December 22, 2024
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Paroled Starved Rock murderer moves to La Salle

Weger had told Prisoner Review Board he would not want to live in, near La Salle County

By Tom Collins
A documentary film featuring Chester Weger, paroled after serving six decades for murder, is in the works. Much of the footage was supplied by La Salle native David Raccuglia, who spoke with and photographed Weger after release.

Despite telling the Illinois Prisoner Review Board he would not want to live in or near La Salle County, Chester Weger, who served six decades prison time for murder at Starved Rock State Park, has taken residency in La Salle. (David Raccuglia)

Despite telling the Illinois Prisoner Review Board he would not want to live anywhere in or near La Salle County, the Starved Rock murderer now is a resident of La Salle.

Saturday, multiple sources confirmed 82-year-old Chester Weger, who served nearly six decades for murder at Starved Rock State Park, has taken up residence in the 200 block of Fourth Street. As a convicted murderer, Weger is required to register with local law enforcement and sources say he completed the paperwork Saturday.

In a document he presented the Illinois Prisoner Review Board in November 2018, Weger told said if he were he to be released: 1) that he would stay near his sister in Missouri, where he would like to be housed at the Union City Mission, in Union City, Mo.; and 2) that he stay with his daughter in Illinois, with whom he has regular contact. He further indicated his preference would be to live at the Christian mission location in Union City, and that he would not want to live anywhere in or near La Salle County.

Weger had initially resided at a ministry in Chicago after being paroled. His new domicile was effectively confirmed Saturday when a visitor knocked on the door and asked for the parolee.

“We’re not interested, thank you,” said a woman who answered the door. She did not offer her name. She then volunteered residential approval had been granted by the parole authority.

This is Chester Weger's new home. He has taken up residence in La Salle, multiple sources confirmed, after unsuccessfully seeking to move in to Oglesby. (Tom Collins)

Notably, a video camera was visible in the front room through the picture window. A film company has been chronicling Weger’s post-release activities since the Illinois Prisoner Review Board granted him parole in 2019; but the project director declined comment.

La Salle County State’s Attorney Todd Martin said he was alerted to Weger’s changing residential status Friday, at which time Weger was seeking to take up residence in Oglesby. Though Weger’s entry on the Department of Corrections website states “sex offender registry required,” Martin said he conferred with the parole authority and was advised Weger is not required to do so.

“I am in active discussions with local law enforcement about this situation,” Martin said. “If anything changes or any issue arises, we will take any appropriate action.”

Multiple sources said Weger initially disclosed he was moving to Oglesby, at a location a few blocks south of Holy Family School. Sources said it was a zoning or building issue, not a criminal restriction, that kept Weger from moving in.

Weger was sentenced to life in prison for killing Lillian Oetting. He confessed to killing Oetting and two companions, Frances Murphy and Mildred Lindquist, in a botched robbery at Starved Rock State Park but later recanted. Weger still maintains his innocence and attorneys working on his behalf currently are to get aged pieces of evidence submitted to a forensic laboratory for fresh testing.