Town file
Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee, Illinois (Kankakee County, Illinois) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 374, "The Man In The Box" (25 March 2023). Stephen B. Small was a wealthy man in Kankakee, Illinois, about an hour south of Chicago.
- Town
- Kankakee
- County
- Kankakee County
- State
- Illinois
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 374
- Approximate location
- 41.102, -87.864
Episode 374 / 25 March 2023 / 69 min / express
The Man In The Box
""We're going to Illinois here... the town Kankakee... It's about an hour south of Chicago."" about 0:03:14
The case: Kidnapping and murder of Stephen B. Small (September 2, 1987). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2023
- Population
- 24,903
- Median household income
- $32,265
- Median home value
- $117,300
History, in brief
- The name is thought to come from the Miami-Illinois word 'ti akiki', meaning open country, exposed land or land exposed to view. about 0:05:04
- The town was officially founded in 1854. about 0:05:24
The reviews read out
5 stars
"The reviewer loves Kankakee, was born and raised there, calls it a very special place and wants to help it grow."about 0:05:34
3 stars
"A town that lost a lot of its big employers but is holding on and trying to recover through arts and community; close enough to the city to commute, far enough to know your neighbours, and host to the Chicago Bears' summer training camp for over 15 years."about 0:05:53
1 star
"The reviewer left 30 years ago and took a bus to Miami; it was the best thing he ever did, and he urges anyone to get out no matter what."about 0:06:19
1 star
"So much crime and gang-related shootings every day; all there is to do is buy drugs, there are no good jobs, everybody is in a gang or sells drugs, and if you don't have a gun you had better get one."about 0:06:59
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Palos Park, Illinois39 miles
- Hammond, Indiana41 miles
- Chicago, Illinois52 miles
- Oak Park, Illinois54 miles
- Villa Park, Illinois54 miles
- Bloomingdale, Illinois60 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.