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

[pamlet]

I don't see anything in the left hand - in fact it looks like there's some sort of fabric across her left leg and partially over the left forearm ...

If anything it looks like something in the right hand ... maybe ... her fingers look curved around and the hand appears to be partially on the fabric on her lap.

 

[luthersmama]

Here's a link to the picture of the wife in the front seat.

http://media1.suntimes.com/nixoncds/image/car-graphic.jpg_20070614_20_10_22_1319-289-400.imageContent

The picture shows the wife slumped over to her left. I enlarged the picture to see if I could see anything in her right hand. I did not. Looks like there might be something in the left hand. My question is, if the wife did shoot the gun with her left hand, would the force not have her ending up leaning onto the door/right side?

It is a common misconception that the "force" of a gunshot will move the victim backwards. This is how it is portrayed on TV, but in reality the person just plops whichever way gravity takes them. Straight down toward the ground.

Remember the case, years ago, about the guy who was accused of shooting his wife in the head while having "doggy style" sex with her? There was a book about it, in which the author explained at great length the physics of a gunshot. The guy's conviction was overturned on appeal because the prosecution's theory of how she ended up in the position she was found made no sense when the true physics of firearms were analyzed.

 

[Camper]

Here's a link to the picture of the wife in the front seat.

http://media1.suntimes.com/nixoncds/image/car-graphic.jpg_20070614_20_10_22_1319-289-400.imageContent

The picture shows the wife slumped over to her left. I enlarged the picture to see if I could see anything in her right hand. I did not. Looks like there might be something in the left hand. My question is, if the wife did shoot the gun with her left hand, would the force not have her ending up leaning onto the door/right side?

--->>>We don't know what calibre gun was used yet. A heavier calibre will have a greater recoil action, like a 45 calibre. IF IF it had been a rifle, the recoil would jolt a person of small stature backwards, but of course slim chance anyone would commit suicide in a passenger car with a rifle.
The recoil from a heavier calbre pistol would make a difference most likely in where the gun would end up. Where she would have ended up physically in such small quarters would make some difference, but not enough to really force her heavily one way or another.

You guys are better than I - I cannot see anything except something that looks like an arm going straight up toward the top of the seat on the left side as we look at the picture. Still no media reports, so quiet from Illinois. Wonder what his parents are thinking about now? Crazy crime.

.

 

[Lanie]

Everytime I read something about this, it just breaks my heart. Those poor children.
If the mom did it, why? The only thing I can think of that would fit a mother killing her children and then herself is deep despair. That is something that would be hard to hide for any length of time, and it seems highly improbable to me someone in that state of mind would be ok just sticking a gun in her pocket and waiting indefinitely for the right moment to come along. It is also hard for me to buy into this being her master plan since she wasn't driving the car.
There have been contradictory times given for the shots fired, and the van being seen in the driveway at home. It shouldn't be hard for LE to determine TOD, so that will tell how long between the act and it being reported.
I keep thinking about those poor kids, it just blows me away someone could do something like this, and I hope whoever it is pays for it.

 

[fran]

http://www.nbc5.com/news/13524661/detail.html?rss=chi&psp=news

Christopher Vaughn Spends Father's Day With Police

Slain Mother's Sister: Kim Would Never Hurt Children

POSTED: 5:37 pm CDT June 18, 2007
UPDATED: 5:45 pm CDT June 18, 2007


OSWEGO, Ill. -- After his wife and three children were mysteriously shot to death in the family's SUV -- and he himself shot in the thigh -- NBC 5 has learned that Chris Vaughn spent most of Father's Day being interviewed by state police.

...................cut................

Chris Vaughn was interviewed for 10 hours and released Friday morning, only to return both Saturday and Sunday for more questioning on how his wife and three children died of bullet wounds in their SUV.

 

[fran]

hmmmmmmm.............

I think LE is questioning that STORY of Mr. Vaughn's.

JMHO
fran

 

[luthersmama]

I came to this story kind of late, so forgive me if I'm asking something that has already been answered:

Is there any news as to whether the kids and wife had been drugged? I just can't imagine all of that shooting and nobody getting out of the car, even if just to fall to the ground outside.

