IL IL - Starved Rock State Park Murders of three women, 4 Mar 1960

[Richard]

Bumping this thread up. This triple murder was committed just over 65 years ago on 4 March 1960.


Chester Weger was just 21 years old when he was sent to prison. He was released in 2020.

 

[ilovewings]

Bumping this thread up. This triple murder was committed just over 65 years ago on 4 March 1960.


Chester Weger was just 21 years old when he was sent to prison. He was released in 2020.

why are killers like this ever paroled? it makes me puke

 

[Gunther Toody]

why are killers like this ever paroled? it makes me puke

Weger is innocent

 

[Richard]

Weger is innocent

Weger was convicted of murder. He is out of prison on parole because of his advanced age.

Weger played a lot of games with police investigators following the triple murder. Perhaps he thought it was all a joke, but if so, it backfired on him, because his antics and lying got them to focus on him as a suspect to the exclusion of others.

If he actually committed the murders of three innocent women, then he got off easy with a life sentence followed by parole.

If he really had nothing to do with the murders, but led police to believe he did - even confessing to them and re-enacting them - then he allowed the actual killer(s) to go free. In such a remote scenario, he deserved the sentence he got.

 

[tilomagnet]

Testing labs developed a DNA profile from the hair, which was not from Weger or anyone in his family. Genetic Genealogy determined they were from one of three brothers, who were local to Ottawa.

Is there a proper source for this finding? can this Canadian guy be placed at the Lodge/Park?

I read a couple times that a murder for hire plot is suspected by Mrs Murphy's husband and that she got the worst beatings and defecated on. This makes no sense, if killers were hired to murder all 3 women to obscure the actual target.

 

[Vern]

Is there a proper source for this finding? can this Canadian guy be placed at the Lodge/Park?

I read a couple times that a murder for hire plot is suspected by Mrs Murphy's husband and that she got the worst beatings and defecated on. This makes no sense, if killers were hired to murder all 3 women to obscure the actual target.

Not Canadian.

In this case it's Ottawa, Illinois.

Ottawa, Il is a community about 9.5 miles from Starved Rock State Park:

Ottawa to Starved Rock State Park

www.google.com

Daily Illini 15 February 1961 — Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections

Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections

idnc.library.illinois.edu

IL Post in thread 'IL - Starved Rock State Park Murders of three women, 4 Mar 1960'

Aug 3, 2024

I didn't see it as exonerating him. They tested a hair found on one of the victims' glove and it wasn't him. People pick up hairs on their clothing, especially outerwear, for any number of reasons. It would have been great if they could retrieve more evidence for DNA testing, particularly blood or similar.

It's much more than the hair, Betty.
Even his confession is suspect. John C. Reid who developed the Reid method of interrogation was a Chicago cop. Initially, many police departments jumped on board using his tactics, for eliciting confessions, until it was later found out...

• Gunther Toody

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[Gunther Toody]

As you may have read, Chester Weger died a few days ago. Unfortunately, he was never exonerated for the crimes. Here is a link to the judge's ruling in the motion for retrial from Weger's attorney Andy Hale.

Judge's Order On Chester Weger's Bid For Exoneration | PDF

Chester O. Weger was convicted in 1961 for the murders of three women at Starved Rock State Park and sentenced to life in prison. After multiple appeals and post-conviction petitions, he filed a Successive Petition for Post Conviction Relief in 2023, claiming actual innocence and constitutional...

www.scribd.com

 

[Gunther Toody]

I went to Starved Rock yesterday with my son and daughter in law for lunch. We ate at the same large dining hall where Chester was a dishwasher in the kitchen.
It looks identical to the way it did back then.

We didn't go to St. Louis Canyon where the murders took place because it is a long walk and a lot of stairs down. If you want to study this case in depth, Steve Stout's book has the original court transcripts and details of the case.

Amazon.com

 

[Richard]

As you may have read, Chester Weger died a few days ago. Unfortunately, he was never exonerated for the crimes. Here is a link to the judge's ruling in the motion for retrial from Weger's attorney Andy Hale.

Judge's Order On Chester Weger's Bid For Exoneration | PDF

Chester O. Weger was convicted in 1961 for the murders of three women at Starved Rock State Park and sentenced to life in prison. After multiple appeals and post-conviction petitions, he filed a Successive Petition for Post Conviction Relief in 2023, claiming actual innocence and constitutional...

www.scribd.com

A very interesting attachment which discusses Chester Weger's "third stage hearing" type appeal and the court's ruling on it.

The first seven pages define what the rules and reasons are for this rather new legal procedure. At the end of page 7, the discussion of Weger's presented evidence begins in detail.