In 1960, three housewives from Chicago never make it out of Starved Rock State Park alive and police in Illinois quickly realize a piece of nature itself might be the murder weapon. The investigation zeros in on a predator who was hiding in plain sight. In recent years, his guilt has come into question and new evidence emerged that only deepened this enduring mystery.
Episode Source Material
- Chicago Tribune: “Timeline: The March 1960 Starved Rock murders and convicted killer Chester Weger’s release from prison,” by Christy Gutowski and Kori Rumore
- ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS INTERNET INMATE STATUS, C01114 – Weger, Chester
- Daily Illini: “Three Chicago Women Die After Attack in State Park”
- LIFE: “Ghostly Images of A Ghastly Murder”
- Daily Illini: “Starved Rock Ex-Dish Washer Admits March Triple-Slaying”
- Chicago Tribune: “Full Confession of Killer,” no author, and “How 3 Victims Battled to Stay Alive,” by Sandy Smith & Thomas Powers
- Chicago Tribune: “Jurors indict starved rock triple slayer”
- Chicago Tribune: “Claim killer of 3 had aid”
- Chicago Tribune: “Threats Made Him Confess, Weger Claims,” by Sandy Smith
- Chicago Tribune: “Weger Claims Threat Forced His Confession,” by Sandy Smith
- Daily Illini: “State Probes Starved Rock Killing In Effort To Send Weger to Chair”
- LIFE: “The Case of the Overlooked Clues”
- Daily Illini: “Witnesses Deny Weger Threatened When He Confessed Triple Slaying”
- Chicago Tribune: “Weger Tells Jury: I Didn’t Kill 3 Women,” by Sandy Smith
- Daily Illini: “Weger Claims Deputy Sheriff Forced Criminal Confession”
- Daily Illini: “Weger Defense Rests”
- Daily Illini: “Weger Verdict Delayed”
- Chicago Tribune: “Jury fixes penalty in state park killing,” by Sandy Smith
- Chicago Tribune: “Jail won’t hold me: Weger,” by Sandy Smith
- Daily Illini: “Weger Lawyer To Seek New Trial, Claims 1st Hearing Was Prejudiced”
- Chicago Tribune: “Weger, Poker Faced, Hears Life Sentence,” by Sandy Smith
- Daily Illini: “Chester Weger Moves to Joliet To Serve Term”
- Justia, The PEOPLE v. Weger, Supreme Court of Illinois
- Chicago Tribune: “Court drops rape charges against Weger”
- Chicago Tribune: “Drop effort to get death sentence for Rocky Weger,” by Thomas Powers
- Chicago Tribune: “Weger Pictures Himself as Hero in Writing Jail Autobiography,” by Thomas Powers
- Chicago Tribune: “Evidence in ’60 killing tainted,” by Karen Mellen
- The Pantagraph: “Governor denies request of man convicted in Starved Rock murder,” by Greg Stanmar
- Chicago Tribune: “Inmate convicted in 1960 Starved Rock slayings makes plea for parole,” by Christy Gutowski
- Chicago Tribune: “Starved Rock killer Chester Weger, convicted in an infamous 1960 murder case, is granted parole,” by Christy Gutowski
- Chicago Tribune: “Starved Rock killer falls one vote short of parole after nearly 60 years in prison,” by Christy Gutowski
- “The Starved Rock Murders Illinois History and Horror” by American Hauntings
- Chicago Tribune: “Man Convicted of Infamous 1960 Starved Rock Killing Is Just Days Away From Getting Out of Prison” by Christy Gutowski
- The News Tribune: “Starved Rock Murderer Chester Weger Released From Prison” By NewsTribune staff
- The Atlanta Journal Constitution: “Chester Weger Still Maintains His Innocence In The 1960 Beating Deaths of 3 Women in Illinois Park” by Christy Gutowski
- “The Starved Rock Murders” Documentary by Hunter James Cox
- Full documentary accessed on YouTube
- CBS2: “Charlie De Mar, Convicted ‘Starved Rock Killer’ Chester Weger Released From Prison”
- Starved Rock State Park Information
- Chicago Sun Times: Paroled in Starved Rock killings after nearly 60 years in prison, Chester Weger seeks a hearing to prove his innocence. By Frank Main.
- Chicago Sun Times: Convicted Starved Rock killer’s 1960 confession shows he did it, special prosecutor says. By Frank Main.
- Chicago Sun Times: Starved Rock killer’s conviction should be overturned because of a hair from one of four brothers, lawyer says. By Frank Main.
- WSPY: So-called Starved Rock murderer’s defense falls apart in judge’s ruling. By Mark Harrington.
- WGN9: Starved Rock Killer Chester Weger no longer on mandatory supervised release. By staff.
- WLPO: Hearing to Potentially Overturn Chester Weger’s Murder Conviction Begins. By staff.
- Shawlocal.com: Can Chester Weger get his conviction overturned? Experts weigh in at “Mini-Trial” Day 1. By Maribeth M. Wilson.
- WLPO: Testimony Wraps Up in Chester Weger Evidentiary Hearing. By Scott Anderson.
- Shawlocal.com: Mini-Trial for Chester Weger enters second day. By Maribeth M. Wilson.
- WLPO: Closing Arguments In Chester Weger Mini Trial Set for Wednesday Afternoon. By staff.
- Hale & Monico America’s Justice Attorneys: Chester Weger and the Starved Rock Murders. By Andy Hale.
- WLPO: Sides Make Their Closing Arguments in Chester Weger Evidentiary Hearing. By staff.
- Chicago Sun Times: ‘Starved Rock Killer’ loses bid to overturn 1961 conviction. By Frank Main.
- CBS Chicago: No new trial for “Starved Rock Killer” Chester Weger. By Sara Tenenbaum.
- WJOL: Judge Denies Conviction Overturn Request In The Starved Rock Murder Conviction. By staff.
- Friends of Chester Weger Facebook Page
- The Starved Rock Murder Podcast. By Andy Hale.
- Starved Rock Lodge: Starved Rock State Park Information
