Full Transcript for Kimberly and Christopher Vaughn - Part 2

00:03:47.479 --> 00:03:48.840 a huge blow to his defense. 72 00:03:48.960 --> 00:03:52.039 Yeah, I never really thought about that that if you're 73 00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:55.439 facing the death penalty, you get a lot more resources 74 00:03:55.479 --> 00:03:57.759 I guess assigned to you, just because of the seriousness 75 00:03:57.759 --> 00:03:58.039 of that. 76 00:03:58.439 --> 00:04:01.039 I believe at the end of President Byden's term, he 77 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:05.319 commuted anyone that was in federal prison that had a 78 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:09.280 death sentence, he commuted their sentences. And there were at 79 00:04:09.319 --> 00:04:12.639 least two people that said, no, thank you. They would 80 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:15.639 rather have the death penalty and have I. 81 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:19.360 Think access to the reason legal resources to help them, Okay. Interesting. 82 00:04:19.879 --> 00:04:22.680 In April twenty ten, nearly three years after the murders, 83 00:04:22.839 --> 00:04:25.560 Chris was overheard in a pre trial hearing saying, to 84 00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:29.360 his lawyer's quote, I'm done, I'm tired, I'm finished. I've 85 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:33.120 had nothing to do for the past three years. For 86 00:04:33.160 --> 00:04:36.439 an unknown reason he'd been residing in the prison's medical unit. 87 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:38.800 So Chris is not a big guy. And remember, he 88 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:40.680 lost like a lot of weight. He went from one 89 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:42.800 hundred and eighty pounds to one hundred and forty pounds. 90 00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:46.839 Five foot eight or five foot nine, he allegedly killed 91 00:04:46.920 --> 00:04:49.639 three children, so I'm guessing that his time in prison 92 00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:53.519 probably wasn't really pleasant. This hearing focused on a defense 93 00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:57.839 motion to suppress evidence of three books on Druidism, along 94 00:04:57.879 --> 00:05:01.720 with related Internet searches found in the Vaughan home. Druidism 95 00:05:01.879 --> 00:05:05.560 or Druidry is a modern spiritual or religious movement that 96 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:11.439 promotes the cultivation of honorable relationships with physical landscapes, flora, fauna, 97 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:14.920 and the diverse peoples of the world, as well as nature, deities, 98 00:05:15.160 --> 00:05:19.480 and spirits of nature in place. Theological beliefs among modern 99 00:05:19.560 --> 00:05:24.399 Druids are diverse. However, all modern Druids venerate the divine 100 00:05:24.519 --> 00:05:28.199 essence of nature. Chris was drawn to Druidism, but Kim 101 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:30.839 was not. The judge ruled in favor of the defense 102 00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:34.800 Chris's religious beliefs could not be held against him. On 103 00:05:34.839 --> 00:05:39.480 August twentieth, twenty twelve, the trial finally started in Joliet, Illinois, 104 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:43.680 more than five years after the murders. When I say Joliet, Illinois, 105 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:45.720 do you okay? There you go? 106 00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:47.639 I figured that, yeah. 107 00:05:47.720 --> 00:05:47.920 Yeah. 108 00:05:48.199 --> 00:05:52.120 So if you're from Illinois and you say Joliet, everyone 109 00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:54.079 just to suit like they know you're talking about the 110 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:59.600 state prison. In the adjoining courtroom, Drew Peterson was being 111 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:03.639 tried for the death of his wife, Kathleen Savio, although 112 00:06:03.639 --> 00:06:06.399 his trial had started a couple of weeks before that. 113 00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:08.439 Quite a coincidence, isn'tick well? 114 00:06:09.319 --> 00:06:13.079 Will County Attorney Terry Sullivan told the Chicago Tribune quote, 115 00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:15.839 to have two cases like that going on at the 116 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:20.040 same time is unprecedented, certainly in will County and maybe 117 00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:22.360 in the country. The Von trial is the kind of 118 00:06:22.399 --> 00:06:25.040 case that should get national coverage, but it might be 119 00:06:25.079 --> 00:06:27.839 overshadowed with all the tom foolery going on in the 120 00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:31.319 court room next door, tomfoolery being one of my favorite 121 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:34.759 words words. He said that the Von case was one 122 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:38.079 of the most horrific cases in Will County history. At 123 00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:40.519 the end of each day of trial, Will County State's 124 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:44.319 Attorney James Glasgow, a man who has never seen a camera, 125 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:48.560 he didn't love fielded questions from the media. Currently serving 126 00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:51.879 his seventh term in office, Glasgow was up for reelection 127 00:06:51.959 --> 00:06:54.959 in twenty twelve, and it was no coincidence that these 128 00:06:54.959 --> 00:06:59.720 two trials were playing out simultaneously, although the salacious Peterson 129 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:05.319 trial received more attention from the media and the public. No, 130 00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:08.319 I mean no, it really wasn't, which is crazy to me. 131 00:07:08.839 --> 00:07:10.519 It's just so many manipulatives. 