La Salle County residents react to Chester Weger’s parole

Mention Starved Rock murderer Chester Weger’s parole Thursday among a crowd of La Salle County residents and it’s bound to draw a lively discussion.

At Ottawa’s VFW, a reporter asked five people cozied up to the bar what they thought of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board’s 9-4 decision to grant Weger parole.

"If you murder someone, you shouldn't get paroled, you should stay in there," said Yvette Baird immediately. "Life is life. I can see exceptions for someone who is young and murdered someone accidentally, but not in this case."

Weger was sentenced to life in prison for the 1960 bludgeoning death of Lillian Oetting in a canyon at Starved Rock State Park. He also confessed to killing Oetting’s two companions Frances Murphy and Mildred Lindquist.

Baird's response was met with a man immediately shaking his head.

"He's older, what's he going to do?" the man asked.

"It just amazes me that if people are sentenced for sex crimes or for drugs, there's no sympathy, but there's sympathy when it comes to murder," Baird said.

A small group discussed the issue with a reporter at CortiLeno’s Pub in Oglesby, many with differing opinions.

Ethan Boyer, 24, Oglesby sat at one end of the bar and called the parole board’s decision as “mind-blowing” when asked by a reporter.

He said he wasn’t super familiar with the facts of the case but was familiar with Weger and the murders at Starved Rock.

“I didn’t think it would be possible he would be allowed out of jail,” Boyer said.

Joe Schultz, 77, Oglesby, jumped into the conversation as well and said he and Weger were “friends” and played games like pool and euchre together before the murders.

He said Weger was set up and didn’t have a hand in killing those women decades ago.

“He was no angel, but I tell you what he didn’t kill them,” Schultz said.

When asked if he would try to reconnect with Weger, he said no.

“I wouldn’t even know him to see him if he walked through the door,” Schultz said.

Tim Higgins, 55, Tonica, is less certain either way admitting he doesn’t know if Weger committed the murder or not.

He doesn’t think he’s a threat to the public now, but wonders what will happen to Weger now and how he’ll survive in a modern age that has adapted greatly in the passing decades.

“He’s 80 years old and he’s been in there for (58) years. I don’t know what he’s going to do when he gets out,” Higgins said.

“The only life he’s ever known is jail,” he added.