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

[Nova]

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

Maybe because the midwest is a better place to raise a family?:razz:

A family of what? Prairie dogs, maybe. :angel:

 

[opme]

It's sure not passing the common sense test. He was the driver so why choose that desolate place to check your top load? and when you do your wife suddenly goes nuts and starts shooting the children and yourself? How convenient.

yes and what person who has "suddenly gone nuts" stops shooting with just one bullet..? if that person is the true target of their aggression? Sorry, the location is not convienent to someone who is just going to make a quick adjustment to their lugguage and get back one the road. The trip to the gun range just makes it obvious that the wife is not comfortable with weapons ( closing her eyes while shooting) and definately not experienced. additonally by all accounts this was a very ccaring concerned loving mother who carefully watched over her children and couldnt bear to remove a splinter.. not one who is likely to take out her rage on her children with a weapon she is unfamiliar and uncomfortable with. She is however a woman who is finding a life outstide her husband and family.. her degree, her new job and such point to new interests and goals and desires that were likely frightening to the husband.. she was beco ing less dependant upon her husband for financial and other means of support. Her emotional life was expanding to others outside the home and as such her focus and time were less on the husband.. all of this just it more than obvious along with the circumstances, timing, and the physicial evidence that this was a crime committed by the husband not the wife.

 

[kinsey milhoune]

Hey we must be neighbors.. I live in Chanahon as well... right off Bluff Road. And you are right no way in hell do you get off at Bluff and then go to the frontage road. Even if the luggage was ok by RT 6 and then went wrong after the exit you would get off at Bluff and pull over. I would say the Bluff exit is easily 1/2 mile to 3/4 off a mile long. This area is not an easily accesible or well lighted area. Most people would not frequent these frontage roads unless they knew where they were going.

Yes, we are neighbors. I just rode by there (9:10 p.m.) since there has been so much discussion about whether the area is lighted by the tower. I go by it a lot in the daytime on I-55 or on Bluff, but rarely at nite.

There are NO lights by the cell tower at all. The only light is a highway light south of the tower area & it does not light up that area at all. In fact, that road is downright scary at nite, turning off Bluff onto that frontage road, it's all tree lined on each side & it's VERY dark leading up to the cell tower small road, in fact I had to watch for it or would have missed it.
Seems someone was looking for a dark area rather than one well lit to check their luggage rack!

 

[kinsey milhoune]

Originally Posted by southcitymom
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?

I am coming up with the same question!!! What in the world would they do at 4 a.m. waiting for a waterpark to open? Does not add up!

 

[kinsey milhoune]

I just rode past the cell tower where this happened. After reading so many posts wondering about the area, I decided to see it at nite.

I live less than 5 minutes from it.

Here is what I know about the area:

1. The exit one mile before this one is WELL LIT, has a gas station & a McDonalds and another gas station just on the other side of the exit.

2. This exit where it happened (Bluff Rd.) is a small exit, no towns indicated or anything, just an exit #.

3. There is NO LIGHT by the cell tower at all. It is very DARK there by those trees.

4. On the sides of the road leading to the cell tower, it is all tree lined on each side & very dark, almost eerie at nite & the road is a very small two lane, almost like you are on a country road.

5. Bluff road leads to a Marina, unless he was a fisherman, he probably would not have been aware of this road at all, other than it is a dark, secluded exit.

6. The road actually circles around & leads back into Channahon.

7. There are NO houses on that road the direction he was going.

8. There is a subdision in the north direction of that road to the north of Bluff road, but he turned south on the frontage road off of Bluff.

9. He could have walked to the marina, but it is not visible, it is a ways down the dark road & not marked & is past a curve in the road where he would not be aware of anything being there at all.

10. If he walked the other way on the frontage road he would go past the subdivision & end up back at the McDonalds exit.

11. There are lights on the highway, but they are south of the tower enough that it DOES NOT light up the area by the tower at all.

12. You really would have to have lived near here to be aware of this road & that there were no houses or anything for quite a while in that area.

13. Oswego is not that close that living in Oswego you would know about side roads in Channahon.

14. There is some farm field behind the cell tower area & beyond that is a golf course, so no lights at all behind this area at any time.

This is what I can tell you of the area. If you have any questions about the area itself, I can tell you as I have lived here many years.

