", Steve Schmadeke and Chicago Tribune reporter. Susan Phillips, right, mother of Kimberly Vaughn, and Kimberly's twin sister, Jennifer Ledbetter, spoke at Christopher Vaughn's sentencing Tuesday at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet. "You couldn't believe it.". This is the first time I've heard about the Vaughn family. We have many Christopher Vaughn was bleeding from his left thigh and hand. She told police he only wanted to talk. By analyzing the blood evidence on the wifes right thumb, it all comes together to prove it was the wife who unbuckled her own seatbelt, after her husband had been shot. Unholy Rollers January 21 2014 22min TV-14 Subtitles Subtitles English [CC] . I was brought on to the case by a St. Louis criminal defense attorney with whom I had worked before. Season 1 explored a different case. Mr. Vaughn is quirky. Hargon received life in prison in the third slaying. Jeremy Webster is accused of fatally shooting 13-year-old Vaughn Bigelow on June 14, 2018. 'Theyre dead. He had re-secured the strap on the topper, got back into the vehicle, noticed that his leg was bleeding, but had no memory of being shot. In addition to Jandura, two other firefighters, two Channahon police officers and Kimberly's mother, Susan Phillips, testified. With the children asleep in the back seat, Vaughn pulled the vehicle over because his wife, taking a new migraine medication, thought she was going to be sick, he told the detectives. The new medication guide advised patients to inform their doctor right away if they experienced anxiety while taking the medication. It would make me feel better if you'd at least eat some fries,' says Lawson. Plus, hear from the former Assistant State's Attorney who believes Chris is right where he belongs. Though Vaughn claimed not to remember details of the shooting, he contended that he pulled the Expedition off the highway when Kimberly said she was feeling sick. I am in the middle of the 9 part podcast about the Vaughn family murders. The sergeant tells him: 'Say their names. 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. Why is her dad responsible for the teen pregnancy?! His insurance agent told me she had suggested they take out a life insurance policy as part of sound financial planning. as if that means anything. Earnest was convicted of murder and was sentenced to death. Will the strippers get two episodes to tell their story? Not buying it. Here is a look at some of the evidence and motives law enforcement have explored during the course of their investigation. Despite this chain of events, Chris's family believe he's innocent. To this day he maintains no memory of what occurred on the day of the murders. The night before the killings, Vaughn also visited a shooting range, according to trial testimony. 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. Hargon, 45 . TOP 10%. . Weiss said he was haunted for a time by what he saw the day of the murders, struggling to sleep or concentrate. Lenard objected to the death scene photos being left on the television screen for long periods of time. Vaughn got out of the family SUV to look at the luggage rack on the roof. We hear about inconsistencies, such as when the murder weapon was transported to the morgue, covered with cloth, and then washed. Chris is wounded but survives. But he always seemed unemotional. So why was Christopher Vaughn arrested? But that's just the kind of guy Vaughn is, the Oswego man's lawyer said Monday on the first day of his murder trial. Channahon Firefighter-Paramedic Ryan Jandura said he found a Harry Potter book and a stuffed animal by 12-year-old Abigayle's body. 10. He allegedly got into the family SUV, where his wife and children were waiting, after getting harmed. Like other Chicagoans, we have ideas about what the next mayor should do. : Directed by Travis Wilkerson. The woman is struggling with migraines and in online school. Caption: WICS. A prosecutor said that, if Vaughn had been wearing the jacket when the holes were made near the right front pocket and in the back, he might not be here today.. The gun was thrust into his jacket above the right pocket for the second shot. There is a swipe mark on the latch, which corresponds with the transfer stain on his wifes right thumb. Then, the surviving husband and father revealed that he had been getting threats. He said, Every time I would come up with something that the evidence would suggest or support or you would be able to at least follow the evidence to come to a logical conclusion, basically I was just given some other crazy way that this could have occurred or they would change their theory of what happened to try to match the evidence rather than letting the evidence dictate to you the events that occurred. ', 'They're gone,' Vaughn answers, his head bowed. It seems like the family was dead set on focusing on the negative with Kim and her family. Then, later, he adds: 'She shot me, she shot the kids.'