The man who’s spent nearly 60 years behind bars for the grisly murders of three women at Starved Rock State Park will soon be up for parole again.
Chester Weger is set for a hearing before a parole board officer Wednesday at Pinckneyville Correctional Center in southern Illinois.
LaSalle County State’s Attorney Karen Donnelly plans to attend that hearing. She says Weger should remain behind bars.
“Since 1972, the board’s considerations were that granting parole would deprecate the seriousness of the crime. That’s clearly the factor. The offense was of a very grave nature. These women were beaten where they were pulling splinters out of their skulls," she said.
Weger, now 80, was a dishwasher at Starved Rock Lodge in March 1960 when Lillian Oetting, Frances Murphy, and Mildred Lindquist visited St. Louis Canyon. They were found bound and beaten to death in a cave two days later. Weger was tied to the case and convicted.
“He was sentenced to natural life, and that term is natural life. If he had committed these crimes today and found guilty and sentenced, he would never see the light of day again," said Donnelly.
The Illinois Prisoner Review Board tied 7-7 last year on whether or not to grant Weger’s parole request. One member was absent from that hearing.
They’re set to vote again on his parole status November 21 in Springfield. He's been before the board more than 20 times.
Defense attorney Andy Hale says he’s looking forward to that decision.
