He had a fair trial. In 2007, Chris Vaughn was arrested during a funeral for his wife and three children. Nothing could be done. The lab was unable to find his fingerprints on the article. She was one of Susan's three daughters with Del, an attorney. And if he married her, that was his choice. Raw and intimate, HBO's new four-part docuseries Murder on Middle Beach follows new filmmaker Madison Hamburg as he attempts to solve the murder of his mother Barbara, who was attacked in her own front yard in Connecticut in 2010. He brutally murdered them in June 2007 The sergeant tells . I have read some of the flood of news articles following the Chris Vaughn trial. The case took another turn on Sept. 7, 2021, when PEOPLE reported that members of Alex's law firm had confronted him about missing money on Sept. 3 . Police investigators used this in their affidavit for probable cause, concluding that his statement of having looked down at his leg and then exiting the vehicle to summon help was inconsistent with the evidence of his wifes blood on the back of his jacket. Our expert called me and said he was convinced by watching the 20 hours of video that Chris may be innocent. It was Christopher Vaughn, 32-year-old cyber crime and computer security investigator. I forgot, his co worker said they went out on a work trip, partied, came back to the hotel at 1AM and later Chris said he went back out, returned at 5AM and chris eluded to things getting wild during that time. On the eventful day, a family of five from Oswego, Illinois, had piled into their red Ford Expedition for a surprise trip to a water park. first-degree murder in the Police and EMS were both called, and both arrived at the scene. Vaughn's wife and children were never mentioned in the writings, but there was a reference to one of the exotic dancers. . Our crime scene expert Tom Bevel used a dowel rod to determine the bullet trajectory. first-degree murder in the deaths. The Oswego man, now 38, murdered his family in 2007 after pulling their SUV off Interstate 55 onto an isolated frontage road near Channahon on the way to what he said was a surprise trip to a . Vaughn shot them all on a secluded section of the Interstate 55 frontage road just outside Channahon, Mills said. I am interested in reading up on the case. However, the case AGAINST the guy seems pretty damn strong. (CBS), Christopher Vaughn, We proved beyond a reasonable doubt that [Vaughn] shot his children in the head and chest at point-blank range after putting a gun under the chin of his wife and pulling the trigger, Will County States Attorney James Glasgow told the Sun-Times. His wife, Kimberly, 34, was in the front passenger seat, slumped over the center console with a single contact gunshot wound under her chin. Victims Kimberly Vaughn, 34 Abigayle Vaughn, 12 Cassandra Vaughn, 11 Blake Vaughn, 8 News Archive: Vaughn Family murders Christopher Vaughn's defense centers on role of wife's medications Vaughn trial set for closing argument Prosecutor in Vaughn Case: "Give Them Justice" Christopher Vaughn guilty of killing family Husband, Father Convicted in 2007 Roadside Murder Case Christopher Ending 12-hour video interview, Vaughn crumpled up son's photo, Footage from video of intense 14-hour police interview, Crumples up photo of eight-year-old son and throws it into corner, Will not even say the names of his dead wife and three children. Vaughn at first insists his wife, Kimberly, could not have been responsible, as he had initially claimed. Plus, hear from the former Assistant State's Attorney who believes Chris is right where he belongs. Channahon Firefighter-Paramedic Ryan Jandura said he found a Harry Potter book and a stuffed animal by 12-year-old Abigayle's body. "It crushes my heart," she said of being separated from her sister. Then, with clinical "precision," he put two bullets each in Abigayle, Cassandra and Blake, in that order, she said. Steve Weiss, the Channahon police officer who found the four slain family members, telling him "my prayers will be with you.". Weiss said he was haunted for a time by what he saw the day of the murders, struggling to sleep or concentrate. The Vaughn family murders in Illinois in 2007 have long divided those interested in the crimes. @iheartradio needs to pull this disgrace of a podcast and issue an apology to the Phillips. Gone was the Capital Litigation Trust Fund, a $20 million statewide fund created as one of the reforms to level the playing field by providing funding for defense experts, investigators, and experienced criminal defense attorneys. She slumped toward the drivers seat and a river of blood flowed onto the center console, causing secondary spatter stains on the side of the drivers seat adjacent to the center console. The shots to the children in the back seat came from over the left shoulder of the front passenger seat, where Kimberly was found, records show. He recommended we retain ballistics expert Lucien Haag. The children were shot once in the head and once in the chest. Her eyes later flashed in anger and she seemed to look at Christopher Vaughn as she spoke of "the betrayal by a man we welcomed into our lives and loved as family.". Vaughns family did not respond to a message seeking comment. Later, under pressure, Vaughn is asked to guess what happened. His lawyers claim his wife was distraught over troubles in her marriage and killed the children, wounded Vaughn and then committed suicide. Charles, Mo. Christopher Vaughn, of Oswego, Illinois, is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of his wife and three children on June 14, 2007. What the actual?! He would be tried and convicted of their murders. Christopher Vaughn was bleeding from his left thigh and hand. She had unbuckled her own seatbelt to reach back to shoot her three children. Pacheco, a former Dr. Oz producer, has said Kimberlys family declined her requests for comment. 