Hope this helps clear up about the cell tower & lights.

 

[kinsey milhoune]

I am having an interesting thought.

Could the person who MADE the call for Vaughn have been the shooter?

WE don't know where the two encountered each other, whether Vaughn walked to the main road, OR OR IF the other car was already there by the CELL tower.

The Cell tower seems to be a very identifiable location for folks that know the area, am I right, posters from Illinois?




.

Actually, I used Bluff Rd. a lot when our main Highway into Channahon was under construction a few years ago & to tell you the truth, I never paid attention to the cell tower or it even being there. We travel on Bluff Rd. to I-55 & get on I-55 right there every weekend, to our boat & I still can't actually say that the cell tower caught my attention. So, I would say No the cell tower is not that identifiable to even those of us who live here. I just never paid any attention to the fact that a cell tower was even there.

 

[Camper]

Actually, I used Bluff Rd. a lot when our main Highway into Channahon was under construction a few years ago & to tell you the truth, I never paid attention to the cell tower or it even being there. We travel on Bluff Rd. to I-55 & get on I-55 right there every weekend, to our boat & I still can't actually say that the cell tower caught my attention. So, I would say No the cell tower is not that identifiable to even those of us who live here. I just never paid any attention to the fact that a cell tower was even there.

--->>>Hello kinsey milhoune, welcome to the forum. My point was that IF IF this is a pre meditated murder, husband could have described the exit and the tower too, would that be a good assumption on my part? Describing to the shooter where to meet 'that' night. Actually husband could have taken the 'shooter' to the location in daylight to make sure the 'shooter' knew where to come etc. On the other hand the cell tower being near may in fact have not reasonable explanation other than that was where it was physically.

So the marina is about how far from where the car was, and I assume there would be water with which to 'clean up' IF IF the husband was the 'only' person involved in the murder, no other 'shooter' perp.

Do you have a dog? I guess I would be surprised IF IF LE did not search the area with a tracking dog, for disposed of gloves, clothes or whatever else might have been intimidating to the husbands involvement.
Have you had any rain since the murders? If not the gun powder residue should still be amenable to finding the scent.

I am also wondering where the family loaded up to leave their home? IF they loaded up in the garage, it is possible that the family may have been poisoned and 'loaded into the vehicle under cover of inside the garage.

So many questions and no answers from this rocking chair sleuth of 60 years standing. I became interested in crime and criminals at the age of 14.

.

 

[pamlet]

The location is a puzzle to me ...

From Kinsey's account .. and from looking at the satellite photos it would appear to be difficult to "fall upon" the location.

If the husband did it then how does he explain that away? It is just such a weird place to stop.

IF (a HUGE IF) the wife planned it - I could almost see it - especially if she was giving directions and hollering about the thing on the roof... I wonder if she had a map on her lap? I guess I'm just trying to figure the location thing .. and trying to think of "reasons" to be right there.

Just trying to figure different scenarios...

 

[philamena]

...
If the husband did it then how does he explain that away? It is just such a weird place to stop.....
...

He did explain it away. He said he stopped to fix the car carrier. I see what you mean though. Imo he picked that spot so no one would see him kill his family and shoot himself.

 

[hollyjokers]

CBS2 Chicago reporting that Christopher has told investigators he made a confession of sorts to Kimberly, which explains why she got massively pi$$ed & gave him a superficial wound in the fatty tissue of his thigh while executing her beloved children & herself. http://cbs2chicago.com/westsuburbanbureau/local_story_170193202.html

 

[philamena]

Oh really??? wow

 

[pamlet]

Sheesh - I just don't know what to think... Wonder what he confessed to...

 

[philamena]

Me too. I still find it hard to believe that she killed her children, shot her husband and then shot herself.

A pissed off wife shoots her husband not her kids.

 

[greeneyz]

His confession could be one of many things:

1. Another woman

2. Another woman expecting a child by him

3. He confessed he wasn't "in love" with her anymore and wanted a
divorce

4. He confessed he had been sexually abusing the kids (This scenario would be the one I would pick to make SENSE as to WHY she would have shot the children and herself...)

5. He confessed he was homosexual

6. He told her he quit his jobs and they were financially ruined

 

[hollyjokers]

He told he was involved in child & videos/photos of her kids were being distributed to pedrings all over the world?


