Special prosecutor found for Chester Weger DNA case

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.

On Monday, special prosecutor Colleen Griffin, an assistant Will County state’s attorney, entered an appearance in the case. Weger, 81, still is challenging his 1960 conviction for murdering Lillian Oetting at Starved Rock State Park. Weger also confessed to killing Oetting’s two companions.

Weger has been trying to get items retrieved from the 1960 murder scene at Starved Rock State Park submitted for new forensic analysis. The case was postponed, however, after new La Salle County State’s Attorney Todd Martin withdrew, citing a professional conflict.

Judge Michael C. Jansz sent for a special prosecutor, but the Office of the Appellate Prosecutor decided they might have a conflict, too, and asked for another state’s attorney’s office to step in. Will County answered the call.

Griffin needs to time to catch up, so Jansz set a May 3 hearing date, giving Griffin and Weger’s lawyers until March 8 and April 5, respectively, to file submissions for or against new testing.

Weger, who was granted parole in 2019, has asked Jansz to submit existing evidence to the lab, arguing advanced techniques are available to shed new light on the 60-year-old case. Jansz has so far denied their motions, ruling Weger hasn’t met the legal threshold for new analysis.