs in Illinois. Most investigators build informants through leverage — you catch a man dirty, then offer him a deal. I wanted to try something different. I wanted someone who didn’t cooperate out of fear but out of conviction — a man who, despite his past, maybe because of it, might willingly put his life at risk to do the right thing. What I wanted was a true believer.