The long investigation that followed would eventually lead to the arrest and conviction in 1961 of a lodge restaurant worker, Chester Weger, who is still serving his life sentence in connection with the three murders. Weger, 77, is Illinois' third-longest-held inmate in a state prison. A recent request for parole was denied Thursday with an 11-2 vote by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. Weger maintains he is innocent and says that a confession he gave police in 1960 was coerced. In a recent interview with Tribune reporter Christy Gutowski, Weger said, "I'll stay in prison the rest of my life to prove my innocence before I'll make any deal with any of you crooked people."