GUILTY IL - Kimberly Vaughn, 34, & 3 children slain, Channahon Twp, 14 June 2007

[opme]

Ok was thinkign about this earlier.. if the wife was intent on killing the husband.. why would she wait until he was in an seated back in the car to start shooting...also at point blank or alomost point blank range.. how is it he was only hit once? She wouldn't be that restrained to use only one shot so she had "enough" for herself and the kids...? The kids must have heard the shots.. why would they as others have stated sit idely by waiting to be killed and not try to run or struggle with her..
If the father is seated when she shoots him.. why didnt he try to overpower her.. his physical mass is likely to be greater as well as upper body strength even in that moment Flight or fight would kick in .. why not fight at that range.. ?How is it she missed him on the way out the car as he was "running".? Why didnt he scream, hink the horn, trigger the car alarm or do something to gain attention ...sill cant convince myself that he is anything but guilty and that the police are just putting the facts together until they have enough to have the charges stick.

 

[Reannan]

Ok....just jumping in here. Haven't read all of the other postings yes, but will try and go back and catch up. Been at work, and over at Huff's place. As to how she shot him??? In my opinion, she was struggling with him over the gun and it went off just before he shot her. Sick.

 

[philamena]

From Misterallgood's link

Vaughn said that when he got back into the SUV, his wife began firing a handgun. He was shot in the leg, and he fled, he reportedly told investigators. When he returned, his wife and children had all been shot.

HUu? I'm sorry....I'm having a hard time taking this serious. His wife shot and killed the kids yet only shot the husband in the leg. And he had the gall to wait hours before calling 911?

Not buying it. A scorned wife shoots her cheating husband in the b*lls....she does NOT shoot her kids.

 

[philamena]

According to him, they were on a family trip to a water park. Police say stuff in the car supports that story. They pulled over so that he could get out of the car and secure some stuff on the top that seemed to be coming loose.
......

Funny how his story reminds me of Scott Peterson's fishing story.:croc:

 

[SadieMae]

From Misterallgood's link

HUu? I'm sorry....I'm having a hard time taking this serious. His wife shot and killed the kids yet only shot the husband in the leg. And he had the gall to wait hours before calling 911?

Not buying it. A scorned wife shoots her cheating husband in the b*lls....she does NOT shoot her kids.

The time frame until the 911 call truely is hinky. If a neighbor heard gunshots, then he could easily see houses to run to for help after being shot. :waitasec: Where was he????

 

[philamena]

SadieMae,
You are so right. There is no way that a man who loved his children waited hours to call for help. Just learning that he hasn't been seen tells me that he doesn't want to be found.

 

[Bobbisangel]

Here is what one article said about his job.....


Christopher Vaughn is a computer forensic adviser and specializes in missing persons investigations and cyber-crime prevention.

.........................................................................................................

In another article it said that two cell phones were found in the vehicle! Funny that he couldn't call 911. If his wife took a shot at him why did he just take off and leave the children with her. Then he waited for hours before he went back to the car???? I think he slaughtered all of them and then shot himself in the leg. But WHY did he do it.....if he did?

The article that I read didn't say that he even flagged down a car. It said that someone in a vehicle saw him and the vehicle and called 911. It didn't sound like he was trying to get help to me.

Why wouldn't he have called his parents? That is horrible that they had to hear it on the news. I can't even imagine how they feel.

I think the police let him go as they said because they couldn't hold him forever. They will wait and see what forensics comes up with and then make their move. If he is the guilty party it is horrible that he would blame this on his wife. I hope the lab doesn't take a year to get to the evidence.

 

[IdahoMom]

Good. This is what I've been waiting to hear. Kimberly's Mom is speaking out:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/430773,CST-NWS-chann16.article

snip

Kimberly Vaughn's mother just can't buy it.
Susan Phillips said Friday it "made no sense" for her Oswego daughter to shoot and wound her husband, kill their three children and then kill herself inside the couple's sport-utility vehicle during an early-morning family trip to a Springfield water park.
"Does that even make sense?" Phillips said of the version of events authorities say the sole survivor -- Phillips' son-in-law, Christopher Vaughn -- gave police investigating the bizarre Thursday crime scene.

"I don't believe it."...

