Ruling on bid for exoneration in Starved Rock murders case continued to Sept. 11

Chester Weger will have to wait at least another month before learning whether he can continue to try and overturn his conviction in the Starved Rock murders case.

Weger, 85, did not appear in La Salle County Circuit Court Monday morning, but his attorney Andy Hale was present for a scheduled status hearing.

Judge Michael C. Jansz said Monday the court was making progress going through various issues of the case – including constitutional considerations. He said coming up with a decision is one thing, but putting it on paper is another.

Jansz has said he may take several weeks to consider the special prosecutor’s motion and didn’t guarantee he’d have a ruling ready by Monday. Earlier this year, the special prosecutor in the case filed a 78-page pleading saying Weger was guilty of murder and Weger’s claims of innocence were heard and rejected; Weger’s lawyers responded with a lengthy pleading, arguing there’s plenty of new evidence to prove Weger’s innocence.

In another matter, Hale updated the court a wood fragment recovered at the 1960 crime scene was a basswood twig, native to Starved Rock.

Jansz ruled in April a wood chip recovered at the crime scene can go to the crime lab, but additional pieces of evidence won’t be analyzed.

Hale said Monday he was unsure whether he would enter the fragment into evidence and asked Jansz.

Jansz said he was not in a position to say what should and shouldn’t be presented to him, but directed him to work with the prosecution to have something on record.

Jansz thanked the court for its patience and said he was presiding over criminal cases in Bureau and DeKalb counties along with his traffic court schedule.

Weger is scheduled for a status hearing at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 11.