. .. Kimberly Ellen Vaughn, 34, and her three children, Abigayle Elizabeth Vaughn, 12; Cassandra Ellen Vaughn, 11; and Blake Philip Vaughn, 8; all of Oswego, were found shot to death in an SUV in far southwest suburban Channahon Township. to keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but we really It was a lonely life for Kimberly. While prosecutors flashed grisly photos of his wife and three young children slumped dead and bleeding in the family SUV, Christopher Vaughn sat expressionless, calmly jotting notes. Meanwhile, a producer for the Dr. Phil show said there are plans to tape an episode about the Vaughn case Sept. 15. I am new to Reddit. Accused Family Killer Christopher Vaughn Read Articles About Staging Crime Scenes: Prosecutors Updated: Monday, 27 Jun 2011, The documents show the Vaughn family s trip to Knight s Water Park in Springfield also was planned the night before the murders, reached after Vaughn s wife accused him of spending too little time with their kids. That spring he went on a vacation alone to explore the Yukon. The mistake he made, they told him, was parking the vehicle under the cell phone tower. Christopher Vaughn was convicted nine years ago for the murder of his wife and three kids, who were found shot to death inside the family's SUV, parked near Channahon in 2007. charged with eight counts of. I was already put off by the "he looked too nice to be guilty", but the second episode was downright inappropriate. "When you first opened the door, it looked like they all should be sleeping," he said. Homicidal and Suicidal Behavior Induced by Prescription Medications. 15:45 GMT 29 Aug 2012. Yeah, in the middle of episode 3 and boy, so far the narrative is the wife and mother in law were bitches and thats it. He brutally murdered them in June 2007 The sergeant tells . ), and the state had ballistic evidence that appears convincing. In 2007, Chris Vaughn was arrested during a funeral for his wife and three children. Vaughn told investigators the family had been on its way to a water park in Springfield. I opened my door, saw the gun Kim was holding and jumped into my seat to grab it. He said he wanted the family to be taken care of financially. Christopher Vaughn, whose wife and three children were found fatally shot in the family's sports utility vehicle June 14, in Channahon, Ill., is seen Friday leaving a funeral home after the visitation in St. Charles, Mo. Police and EMS were both called, and both arrived at the scene. Try to get any leverage doing that, every mom knows you have to square up to do anything difficut from the passenger seat, they were mortgaged to the eyeballs, he was going to strip joints spending thousands, he was telling people he didnt have a wife or family, he was planning on going to live in the woods somewhere and was looking for a female companion to go with him, why would she have to have him pull over to shoot? No one owes them anything. He spent over $4,000 on one stripper during two visits a week apart. . I am interested in reading up on the case. 1. He noted that hes previously dismissed murder cases when he found he could no longer prove them. This would have been a fatal head shot, had he not worn his heavy, silver watch band imbedded with turquoise stones, that morning. Plus, hear from the former Assistant State's Attorney who believes Chris is right where he belongs. Ugh, just had to turn it off mid way through episode 2. 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 . Why take a shot like that at a dead woman?! What's so unbelievable about all of this is that Archie actually convinced a group of friends that killing 7 people would bring baby Craig back from the dead! The podcast is currently on the second episode and has shown the case from the view of Chris Vaughn's supporters. Another showed the three children, who were settled under blankets and on pillows for the long, early-morning ride to Springfield, dead together in the backseat of the SUV. His three children had each been shot twice, and his wife had a single gunshot wound under her chin. Out of all the True Crime ive seen and read about, somehow this one has slipped me. I havent formed an opinion yet, but was looking to see what you guys think. In 2007, Chris Vaughn was convicted of murdering his wife and 3 kids on the way to a waterpark in illinois. After murdering his entire family . At one point, Sergeant Gary Lawson asks Vaughn what he thought the person who had killed his family deserved. Emma Reynolds In discussing his fantasy to trek into the wilderness, he suggested he could fake his own death so his stay-at-home wife could collect on his three and a half million dollar life insurance policy. My blood pressure explodes every week when another whiny, victim bashing, full of spin, low on facts episode is released. What the actual?! By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. But at one point in the tape, a weary and disheveled Vaughn is seen saying: 'I couldnt have done this; she couldnt have done this.'