Illinois’ Infamous ‘Starved Rock Killer’ Dead at 86

At one point in my life, this story was a hell of a lot closer to home than I ever wanted it to be.

Before moving to Dubuque, IA, I lived in LaSalle-Peru, IL, a quiet community in north central Illinois, part of the larger "Illinois Valley." The name "Chester Weger," when uttered, evokes every emotion from anger to sympathy, exhaustion, and anxiety amongst residents. I think I lived in LaSalle for two weeks before I first heard his name. For the three-and-a-half-years I lived there, Weger was sporadically brought up as a topic of conversation.

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Last week, once again, I saw his name. Chester Weger, the infamous "Starved Rock Killer," died at the age of 86 on Sunday, June 22nd, according to reports. Weger was convicted of the murder of one of three women found dead at Starved Rock State Park in LaSalle County back in March 1960. At one time, he was the longest serving inmate incarcerated by the state of Illinois, and to date is the third longest in the entire state prior to his release in February 21st, 2020.

This statement was released by Weger's attorney, who aided in the man's battle to clear his name, up until the very end:

Chester Weger passed peacefully on Sunday, surrounded by his family. Chester fought until the very end to prove his innocence. He has been such an inspiration to me and it was an honor to represent him. Chester was humble, generous and kind. The injustice he suffered during his lifetime is unimaginable. Rest assured, we will continue our efforts to obtain the justice that Chester so deserves. Rest in peace Chester, we love you - a statement from Chester Weger's attorney, per Fox 32 Chicago

When Weger was released from prison in 2020, I learned that he was living on the same street in LaSalle that I was living. It was a house far enough away that I couldn't see it if I stood outside my apartment complex, but still too close for comfort.

In 2021, Weger was the subject of an HBO docuseries produced by Mark Wahlberg. Called The Murders at Starved Rock, the three-episode series examines Weger's life before and after his conviction, with the final episode revolving around valiant efforts from his defense team to clear his name due to an alleged mishandling of evidence.

The main voice of the series is David Raccuglia, the son of Anthony Raccuglia, who was one of two prosecuting attorneys on Weger's case. I highly recommend it. If you have an HBO Max subscription, you can stream it.

In totality, Weger spent nearly 60 years behind bars before being granted parole when he was 80-years-old. During the time of the murders, he worked as a dishwasher at Starved Rock. The bodies of three suburban women from Riverside, IL — Frances Murphy (47), Mildred Lindquist (50), and Lillian Oetting (50) — were found in a canyon in the park. The women were found bound with twine and died from severe head trauma.

Read more about the death of Chester Weger on Fox 32 Chicago's website.

EXPLORE STARVED ROCK STATE PARK THROUGH PICTURES TAKEN BY TOM DRAKE