Chester Weger gets OK to seek more hairs for testing

Forensic evidence will be key to overturn Starved Rock murder conviction, Weger’s lawyer says

By DEREK BARICHELLO dbarichello@shawmedia.com

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.

Judge Michael Jansz said Hale can send a hair from the glove of Starved Rock murders victim Frances Murphy, which was previously found to have a man’s DNA that wasn’t Weger’s, for genealogy testing. Jansz also said Hale can move forward in sending more hairs collected from the scene to determine whether any of the strands are good candidates for DNA extraction and analysis.

Weger, 84, appeared in the Ottawa courtroom in his ongoing effort to overturn his murder conviction. He was sentenced to life in prison for the 1960 murder of Lillian Oetting, who was found bludgeoned to death along with two companions in the state park.

He was paroled in 2019.

The genealogy testing will be conducted by Othram, a Texas company known for its work in cold cases, to try determine whose DNA was on the previously tested hair. The company uses a genealogical database to identify possible suspects through a genetic profile.

The DNA sample was crosschecked against a state-run database (although not the federal database), and the analysis didn’t yield a match.

“This is a big step for us,” Hale said after Wednesday’s hearing. “It gives us the opportunity to collect forensic information.”

With the other strands of hair, scientists retained by the defense would first use microscopes to determine whether any of the strands are good candidates for DNA extraction and analysis. If hairs are determined to be good enough, the defense can move forward with DNA testing.

“We’ve heard that all there is is one hair,” Hale said. “We want to test more.”

Hale said he believes forensic evidence will be the key to overturning Weger’s murder conviction, noting the genealogical analysis is some of the most state-of-the-art technology being used.

Additionally, Hale said some clothing found at the 1960 murder scene will be further tested for possible more information.

A status hearing was set for 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, in Jansz’s courtroom.

Guisti, a former Oglesby and Peru patrol officer who retired in 2020 as a detective in Oswego, held the first couple of all-day fundraisers at his home. When the event outgrew his yard, at which point they moved it to Cedar Point.

That’s not to say the early fundraising was easy. Adam Conness, who retired recently from Peru police, is among the original supporters. He remembered asking businesses to donate and having to explain what Cops 4 Cancer was and what the organization would do with the money.

A few early donors were initially skeptical, he recalled, and required a bit of persuasion before they donated. With time, the Illinois Valley has come to know and support Cops 4 Cancer and the wallets fly open more readily.

“It’s amazing that we’ve made it 20 years,” Conness said. “We’ve helped so many people and they tell their friends who tell their friends – and that’s why we’re as big as we are.”

Glynn, now board president for Cops 4 Cancer, cheered on the early efforts even as she conducted her own work for breast cancer when, in 2010, they banded together and formed a not-for-profit entity.

“As a two-time breast cancer survivor, I feel my dream of making difference is now a beautiful reality thanks to our dedicated C4C Nation,” Glynn said. “Cops 4 Cancer has enriched my life and touched my soul. I’m so proud of how we have remained steadfast and dedicated without any grants or government funding.”

The joint effort yielded plenty of aid for distressed families, but it also brought more distressed families to their doorstep.

“It actually got to the point where it was a little overwhelming because we had so many applications come in,” Guisti said. “We haven’t had to turn anybody down – unless they’re outside our coverage area – but now we’re to the point we’re pretty confident we can help everybody.”

And they help with a diffuse array of needs. The application is worded to let families from many forms of aid –gas cards for travel to out-of-area hospitals, for example – but Cops 4 Cancer has also reached out to local businesses for help with in-kind services that otherwise might break the bank.

“We’ve had people to ask for their furnaces repaired,” Guisti said. “We’ve helped people with auto repairs. Anything people need we will, within our means, try to accommodate them.”

For more information, visit cops4cancer.com.

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