New Lenox Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Pal in Fiery Drunken Crash

A New Lenox man pleaded guilty to killing a close friend in a fiery drunken crash nearly two years ago.

Kevin Krohn, 23, faces up to 14 years in prison for the two felonies he pleaded to Monday. Krohn's attorney, Donald MacNeil, argued that "extraordinary circumstances" cleared the way for Krohn to get off with probation.

Will County Judge Edward Burmila put off handing down Krohn's sentence until Friday but did not seem to be convinced the required extraordinary circumstances existed.

Krohn broke his leg and his friend Jake Stevens, 22, was burned beyond recognition in an August 2012 crash. Krohn had picked up Stevens at his home in Manhattan that evening and the two went to see a friend's band play.

Krohn wrecked his Dodge Stratus near 104th Avenue and Steger Road. He was found about a quarter mile away, walking on his broken leg to get help. Stevens was trapped inside the car and burned to death.

Assistant State's Attorney Fred Harvey said Krohn at first lied about the identity of the dead man in his car, telling the police it was someone named "Bob Bacon." Krohn came clean after the cops checked on Bacon and found he was at home and alive.

Stevens' father, Philip Stevens, said Krohn's obfuscation—and the condition of his son's body—delayed the official identification of the remains.

In a brief statement, Krohn said he considered Stevens to be an "older brother" to him.

Krohn had been free on $75,000 bond since September 2012 but Judge Burmila sent him back to jail after the plea hearing. Jake Stevens' brother, Zack Stevens, testified during the hearing that he saw Krohn at a dirt bike race in Michigan over the Fourth of July weekend. Burmila said he was revoking Krohn's bond for leaving the state and continuing to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana.

Burmila said he will decide Krohn's sentence Friday.

MacNeil asked Burmila to place Krohn in a special prison boot camp program if he does not give him probation. Burmila sentenced the druggie son of a former colleague, retired Will County Judge Rodney Lechwar, to the boot camp program in April 2012. The son, Matthew Lechwar, was looking at pulling a 30-year sentence for a heroin charge but got out of prison in less than seven months because of the special program.

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