She was stabbed. 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. Heres some of whats on our to-do list. When Vaughn's family was killed, he lost his three young children and his wife, making him the sole survivor. The podcast is currently on the second episode and has shown the case from the view of Chris Vaughn's supporters. Most of their commentary was so unnecessary. Who would more likely use his jacket to conceal a gun? By analyzing the blood evidence on the wifes right thumb, it all comes together to prove it was the wife who unbuckled her own seatbelt, after her husband had been shot. Caption: WICS. SHARE. plans and enthusiasm He, along with Edward Deli, were convicted of killing two people and critically injuring a third in . Judge Clifton Newman agreed on . But that's . The gun was thrust into his jacket above the right pocket for the second shot. ", After the sentencing, Kimberly's family hugged and shook hands with investigators. We have many Funding his defense reverted back to Will County. Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun? !Go listen to Episode 17 of Court Junkie for a more fact/evidence based account. He pulled the Expedition over, got out under the guise of checking a cargo compartment on the roof of the SUV, grabbed his wife through the open passenger window, stuck a pistol under her chin and blew her brains out, Mills said. Plus, hear from the former Assistant States Attorney who believes Chris is right where he belongs. Without a good explanation, the appointed local attorney left a voice message to cancel the meeting and declined the assistance of the Center. Courtesy Melville Vaughan When the FBI took up the case, in 1923, agents badly bungled the probe. She was one of Susan's three daughters with Del, an attorney. If they wanted to appear more balanced, they could have edited out parts that favor Chris and put down the wife's family but they didn't. His wife, Kimberly, 34, was in the front passenger seat, slumped over the center console with a single contact gunshot wound under her chin. Hargon received life in prison in the third slaying. "Mr. Vaughn likes writing poetry. 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). The magazine was collected as evidence and sent to the crime lab in an attempt to prove that Chris had read the article, and became an expert on crime scene staging. Christopher sustained minor injuries to his wrist and leg while the other four sustained fatal gunshot . Its unlikely that Vaughns recollection of the murders from 2007 was useful. The prosecution said he had shoved the gun under his wife's chin and killed her first, before turning . She had no idea. Why would a father simply sit there after being shot and allow his wife to shoot and kill the kids and then herself without doing anything to prevent it? The contact wound under her chin was a classic sign of self-infliction. There is a transfer stain of blood on the inside of Kimberlys right thumb. Transfer stains occur when an object, like a thumb, comes into contact with a bloody object. His insurance agent told me she had suggested they take out a life insurance policy as part of sound financial planning. family's sports utility vehicle June 14, in Channahon, Ill., is The bag was still sitting on the table untouched about an hour later. Approved by the FDA to treat epilepsy and seizures, Topamax has an off label use for the treatment of migraine headaches. To this day he maintains no memory of what occurred that tragic day 20 years ago. I love how one of their complaints about the wife was that she wasnt outdoorsy. When they latched the seat belt, the large bloodstain was located right at the point where the latch came together. But Chris specialty was computer forensics. Each of his childrenBlake, 12, Abigayle, 11, and Cassandra, 8was found in the back passenger seat of the car with two bullet wounds. No longer alive, Chris.'. Vaughn told investigators the family had been on its way to a water park in Springfield. Hall was sentenced to death by electrocution in May 1945 and executed on January 4, 1946. yesmagazine.org. The Will County State's Attorney's office originally sought the death penalty, which has since been abolished in Illinois. I am in the middle of the 9 part podcast about the Vaughn family murders. 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. Murder of the wife and children in the suburbs, Kimberly. The ISP crime scene investigator documented in his report that the bullet that struck Cassandra, seated in the middle between her two siblings, exited through the back of her seat and lodged in the rear cargo seat. He was leading a dual life. Because he drove her to visit friends?! Researchers reopened the Michael Francke Murder in . In the video interview, he demonstrated raising his left arm between the gun and his head just as he noticed her pointing the gun at him. Christopher Vaughn, of Oswego, was was sentenced to four life terms on Nov. 27, 2012, for fatally shooting his wife and three children after pulling off Interstate 55 near Channahon, Ill., in Will . Christopher Vaughn, whose wife and three children were found fatally shot in the family's sports utility vehicle June 14, in Channahon, Ill., is seen Friday leaving a funeral home after the visitation in St. Charles, Mo. "He's monotone. It also said he felt ashamed because he failed to protect his children and would have shot Kimberly if she hadnt done it herself. His three children had each been shot twice, and his wife had a single gunshot wound under her chin. He chatted that he was testing out the fantasy of going off the grid for good. When the mom says one of the daughters was a lot like Kim except she was warm and loving it made me irate. The fact it was either him or his wife that was the shooter. Madison digs deep into his mother's past, examining every member of his family as the possible culprit. And so far no actual evidence that might show innocence, just story after story of all the stuff they did outside (???) I opened my door, saw the gun Kim was holding and jumped into my seat to grab it. "She's happy on the outside, but you'll see, ladies and gentleman, she was troubled on the inside," Lenard said. Most who knew the family described Chris as quiet and mild mannered, an introvert. The first entrance hole was the front right pocket; the second an exit hole near the back bottom left side of the jacket. If he isnt guilty why wasnt he looking for who did it? Neighbor kids not being allowed in the house? If you hadn't started this thread, I would have. Unholy Rollers January 21 2014 22min TV-14 Subtitles Subtitles English [CC] It was then re-dated to reflect that it was finalized a day after the lead detective gave his factually inaccurate grand jury testimony. The case took another turn on Sept. 7, 2021, when PEOPLE reported that members of Alex's law firm had confronted him about missing money on Sept. 3 . Early in June 2007, Chris Vaughn, 32, was discovered hobbling from his SUV after suffering two non-fatal gunshot wounds. But not all entrance wounds produce back spatter. Here is a look at some of the evidence and motives law enforcement have explored during the course of their investigation. Transported to the hospital, Chris Vaughn believed his family was still alive. I've got nothing to go back to.'