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

[Richard]

Forensic lab that’s identified serial killers is inspecting evidence in 1960 Starved Rock killings
By Frank Main Jun 25, 2021

Convicted ‘Starved Rock Killer’ Chester Weger, 82, was paroled last year as a model inmate. Now, he has a court order to let Skip Palenik’s lab inspect the evidence — a first step toward seeing whether it might clear him...

... Elgin forensics lab, Microtrace, is inspecting evidence in the Starved Rock slayings of three women in 1960 in the popular state park 100 miles southwest of Chicago.

That’s because lawyers for Chester Weger — who was paroled for the Starved Rock killings last year after nearly six decades in prison — got permission from a LaSalle County judge to examine the evidence.

Weger, 82, was released from prison in February 2020 after members of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board found he was a model prisoner.

But the courts haven’t deemed him to be innocent of the killings.

Weger — who was the longest-serving inmate in Illinois — says that, despite his initial confession, he didn’t kill anyone and that testing the evidence could prove it...

LINK:

Forensic lab that’s identified serial killers is inspecting evidence in 1960 Starved Rock killings

 

[JerseyGirl]

‘Black And Missing’: New HBO Docuseries To Focus On Black Missing Persons Cases – Deadline

The Murders at Starved Rock (Dec. 14 &15)—a three-part documentary series—directed by Jody McVeigh-Schultz— exploring the 1960 brutal murders of three women in Starved Rock State Park in, LaSalle County, Illinois, and the decades of questions and doubts that have haunted the son of the prosecutor in the case, as the man found guilty seeks to clear his name after sixty years in prison.

 

[Betty P]

This is another case that once had a long thread with lots of photos and research. What happened? Is it archived? I recall doing a lot of research and posting photos.

JMO, his Weger's confession was far too detailed to be false. Then there was the problem with the twine, too.

 

[Richard]

This is another case that once had a long thread with lots of photos and research. What happened? Is it archived? I recall doing a lot of research and posting photos.

JMO, his Weger's confession was far too detailed to be false. Then there was the problem with the twine, too.

I think that the previous thread which discussed the Starved Rock Murders was this one which was in the websleuths trials section:

IL - Three Riverside women slain at Starved Rock SP, 14 March 1960

I had not seen it before starting this thread. My first information regarding these murders came from a 1961 Life magazine feature article.

 

[Brotherfudz]

I read he quickly recanted after the confession, I don’t put much stock in confessions in general. I admit I’m not fully versed on everything in the case, trying to read up right now. What is the “problem with the twine?”

This is another case that once had a long thread with lots of photos and research. What happened? Is it archived? I recall doing a lot of research and posting photos.

JMO, his Weger's confession was far too detailed to be false. Then there was the problem with the twine, too.

 

[Betty P]

I think that the previous thread which discussed the Starved Rock Murders was this one which was in the websleuths trials section:

IL - Three Riverside women slain at Starved Rock SP, 14 March 1960

I had not seen it before starting this thread. My first information regarding these murders came from a 1961 Life magazine feature article.

Thanks! I thought there was another one. ICBW. I recall discussing that Life magazine article, I actually have a copy of that issue. It's how I first read about the case, then found a thread here.

It was a very brutal crime against multiple victims who were definitely low risk. Things that stood out to me:

• The women were on a kind of "ladies getaway" trip
  
• It was middle of the winter, quite a bit of snow on the ground, so LE was able to do some tracking of footprints
  
• The women were friends, upper middle class. Their husbands were upper management/executives in business
  
• One of the women's husband had been ill for a few months, so her friends planned the trip to give her a break from caring for him
• The lodge was not full, staff knew who was there. They would have noticed strangers hanging around
• The area back then was fairly isolated
• One of the women had a camera and took photos as they went on their hike on the trail. They were having a good time, everything looked normal

Crime scene

 

[Betty P]

Documentary made in 2019

 

[Betty P]

After several scientific experts examined it, the twine used to bind the women came from a ball of twine kept in the kitchen of the Starved Rock Park Lodge.

Polygraph exams were given to dozens of people who worked at the lodge, delivered supplies there, etc. The only person who flunked the poly exam was Chester.

Per video above, interview with local reporter who covered the case at the time.

ETA: I hadn't read about the investigation into the teenage couple who had been accosted at another nearby state park a several months before the murders at Starved Rock. A man fitting Chester's description stopped them in the woods, held a rifle on them, raped the girl, robbed them, then left. The girl identified him in a photo lineup.

Chester now claims he was beaten up by the police to get a confession. Records show the police officers who interviewed him, after his confession, brought in Chester's family members, a medical doctor, 2 court reporters and various other officials to witness Chester and his confession. None of them claimed that Chester was injured in any way. Chester himself said during the interview that he wasn't harmed or pressured.

ETA: Chester was actually working to bus tables at the news conference at Starved Rock Lodge just after the murders. He had scratches and cuts on his face. Oy.

