Chester Weger: Illinois: Finally, after spending the last six decades advocating for new proceedings to prove his innocence, a 'mini-trial' has begun, with the defense calling experts they say can prove Weger was wrongfully convicted of the Starved Rock Murders, Shaw Local (Reporter Marybeth M. Wilson) reports, noting that: "Defense Attorney Andy Hale began his opening statement by discussing the hair discovered on Frances Murphy, which the lab had previously found to have a man’s DNA – not belonging to Weger – and outlining a list of witnesses he said would prove the Chicago mafia is responsible for the killings of the three women."

PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Weger, 86, is trying to overturn his conviction for killing Lillian Oetting, one of three women fatally bludgeoned in 1960 at Starved Rock State Park. Weger confessed to the killings and later recanted. He has spent the last six decades advocating for new proceedings to prove his innocence."

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STORY: "Can Chester Weger get his conviction overturned? Experts weigh in at “Mini-Trial” Day 1," by Reporter Maribeth M. Wilson. published by Shaw Local, one May 12, 2025. )Maribeth M. Wilson has been a reporter with Shaw Media for two years, one of those as news editor at the Morris Herald-News. She became a part of the NewsTribune staff in 2023. She covers La Salle, Peru and Spring Valley.)

Chester Weger‘s “mini trial”, a term coined by his attorneys, began Monday morning with the defense calling experts they say can prove Weger was wrongfully convicted of the Starved Rock Murders.

Weger, 86, is trying to overturn his conviction for killing Lillian Oetting, one of three women fatally bludgeoned in 1960 at Starved Rock State Park. Weger confessed to the killings and later recanted. He has spent the last six decades advocating for new proceedings to prove his innocence.

Weger, who moved to Missouri earlier this year, did not appear in court during Monday’s proceedings.

Defense Attorney Andy Hale began his opening statement by discussing the hair discovered on Frances Murphy, which the lab had previously found to have a man’s DNA – not belonging to Weger – and outlining a list of witnesses he said would prove the Chicago mafia is responsible for the killings of the three women.

Colleen Griffin of the special prosecutor‘s office said the state didn’t want to speak about evidence because it’s so conclusive that it would ultimately be admissible by the defendant.

Regarding lay witnesses, Griffin said they are highly unlikely to be credible and inconsistent with one another.

Hale called the first of four witnesses, beginning with Christopher Palenik, a microscopist and vice president of Microtrace.

Palenik outlined the microscope slides he reviewed for the defense, focusing on a slide containing the hair taken from the left index finger of Murphy’s brown wool gloves.

Hale outlined each slide with Palenik by walking through their condition and chain of custody.

Mark Shliafk, of the special prosecutor‘s office, began his cross-examination by challenging the chain of custody. Shliafk asked Palenik if he knew where the hair was March 16 to April 7, 1960 — Palenik said he couldn’t.

Shliafk further challenged Palenik, questioning if the slides were altered and saying he chose to write “the benefit of the doubt should go to the defendant” in his reports because the prosecution had made the evidence available to high school students in the 1970s and 80s.

“If all the Cub Scouts in Illinois viewed the evidence, would it change your response?” Hale said.

“No,” Palenik said. He continued by explaining that the hair is typically washed, and any touch DNA evidence would be removed.

After breaking for lunch, Hale moved on to Najai Bradley, a forensic biologist with Bode Technology. Bradley testified to testing the hair found on Murphy’s glove, saying the hair was in the antigen growth phase, meaning it’s actively growing, the hair was brown and straight.

Keeley Coleman, a forensic DNA analyst, testified she completed the analysis of the hair, stating her findings were that the DNA was a male and was not a match for Weger.

During both examinations, Shliafk made note that four cigarette butts, a string and 43 other hairs were sent for analysis — none of which were able to provide DNA.

“Out of 44 hairs taken from the scene, “ he said, “only 14 were processed… and only one hair belonged to Chester Weger.”

Dr. David Richard Fowler, a forensic pathologist, reviewed each woman’s autopsy and testified to the force needed to cause the substantial injuries on the women.

Hale asked if he believed the injuries could be caused by a camera or binoculars.

“I would say no,” Fowler said. He also said the log found at the scene was “soft and spongy,” and in his opinion, he would have expected some of the log to be embedded in the woman’s injury.

During cross-examination, Shliafk challenged Fowler by saying human tissue was found in the binoculars and he had a predetermined opinion regarding the log, as it was frozen at the time of the murder and Fowler didn’t fully review all the documentation.

Fowler said he came to his conclusions based on 40 years of experience and maintained a camera or binoculars, while they could cause damage, could not cause the level of force required to kill three women.

Weger‘s mini-trial will continue at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The entire story can be read at:

https://www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley/2025/05/13/can-chester-weger-get-his-conviction-overturned-experts-weigh-in-at-mini-trial-day-1/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic"  section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com.  Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.

SEE BREAKDOWN OF  SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG,  AT THE LINK BELOW:  HL:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985

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FINAL WORD:  (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases):  "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."

Lawyer Radha Natarajan:

Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;

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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions.   They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!

Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;

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