He is at Menard Correctional Center, one of the most violent prisons in Illinois. Zach LaVine finished with a game-high 41 points, DeMar DeRozan added 21 and Patrick Beverley had a double-double with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. His wife, Kimberly, 34, was in the front passenger seat, slumped over the center console with a single contact gunshot wound under her chin. Shortly after Chris Vaughn was discovered limping down a highway with two gunshot wounds in the early morning hours of June 14, 2007, his wife and kids were found in their SUV shot to death. Most likely from when he placed the gun at her feet. Spatter on left hand, thats blowback from the angle, IMO. , updated Police and EMS were both called, and both arrived at the scene. 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. J.B. Pritzker. On the way, Kimberly started to feel sick, so he got off I-55 around Channahon and took the quiet frontage road. Elizabeth, another sister, and Jennifer, Kimberly's twin, were both there. He also said there is no question [Vaughn] was wearing that jacket when he was shot contradicting the theory that Vaughn had wrapped the gun in the jacket. Steve Weiss, the Channahon police officer who found the four slain family members, telling him "my prayers will be with you.". I have read some of the flood of news articles following the Chris Vaughn trial. He looked back over his shoulder at his family before being led from the courtroom after the sentencing. In 2007, Chris Vaughn was arrested during a funeral for his wife and three children. The bullet was recovered from the motor of the drivers door window mechanism. The jury in Alex Murdaugh 's high-profile murder trial will visit the scene where his wife Maggie and son Paul were brutally gunned down in the summer of 2021. He then. I have read some of the flood of news articles following the Chris Vaughn trial. I was brought on to the case by a St. Louis criminal defense attorney with whom I had worked before. My blood pressure explodes every week when another whiny, victim bashing, full of spin, low on facts episode is released. While his family wore summer clothes befitting an excursion to a Springfield waterpark, Vaughn donned cowboy boots, blue jeans, a T-shirt with a long-sleeved shirt over it, and a fleece jacket he purchased on a secret trip to the Yukon, said Assistant State's Attorney Deborah Mills. CAUTION, CRIME SCENE PHOTOS! He would be tried and convicted of their murders. SHARE Judge overturns Utah death row inmate Von Lester Taylor's double murder conviction. In some cases, the observation of back spatter on the hand that held the gun will provide unmistakable evidence of suicide. It didnt make sense that a guy, like Chris, an expert computer forensic investigator, would leave damaging evidence on his computer if he were contemplating killing his family. . I really couldnt believe what I was hearing. They are lucky they were allowed to be at the funeral. Thank you very much in advance. 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. 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. 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. Funding his defense reverted back to Will County. If he isnt guilty why wasnt he looking for who did it? He told investigators he had been too busy to read the magazine. Five years later, Chris was convicted of murdering his family and is now serving four life sentences. There was a life insurance policy on his wife worth a million dollars, but if Chris was motivated by money, why would he leave a job that paid him $200,000 a year to hike into the wilderness to live off nature? Prosecutors said Vaughn had hoped to disappear into the Canadian wilderness, pointing to emails hed exchanged with a Canadian man hed met online. Plans changed when Chris landed a job with Chicago-based Navigant. (Zbigniew Bzdak, Chicago Tribune). I recommended that we appoint an expert in psychiatry to evaluate the statements Chris made to police. When I was around the back of the truck, heading back towards my door, it sounded like the inside of the truck was exploding. Vaughn told him, I believe my wife just shot me. The man called 911, police were dispatched around 5:15 a.m., and they found the bodies of Vaughns family in a Ford Expedition parked in a gravel path beside a cellphone tower. When investigators arrived at the scene, they noticed blood stains on the strap of the seatbelt. And Vaughn certainly did not betray his feelings or emotions as prosecutors repeatedly projected ghastly images of Vaughn's wife, Kimberly, 34, and children Blake, 8, Cassandra, 11, and Abigayle, 12 on a large, flat-screen television. The next night, Archie and his buddies went out in search of victim number one. Brad Pitt and Daughter Shiloh Share the Same Passions: They Have an Unbreakable Bond, What Caused Jackie Reeds Death? In 1991, she received her high school diploma from St. Charles West. Christopher only sustained minor wounds to his wrist and leg, compared to the other four who all suffered fatal bullet wounds. Approved by the FDA to treat epilepsy and seizures, Topamax has an off label use for the treatment of migraine headaches. 'You've been here all day. They said, he had to make it look like he didnt do this, so he then got back into the SUV and shot himself in the left wrist and thigh before dropping the gun between Kimberlys feet, unbuckling her seat belt and walking away. 