Posthumous Pardon Sought for 'Starved Rock Killer' Chester Weger After Decades of Claims of Innocence
Attorneys for the late Chester Weger are presenting new DNA evidence to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board in hopes of clearing his name in the 1960 murders.
An Illinois man convicted of three murders in 1960, Chester Weger, is the subject of a posthumous pardon hearing before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board on October 6. Weger maintained his innocence for over 65 years until his death in June 2025, days after a judge denied his petition to overturn his conviction.
Weger was convicted in 1961 for the murder of Lillian Oetting, one of three women found dead in Starved Rock State Park in March 1960. The victims, Oetting, Frances Murphy, and Mildred Lindquist, had been vacationing from Chicago when they were attacked and killed during a hike. Weger, who worked at the Starved Rock Lodge where the women were staying, was arrested in November 1960.
His legal team argues that new DNA evidence raises significant questions about his conviction. Specifically, a hair found on one of the victims did not match Weger or any of the women, suggesting the presence of another individual. Weger's attorneys also contend that his initial confession was coerced, a claim he recanted shortly after making it.
"They ruined my life," Weger told the Chicago Tribune after his release in 2020. "(They) locked me up for 60 years for something I've never done."
Weger was convicted of Oetting's murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. He appealed his conviction, but it was upheld. He was denied clemency in 2007, despite DNA evidence discovered in 2004. After 24 attempts, Weger was granted parole in 2019 and released to live with his family in 2020. He died at the age of 86, having spent six decades in prison.
Posthumous pardons are rare, with fewer than 200 issued historically, and typically require a recommendation from a state review board to the governor. In Weger's case, the Illinois Prisoner Review Board will hear the evidence, and if they recommend a pardon, Governor JB Pritzker will make the final decision.
Weger's attorney, Andrew Hale, expressed hope for a favorable outcome, telling the Chicago Sun-Times that he believes the governor's office, upon a fresh review, should rule in Weger's favor. Hale also told the Chicago Tribune that Weger's friends and family were "deeply saddened that Chester's legacy is marred by this unjust conviction."
Descendants of the victims reportedly maintain their belief in Weger's guilt.