 

[Betty P]

Based on the old Life Magazine article (which was a very long, thorough article) and the documentary above (which expands on the Life article), JMO, this isn't a cold case. The killer was caught, convicted and served a long sentence.

JMO, Chester Weger, who is now out of prison, is pursuing his legal challenge in order to make some money. He and his attorney realize there's been renewed interest in the murders from podcasts, books and movies. Perfect opportunity to cash in. He won't be sent back to prison unless he kills again, which seems unlikely.

 

[Gloomy Bear]

Did anyone else watch the documentary on HBO? It was SO fascinating and a roller coaster of emotions.

 

[Betty P]

Did anyone else watch the documentary on HBO? It was SO fascinating and a roller coaster of emotions.

Thanks!

 

[Keane]

Did anyone else watch the documentary on HBO? It was SO fascinating and a roller coaster of emotions.

Yes!

I think GS and ST are the actual killers.

 

[Brotherfudz]

Yes!

I think GS and ST are the actual killers.

Been listening to the podcast, they just recently discovered new potential suspects. Very interesting.

 

[flgrl017]

Been listening to the podcast, they just recently discovered new potential suspects. Very interesting.

What’s the podcast?

 

[Brotherfudz]

What’s the podcast?

‎The Starved Rock Murders with Andy Hale: EP 8: The Tip (the Smokey Wrona story) on Apple Podcasts

 

[Richard]

Based on the old Life Magazine article (which was a very long, thorough article) and the documentary above (which expands on the Life article), JMO, this isn't a cold case. The killer was caught, convicted and served a long sentence.

JMO, Chester Weger, who is now out of prison, is pursuing his legal challenge in order to make some money. He and his attorney realize there's been renewed interest in the murders from podcasts, books and movies. Perfect opportunity to cash in. He won't be sent back to prison unless he kills again, which seems unlikely.

I have read the Life Magazine article as well. In fact, that was where I first learned of these cold blooded murders before starting this thread.

Chester Weger hasn't changed much in some ways, as seen in his recent claims to be completely innocent and a victim himself. Back in 1960, he enjoyed playing games with law enforcement and trying to game the system.

He was identified by a rape victim as being the perpetrator of her rape, which preceded the Starved Rock murders. The twine/rope used to tie up the rape victim matched the twine used to tie up the Starved Rock murder victims.

Weger actually admitted to murdering the three women and explained in detail how he did it. One has to wonder if he was lying then or now.

He was not released from prison because his case was overturned or mitigated. They let him out due to his advanced age. Hopefully he won't kill again.

 

[Brotherfudz]

I have read the Life Magazine article as well. In fact, that was where I first learned of these cold blooded murders before starting this thread.

Chester Weger hasn't changed much in some ways, as seen in his recent claims to be completely innocent and a victim himself. Back in 1960, he enjoyed playing games with law enforcement and trying to game the system.

He was identified by a rape victim as being the perpetrator of her rape, which preceded the Starved Rock murders. The twine/rope used to tie up the rape victim matched the twine used to tie up the Starved Rock murder victims.

Weger actually admitted to murdering the three women and explained in detail how he did it. One has to wonder if he was lying then or now.

He was not released from prison because his case was overturned or mitigated. They let him out due to his advanced age. Hopefully he won't kill again.

He may very well be guilty but to me his confession doesn’t make sense. Guy killed these three women then went back to work? Again I’m not sold on him being innocent but his confession doesn’t sound right either.

 

[Richard]

He may very well be guilty but to me his confession doesn’t make sense. Guy killed these three women then went back to work? Again I’m not sold on him being innocent but his confession doesn’t sound right either.

The problem with many of these individuals who are "compelled" to kill is that they are also compelled to lie. Of course he was lying to police from day one on. When he finally decided to confess to the murders, he had already given them a long line of BS.

What is hard to understand is why he was only convicted of the one murder when three women were killed in the same place and time frame. Could Weger have had a partner that he was covering for?

 

[Richard]

On his 22nd birthday, Chester Weger, is convicted of the murder of Lillian Oetting in a LaSalle County courtroom on March 3, 1961. “You never know what Chester is thinking,” said his attorney, John A. McNamara. “It’s hard to get through to him.”

Frances Murphy, 47, from left, Mildred Lindquist, 50, Lillian Oetting, 50, left their Riverside homes in suburban Chicago for a mini vacation to Starved Rock State Park near Utica, Ill., on March 14, 1960. The women were never seen alive again.

Many more photos at this LINK:

The 1960 Starved Rock murders

 

[rob525]

He may very well be guilty but to me his confession doesn’t make sense. Guy killed these three women then went back to work? Again I’m not sold on him being innocent but his confession doesn’t sound right either.

I f he doesn't go back to work then his absence is duly noted and that looks very bad for him. If the plan was just to rob the women he likely planned to be back at work before he was missed.