That's probably the only one that might make a mother snap in the manner that she did, & even still, he would be DEAD before any of the kids took a single bullet.

 

[Bobbisangel]

He probably didn't tell her anything. That is just a part of his story. There just happened to be a gun in the car and when he told her "whatever" she grabbed the gun and starting shooting the whole family....BULL.

If I was in a rage at my husband and decided to shoot him and I shot him in the leg and he started running I would have gotten out of the car and chased him shooting every chance I got trying to hit him. I sure wouldn't take it out on my kids and then kill myself. I don't believe for a minute that this mom is capable of any of that.

This husband probably heard the vehicle coming down the road and started wandering on the road talking to himself....saying that his wife shot him and the kids. He did make sure that he showed the driver his little flesh wound.

We will hear more about this husband. I think forensics are going to tell the tale.

 

[southcitymom]

His confession could be one of many things:

1. Another woman

2. Another woman expecting a child by him

3. He confessed he wasn't "in love" with her anymore and wanted a
divorce

4. He confessed he had been sexually abusing the kids (This scenario would be the one I would pick to make SENSE as to WHY she would have shot the children and herself...)

5. He confessed he was homosexual

6. He told her he quit his jobs and they were financially ruined

Yes - one of these.

I will say that the confession he made to Kimberly is either the motive explaining why she shot him and the kids OR the motive that he shot her and the kids.

 

[Camper]

Hmmm, I am also NOW wondering IF IF they had stopped at an exit prior to the killing area, FOR GAS, credit card receipts would show IF that happened. While getting gas he could have loosened something to make a noise for stopping to 'fix' it near the killing area. Far fetched perhaps.-Credit card records would substantiate my current hair brained thinking.
SO, He confesses 'prior to stopping ??', OR he confesses 'prior to leaving the house ??', OR he confesses as he is getting OUT of the car in the killing area ??'. IF IF he confessed at all WHERE WAS THE GUN at the time of HIS CONFESSION??? WIFE had to round up the gun while he was FIXIN' the rattle, because he said she shot him WHILE he was getting back into the car AT the killing area, right? AM I remembering that correctly?

So, what did LE ask after his confessing that he confessed something to his wife? DID LE ask him where and when he confessed to his wife?
Where was the gun DURING his confession?

I don't know what the law is about carrying a gun in your car in Illinois, but I do think it is illegal to carry a LOADED gun in your car, UNLESS HE had a permit to do so????? Yet another question FOR our confessor.

.
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[southcitymom]

Hmmm, I am also NOW wondering IF IF they had stopped at an exit prior to the killing area, FOR GAS, credit card receipts would show IF that happened. While getting gas he could have loosened something to make a noise for stopping to 'fix' it near the killing area. Far fetched perhaps.-Credit card records would substantiate my current hair brained thinking.
SO, He confesses 'prior to stopping ??', OR he confesses 'prior to leaving the house ??', OR he confesses as he is getting OUT of the car in the killing area ??'. IF IF he confessed at all WHERE WAS THE GUN at the time of HIS CONFESSION??? WIFE had to round up the gun while he was FIXIN' the rattle, because he said she shot him WHILE he was getting back into the car AT the killing area, right? AM I remembering that correctly?

So, what did LE ask after his confessing that he confessed something to his wife? DID LE ask him where and when he confessed to his wife?
Where was the gun DURING his confession?

I don't know what the law is about carrying a gun in your car in Illinois, but I do think it is illegal to carry a LOADED gun in your car, UNLESS HE had a permit to do so????? Yet another question FOR our confessor.

.
.

I'm sure LE asked why his wife would shoot him - that's an important piece of the puzzle and he would have to have an answer for it.

I'm pretty sure you can carry a loaded gun in your car if you have a permit and it's in plain site. Given his line of work and his avid hunting hobby, I'm sure he had a gun permit.

 

[LovingTheChaos]

Wow - I with every fiber in me believe this man shot his family. I believe he will be arrested & charged.

From the above linked article -
"The exact spot of the shootings continues to puzzle investigators. Just off busy I-55, but on a frontage road with no way back on. And instead of pulling over to the side of the road to fix what he claimed was a loose luggage strap, Chris Vaughn pulled into the only driveway between trees that blocked whatever he was doing from passersby."