The rod pointed in the direction of the passenger seat. Ok. Christopher Vaughn may be the least unjustly imprisoned of the tens of thousands of men and women doing time in Illinois prisons. Without a good explanation, the appointed local attorney left a voice message to cancel the meeting and declined the assistance of the Center. Forensic evidence emerges throughout the podcast series. In August of 2012, five years after his arrest before his family's funeral in June 2007, Christopher Vaughn's murder trail began. Transported to the hospital, Chris Vaughn believed his family was still alive. Crime Scene Reconstruction: Bullet Trajectory. We asked the doctor who prescribed the Topamax about his patients email to her husband. He noted that hes previously dismissed murder cases when he found he could no longer prove them. Vaughns family did not respond to a message seeking comment. Plus, hear from the former Assistant States Attorney who believes Chris is right where he belongs. (The McDonald case is probably also fresh in my mind because I recently listened to three part series on the case from The Prosecutors.). The prosecution said he had shoved the gun under his wife's chin and killed her first, before turning . The Illinois State Police followed up by issuing subpoenas to her physicians requesting her medical records that may indicate suicidal or homicidal thoughts or impulses, or relating to Kimberlys prescriptions for and utilization of the drugs referred to as Topamax, Avapro, and Nortriptyline. She was taking Avapro for high blood pressure. @iheartradio needs to pull this disgrace of a podcast and issue an apology to the Phillips. 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. Hall was sentenced to death by electrocution in May 1945 and executed on January 4, 1946. yesmagazine.org. After she enrolled in her online class, Kimberly began to experience migraine headaches that her doctor attributed to stress. 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? 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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. On Saturday, Vaughn was arrested in St. Charles and 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. He allegedly murdered his family so he could move to a . 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? Kimberly, and three kids, Abigayle, Cassandra and Blake. Plans changed when Chris landed a job with Chicago-based Navigant. I couldnt drive the truck. His wife Kimberly and their three children were killed, and he is an American man who was found guilty of the crime. The States forensic pathologist later disagreed with this conclusion and testified in deposition that the soot pattern fanning away from the entrance wound meant that this was loose contact with no force. In addition to Jandura, two other firefighters, two Channahon police officers and Kimberly's mother, Susan Phillips, testified. Kim was slumped so I tried to buckle her. There is a swipe mark on the latch, which corresponds with the transfer stain on his wifes right thumb. 'An eye for an eye.'. 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. I thought to drive the truck. Prosecutors say Vaughn of Oswego killed his wife and three children in . Traces of his flesh and blood, and denim and polyester fibers consistent with the jacket and jeans were found on the bullet. The States Attorney was also convinced that the barrel of the gun had been forcefully jammed underneath Kimberly Vaughns chin, based on his interpretation of what they called a snowman like soot impression on the bottom of Kimberlys chin. She had no idea. "When you first opened the door, it looked like they all should be sleeping," he said. . 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" He also objectedwhile the jury was out of the courtroomto photos taken of Kimberly and the children when they were still alive being shown on the screen. On Tuesday's episode of Dr. Phil, "Murder in the Suburbs: Inside the SUV," see a reenactment of the crime scene based on Vaughn's claims in a letter he wrote that he says show he didn't murder his family. (CBS), Christopher Vaughn, "There can't be a more fitting end for him than that. . Despite widespread speculation in news reports and the surrounding community, investigators insist it wasn't a drug hit. Christopher Vaughn wanted to live in perfect freedom in the Canadian wilderness, prosecutors said, but instead he will spend the rest of his life in prison after a Will County judge sentenced him to four consecutive life terms Tuesday for the murders of Vaughn's wife and three children. The podcasts host, Lauren Bright Pacheco, said the theory offered in Thursdays episode, its ninth, has already been tested in a crime-scene reconstruction July 15 in Kentucky. He then. He had two survivable gunshot wounds. 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.". He claims he had been patching things up with her after he had confessed to cheating on her and was trying to be a better family man. After murdering his entire family . That stripped away resources to defend Vaughn. Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. At one point, Sergeant Gary Lawson asks Vaughn what he thought the person who had killed his family deserved. Just after 5 a.m., his wife asked him to pull off the highway . The case is currently putting me in mind of the Jeffrey MacDonald case. She told police he only wanted to talk. Vaughn's parents are asking for a new trial. family's sports utility vehicle June 14, in Channahon, Ill., is 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. He spent over $4,000 on one stripper during two visits a week apart. Richard Kling, another veteran Chicago defense attorney, confirmed he is part of the effort. I am new to Reddit. Then, the surviving husband and father revealed that he had been getting threats. Nothing could be done. The bullet deflected off the watch and went out the drivers side window evidence that was consistent with the CSIs interpretation. Christopher Vaughn is an American man convicted of the murder of his wife, Kimberly, and the couple's three children in June 14, 2007. The States Case When investigators arrived at the scene, they noticed blood stains on the strap of the seatbelt. 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. The blood evidence on the back of his jacket suggested he was seated in the drivers seat at the time his wife suffered the fatal contact wound under her chin. I left a scathing review and I never do that. The children were shot once in the head and once in the chest. My blood pressure explodes every week when another whiny, victim bashing, full of spin, low on facts episode is released. On Saturday, Vaughn was arrested in St. Charles and They are lucky they were allowed to be at the funeral. Police and EMS were both called, and both arrived at the scene. 