Lillian Oetting (1960) Three Chicago socialites were murdered in Starved Rock State Park, Illinois. All three women had fractured skulls. Their bodies, bound with twine, were found in a cave. Near the bodies of the women, a bloodied tree limb was found and considered to be the murder weapon. Because all three women had been staying at a nearby lodge, the staff of the lodge was questioned. Chester Weger, a 21-year-old dishwasher at the lodge, was asked about a blood stain on his coat. He said it was animal blood. He agreed to take a lie detector test and passed it. He was requestioned and took a second lie detector test and passed it as well. The blood was examined by the state crime lab and found to be animal blood as Weger had indicated at questioning. The case reached a dead end. Investigators decided to revisit the evidence. The rope used to bind the women was examined more carefully. It was found to be 20-stranded twine sold only at Starved Rock State Park. Identical twine was found in an area accessible to Weger. He again became a prime suspect. The blood on his coat was reexamined by the FBI Crime Lab and found to be human and compatible with the blood of one of the victims. Weger submitted to another lie detector test and failed it. Weger was found guilty for the murder of one of the women, Lillian Oetting, and has spent more than 45 years in prison. He recently petitioned the Governor of Illinois for clemency, saying he was beaten and tortured into making the confession. He still maintains his innocence.
The Atlanta Child Murders (1979–1981) Wayne Williams is thought to be one of the worst serial killers of adolescents in U.S. history. His victims were killed and thrown into the Chattahoochee River in Georgia. Williams was questioned, because he was seen near where a body had washed ashore. Two kinds of fiber were found on the victims. The first kind was an unusual yellow-green nylon fiber used in floor carpeting. Through the efforts of the FBI and DuPont Chemical Company, the carpet manufacturer was identified. The carpet had been sold in only 10 states, one of them being Alabama, where Williams lived. Thus, the fibers found on the victims were linked to carpet fibers found in Williams’ home. Another victim’s body yielded the second type of fiber. This fiber was determined to be from carpeting found in pre-1973 Chevrolets. It was determined that only 680 vehicles registered in Alabama had a matching carpet. Williams owned a 1970 Chevrolet station wagon with matching carpet. The probability of both types of fibers being owned by the same person was calculated. The odds against another person owning both carpet types were about 29 million to one. Williams was convicted and sentenced to two life terms