. Neighbors and the press began to speculate as to what happened, with many pointing the finger at Christopher Vaughn. You killed them. She then turned the gun on herself and fired. Like does that make her a bad person? 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. 'Abigayle, Blake,' the detective adds. In some cases the memory may be restored days later, or not at all, according to the DSM-IV. Christopher Vaughn was convicted nine years ago for the murder of his wife and three kids, who were found shot to death inside the family's SUV, parked near Channahon in 2007. 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. They noted that he had to have been seated inside the vehicle when his wife was shot and killed, yet he failed to remember his wife and kids being killed. Shelli Wiley was killed on a cold October morning in 1985 in Laramie, Wyo., just before the sun rose. Your son murdered them and you are talking smack about their daughter, no way I would have allowed them to be there. Cassandra "Sandi", 11, an animal lover who was trying to persuade her mom to let her start a dog-walking business, was killed next. We hear about inconsistencies, such as when the murder weapon was transported to the morgue, covered with cloth, and then washed. James Waybern Hall: The murderer known as "Big Jim" killed 4 people, including his wife, in Arkansas between 1944 and 1945. Still, even a bloodstain expert called by Vaughns lawyers agreed at trial that a defense claim that Vaughn left the SUV before Kimberly was shot didnt make sense. The defense experts we recruited for trial were flushed down the drain. 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. : Directed by Travis Wilkerson. After listening to family members semi deify him, I wanted to read the facts against the man. 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. One bullet pierced his left wrist, while another went through his left leg. Police then used trickery to illicit a confession. Then, with clinical "precision," he put two bullets each in Abigayle, Cassandra and Blake, in that order, she said. The lab was unable to find his fingerprints on the article. When investigators arrived at the scene, they noticed blood stains on the strap of the seatbelt. It was around midnight when the parents of April Boss went looking for the 19 . When contacted by the Sun-Times on Thursday, he noted that Vaughn has had 10 years to come up with this statement, which Regis called contrary to the evidence., Glasgow also said the new theory contradicts the scene, insisting the angles are all wrong and it means Vaughns car door, where a bullet was found, would have been open. He genuinely appeared unaware that his family had been killed. Christopher Vaughn, 32, is charged with eight counts of murder He looked back over his shoulder at his family before being led from the courtroom after the sentencing. But there is more than just stress involved here. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. The States Case Flipboard. The interpretation of blood stains on Kimberlys lap and upper legs indicate she was leaning over the gun when it was fired, which further supports a suicide. On the way, Kimberly started to feel sick, so he got off I-55 around Channahon and took the quiet frontage road. . 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. Clutter has previously written that a transfer blood stain on Kimberlys right thumb all comes together to prove it was the wife who unbuckled her own seatbelt, after her husband had been shot., That was my working theory at the time, Clutter said Thursday. "Our hearts ache with the knowledge that they were priceless to everyone but the one man who should have loved them more than his own life," she said of her four slain family members. Kimberly Phillips was born on December 12, 1972, to Del and Susan Phillips of Saint Charles, Missouri. He spends much of the gruelling 12-hour interview with his face in his hands or down on the table. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Kimberly, and three kids, Abigayle, Cassandra and Blake. Prosecutors said blood evidence suggested Vaughn was moving over Kimberlys body after her death, and none of it pointed to a struggle. His case seems to be that the ballistics did not 100% line up with the state's theory. Lenard objected to the death scene photos being left on the television screen for long periods of time. In 2007, Chris Vaughn was convicted of murdering his wife and 3 kids on the way to a waterpark in illinois. He allegedly murdered his family so he could move to a . ), and the state had ballistic evidence that appears convincing. My blood pressure explodes every week when another whiny, victim bashing, full of spin, low on facts episode is released. I told him that you had noticed and I had noticed a big personality change and anxiety change and that I was lethargic (tired all the time)., According to the new medication guide published in May 2009, the FDA required the manufacturer to insert into the product labeling new warnings informing patients and physicians: Effects on Thinking . Cassandra was shot in the middle of her forehead and in her chest. He claimed to have forgotten how he had been injured. Key experts were never called to testify. While Vaughn might come off as cold-hearted or callous, Lenard asked jurors not use the accused quadruple-murderer's demeanoror eccentricitiesagainst him. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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. No Cover, Public Welcome 21+, 35th Annual Arts, Crafts and Food Festival, Mark Skorusa Loan Originator powered by Rocket Mortgage NMLS #2347622, Turano Bread Truck Engulfed In Flames On I-55, Video Of Surrendering Man Killed By Will Co. Sniper Won't Be Released, Taste Of Joliet: Tyler Hubbard, Mitchell Tenpenny For Country Night, Multiple Bomb Threat For Joliet's Hollywood Casino, Angry Gunman Confronts Homeowner On Ingalls: Cops. other than pointing to drugs there is Nothing to lead any reasonable person to believe Kim shot anyone. Jeremy Webster is accused of fatally shooting 13-year-old Vaughn Bigelow on June 14, 2018. It was clear that there were key events that he was unable to remember. Murder in Illinois has taken heavy criticism for its generally negative portrayal of Kimberly and her family. 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