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. Will County States Attorney James Glasgow. James Waybern Hall: The murderer known as "Big Jim" killed 4 people, including his wife, in Arkansas between 1944 and 1945. Theyre real people.' She had unbuckled her own seatbelt to reach back to shoot her three children. Just because you feel inferior academically doesnt mean someone is else is forcing that superiority on you. With Travis Wilkerson, Ed Vaughn. They told him that after 911 cell phone towers were equipped with security cameras. So the mind blocks it out. 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! I went down a Google rabbit hole in trying to figure out what case this guy had for his innocence, and it's a really tough one to figure. Meanwhile, a producer for the Dr. Phil show said there are plans to tape an episode about the Vaughn case Sept. 15. I was hoping to find some website with a list of all the reasons Chris Vaughn is guilty like the pro/con websites you find for more popular cases like the West Memphis Three. The jury returned the verdicts Monday, a few hours after hearing from prosecutors and lawyers for the former cattle truck driver. Murder of the wife and children in the suburbs, Kimberly. . I really couldnt believe what I was hearing. Murder in Illinois is a true crime podcast that examines the 2007 case of Chris Vaughn who was arrested and convicted of the murders of his wife and three children. According to a study that used high speed photography to document veterinarians shooting cattle at close range, there were several occasions when no back spatter was observed. .In this bonus episode I look at a letter written by Chris Vaughn; a man convicted and sentenced to four consecutive life terms for the murders of his wife, Kimberly, and children, Abigayle, Cassandra, 00:14:34. I was wondering if it is making anyone who followed the trial and was firmly in the "Chris Vaughn is guilty as sin" camp think twice about their conclusion? "He's going to get the opposite of what he wants," Weiss said. Our expert called me and said he was convinced by watching the 20 hours of video that Chris may be innocent. said she always spoke highly of her family. For the first few months, I had assumed this would be a sentencing case. The gun had not been jammed under her chin, as investigators initially suspected. 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. Five years later, a jury found Chris guilty of murdering his family; today, he is incarcerated for four lifetimes. 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. Whats become of Christopher Vaughn? 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. Madison digs deep into his mother's past, examining every member of his family as the possible culprit. It would make me feel better if you'd at least eat some fries,' says Lawson. But he always seemed unemotional. Chriss 9mm Taurus handgun was found on the floorboard near her feet. A federal court has overturned the 1991 conviction and death sentence of Von Lester Taylor, pictured here. Pritzkers press secretary declined to comment. Neighbors and the press began to speculate as to what happened, with many pointing the finger at Christopher Vaughn. The DSM-IV gave an example that a person may suffer this condition if they are the sole survivor and witness their entire family die in an automobile crash. 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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. Ugh, just had to turn it off mid way through episode 2. She married Christopher Vaughn in 1994. Five years later, Chris was convicted of murdering his family and is now serving four life sentences. Plus, hear from the former Assistant State's Attorney who believes Chris is right where he belongs. 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.". 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. Christopher Vaughn and his family Christopher Vaughn's letter to his parents Murder in Illinois: The crime scene reconstruction: . Vaughn happened to use the same gun to practice shooting at a range the night before the killings, Mills mentioned. Chris Vaughn and his family are driving to a water park when their lives are tragically ended in a roadside shooting. When Vaughn's family was killed, he lost his three young children and his wife, making him the sole survivor. Were ready for anything that occurs, Glasgow said. I dont know the family, but Kimberly baby-sat my husband and his brother when they were little. The CSI said he was persuaded by the physical evidence that this was a murder-suicide committed by the wife. Each of the murders resulted in a life sentence for 46-year-old Vaughn. 2020 UNSOLVED MAGAZINE All Rights Reserved. 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. Wtf would you blame the deceaseds mother! 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 . . . 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. Created after PI Paul Ciolino obtained a confession that freed Anthony Porter from death row in 1999, the fund was intended to provide resources for proving innocence before trial rather than after conviction. 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. Kimberly planned to get her degree in criminal justice and join him as a PI. Most of their commentary was so unnecessary. But there was one email she wrote to her husband on May 24, 2007, three weeks before her death that provides the best supporting evidence that she was experiencing dangerous side effects of her medications. 'I could warm them up for you if you want. Police then used trickery to illicit a confession. He then fell 'head-first' out of the vehicle and stumbled down the road until he flagged down a passing motorist, he said. The psychiatrist said this nuance of detail would be difficult to fake. : Directed by Travis Wilkerson. "Mr. Vaughn does not show his feelings or emotions to anyone under any circumstances," said attorney George Lenard. Even more compelling evidence supporting a murder-suicide came over a year after Chris was arrested when the Food and Drug Administration recommended a black box warning for a risk of suicidal behavior for the medicine Kimberly was taking to treat her stress-induced migraine headaches. 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