Also, that's a damn stupid spot to fix your luggage. The brush is so close on either side it would be hard to get up on the running boards to reach the thing.

 

[Camper]

I came to this story kind of late, so forgive me if I'm asking something that has already been answered:

Is there any news as to whether the kids and wife had been drugged? I just can't imagine all of that shooting and nobody getting out of the car, even if just to fall to the ground outside.

Also, that's a damn stupid spot to fix your luggage. The brush is so close on either side it would be hard to get up on the running boards to reach the thing.

--->>>I had brought that up about page 5 or so. I thought that IF IF he had any compassion or love for his children that he might have used GHB the date rape drug, so that the last thing the children would not know would be that their own father had killed them.

There has been no new news on this thread since about page 5, IF you read all of the links they cover the same stuff. So we are all still waiting for FRESH information on forensics. A tracking dog I hope would uncover any buried items he might have disposed of in the area. I am even wondering about whether the report that he had been to Mexico recently, might have been a pre trip to plan things out near the Cell Tower.

He could have packed extra clothing to put on AFTER he used the gun, and stashed the clothes near the Cell Tower for putting ON after the murders.



If the mother killed her own childrn, I will be greatly surprised.

We learned through the SP case that GHB is not disernable upon autopsy, IF I remember correctly.

.

 

[luthersmama]

I find his career path to be odd. They met in St. Louis where they both grew up. Then, to "launch his business" they moved to Washington state. Then to Illinois. WTF? Why does someone in his line of work need to be anyplace in particular?

Sounds like he was just keeping her and the kids away from her family.:croc:

 

[luthersmama]

And ANOTHER thing (sorry, seems I just got obsessed)

I think the shootings happened somewhere else - not at that celltower site. It will be interesting to see what the estimated TOD is. He might have shot them all in the garage before they even left their house, then he drove randomly trying to figure out what to do next.

 

[WholeLottaRosie]

I live about 10 minutes from Knight's Action Park.

This would definately not be a place where a family with many other water park options would choose to come and visit. Knight's is more for the family that is here touring the Lincoln sites or has other business in Spfld. and wanted to hang out the park for some added fun in their trip. It is mostly families and teens from the immediate area or surrounding communities.

It is a decent little park, but by no means is it a huge water park at all. My kids go there for something to do in the summer. There's the water park, paddle boats, ferris wheel, go carts, driving range, miniature golf, picnicing areas, drive in movie theater and roller skating rink in the area.

What doesn't make sense to me is that the husband and wife has a romantic weekend planned with his/her parents coming to watch the children. So they run out to go the water park and then hurry to meet the grandparents to watch the children while they go to a bed and breakfast. Where was this B&B compared to the waterpark?

Springfield is about 2 hours from St Louis, maybe a little less -I don't go to the far edge like they would be doing if their parents live in St Charles so not positive on exact time. Makes perfect sense to drive to Springfield,spend the day and then drive on to his parents. Maybe stay their that night and head to Hermann next morning -that is about an hour or so from St Charles, depending on traffic. It might be an hour an half. So this really does make a certain amount of sense. Then again maybe Springfield had some meaning to them. Springfield is actually a very lovely place.

 

[AutumnBorn]

I find his career path to be odd. They met in St. Louis where they both grew up. Then, to "launch his business" they moved to Washington state. Then to Illinois. WTF? Why does someone in his line of work need to be anyplace in particular?

Sounds like he was just keeping her and the kids away from her family.:croc:

Unless he worked for Boeing or consulted with them, I can't make any sense of their leaving paradise to go to Illinois.

 

[Lanie]

Springfield is about 2 hours from St Louis, maybe a little less -I don't go to the far edge like they would be doing if their parents live in St Charles so not positive on exact time. Makes perfect sense to drive to Springfield,spend the day and then drive on to his parents. Maybe stay their that night and head to Hermann next morning -that is about an hour or so from St Charles, depending on traffic. It might be an hour an half. So this really does make a certain amount of sense. Then again maybe Springfield had some meaning to them. Springfield is actually a very lovely place.