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. A jury took less than an hour in September 2012 to convict Christopher Vaughn at the end of a five-week trial that featured more than 80 witnesses. Kimberly Vaughn, 34, who had recently completed an online degree in criminal justice, was killed first, prosecutors said. Kim was slumped so I tried to buckle her. Its the Vaughn family who are judgy AF about people reading & being educated. The program is hosted by Lauren Bright Pacheco who examines the complicated . Cassandra "Sandi", 11, an animal lover who was trying to persuade her mom to let her start a dog-walking business, was killed next. It was his blood that bled onto her buckled seat belt. The new medication guide advised patients to inform their doctor right away if they experienced anxiety while taking the medication. He allegedly shoved his handgun under Kimberly's chin and shot her, then turned the gun on his sleeping children, the last of whom apparently raised his arms in an attempt to fend off the fatal bullets. The psychiatrist said this nuance of detail would be difficult to fake. His . Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. She said the results will be aired during the weekly podcasts 11th episode. The familys SUV was shot up on its route to a water park in Springfield, Illinois, killing all four occupants. The bag was still sitting on the table untouched about an hour later. Well, episode three continues the victim bashing. At the National Innocence Conference in Cincinnati in April 2011, I ran into an old friendRob Warden, Executive Director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University Law School. On Thursdays episode of Murder in Illinois, a letter purportedly written by Vaughn is read, in which he admits he lied about not remembering how Kimberly shot my kids then killed herself., I pulled over and got out to give her a minute, the letter said. Check local listings to see where you can watch. 2007 the Vaughn family- Christopher, his wife Kimberly and their three children . Early in June 2007, Chris Vaughn, 32, was discovered hobbling from his SUV after suffering two non-fatal gunshot wounds. Then the doctor was asked what the significance would be taking both medications Nortriptyline and Topamax together. in the shooting deaths of his wife, 'Murder in Illinois' also explores the details of Chris Vaughn's family. Vaughn, Kimberly Ellen (nee Phillips), Oswego, IL, June 14, 2007 age 34. "Mr. Vaughn does not show his feelings or emotions to anyone under any circumstances," said attorney George Lenard. Prosecutors have said Christopher Vaughn dreamed of leaving his dull suburban life and decided to kill his family and embark on a survivalist sojourn in the Yukon. Sit down dining, or available carryout, Year around. Feb. 28, 2023. On Saturday, Vaughn was arrested in St. Charles and charged with eight counts of. In the video interview, he demonstrated raising his left arm between the gun and his head just as he noticed her pointing the gun at him. Kims sister paints a picture of a person who wanted to be a good mom, good wife, a good person. Initially, it was believed that he had unbuckled his wifes seat belt after he shot her. 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. She married Christopher Vaughn in 1994. I am new to Reddit. One bullet pierced his left wrist, while another went through his left leg. He recommended we retain ballistics expert Lucien Haag. 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. Vaughn got out of the family SUV to look at the luggage rack on the roof. I got back in to check the kids. The massacre. You killed them. She then turned the gun on herself and fired. 'I'm really confused,' Vaughn says early in the interview with detectives. .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. 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. As investigators unravel the truth, they find that not everyone in this family was a happy camper. (CBS), Neighbors and friends created a memorial outside . The Will County board denied a completion budget and appointed a local attorney. In 2007, Chris Vaughn was convicted of murdering his wife and 3 kids on the way to a waterpark in illinois. On June 14, 2007, the Vaughn family from Oswego loaded up the family vehicle and headed for Springfield, IL to spend the day at Knight's Action Park. [1] All four members of the family were shot in their SUV while on the way to a Springfield, IL waterpark. They released Blackie. That stripped away resources to defend Vaughn. The contact wound under her chin was a classic sign of self-infliction. Later, Ledbetter spoke with Sgt. His family sounds narcissistic AF. During a case review with investigators and the crime lab, the States Attorney stated that a womans hand would be unable to squeeze the trigger of the 9mm Taurus. He said her big change in personality was of concern to him. 'Whatever they did, they deserve back,' said Vaughn. first-degree murder in the Each of the murders resulted in a life sentence for 46-year-old Vaughn. Kimberly planned to get her degree in criminal justice and join him as a PI. 