Lipinski Aide’s Son Determined 'Insane' In Mom’s Stabbing Death

OAK LAWN, IL -- The son of an aide to Congressman Dan Lipinski was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the 2017 stabbing death of his mother. Steven Chmela, 29, was ordered to be committed to a secure treatment facility following a sentencing hearing on March 19, according to court records.

Wisconsin authorities had alerted Oak Lawn police on Jan. 10, 2017 that a woman may have been the victim of a domestic altercation involving another family member. When Oak Lawn police arrived at the home in the 5100 block of West 105th Place, they found the body of 55-year-old Marianne Viverito in the basement during a well-being check, the apparent victim of multiple stab wounds.

Later it was learned that Chmela had fled to Wisconsin after he allegedly stabbed his mother. He had been picked up by Oak Creek, Wis. police in a state of distress after crashing his mother’s Toyota Corolla into a light pole, court records said. At the time of Chmela’s bond hearing, his attorney, David Sterba, told the judge that Chmela was bipolar and suffered from “secondary delusions.” The attorney said that Chmela was under suicide watch in the Milwaukee County Jail and was taking several psychotropic medications.

A report submitted to the court by forensic psychologist Dr. Christopher Cooper detailed Chmela’s history of hospitalizations for schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder, according to court records. Although Chmela had been determined fit to stand trial, Cooper said Chmela “lacked the ability to rationally understand the Miranda rights” due to his “acutely psychotic mental state at the time of [Chmela’s] arrest.” Wisconsin officers said Chmela indicated he had crashed into the light pole intentionally because “I want to go to heaven” and made other bizarre comments about going to a different planet when they found him on the roadway the day of the alleged stabbing.

Chmela was acquitted of first-degree murder in December. During a sentencing hearing on March 19, Cook County Judge Thaddeus Wilson ordered Chmela to be confined to treatment in a secure in-patient treatment facility until Nov. 2, 2074, according to court records.

“Steven is a very sick young man, and he continues to need treatment,” Sterba told Daily Southtown. “He will always need treatment to some degree.”.

Viverito was the daughter of Stickney Town Supervisor and former State Sen. Lou Viverito. Until her death, she worked as a legislative aide for ten years in Lipinski's Oak Lawn constituent service office, where she assisted residents in cutting through red tape at various federal agencies. Prior to that she was assigned to the Cook County Fifth Municipal District Courthouse in Bridgeview, where she worked in the chief judge's office.

At his daughter’s funeral, Lou Viverito described his grandson as a "sweet young man who was not mentally competent."