Illinois abolished the death penalty in 2011, a decision we endorsed as an overdue recognition that the system was irreparably flawed, having sent at least 20 innocent men to death row. But cases like this one are a reminder of why many people in this state and across America prefer to keep capital punishment available: It ensures that savage murderers will not eventually be allowed to return to our midst. Rehabilitation and parole are society’s goal for many inmates. But freedom isn’t appropriate for someone guilty of a crime such as Weger’s.