The attorney representing convicted murderer Chester Weger said new genetic evidence may help clear his client of the 1960 murders of three women in Starved Rock State Park.
Lawyer Andy Hale said a hair found on the left index finger of victim Frances Murphy's glove does not match Weger's DNA.
"Combined with everything else we have, we now have an overwhelming case that Chester Weger had nothing to do with the Starved Rock murders," Hale said.
Hale said the hair is significant because the tip of Murphy's left index finger was removed postmortem. Hale said the test shows the hair originated from a man who isn't Weger.
Hale wants to submit the hair run through the FBI's CODIS database to search for a potential match. An Oct. 28 status hearing will determine if that search can proceed.
"We would love to get closure. We would love to find out who actually committed these murders," he said.
Weger, 83, was sentenced in 1961 for the murders. He served more than six decades in prison before he was paroled in 2019.
He also wants to meet with the Will County State's Attorney's Office to argue Weger's murder conviction should be vacated.
Hale said he's also prepared to file a post-conviction petition with the court or file a petition for executive clemency with the governor's office.