It was my understanding from reading the articles that the grandmother and the aunt were coming to the Vaughns house to stay with the kids while the parents were off for the weekend.

 

[teedie2]

Unless he worked for Boeing or consulted with them, I can't make any sense of their leaving paradise to go to Illinois.

He had a job with Navigant Consulting. Don't know if that is why they moved, or if he got the job after they moved.

I recall one article saying that he had merged his business (Stonebridge) with a company in Il, but that isn't exactly what happened, apparently. He still has Stonebridge as a "side job."

http://www.nbc5.com/news/13524661/detail.html?rss=chi&psp=news

Wonder if he commuted to Chicago? It's appr 45 miles from Oswego to Chi. Maybe he is/was? a "field" guy for them and was sent out to various client businesses.

 

[greeneyz]

Has there been anything in the news as to what doors were open on the SUV when police arrived? In the picture of her slumped in the passenger seat the drivers door and a rear door can be seen to be open...I am just curious as to what ones if any were open?

 

[philamena]

I could understand that if not for the time - we're driving to a waterpark at 4 a.m.? How does that make sense to the Mom or the kids?

Perhaps he told them they'd eat breakfast somewhere and then be the first ones to enter the park.

 

[philamena]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-web_vaughnjun19,1,7402317.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Man whose family was slain is questioned 3rd time


June 18, 2007, 9:03 PM CDT

A man who survived the shootings last week that left his wife and three young children dead near Interstate Highway 55 in rural Will County, over the weekend voluntarily submitted to a third round of police questioning, authorities said.

"He remains cooperative with the investigation," said Trooper Mark Dorencz, a spokesman at Illinois State Police District 5 headquarters.

SNIPPET

Much of the investigation, police said, now revolves around forensics, including DNA analysis to help determine blood-spatter patterns and analysis of gunpowder residue and bullet trajectories.

Police have declined to call Christopher Vaughn, who was questioned Sunday, a suspect, nor have they said whether they believe his wife was slain.

 

[Bobbisangel]

Bobbisangel,

I have not read anywhere but here that there were two cell phones in the vehicle. Do you remember where you read that by and chance?

Somewhere on here in one of the news articles. I'll see if I can find it. It could be wrong though....you know how often the papers get things wrong.

 

[Bobbisangel]

Bobbisangel,

I have not read anywhere but here that there were two cell phones in the vehicle. Do you remember where you read that by and chance?

Here is what I have found so far. Another article said how many phones were found.


Top NewsSave | E-mail | Print
Jun 15, 2007 10:13 pm US/Central

Report: Man Says Wife Fired Shots Killing Family
Neighbors, Family Say Christopher Vaughn Is Nowhere To Be Found
(CBS) CHANNAHON, Ill. Investigators have not told the public whom they suspect of shooting a mother and her three young children in Channahon yesterday morning.

They do say they have no grounds to charge anybody at this point, though that could change at any time. However, the only survivor of the killings was released from police custody Thursday morning and his location is unknown.

Thursday, the CBS 2 Investigators learned that cell phones were found in the SUV where Kimberly Vaughn and her three children were found.

Police are investigating why her husband, Christopher, apparently did not use a phone to call 911 for help. Instead, a passerby made the call when they found Vaughn wounded near the vehicle.

 

[Bobbisangel]

It seems that it would be easy to prove who did the shooting wouldn't it? If she was sitting in the front seat and shot the children in the back seat it would be different then if he was sitting in the driver's seat or standing outside the car. I think if the wife was doing the shooting and she decided to shot her husband she wouldn't have shot him in the leg. She would have aimed for his head or chest not clear in the leg or where ever she hit him. She would have wanted to make sure she got him good the first time so he couldn't take the gun away from her.

It sounds to me like LE believe his story about as much as most of us do. They sure are keeping him busy with questions. I think that he believes that he has his story down pat and that LE will believe it. Lord only knows he had enough time to figure it all out.

I wonder what time they actually left home and what time the shots were heard. How long was he sitting around after the murders took place? It is mighty suspicious when the husband doesn't call for help with cell phones in the car. He isn't being called a suspect but you can bet that he is.