132 00:07:10.600 --> 00:07:14.360 Well, just having two high profile trials of that nature 133 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:17.800 in the same area around the same time is pretty coincidental. 134 00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:19.680 But yeah, having the trials both go on at the 135 00:07:19.720 --> 00:07:21.480 same time as a strange decision. 136 00:07:21.639 --> 00:07:24.600 Yeah, So researching this case, I was surprised that there's 137 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:28.839 really not as much information about it compared to Drew Peterson, 138 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:31.160 Like there's no books on it. There is the podcast 139

00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:34.000 Murder in Illinois, but we'll talk about that more later. 140 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:37.680 The prosecution had a long list of two hundred and 141 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:41.399 seventy possible witnesses. They estimated the trial would last about 142 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:44.720 a month. Their argument, Vaughan murdered his wife and three 143 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:48.560 children so he could escape to the Canadian wilderness unencumbered 144 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:50.759 by his wife and children, to live off the grid. 145 00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:53.680 Do you know how sometimes in a trial the attorneys. 146 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:57.680 They craft these wildly speculative narratives about the defendant to 147 00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:00.600 fit the evidence and motive in the case I'm talking about. 148 00:08:01.560 --> 00:08:05.160 In the case of Christopher Vaughan, no pontification or hyperbole 149 00:08:05.319 --> 00:08:08.879 was necessary by the prosecution. Vaughan made his desire to 150 00:08:08.920 --> 00:08:11.720 start a new life in the Canadian wilderness clear, and 151 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:15.839 the evidence supported it. Although in my opinion, the defense 152 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:19.439 did go off the rails. Kim, the defense argued, was 153 00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:23.240 so distraught over her allegedly crumbling marriage that she took 154 00:08:23.319 --> 00:08:25.680 not only her own life, but the lives of the 155 00:08:25.720 --> 00:08:28.759 three children. They claimed that the prescription drugs that she 156 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:32.799 was taking nor tryptilene and topomax, which in rare cases 157 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:36.919 have been linked to suicidal thoughts, drove her over the edge. 158 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:40.200 In November two thousand and five, Kim began seeing a neurologist, 159 00:08:40.360 --> 00:08:44.159 doctor Prideep Basha, to treat her migraine and tension headaches. 160 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:48.600 She was experiencing sensitivity to sound and light, nausea, vomiting, 161 00:08:48.679 --> 00:08:52.440 and sweating. The doctor believes stress was causing her frequent headaches. 162 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:56.960 In September two thousand and six, Kim was prescribed topomax 163 00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:00.480 and nor tryptilene, two prescription drugs that both have adverse 164 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:04.039 side effects. All drugs have side effects, but both of 165 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:07.519 these have serious side effects. Topomax came on the market 166 00:09:07.519 --> 00:09:10.240 in nineteen ninety six and was first used to prevent 167 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:13.879 seizures by blocking electrical activity in the brain. It was 168 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:17.120 approved for use in migraine treatment in two thousand and four. 169 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:19.559 While there are better drugs on the market today to 170 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:24.320 treat migraine headaches, Kim was prescribed Topomax. Topomax carries a 171 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:27.879 stern warning for the patient immediately notified your health care 172 00:09:27.879 --> 00:09:32.200 provider if you experience any sudden changes in mood, panic attacks, 173 00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:36.960 impulsive behavior including aggression or hostility, or thoughts of suicide. 