….Phillips said her daughter was looking forward to spending this weekend alone with her husband at the bed and breakfast where the couple had honeymooned. Christopher Vaughn's mother and aunt were coming up to Oswego from Missouri to babysit the three Vaughn children for the weekend because Kimberly was "very protective of the kids," Phillips said in a phone interview….
….But Phillips said her daughter never mentioned anything about going to a water park, particularly one in Springfield.
With so many water parks in the Chicago area, "Why would anyone go to that crummy place?" Phillips said.
"I don't know what he said [to police]," Phillips said of her son-in-law. "All I know is what we knew ahead of time. . . . The water park -- that was the first I heard of it. ... They were going back there [to the bed and breakfast] for a romantic retreat so going [to a Springfield water park] made no sense," Phillips said.….
…Another neighbor, Dolores Lopez, found it hard to believe Kimberly Vaughn would kill her own children. Lopez said Kimberly walked her kids to the school bus stop every day, regardless of the weather. She seemed very protective of them, Lopez said.
Another neighbor noted that the couple has two dogs -- a golden retriever and a schnauzer -- and expressed surprise that Kimberly would leave them alone for such an extended period of time…

 

[IdahoMom]

More neighbor remarks:

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/430742,2_1_AU16_SLAYINGS_S1.article

snip

"It just doesn't make sense," Stasinos said Friday. "There's something not right. The (luggage) carrier's been on for months. They've never had a problem with it."
"They're trying to say she did all those things," said another neighbor, who declined to give her name.
Kimberly Vaughn often stopped by her house for visits, the neighbor said.
"We don't believe it for a second," she said.
Kimberly Vaughn was "a very good mother, a loving person," she said. "She was always happy. I never noticed anything was wrong."

 

[southcitymom]

If the husband did this - why kill the entire family? Does he have a secret other life?

Also, has anyone heard from him as of today?

 

[PrayersForMaura]

how many rounds did the gun hold? 5 shots minimum were fired but I read that the kids were shot multiple times. Did the shooter reload?

 

[Mygirlsadie]

I am not buying this guys story for a second..But I do have to say that one time when we were still living in Fort Hood Texas that a lady who lived on base right down the street from us bit off her sons penis. She found out her husband was cheating on her was her excuse.

From Misterallgood's link

HUu? I'm sorry....I'm having a hard time taking this serious. His wife shot and killed the kids yet only shot the husband in the leg. And he had the gall to wait hours before calling 911?

Not buying it. A scorned wife shoots her cheating husband in the b*lls....she does NOT shoot her kids.

 

[MagicRose99]

Playing devils advocate here... I have not formed a conclusion of who's innocent/guilty. But, here's a possible scenario:

After checking the luggage rack, he returns to the SUV. He turns sideways, lifts his leg to slide on the seat, and she panics or rushes the shot and hits him in the leg. He pulls out of the SUV, turns towards the rear of the vehicle, and runs, hearing more shots, thinking she's shooting at him, when in actuality, she shooting the kids, then herself. She cannot see him clearly to continue shooting at him, but he's not thinking to clearly at this point.

 

[SadieMae]

Playing devils advocate here... I have not formed a conclusion of who's innocent/guilty. But, here's a possible scenario:

After checking the luggage rack, he returns to the SUV. He turns sideways, lifts his leg to slide on the seat, and she panics or rushes the shot and hits him in the leg. He pulls out of the SUV, turns towards the rear of the vehicle, and runs, hearing more shots, thinking she's shooting at him, when in actuality, she shooting the kids, then herself. She cannot see him clearly to continue shooting at him, but he's not thinking to clearly at this point.

Still doesn't answer the question why HOURS went by before he got help, even if he didn't have a phone on him. Especially if he thought she was still firing shots at HIM. She could not kill all 3 children without some screaming going on, the door/window had to be open if he though she was still shooting at him. His story is BS. JMO

 

[FactsareFacts]

Still doesn't answer the question why HOURS went by before he got help, even if he didn't have a phone on him. Especially if he thought she was still firing shots at HIM. She could not kill all 3 children without some screaming going on, the door/window had to be open if he though she was still shooting at him. His story is BS. JMO

Big time BS IMO! If he could run on his wounded leg then he also could have driven with it. Instead he sits there with his dead family for hours.