. . Kim was slumped so I tried to buckle her. A camera near the ceiling captures Vaughn fidgeting with the hospital gown he is wearing and sipping water from a blue paper cup as he calmly recalls awaking the children at 4am and telling them to get in the SUV for a surprise trip to a water park in Springfield. Weiss said the life sentences were a proper end for a man who killed those closest to him so he could live out his wilderness fantasy. It was then re-dated to reflect that it was finalized a day after the lead detective gave his factually inaccurate grand jury testimony. After Earnest Lee Hargon killed his cousin and cousin's wife, he tightened a rope around the neck of the couple's 4-year-old son, tied a knot and walked away as the child died, prosecutors said . Steve Weiss, the Channahon police officer who found the four slain family members, telling him "my prayers will be with you.". Richard Kling, another veteran Chicago defense attorney, confirmed he is part of the effort. On the way, Kimberly started to feel sick, so he got off I-55 around Channahon and took the quiet frontage road. first-degree murder in the deaths. (The McDonald case is probably also fresh in my mind because I recently listened to three part series on the case from The Prosecutors.). , Your post contains more evidence than the seven hours of this podcast so far. Five years later, a jury found Chris guilty of murdering his family; today, he is incarcerated for four lifetimes. One of the members suggested he get a gun for serving process. November 27, 2012 / 10:33 AM / CBS Chicago. Susan Phillips, right, mother of Kimberly Vaughn, and Kimberly's twin sister, Jennifer Ledbetter, spoke at Christopher Vaughn's sentencing Tuesday at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet. None of the evidence they say prove his innocence has been discussed so its pretty frustrating to listen to the constant derision of a murder victim and her family. Mr. Vaughn dresses differently than most people do," Lenard said, and that "makes him vulnerable to suspicion and accusation.". I am making a list s a form of therapy. Prosecutors will continue playing portions of interviews with Vaughn today. The screening of his police interview video has been the most dramatic part of the second week of testimony at Vaughn's trial in Joliet, according to the Chicago Tribune. The manual said a person would remember everything up until the trauma producing event, but would have no memory of the events that produced the trauma. On Saturday, Vaughn was arrested in St. Charles and charged with eight counts of. Theres also a low key misogynistic vibe throughout their entire monologue. The Will County board denied a completion budget and appointed a local attorney. Madison digs deep into his mother's past, examining every member of his family as the possible culprit. It was Christopher Vaughn, 32-year-old cyber crime and computer security investigator. She married Christopher Vaughn in 1994. 07-CF-1308 Prepared by Bill Clutter, Private Investigator GSR AND BLOOD ON BOTH HANDS CONSISTENT WITH SUICIDE At 9:00 a.m. 6/14/07 CSI Robert Deel administers Gunshot Residue Analysis on the Vaughn, Kimberly Ellen (nee Phillips), Oswego, IL, June 14, 2007 age 34. But Chris specialty was computer forensics. Murder in Illinois: With Lauren Bright Pacheco. A few years before, Chris Vaughn had started Stone Bridge Security, a licensed private detective agency in Bellevue, WA. Clutter, founder of Investigating Innocence, said a crime-scene reconstruction has shown Vaughn couldnt have unbuckled his wifes seat belt. Now, its clearly wrong.. He chatted that he was testing out the fantasy of going off the grid for good. On November 9, 1971, 46-year-old accountant John List killed his entire family in their Westfield, NJ, mansion. (CBS), Christopher Vaughn, When the mom says one of the daughters was a lot like Kim except she was warm and loving it made me irate. The back side of Chriss jacket had a transfer stain in a straight line just under the right shoulder blade extending down to the waist of the jacket. Vaughn murdered his family members, prosecutors say, because he saw them as obstacles to his dream of a new life in Canada. Prosecutors say Vaughn of Oswego killed his wife and three children in . 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