174 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:41.679 Topomax can also cause nausea and intestinal discomfort. It's also 175 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:45.080 been approved by the FDA for weight loss. In September 176 00:09:45.080 --> 00:09:48.039 two thousand and six, Kim also saw a doctor for 177 00:09:48.120 --> 00:09:52.159 stress induced high blood pressure. The other drug prescribed for 178 00:09:52.279 --> 00:09:55.519 Kim was nor tryptolene. It's been approved for use in 179 00:09:55.559 --> 00:09:59.799 the US since nineteen sixty four to treat depression, nerve pain, 180 00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:03.759 and a laundry list of other off label conditions such 181 00:10:03.799 --> 00:10:08.480 as IBS, TMJ and anxiety. Your triptolene carries a black 182 00:10:08.519 --> 00:10:11.600 box warning, the most serious warning issued by the FDA 183 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:15.960 for younger patients aged twelve to twenty five. Your triptolene 184 00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:19.840 can cause a marked increase in suicide ideation, but with 185 00:10:19.960 --> 00:10:23.120 age the warning drops off significantly. But both of these 186 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:26.679 drugs have side effect of increased thoughts of suicide, in 187 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:30.559 addition to confusion about identity, seeing or hearing things that 188 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:33.279 might not be there, and feelings that someone may be 189 00:10:33.399 --> 00:10:37.799 controlling you or hearing your thoughts. Nor triptolene also causes nausea, vomiting, 190 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:41.600 and digestive issues. Neither medication should be taken with alcohol. 191 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:44.759 These drugs are prescribed together, but the patient should be 192 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:49.879 closely monitored. The newer generation of antidepressant medications offer better 193 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:52.960 results with fewer side effects, but if you are someone 194 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:55.879 you know begins taking these or any new medication for 195 00:10:55.919 --> 00:10:59.200 that matter, observe them and check in with them for 196 00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:03.039 any changes in mood or behavior. Kim had no history 197 00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:06.440 of suicidal thoughts or mental health problems other than the 198 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:09.320 anxiety that she was dealing with. Kim's doctor at her 199 00:11:09.399 --> 00:11:11.559 last appointment said he was going to slowly wean her 200 00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:14.559 off the drugs. I'm not sure why, but maybe as 201 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:17.399 school was winding down and the kids were more settled, 202

00:11:17.480 --> 00:11:21.519 her anxiety had lessened, reducing her headaches. Studies estimate that 203 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:24.919 for every one thousand people treated with antidepressants, about four 204 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:29.440 people experience increased suicidal thinking compared to those on a placebo, 205 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:32.080 and the most dangerous time is when the drugs are 206 00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:35.679 initially prescribed. Kim had been on both drugs for an 207 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:40.480 extended period of time. While antidepressants may cause suicidal ideation 208 00:11:40.600 --> 00:11:43.320 and young people in the short term, they ultimately reduce 209 00:11:43.399 --> 00:11:47.519 suicide rates by treating long term depression. Back to the trial. 210 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:52.080 During opening statements, the prosecution focused on Chris's demeanor after 211 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:55.840 the tragedy. Quote, you, ladies and gentlemen will be able 212 00:11:55.879 --> 00:11:58.399 to assess what his demeanor was like that day. You 213 00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:00.759 will be watching hours and hours of these interviews of 214 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:04.360 the defendant and his interaction and his reactions that day, 215 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:06.879 and you will be able to judge his demeanor his 216 00:12:06.960 --> 00:12:09.759 actions in that interview room on each of those days. 217 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:14.360 Of course, as our smart listeners know, demeanor is not evidence. 218 00:12:14.840 --> 00:12:17.519 People react to trauma in different ways in how someone 219 00:12:17.559 --> 00:12:20.919 looks or acts after a tragedy or in an interview 220 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:26.720 room doesn't necessarily mean anything. People have different trauma responses. 221 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:30.840 Very true. One of the first witnesses called was Mark Daniels, 222 00:12:30.919 --> 00:12:35.000 owner of a gun store and indoor shooting range in Plainfield, Illinois. 223 00:12:35.240 --> 00:12:38.399 He testified that Vaughan had visited the shooting range twice, 224 00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:41.159 once on June six, two thousand and seven, at ten 225 00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:44.679 twenty five am, and again on June thirteen, two thousand 226 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:48.159 and seven, at five thirty pm, just hours before the murders. 