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. Friday Raffle $66,230 and Fish Fry Special, NL VFW Top List Karaoke With Cheryl in the Bar Friday. TOP 10%. Joliet Drug Dealer Arrested On Briggs Street: Police, Walgreens Pharmacist Attacked After Man Visits Wrong Store: JPD. Convicted of murder after a two-day trial in May 1945, Hall was sentenced to death. Dead. At another point, Vaughn pushes away a bag of food from McDonalds that detectives have brought him. I love how one of their complaints about the wife was that she wasnt outdoorsy. "It crushes my heart," she said of being separated from her sister. charged with eight counts of And so far no actual evidence that might show innocence, just story after story of all the stuff they did outside (???) 1. Christopher only sustained minor wounds to his wrist and leg, compared to the other four who all suffered fatal bullet wounds. Later, Ledbetter spoke with Sgt. Clutter has previously written that a transfer blood stain on Kimberlys right thumb all comes together to prove it was the wife who unbuckled her own seatbelt, after her husband had been shot., That was my working theory at the time, Clutter said Thursday. Jurors didn't buy the theory, returning guilty verdicts in September after deliberating for just 45 minutes. He said he wanted the family to be taken care of financially. Christopher Vaughn, 32, is charged with eight counts of murder But that's . It was a sickening feeling, as the architect of our defense experts and strategy, watching the case swirling around the toilet bowl. At Vaughns 2012 trial, jurors heard that Vaughn had been discovered limping and bloody along the frontage road by a man on his way to work. Researchers reopened the Michael Francke Murder in . She married Christopher Vaughn in 1994. 'Theyre dead. ), and the state had ballistic evidence that appears convincing. "She's happy on the outside, but you'll see, ladies and gentleman, she was troubled on the inside," Lenard said. LBP should be ashamed of herself. The next night, Archie and his buddies went out in search of victim number one. 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. Our expert called me and said he was convinced by watching the 20 hours of video that Chris may be innocent. "There can't be a more fitting end for him than that. Then, see some truly haunting murder scenes from the streets of old New York. James Waybern Hall: The murderer known as "Big Jim" killed 4 people, including his wife, in Arkansas between 1944 and 1945. 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. Just because you feel inferior academically doesnt mean someone is else is forcing that superiority on you. But not all entrance wounds produce back spatter. He brutally murdered them in June 2007 The sergeant tells . Brad Pitt and Daughter Shiloh Share the Same Passions: They Have an Unbreakable Bond, What Caused Jackie Reeds Death? Caption: WICS. Traces of his flesh and blood, and denim and polyester fibers consistent with the jacket and jeans were found on the bullet. To this day he maintains no memory of what occurred that tragic day 20 years ago. He turns 47 on Sept. 26. We asked the doctor who prescribed the Topamax about his patients email to her husband. He traveled all over the U.S and Mexico downloading computer hard drives and mobile devices for some of the largest law firms, Navigant clients. 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It was Christopher Vaughn, 32-year-old cyber crime and computer security investigator. Ugh, just had to turn it off mid way through episode 2. 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. 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. Her apartment was set on fire, and her body was burned beyond . The gun was thrust into his jacket above the right pocket for the second shot. Sept. 5, 2021. He allegedly killed his family so he could live by himself in the Canadian wilderness. Five years later, a jury found Chris guilty of murdering his family; today, he is incarcerated for four lifetimes. . "You could lock him up for 500 lifetimes and it would not compensate the victims in this case or the family members.". 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. Analysis of the bloodstain patterns on her left hand provides more compelling evidence that her death was indeed, a suicide. In this case, the seatbelt latch was soaked with Chriss blood. 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. They released Blackie. 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. he did it and heres what proved it: he had an article about hw to make a murder look like suicide, claimed he didnt read it but somehow followed some of the suggestions listed in the article. They also pointed to FDA warnings that drugs Kimberly took Topamax and Nortriptyline could lead to suicide. J.B. Pritzker. Not buying it. Vaughn told investigators the family had been on its way to a water park in Springfield. 