Story #5: Vaughn family Found Slain

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JOLIET — Testimony during a hearing Dec. 21 in Yorkville indicates accused quadruple-murderer Christopher Vaughn was the beneficiary of his slain wife’s $1 million insurance policy. Vaughn, 33, of Oswego, remains in the Will County Jail in Joliet on four counts of first-degree murder in the June 14 slayings of his wife, Kimberly, 34, and their children — Abigayle, 12; Cassandra, 11; and Blake, 8. No trial date has yet been set, noted Chuck Pelkie, spokesman for Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow, who will personally prosecute the case. “We’re still doing case management discovery,” Pelkie said Friday. “It’s a big case and could take a long time to come to trial.” The next court appearance in the discovery portion of the case is slated for Jan. 22, 2008. Glasgow announced earlier he will seek the death penalty in the case. The bodies of the family were found in an SUV near Channahon. All four died of gunshot wounds, Illinois State Police said at the time. Kimberly Vaughn was shot once, and the children each were shot twice. Christopher Vaughn’s 9mm handgun was found at the scene, authorities said. Vaughn was slightly injured in the incident, which took place in the family’s vehicle parked near a cellular telephone tower off a frontage road south of Bluff Road. Authorities said after Vaughn was wounded in the leg, he apparently walked away from the vehicle until he asked a passerby to call 911. ISP Capt. Carl Dobricz said the family has apparently left their home in the predawn hours of Thursday, June 14, to go on a trip. Vaughn was free to go at the time, but was arrested the morning of funeral services for his family on June 23 at a funeral parlor in St. Charles, Mo. He gave up his fight against extradition to Illinois to face charges, and was returned to the state on July 3. Illinois law prevents Vaughn from collecting the assets of his family. According to published reports, Will County Circuit Judge Tim McCann ordered that an uninvolved third party should handle the estate until Vaughn’s criminal case is resolved. McCann ruled the only money that can be removed from the account is for a bill of more than $30,000 for four funerals.