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 at first insists his wife, Kimberly, could not have been responsible, as he had initially claimed. its sad to me that before her death Kim was telling other people about her husbands good traits and she was looking into marriage counseling. At one point, Sergeant Gary Lawson asks Vaughn what he thought the person who had killed his family deserved. "When you first opened the door, it looked like they all should be sleeping," he said. I have no problem delving into the evidence if theres something substantial pointing to a wrongful conviction, but the vitriol and complete lack of decency I kept hearing just became too much to take. !Go listen to Episode 17 of Court Junkie for a more fact/evidence based account. Chris revolver was lying on the floorboard near her feet. He had two survivable gunshot wounds. Yes, most dont ovulate while breast feeding, but again, two adults making choices. I was already put off by the "he looked too nice to be guilty", but the second episode was downright inappropriate. Here is a look at some of the evidence and motives law enforcement have explored during the course of their investigation. Clutter also previously suggested that Vaughn had dissociative amnesia. ', 'They're gone,' Vaughn answers, his head bowed. 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. Plus, hear from the former Assistant State's Attorney who believes Chris is right where he belongs. Chris parents, Gail and Pierre, and private investigator Bill Clutter, all claim Chris is innocent and Clutter claims he has evidence to prove it. Vaughn's family murder occurred on June 14th, 2007. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, (DSM-IV), I found a condition known as Dissociative Amnesia, a form of memory loss caused when a person witnesses a traumatic event. Vaughn's initial statement revealed an outlandish story he would cling to during the course of his defense. Just because you feel inferior academically doesnt mean someone is else is forcing that superiority on you. He didnt like his life and this was his choice on how to remedy that. It was a lonely life for Kimberly. said she always spoke highly of her family. She was right handed. Meanwhile, a producer for the Dr. Phil show said there are plans to tape an episode about the Vaughn case Sept. 15. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The woman is struggling with migraines and in online school. He allegedly got into the family SUV, where his wife and children were waiting, after getting harmed. Christopher Vaughn, of Oswego, Illinois, is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of his wife and three children on June 14, 2007. When they extended the passenger seatbelt there was a heavy concentration of blood that had soaked through the fabric of the belt which had been concealed within the frame of the vehicle. The tragic incident took place on what should have been an exciting day at a local waterpark for the . Chris handgun was found on the floor near his wifes feet. I came here for this!!! The long-dormant Vaughn case has resurfaced through an iHeart Radio podcast, Murder in Illinois. An episode on Thursday offered a new theory of what happened in the Vaughn familys SUV while it was parked in a secluded area along a frontage road near Interstate 55 and Bluff Road. Much of the trial focused on blood evidence that prosecutors said proved Vaughn murdered his family. Only a driver trying to surprise passengers would have to pull over, how could she fire multiple shots into three kids without him trying to stop her? Christopher sustained minor injuries to his wrist and leg while the other four sustained fatal gunshot . It was like my mind shut off . The Will County State's Attorney's office originally sought the death penalty, which has since been abolished in Illinois. Chriss 9mm Taurus handgun was found on the floorboard near her feet. Why is her dad responsible for the teen pregnancy?! She had no idea. The sergeant tells him: 'Say their names. Prosecutors said blood evidence suggested Vaughn was moving over Kimberlys body after her death, and none of it pointed to a struggle. On Saturday, Vaughn was arrested in St. Charles and seen Friday leaving a funeral home after the visitation in St. Kimberly, Christophers spouse, and their three kids were discovered dead inside the SUV, though. Doesnt make him some kind of hero. Its worth mentioning that when Christopher was interviewed by police they suggested that he had been stressed out, which caused him to shoot and kill his family. TELL DR. PHIL YOUR STORY: Are you involved in a story making headlines? Learn more about this story in the video above. The bleeding man told the truck driver that he believed his wife had shot him. For some inexplicable reason, this report, received before the probable cause hearing, was marked draft. He wore the same outfit to shoot at the range the night before, that gave him the gunshot residue, she was not a good shot, could not handle the recoil, yet she turns half way and fires off great shots? : Directed by Travis Wilkerson. Then, see some truly haunting murder scenes from the streets of old New York. It was only after I read the transcripts and watched the 20 hours of video interrogation by police that I realized Chris might be innocent. 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. Was he responsible? LBP should be ashamed of herself. Wtf would you blame the deceaseds mother! For the first few months, I had assumed this would be a sentencing case. Hargon, 45 . I dont know the family, but Kimberly baby-sat my husband and his brother when they were little. 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 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. . The jury returned the verdicts Monday, a few hours after hearing from prosecutors and lawyers for the former cattle truck driver. 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