'Theyre dead. His three children had each been shot twice, and his wife had a single gunshot wound under her chin. Vaughn, Kimberly Ellen (nee Phillips), Oswego, IL, June 14, 2007 age 34. A potential family annihilator unhappy in his marriage that seems 100% guilty just based on the fact he is the biggest threat to the attacker, but is not killed. The interpretation of blood stains on Kimberlys lap and upper legs indicate she was leaning over the gun when it was fired, which further supports a suicide. He then decided to adjust a loose luggage rack on top of the SUV at which time he reportedly said he was shot. He was arrested as he was about to attend their funerals. That's the way Christopher Vaughn is.". Charles, Mo. UPDATED: 8/20/2011 - 4:46 p.m. CHICAGO (CBS) -- Jurors in Christopher Vaughn's family murder trial were shown graphic photos of the defendant's dead wife and three children, and prosecutors . That would be significant, he said. Also this past weekend on 07/25/21, the afternoon radio host (WGN Radio) was discussing the horrific "crime of the century" when Richard Speck brutally murdered 8 nurses in Chicago (07/14/1966). Kims sister paints a picture of a person who wanted to be a good mom, good wife, a good person. Christopher Vaughn is accused of murdering his wife and three kids in 2007. . No one owes them anything. He said Thursday he wants to find out when Vaughns memory returned. Sept. 5, 2021. On the way, Kimberly started to feel sick, so he got off I-55 around Channahon and took the quiet frontage road. He was convicted and they should keep Kims name out of their mouths. He also acknowledged that the new theory undermines one hed previously held. There is zero evidence pointing to any other scenario. the Vaughn family's Oswego home. Other side effects: acting aggressive, being angry or violent and acting on dangerous impulses.. She doesnt talk much, he jumps up to help, the hadnt started dinner, she helped her mother make dinner, you showed up without notice and got mad you were not welcomed? It was a lonely life for Kimberly. Chris revolver was lying on the floorboard near her feet. .I froze and I looked down and my leg was bleeding. To have that memory in his mind of what happened next would be too painful to bear. Lol, Gave up early on as the host seemed to be going seriously Sarah Koenig on Mr Vaughn, Im not going to take anyone seriously if they hit me with the very silly he didnt have a killers eyes crap. ", Steve Schmadeke and Chicago Tribune reporter. There were two holes in his jacket. "All this tragedy, because one person just could not walk away. So the mind blocks it out. The bleeding man told the truck driver that he believed his wife had shot him. Because he drove her to visit friends?! The Vaughn family moved from Washington state to the Chicago area about a year ago, bringing their two dogs with them, according to the May 27 article. Given the fact that the wifes chin wound was directly above this, it was assumed that she had been the source of this blood. He looked back over his shoulder at his family before being led from the courtroom after the sentencing. Just after 5 a.m., his wife asked him to pull off the highway . . . When the man asked if he had been in a motorcycle accident, or if he had been stabbed, he replied, No, I think my wife shot me. Family Annihilation: The Vaughn Family Murders. family. With Travis Wilkerson, Ed Vaughn. to keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but we really as if that means anything. Jurors found Vaughn guilty of the June 14, 2007, murders of his wife Kimberly, 34, and their children: 12-year-old Abigayle, 11-year-old Cassandra, and 8-year-old Blake. Dead. She was stabbed. I love how one of their complaints about the wife was that she wasnt outdoorsy. "Our hearts ache with the knowledge that they were priceless to everyone but the one man who should have loved them more than his own life," she said of her four slain family members. ', 'They're gone,' Vaughn answers, his head bowed. His children, 12-year-old Abigayle . When he was questioned by detectives in the following days, Vaughn told them conflicting versions of how the shooting happened, Mills said, and video of the various interrogations will be shown to the jury. plans and enthusiasm Murder in Illinois follows the complicated circumstances that led to Vaughn's conviction, as well as the forensic evidence his supporters believe proves his innocence- in . "He's going to get the opposite of what he wants," Weiss said. , Your post contains more evidence than the seven hours of this podcast so far. He said her big change in personality was of concern to him. in the shooting deaths of his wife, lastly, its SO weird that his parents say things like accident they left all the odd terminology regarding the murders struck me as super weird. The fact it was either him or his wife that was the shooter. If these were self-inflicted injuries, why shoot yourself twice? the ISP CSI asked. I had the exact same feelings about the podcast. Ugh, just had to turn it off mid way through episode 2. After the killings, Vaughn staggered off and flagged down a motorist who called the police. Without a good explanation, the appointed local attorney left a voice message to cancel the meeting and declined the assistance of the Center. After murdering his entire family . All of the stains tested, including the latch, proved Chris was the source of the blood, meaning that his wifes seatbelt had been latched at the time that her husband was shot. The two detectives leave Vaughn in the interview room for hours between discussions, alternating between courteous questioning and intense interrogation. Why is her dad responsible for the teen pregnancy?! The case is currently putting me in mind of the Jeffrey MacDonald case. 2007-02-15 Stephen Willott, was e-mail friend who planned to live in Canadian wilderness with Chris Vaughn 08/31/12 "Friend: Christopher Vaughn wanted simple life away from government, people" For the first few months, I had assumed this would be a sentencing case. The massacre. The Illinois State Police declined this month to refer questions to the FBI about the case of Christopher Vaughn, the Oswego man convicted of the murders of his wife and three children who has become the subject of a high-profile exoneration effort. The trial of a father accused of killing his family yesterday reached a dramatic moment when the jury were shown a bizarre video of the man refusing to look at photos of his children after they were shot. Around 5:20 a.m. on June 14, 2007, a man driving to work along the frontage road of Interstate 55 south of Joliet, Illinois encountered Christopher Vaughn, 32, limping away from the Ford Expedition he had been driving. deaths. Kimberly Vaughn, 34, who had recently completed an online degree in criminal justice, was killed first, prosecutors said. After seeing these colorized vintage crime scene photos, take a look at colorized photos that bring century-old New York to life. Most likely from when he placed the gun at her feet. He chatted that he was testing out the fantasy of going off the grid for good. Before the execution could be carried out, Earnest was stabbed 30-times by a fellow inmate at the state penitentiary. Hargon, 45 . 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