Chester Weger

A judge refused Monday to reconsider his June 18 ruling against the late Chester Weger. Barring an appeal, Weger’s bid for exoneration is over.

Illinois Valley media, including the La Salle NewsTribune and The Times, have been following the Starved Rock Murders and Chester Weger’s case for more than 60 years. Here are a few key moments in this long-running saga, captured by our reporters and photographers. Photo editor Scott Anderson procured the material. Weger died on Sunday, June 22, 2025.

Chester Weger, 86, who spent nearly six decades in prison for killing Lillian Oetting, one of three women fatally bludgeoned in 1960 at Starved Rock, died June 22.

Chester Weger’s murder conviction stands. Wednesday, a judge denied the 86-year-old’s bid for exoneration in 1960 Starved Rock murders.

A special prosecutor asked Wednesday to re-open Chester Weger‘s mini-trial. Weger’s judge said no.

Chester Weger's mini-trial continues as defense mounts case to overturn conviction

A packed courtroom turned out for the Chester Weger 'mini trial' evidentiary hearing on Monday, May 12, 2025 at the La Salle County Government Complex in Ottawa.

Chester Weger’s "mini-trial" is a go and begins next week. He won’t get a ruling until after Memorial Day, however.

Chester Weger’s upcoming “mini trial” remains set for May 12 – for now, anyway – but attorneys in the case first will argue Monday on whether a last-minute piece of evidence can be presented.

Chester Weger is moving to Missouri.

Chester Weger will have to wait at least another month before learning whether he can continue to try and overturn his conviction in the Starved Rock murders case.

Chester Weger will be in an Ottawa courtroom Monday morning for a hearing to determine whether he can continue trying to overturn his conviction in the Starved Rock murders case.

Chester Weger could learn July 1 (maybe) whether he can continue trying to overturn his murder conviction.

Chester Weger hit back at the special prosecutor trying to end Weger’s exoneration bid. In a new filing, lawyers for the 85-year-old parolee say there’s plenty of new evidence to prove him innocent.

Chester Weger, convicted in the 1960 Starved Rock murders case, has been seeking exoneration. A special prosecutor argued Tuesday the time has come to end Weger’s bid.

Anybody waiting to learn who else might have been present at the Starved Rock murders will have to wait a little longer for the mystery person to be revealed.

A lab analyzing a hair from the Starved Rock murders has traced it to a branch of a local family tree – though a lawyer for Chester Weger has not publicly disclosed yet the family name.

Attorney Andy Hale believes forensic evidence is the path to clear his client Chester Weger’s name and on Wednesday he received a favorable ruling in La Salle County court to keep moving forward.

Chester Weger won’t get a new special prosecutor, a judge ruled Tuesday.

A hair from the Starved Rock murders was found to have DNA. It wasn’t Chester Weger’s. So whose hair was it?Weger attorney Andy Hale said Friday they still don’t know. An attempt to crosscheck it against a DNA databank came up empty.

Chester Weger wants a lab to analyze additional hairs from the Starved Rock murders. A judge could decide April 19 whether that evidence will undergo fresh tests.

The attorney representing Chester Weger announced Thursday on his podcast “The Starved Rock Murders with Andy Hale” the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office has chosen not to vacate Weger’s conviction.

Whose hair was found on the glove of one of the Starved Rock murder victims? Chester Weger will be a few weeks from his 84th birthday before that’s revealed – if then.

Lawyers for Chester Weger think there are “original case materials” from the Starved Rock murders and have filed a motion to retrieve and inspect them.

Shaw Media contacted area lawyers familiar with the Starved Rock murders case. All agreed Chester Weger should brace for drawn-out proceedings and should temper any expectations of being exonerated for the 1960 murders.

The filmmaker behind the Emmy-nominated, HBO documentary “The Murders at Starved Rock” wishes there was more than just one hair sample of evidence after 60 years.

Chester Weger, his family and his attorney Andy Hale attend the court hearing and speak outside of the courthouse Monday after it was revealed a hair on a glove from the murders fit the DNA profile of a man, but not Weger.

Video: Chester Weger and his attorney Andy Hale spoke to media following Monday's hearing.

One of the victim’s gloves from the 1960 Starved Rock murders had a hair attached it. The hair was a man’s. It was not Chester Weger.

“The Murders at Starved Rock,” the three-part documentary about the Chester Weger case and aired on HBO, has been nominated for an Emmy.

Results from a fresh analysis of evidence from the Starved Rock murders still are pending, so a judge has moved a hearing until Aug. 1.

Want to learn what a private lab learns from a fresh analysis of evidence from the Starved Rock murders? A lawyer for Chester Weger promises to divulge it via podcast launched March 3.

A private lab isn’t finished yet analyzing evidence from the Starved Rock murders case, so a Tuesday hearing for parolee Chester Weger has been moved to April 18.

Filmmaker David Raccuglia thought 82-year-old Chester Weger was the only living participant in the Starved Rock murders case.

A trailer now has been released about the forthcoming documentary about the 1960 murders at Starved Rock State Park.

A few pieces of evidence from the 1960 Starved Rock murders case are scheduled to be handled, packaged and labeled Dec. 9 for a trip to the crime lab.

Lawyers for Chester Weger and a special prosecutor appeared Tuesday for a status hearing on Weger’s bid to have old evidence in his murder case submitted for fresh testing

A documentary about the 1960 murders at Starved Rock State Park will be aired Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 14-15, on HBO.

Here is the full ruling by Judge Michael Jansz to re-examine evidence in the Starved Rock murder case.

Evidence in the 1960 Starved Rock murder case will receive a fresh trip to the crime lab ruled a La Salle County judge Tuesday.

A La Salle County judge may rule as soon as Tuesday, Oct. 26, whether evidence in the 1960 Starved Rock murder case gets a fresh trip to the crime lab.

La Salle paramedics and police responded Sunday to the home of Chester Weger and transported him to St. Margaret’s Health - Peru.

A Minonk woman was ordered Monday to stay 500 feet from the Starved Rock murderer and to have no contact with him for the next two years.

The Starved Rock murderer says he’s being stalked and he’s asking a judge to extend a no-contact order.

Chester Weger, 82, completed residency paperwork with law enforcement on Saturday

A paroled Chester Weger will be featured in a forthcoming documentary.

Chester Weger waited nearly 60 years for parole. The Starved Rock murderer will have to wait another four months to argue for a fresh trip to the crime lab.

Chester Weger still doesn’t know if a search will turn up any “new” evidence from the 1960 crime scene that led to his murder conviction — but it’s not looking good.

The Starved Rock murderer wanted a crime lab to take a look at some evidence seized and stored following the 1960 murder investigation. Monday, a judge said no.

Lawyers for Chester Weger, the now-paroled Starved Rock murderer, say they are working on a motion to vacate his conviction.