WAREHOUSE HOUSING RECORDS DATING BACK TO THE CHICAGO FIRE.

PARIS?

>> RECORD-KEEPING IS LONG AND SORDID .

WHILE HISTORICAL FIGURES MIGHT BE LONG GONE, THE HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS AND EVIDENCE PERTAINING TO THEIR CASES ARE STILL AROUND, AS ARE THOSE OF NEARLY EVERY CRIMINAL CASE GOING BACK TO THE CHICAGO FIRE.

WE GOT AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK INSIDE THE KERR COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT TO LOOK AT THE RECORDS LOCATED IN, WHERE ELSE, CICERO.

THIS WAREHOUSE MIGHT NOT LOOK MUCH AT FIRST GLANCE, BUT TAKE A LOOK INSIDE AND YOU ARE GETTING A LOOK AT COOK COUNTY HISTORY.

THESE ARE THE STORIES OF NEARLY EVERY CASE THAT HAS COME BEFORE A JUDGE SINCE AROUND THE TIME OF THE CHICAGO FIRE.

THERE ARE 260,000 SQUARE FEET OF STORAGE AND BOXES, ALL IN NEED OF DIGITIZING.

LET'S NOT FORGET THE RECENT HISTORY OF THIS OFFICE UNDER EMBATTLED FORMER CLERK DOROTHY BROWN.

RECORDS APPEARED TATTERED OR EVEN MISSING.

LEGISLATION IS MOVING AT A SNAILS PACE.

CURRENT CLERK IRIS MARTINEZ SAYS THAT THE TASK OF SCANNING TENS OF MILLIONS OF PIECES OF PAPER THROUGH A COMPUTER SERVER MIGHT TAKE A WHILE.

>> SO WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DIGITIZE EVERYTHING EVENTUALLY.

>> IN ANY CASE, THE OFFICE MUST KEEP RECORDS OF EVERYTHING.

RECORDS ARE CONSTANTLY SHUTTLED BACK AND FORTH FROM THE COURTS, AS OLD DOCUMENTS MIGHT BE PERTINENT TO NEW CASES.

AND IT ISN'T JUST PAPER FILES.

IN THIS WING OF THE BUILDING WE FOUND A COLLECTION OF ITEMS USED AS EVIDENCE.

KEY SETS.

BICYCLES.

HERE IS EVIDENCE FROM WHAT APPEARS TO BE A FIREARMS CASE.

>> THIS REPRESENTED SOME KIND OF SHOOTING AT A COP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

>> THIS IS OUR JOB, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP ALL THE EVIDENCE THAT COMES THROUGH OUR SYSTEM.

>> AND A TRAP DOOR TO A CRAWLSPACE WHERE NOTORIOUS SERIAL KILLER JOHN WAYNE GACY KEPT MURDER VICTIMS.

>> I CAME IN HERE, AND I REALLY SAID OH MY GOD, AND I GOT GOOSE BUMPS ALL OVER.

I SAID OH MY GOD!

>> LOOKING AT THE REALLY OLD CASE FILES, THEY ARE HANDWRITTEN AND BOUND.

IN THIS MASSIVE BOOK THERE IS A 100-YEAR-OLD CASE CONSIDERED THEM TO BE THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY.

THE KIDNAPPING AND MURDER OF 14-YEAR-OLD BOBBY FREI AT THE HANDS OF UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO STUDENTS .

LOOKING FURTHER INTO HISTORY, AND ANOTHER NOTORIOUS CHICAGOAN'S ORDEAL EMERGES.

HERE WE HAVE A RECORD FROM 1871 TO 1875.

WE HAVE THE CASE OF A CHICAGO RESIDENT NAMED MARY LINCOLN, A.K.A.

MARY TODD LINCOLN.

SHE WAS DECLARED INSANE AT THE HANDS OF HER SON ROBERT LINCOLN AND COMMITTED TO WHAT WE WOULD NOW CALL A MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTION.

YOU MIGHT IMAGINE THAT HISTORIANS WOULD BE SALIVATING AT THE LIVING