227 00:12:48.759 --> 00:12:52.399 Jurors watched eight hours of Chris's interrogation videos along with 228 00:12:52.519 --> 00:12:56.399 graphic crime scene photos. He was impassive as the gory 229 00:12:56.399 --> 00:12:57.360 images were shown. 230 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:02.960 Later, Gail, Chris's mom, said that he wasn't shown the images. 231 00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:06.080 He was looking at just like a blank screen in 232 00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:08.080 front of him, and everyone else had like a screen 233 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:10.759 in front of them that showed the gory images. So 234 00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:12.960 he kind of got a lot of heat for that, Like, oh, 235 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:15.440 he didn't react at all to the images of the 236 00:13:15.480 --> 00:13:18.240 autopsy or crime scene or whatever, but he really couldn't 237 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:19.120 see the images. 238 00:13:19.159 --> 00:13:23.200 Interesting. During the police interviews, Vaughan consistently claimed that he 239 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:25.320 had no memory of what happened on the morning of 240 00:13:25.399 --> 00:13:29.960 June fourteenth, two thousand and seven. Several witnesses, including Kim's parents, 241 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:33.519 testified that Chris was a very quiet, introverted man who 242 00:13:33.639 --> 00:13:37.759 rarely talked and wasn't openly expressive. Then came testimony from 243 00:13:37.799 --> 00:13:41.799 Illinois State Police forensic scientist Nicole Fundel, who told the 244 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:44.279 jury that the gun that injured Chris was no more 245 00:13:44.360 --> 00:13:46.879 than six inches from his leg when it was fired. 246 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:49.799 Chris's fleece jacket, which he had been wearing at the 247 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:52.840 time of the murders, had four bullet holes, according to 248 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:56.679 court documents. Quote. One was above the left front pocket, 249 00:13:57.120 --> 00:13:59.559 one was in the lower back of the jacket, and 250 00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:03.320 two in the left wrist area. Fundell determined that these 251 00:14:03.320 --> 00:14:06.200 holes were consistent with the passage of a single bullet 252 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:08.840 made when the jacket had been wrapped or layered around 253 00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:12.399 the gun before it was fired. She offered three possible 254 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:15.639 reasons for someone to do this, first to muffle the sound, 255 00:14:16.200 --> 00:14:19.639 second to conceal the weapon, Third to cushion the impact 256 00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:22.799 if someone was attempting to shoot themselves. That's really interesting 257 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:25.279 about the bullet holes, because how else would you have 258 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:26.440 four bullet holes. 259 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:28.240 Bullet holes are really hard to explain. 260 00:14:28.759 --> 00:14:31.799 Yeah, I get it, but still, just having four bullet 261 00:14:31.799 --> 00:14:35.639 holes in his jacket, that would tell me that it 262 00:14:35.799 --> 00:14:38.720 wasn't just being worn like normal. 263 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:42.600 And remember this jacket was really special to him because 264 00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:45.720 he had purchased it on his trip when he went 265 00:14:45.799 --> 00:14:48.759 on his scouting mission to the Yukon territories. 266 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:52.360 The defense would have a difficult time explaining why there 267 00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:54.559 was a bullet hole in the back of the jacket. 268 00:14:54.960 -->

00:14:58.000 The prosecution then focused on Chris's May two thousand and 269 00:14:58.039 --> 00:15:01.799 seven trip to the Yukon Territory. They called Stephen Willot 270 00:15:01.799 --> 00:15:04.919 to testify, a man from Ottawa, Canada who met Chris 271 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:08.279 on a now defunct social networking site called forty three 272 00:15:08.279 --> 00:15:11.519 Things in November two thousand and six. Chris went by 273 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:16.279 the user named Flint or sometimes de woods Man. Willot 274 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:19.360 was known as Flea. They bonded over their shared dream 275 00:15:19.399 --> 00:15:22.240 of living off the grid and eventually developed an almost 276 00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:26.399 daily email correspondence. Willott's court appearance was the first time 277 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:29.120 the men were seeing each other face to face. In 278 00:15:29.159 --> 00:15:32.240 the emails, Chris confided to Flee that he was unhappy 279 00:15:32.279 --> 00:15:35.440 with modern