'Mandalorian' star Pedro Pascal, creators on new Grogu revelations and 'Last of Us' comparisons, Saved by the bell: Contestant ordered to keep mask on, in historic 'Masked Singer' first, Chris Pine admits 'it does look' like Harry Styles spit on him but this is what actually happened, Rebel Wilson 'collapsed' after Ramona Agruma proposal: 'I was so overwhelmed', Amy Grant recalls being 'so scared' to return to touring following serious bike accident. Before the execution could be carried out, Earnest was stabbed 30-times by a fellow inmate at the state penitentiary. 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.". The sergeant tells him: 'Say their names. He claimed to have forgotten how he had been injured. Feb. 28, 2023. 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. 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. The family all dressed in water park attire because thats where they believed they were going. This evidence suggested he was seated as his wife was bleeding and he leaned back, pressing the jacket against the leather seat, making contact with the secondary spatter stains. The night before the killings, Vaughn also visited a shooting range, according to trial testimony. Kimberly's mother, Susan Phillips, called Vaughn "a selfish coward" who chose not to just leave or divorce his wife but to "destroy the very best thing that he had, a loving wife and three amazing children" and cause her family enormous pain. Kimberly, Christophers spouse, and their three kids were discovered dead inside the SUV, though. Judge Clifton Newman agreed on . In 2004, Chris purchased a 9mm Taurus and joined the Washington Association of Legal Investigators (WALI). 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. FORENSIC EVIDENCE OF MURDER-SUICIDE People v. Christopher Vaughn, Will County, IL No. 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! Thank you very much in advance. 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. Murder in Illinois has taken heavy criticism for its generally negative portrayal of Kimberly and her family. In addition to Jandura, two other firefighters, two Channahon police officers and Kimberly's mother, Susan Phillips, testified. Because he drove her to visit friends?! When investigators arrived at the scene, they noticed blood stains on the strap of the seatbelt. The tragic incident took place on what should have been an exciting day at a local waterpark for the . Though he had been an early member of Vaughns defense team when Vaughn initially faced the death penalty, Clutter said he was discharged when the death penalty was abolished and has mostly worked pro bono on the case. The bullet passed within a fraction of an inch over his penis and scrotum, entered the top of his left leg and exited through the side seam of his jeans. His lawyers claim his wife was distraught over troubles in her marriage and killed the children, wounded Vaughn and then committed suicide. charged with eight counts of. The psychiatrist said this nuance of detail would be difficult to fake. Her father is expected to take the witness stand Tuesday. 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 However, a state police ballistic expert from ISP crime lab who was present when he made this remark disputed this chauvinistic assumption saying that her own hand was able to test fire the weapon with no difficulty. ", After the sentencing, Kimberly's family hugged and shook hands with investigators. Family life: Christopher Vaughn, 37, with his wife Kimberly and children (left to right) Cassandra, 11, Blake, eight, and Abigayle, 12. Have the Vaughns considered that the reason their in laws didn't want to visit them is because they are jerks? 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. I couldnt drive the truck. Nothing could be done. Kims sister paints a picture of a person who wanted to be a good mom, good wife, a good person. 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. Her chief complaint on the day she went to see the osteopath was for the onset of high anxiety. His . Just after 5 a.m., his wife asked him to pull off the highway . first-degree murder in the deaths. Prosecutors said blood evidence suggested Vaughn was moving over Kimberlys body after her death, and none of it pointed to a struggle. 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. Police then used trickery to illicit a confession. In the days following the murders, investigators searched the Oswego home of the Vaughn family, confiscating computers and other evidence. 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 . Reviewing his statements, it was apparent that he had no memory of what happened to his family. 'An eye for an eye.'. I couldnt buckle the belt. He described to the police how he and his family left their home at around five in the morning to go to a water park in Springfield. He told a nurse, You should call my wife. She had no idea. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 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