vaughn family murders

There was no struggle for the weapon. No one owes them anything. That was really off putting. 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? If these were self-inflicted injuries, why shoot yourself twice? the ISP CSI asked. 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. Vaughns family did not respond to a message seeking comment. 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. Kimberly Phillips was born on December 12, 1972, to Del and Susan Phillips of Saint Charles, Missouri. (The McDonald case is probably also fresh in my mind because I recently listened to three part series on the case from The Prosecutors.). No longer alive, Chris.'. 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. why cant the family feel pride in academic achievements? Forensic evidence emerges throughout the podcast series. 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. Why take a shot like that at a dead woman?! 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. It was then re-dated to reflect that it was finalized a day after the lead detective gave his factually inaccurate grand jury testimony. Chris parents, Gail and Pierre, and private investigator Bill Clutter, all claim Chris is innocent and Clutter claims he has evidence to prove it. The Will County board denied a completion budget and appointed a local attorney. first-degree murder in the Other side effects: acting aggressive, being angry or violent and acting on dangerous impulses.. Despite widespread speculation in news reports and the surrounding community, investigators insist it wasn't a drug hit. 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. 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. February 15, 2007 (Thursday) . Because this podcast made me want to scream. 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. Kimberly's father, Del Phillips, said the family never saw any sign that Christopher Vaughn was dangerous. 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. 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. Abigayle had been shot near the right eye and in her right lower chest. Courtesy Melville Vaughan When the FBI took up the case, in 1923, agents badly bungled the probe. Christopher Vaughn (second from left) sits with his family in his Oswego home before they were murdered in 2007. I really couldnt believe what I was hearing. The sergeant tells him: 'Say their names. Vaughn is accused of gunning down his wife, Kimberly, and children, Abigayle or 'Abbi', 12, Cassandra or 'Sandi', 11, and Blake, in the family in SUV in June 2007. My hand shook badly. It seems like the family was dead set on focusing on the negative with Kim and her family. 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. . He said that when he was told at the hospital he had been shot, he was incredulous because there was no one else around and his wife didn't own a gun. He claimed to have forgotten how he had been injured. Earnest Lee Hargon, 43, a former cattle truck driver and Michael Hargon's cousin, was charged Monday with capital murder in the deaths. Plus, hear from the former Assistant State's Attorney who believes Chris is right where he belongs. Then the doctor was asked what the significance would be taking both medications Nortriptyline and Topamax together. and her employer said she took the job to be close to her kids, took them swimming the night before, not at all the depiction of the bad mom The in-laws were trying to portray. Why not ask how they are, why are you not upset that you cant remember? He recommended we retain ballistics expert Lucien Haag. He brutally murdered them in June 2007 The sergeant tells . I left a scathing review and I never do that. TOP 10%. . Learn more about this story in the video above. The familys SUV was shot up on its route to a water park in Springfield, Illinois, killing all four occupants. At some of the scenes where the Rhoden family was killed, investigators did find . Well, episode three continues the victim bashing. He chatted that he was testing out the fantasy of going off the grid for good. The night before the killings, Vaughn also visited a shooting range, according to trial testimony. Charles, Mo. Caption: WICS. At first blush, it looked like Chris was guilty. 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. "When you first opened the door, it looked like they all should be sleeping," he said. 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.". Vaughn's family did . Christopher sustained minor injuries to his wrist and leg while the other four sustained fatal gunshot . Vaughn at first insists his wife, Kimberly, could not have been responsible, as he had initially claimed. 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. His lawyers argued Kimberly shot him and the kids and then killed herself. 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. I was appointed as the fact investigator in 2007 after prosecutors declared their intent to seek the death penalty. 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 John List. He didnt like his life and this was his choice on how to remedy that. Police had given him every opportunity to blame his wife, but he responded, There was no way she could have hurt the kids. 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 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. The prosecution argued to the jury that nowhere in these emails was any hint of suicidal ideation. Police detectives found at the Vaughn home a copy of PI Magazine with a cover story called Crime Scene Staging and Alterations: The CSI Effect on Criminal Investigations. She set up a total financial package, but when she suggested insuring the lives of his children, Chris declined. Lenard objected to the death scene photos being left on the television screen for long periods of time. 'The only thing I can think is that Kim somehow got a hold of my gun,' Vaughn said. Most who knew the family described Chris as quiet and mild mannered, an introvert. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. The psychiatrist said this nuance of detail would be difficult to fake. The nit picking of the family is BEYOND! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You killed them. She then turned the gun on herself and fired. Elizabeth, another sister, and Jennifer, Kimberlys twin, were both there. [1] All four members of the family were shot in their SUV while on the way to a Springfield, IL waterpark. Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun? I fell back out the door preparing to make another attempt. That made it a little more personal for me, but I would have been thoroughly grossed out regardless. After getting back inside the car, he said, I looked over and thought I saw a gun, but I knew that was impossible why does Kim have a gun? Later, Ledbetter spoke with Sgt. Weiss said he was haunted for a time by what he saw the day of the murders, struggling to sleep or concentrate. Blake, 8, a kind-hearted boy who loved baseball and had an outsized vocabulary, was slain last, apparently after raising his arms in self-defense. On Tuesday, Kimberly's identical twin sister, Jennifer Ledbetter, explained that she feared her looks and personality traits were a painful reminder for the rest of her family of Kimberly's absence and violent death. Christopher Vaughn is accused of murdering his wife and three kids in 2007. . Their claims of being judged by her family are pure projection. As he went to check the carrier on the roof, Vaughn said, he felt pain in his leg and noticed he was bleeding as he got back in the car. 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. Our expert called me and said he was convinced by watching the 20 hours of video that Chris may be innocent. List used a revolver and a semi-automatic handgun to end the lives of his wife, Helen (46); his mother, Alma (84); and his children, Patricia (16), Frederick (13), and John Frederick (15). That spring he went on a vacation alone to explore the Yukon. His wife, Kimberly, 34, was in the front passenger seat, slumped over the center console with a single contact gunshot wound under her chin. Joliet Drug Dealer Arrested On Briggs Street: Police, Walgreens Pharmacist Attacked After Man Visits Wrong Store: JPD. Researchers reopened the Michael Francke Murder in . Kims sister paints a picture of a person who wanted to be a good mom, good wife, a good person. TOPAMAX may cause depression or mood problems, tiredness, and sleepiness. Will the strippers get two episodes to tell their story? The Colorado father and oil worker was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife Shanann, their unborn child, and their two children, Celeste and Bella, ages 4 and 3. Why not ask to be hypnotized so u can remember. Its unlikely that Vaughns recollection of the murders from 2007 was useful. Kimberly suffered an angle-contact gunshot wound under her chin, records show. NL VFW Friday Fish Fry. other than pointing to drugs there is Nothing to lead any reasonable person to believe Kim shot anyone. SHARE. His case seems to be that the ballistics did not 100% line up with the state's theory. 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. Vaughn's parents are asking for a new trial. LBP should be ashamed of herself. His three children had each been shot twice, and his wife had a single gunshot wound under her chin. Murder in Illinois has taken heavy criticism for its generally negative portrayal of Kimberly and her family. According to the prosecution, he reportedly killed his family in order to survive in the Canadian forest. I am interested in reading up on the case. His wife Kimberly and their three children were killed, and he is an American man who was found guilty of the crime. Spatter on left hand, thats blowback from the angle, IMO. Plus, hear from the former Assistant State's Attorney who believes Chris is right where he belongs. At one point, Sergeant Gary Lawson asks Vaughn what he thought the person who had killed his family deserved. The gun had not been jammed under her chin, as investigators initially suspected. (Zbigniew Bzdak, Chicago Tribune). Brad Pitt and Daughter Shiloh Share the Same Passions: They Have an Unbreakable Bond, What Caused Jackie Reeds Death? Clutter also previously suggested that Vaughn had dissociative amnesia. Kimberly Phillips was born on December 12, 1972, to Del and Susan Phillips of Saint Charles, Missouri. 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. A federal court has overturned the 1991 conviction and death sentence of Von Lester Taylor, pictured here. 113K views 10 years ago Three years ago, the murder of one man's family stunned a small Illinois town. With Travis Wilkerson, Ed Vaughn. He would be tried and convicted of their murders. Wont listen to any other podcasts by this host. Mr. Vaughn dresses differently than most people do," Lenard said, and that "makes him vulnerable to suspicion and accusation.". The bullet deflected off the watch and went out the drivers side window evidence that was consistent with the CSIs interpretation. He also said Kimblery was taking medication for migraine headaches and an antidepressant that may have made her suicidal. new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help Ugh, just had to turn it off mid way through episode 2. 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. The defense experts we recruited for trial were flushed down the drain. I have read some of the flood of news articles following the Chris Vaughn trial. But not all entrance wounds produce back spatter. I am in the middle of the 9 part podcast about the Vaughn family murders. Alex Murdaugh, 53, calls 911 and reports he found his wife Margaret, 52, and son Paul, then 22, shot dead outside of their home in Islandton, a small community about an hour north of Hilton Head. Prosecutors said that in the 14 hours he spent there, Vaughn stuck to the story that he had only a vague recollection of what happened in the SUV. Early in June 2007, Chris Vaughn, 32, was discovered hobbling from his SUV after suffering two non-fatal gunshot wounds. So far, I have not found much Reddit discussion on it. 'Abigayle, Blake,' the detective adds. Hall was sentenced to death by electrocution in May 1945 and executed on January 4, 1946. yesmagazine.org. But that's . In 2007, Chris Vaughn was arrested during a funeral for his wife and three children. Theres also a low key misogynistic vibe throughout their entire monologue. family. 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. Prosecutors will continue playing portions of interviews with Vaughn today. The best defense evidence was developed when we went to inspect the family vehicle stored in the old Joliet Penitentiary. His . Plans changed when Chris landed a job with Chicago-based Navigant. And on Tuesday, "Murder in the Suburbs: Inside the SUV," Clutter does a reenactment of the crime scene based on Vaughn's claims in a letter Vaughn wrote that he says show Vaughn didn't murder his family. Evidence will show that Vaughn planned to take off and live in the Yukon wilderness, Mills said, and that before going "he wanted to be without any obligations.". Dead. There is a transfer stain of blood on the inside of Kimberlys right thumb. He was in pants, tshirt AND long sleeve flannel shirt. Neighbors and the press began to speculate as to what happened, with many pointing the finger at Christopher Vaughn. She was right handed. 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