life and wanted to leave everything behind. There 280 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:38.960 were dozens of emails between them. In court, Willot read 281 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:42.799 aloud some of Chris's emails. Quote, for me, it's to 282 00:15:42.840 --> 00:15:46.159 live a simple, peaceful life away from the government, big cities, 283 00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:50.240 and obviously ignorant people. I can't be content with having 284 00:15:50.279 --> 00:15:53.080 the same job for fifty years like my dad. In 285 00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:55.879 another email, Chris wrote, I have been married for a 286 00:15:55.879 --> 00:15:58.080 long time, and it was really just a few years 287 00:15:58.080 --> 00:15:59.799 ago that I realized that it was not going to 288 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:02.279 work work, and I did not want to be obligated 289 00:16:02.279 --> 00:16:04.279 to live this lifestyle until I am dead. 290 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:07.279 In these emails, he never called Kim by her name. 291 00:16:07.639 --> 00:16:10.440 I saw one email where he referred to her as 292 00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:11.519 the lady I live with. 293 00:16:11.879 --> 00:16:15.320 Oh wow. Yeah, But Chris wasn't worried about Kim. He 294 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:18.200 said she'd be fine. Chris had a million dollar life 295 00:16:18.279 --> 00:16:21.399 insurance policy and he hoped that she would meet someone 296 00:16:21.480 --> 00:16:23.320 with their mind in the game. 297 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:26.120 I read one account where he had two point five 298 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:28.919 million dollars in life insurance, so I think that was 299 00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:30.720 true because it was in court documentary. 300 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:34.639 Yeah, Chris talked about carving arrows and sewing his own moccasins. 301 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:37.759 He never once mentioned his children. The only thing he 302 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:41.159 said he'd miss is jeep. Chris mentioned a

woman named 303 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:43.720 Maya to his pen pal, who he thought might join 304 00:16:43.799 --> 00:16:46.840 them in Canada. He seemed eager to get started, telling 305 00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:49.799 Willat in one of their final exchanges, I will be 306 00:16:49.840 --> 00:16:52.799 heading up there permanently soon. The plan is to head 307 00:16:52.879 --> 00:16:54.639 up in May to find a good place and then 308 00:16:54.679 --> 00:16:57.200 return later for good. I'd have to say I am 309 00:16:57.240 --> 00:16:59.679 a bit more than excited about it and am spending 310 00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:02.679 every free day this month out camping and getting ready. 311 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:05.519 Sounds like you should put together a plan too. Let 312 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:08.160 me know and we can compare notes. And he did 313 00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:10.599 spend a week in the Yukon in May. He had 314 00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:12.839 lied to Kim and told her that he was traveling 315 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:16.720 for work. Chris made a request that completely rattled Willot. 316 00:17:16.920 --> 00:17:18.920 He asked his friend if he would help him fake 317 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:21.640 his own death. Chris said he wanted to disappear, but 318 00:17:21.799 --> 00:17:24.440 he also wanted Kim to get his life insurance pay out. 319 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:28.640 After that email, Willot cut off all communication. So that's 320 00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:31.920 pretty interesting. It actually seems pretty good for Christopher's case 321 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:34.000 because it makes it sound like, yeah, I was gonna 322 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:36.799 fake my own death. Why would I kill my wife 323 00:17:36.839 --> 00:17:38.279 and kids? If I was going to do that. 324 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:43.000 True, but will It was like, uh, I want no 325 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:44.880 part of that. Yeah, And so he had to come 326 00:17:44.920 --> 00:17:47.720 up with a Plan B. And to fake your own death, 327 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:50.279 there's a lot of moving parts there and it's not 328 00:17:50.359 --> 00:17:52.880 as easy to do as you would think. And allegedly 329 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:54.240 he wanted Kim to get the money. 330 00:17:54.359 --> 00:17:56.720 So yeah, that's a good point. So if he was 331 00:17:56.759 --> 00:17:58.559 asking will It for help, and will It was like, 332 00:17:58.759 --> 00:18:01.039 I'm out of here, then maybe he had to go 333 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:03.559 back to Plan B. Like you said, there was. 334 00:18:03.559 --> 00:18:05.519 A story recently in the news about a man from 335 00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:07.920 Wisconsin who faked his own death. 336 00:18:08.200 --> 00:18:10.200 He was kayaking where he left his kayak to make 337 00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:12.680 it look like he had drowned and then he yeah, and. 338 00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:15.799 The people looked for him. He was in Eastern Europe 339 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:19.319

