Was He Really an Evil Killer or Victim of a Colossal Conspiracy?
Chester Weger: One man’s struggle for vindication after his controversial confessions
Over the past couple of years, we have covered a wide variety of cases. Some of them are extremely brutal and heinous, where even we call the perpetrators a monster beyond understanding. As with Fred and Rosemary West and Craig Price. We found some that had we been in the same situation; we don’t know if we would have done things differently. As with Joshua Phillips and Daniel Kovarbasich. There have also been some in which we have questioned the guilt of the accused. As with Charles Anthony Boyd and Darlie Routier.
As I researched this case, I was torn between two perspectives:
- The accused was a brutal monster
- The accused was an innocent scapegoat
Approximately 63 years ago, in March 1960, three friends from the suburbs of Chicago took a brief trip to Starved Rock State Park. It’s a national park near Utica, Illinois. Typically known for the natural beauty and wonder of the region, on March 14, 1960, Starved Rock was the scene of one of the most shocking crimes in the history of Illinois. After an extensive manhunt, the authorities arrested a man who already had a criminal record, and the…