 

[fran]

Playing devils advocate here... I have not formed a conclusion of who's innocent/guilty. But, here's a possible scenario:

After checking the luggage rack, he returns to the SUV. He turns sideways, lifts his leg to slide on the seat, and she panics or rushes the shot and hits him in the leg. He pulls out of the SUV, turns towards the rear of the vehicle, and runs, hearing more shots, thinking she's shooting at him, when in actuality, she shooting the kids, then herself. She cannot see him clearly to continue shooting at him, but he's not thinking to clearly at this point.

Actually, MagicRose99, your scenario of him believing the additional shots were intended for him does make sense. What doesn't make sense is he waited HOURS before he tried to get help. Why?

My theory is he was 'staging' the crime scene. IMHO, he did it and as he considers himself a 'cyber sleuth,' albeit for 'cyber crime,' perhaps he was also an amateur real life crime sleuth, (like us) who thought he found a way to get away with the 'perfect crime.'

He would need to do so many things to make it appear she did the shooting, shot gun residue on her hand and clothes, the tragectory of the shots, making sure there was no shot gun residue on himself, a million things. But,....LE can see through this type of manipulation, often times.

It's also what happens AFTER the incident that can lead LE to the RIGHT perp. Of course he was cooperative. He knew he needed to cooperate to take suspcion off himself. But, he didn't even call his family, or hers? He just up and disappeared?

From what I've read he was a very attentive husband, always lavishing her with gifts, etc. Scott Peterson was the same way, of course not just with his wife but his 'side salads' as well.

IMHO, in the days ahead, we're going to find out 'secrets' of the husband 'victim' and NOT a suspect. A hidden life, financial problems his wife was NOT aware of,.................just like with the Entwistle (sp?) case, she thought everything was ok with his online business as well and they had just moved to a new area, new home, drove nice cars. Unfortunately, she was DEAD WRONG and she and their adorable infant daughter paid the ultimate price.

JMHO
fran

 

[Camper]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003599167&imw=Y

Published: June 15, 2007 1:22 PM ET* Yesterday info.

Dad Christopher Vaughn, 32, was found nearby in a another SUV, with a gunshot
wound in his thigh.

News accounts said he told investigators the family had stopped their vehicles along
the road to secure some luggage, and that his wife suddenly began firing a handgun.
Christopher Vaughn said he fled, and that when he returned, he found Kimberly and
the children shot to death.

This is new OLDE news, first time WE have seen that there were
two vehicles.
- - - - - - - - - -
Another link from later in the day of the 15 Friday*
Published June 15, 2007, 9:00 PM CDT*

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...16.story?coll=chi-news-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true


Chris' parents, Pierre and Gail Vaughn, drove in from Missouri overnight, catching
up with their son at a hotel before noon Friday, said his aunt, Nancy VanWilder.
They got him something to eat and tended to his two gunshot wounds, one of
which was on the thigh as police described a day earlier. VanWilder said she did not
know where else he was wounded.

"He's suffering from these wounds, and he's in a state of shock," she said. "He's
quiet. He's just hurting. He's devastated. He didn't want to go to his home. He didn't
want to pick up the pets."

There are videos news links also on this link.
- - - - - - - - - -*

I have seen nothing on TV cable news.* News reports can sure get
fouled up it appears.* WHY WERE they in two cars???* DID his car have the pets,
did he stop to walk the dogs, and did he kill the dogs too, FIRST.**

 

[southcitymom]

Camper,

I believe the second SUV (the one he was found in) that is mentioned in your first link belonged to the passerby that found Chris Vaughn. I could be wrong, but I think I heard this mentioned elsewhere.

I'll say this - whichever parent did this was hiding some deep stuff....and I'm hard-pressed to believe that the one who didn't do it hadn't noticed something amiss! This whole thing is nuts.

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

how many rounds did the gun hold? 5 shots minimum were fired but I read that the kids were shot multiple times. Did the shooter reload?

I haven't read anywhere that they've released the type of gun utilized but many people think 6 is a maximum number. That's if a revolver is used.

However, I think it's more likely that a semi-auto was used; if that's the case, a common magazine for civilians will hold 10 rounds. (LE has mags that hold more.)

 

[Amraann]

Mygirlsadie...
Your post about the Fort Hood Tx women (I can't quote it ... without being traumatized)

Is absolutely one of the most disgusting things I ever heard of.
She should have gotten that swift TX death Penalty for that.