I've only listened to the first episode, but already found quite a few omissions, misrepresentations, etc. about the evidence and the case. The author, creator and narrator of the podcast is the attorney who is representing Chester Weger in his suit against the state, so that says some things.
Among the problems with the first epi:
The host and his guest (who produced the HBO special) both claim there was no evidence against Weger. Yes, there was evidence against him, namely the cord used to tie up the women
The host first claims the murder scene (St. Louis Canyon) was an unlikely location to commit these murders because it was so popular with the public. The killer would have run a big risk of someone spotting him.
Well, obviously, the location was chosen. That's where the women were found. They also fail to mention that the week the women were murdered, the weather was very cold, there was a great deal of snow on the ground, it was the middle of the week and there were very few people out hiking in the snowy, cold conditions. A guy who worked at Starved Rock Lodge would have known that.
A little while later, the host and his guests marvel at why the location was chosen to murder these women because it was so difficult to get to, so much snow on the ground, difficult to walk, etc. Please, folks, make up your mind. Weger probably chose the victims on that day for those reasons. There was no one else out hiking, the weather was bad and he was able to stalk them to a location (in the canyon) where they could be trapped and unable to escape. Perfect scenario for a robbery.
The hosts were in disbelief that Weger, who claimed it began as a robbery, escalated the crime into sexual assault and murder. Are these people familiar with criminals at all? Have they not read or studied cases of violent sexual assault and murder? If they had, they would know that normal people can't understand the logic of these offenders. They do what they want to do because they're sick, twisted people. They'll kill a group of innocent women because they don't want witnesses to their crime. They sexually assault women because they're sick, twisted people.
The hosts make a dubious claim that Weger's trial and conviction was some years prior to the Brady decision, which ruled that criminal defendants must have access to all police evidence, especially exculpatory evidence. They don't mention any specific evidence they believe was hidden. They also commit similar blunders when they leave out so many relevant details about these murders.
The hosts also ask why, per Weger's story, one of the women in the group attacked him, triggering his fatal attack on them. What? Are they blaming the victims for their own deaths (some defense attorneys do this, its wrong JMO)? Do they not realize that Chester Weger may not be the friendly, normal innocent guy they think he is, but that he may have been a dangerous, violent man who also lies about the reason he murdered some women? Did they really believe him when he said he had made peace with the ladies and apologized for trying to rob them and they agreed they wouldn't report him and all was well until he turned away and one of the bad women attacked him, forcing him to rape and murder them? If the defense attorney has spent any time in prison talking to convicts, he would know they often assert the murders the committed were the fault of the victims.
I'm sure these hosts have good intentions. I'll listen to the rest of the episodes (there are 9 altogether) to give them a fair chance to make a case for Weger's innocence.