and I believe around Christmas time he was extradited back 340 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:22.039 to the United States. Do you think his wife was like, 341 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:25.160 just him, just we don't need him, he can stay. 342 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:26.720 Yeah, he wouldn't blame her. 343 00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:31.839 Chris's coworker Alan Sue, testified that he and Chris were 344 00:18:31.880 --> 00:18:35.359 in Utah about two weeks before the murders. In a 345 00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:37.960 text exchange, Chris told him that he had stayed out 346 00:18:38.039 --> 00:18:42.839 until five am and cryptically said quote, things got interesting 347 00:18:42.920 --> 00:18:45.799 and he couldn't talk about it over a text. It 348 00:18:45.880 --> 00:18:48.599 sounds like his work trips were becoming a little wilder. 349 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:51.039 Yeah, he was like maybe he was like having a 350 00:18:51.079 --> 00:18:52.279 midlife crisis or something. 351 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:53.200 He was thirty two. 352 00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:57.079 Well, you know, to some people, their midlife crisis start earlier. 353 00:18:57.119 --> 00:19:00.160 But he was exploring some new behavior. 354 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:03.920 Yeah. Well, on lying to Kim about what he was doing. 355 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:06.519 To next, Maya Drake took the stand. Maya was a 356 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:09.920 dancer at a strip club called Scores near the airport. 357 00:19:10.200 --> 00:19:11.359 Which airport was it near? 358 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:11.680 Oh? 359 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:13.279 Hair Oh. 360 00:19:13.400 --> 00:19:16.599 She estimated that she met Chris four or five times. 361 00:19:16.920 --> 00:19:18.759 On one of his visits to the strip club, he 362 00:19:18.799 --> 00:19:21.079 gave her a one page poem he wrote for her. 363 00:19:21.400 --> 00:19:24.319 According to Maya, Chris said he wanted to leave his wife, 364 00:19:24.359 --> 00:19:28.279 but he would make sure she was taken care of financially. Quote. 365 00:19:28.599 --> 00:19:30.359 He told me he wanted to leave his wife and 366 00:19:30.440 --> 00:19:33.480 moved to Canada and built his own cabin in the woods. 367 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:37.000 He didn't care about money or material possessions. He thought 368 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:38.960 his wife was too materialistic. 369 00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:41.000 Wait, are you not going to read us the poem 370 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:42.400 that he wrote? Do you not have that. 371 00:19:42.440 --> 00:19:43.079 I don't have it. 372 00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:45.119 Disappointed. 373 00:19:45.480 --> 00:19:48.960 I have a few just words from it later on. 374 00:19:49.839 --> 00:19:52.200 I'm sure it was beautiful. Yeah, probably going to be 375 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:55.039 in a book somewhere, maybe on some plaques, I don't know. 376 00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:58.640 Chris confided in Maya that he was furious that Kim 377 00:19:58.880 --> 00:20:02.640 had recently spt five thousand dollars on curtains for their 378 00:20:02.680 --> 00:20:05.880 new home. He told Maya quote, She's going to get 379 00:20:05.880 --> 00:20:08.960 what she deserves. She won't see it coming. I don't 380 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:10.640 think he meant that to sound nefarious. 381 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:13.279 I think her right. 382 00:20:13.319 --> 00:20:14.839 He was just going to leave her and she won't. 383 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:18.279 She wasn't going to be expecting it. Another dancer, Kristeal Miller, 384 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:21.359 testified that Chris spent about five thousand dollars at her 385 00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:24.160 club on June sixth than June twelfth, which is a 386 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:27.599 far better investment than curtains for your new house. 387 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:29.640 Yeah. 388 00:20:29.720 --> 00:20:31.640 He told her that he had never been married and 389 00:20:31.799 --> 00:20:36.000 didn't have children. Crystal described Vaughan as timid. Instead of 390 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:38.920 requesting private dances, Chris would spend time talking to the 391 00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:42.160 dancers about poetry, philosophy, and his dream of living off 392 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:44.960 the grid. Later, he wrote Maya a poem from jail 393 00:20:45.160 --> 00:20:50.000 using runic symbols associated with druidism. The FBI later decoded it, 394 00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:55.839 revealing phrases about ancient souls, speechless conversations, and hopeful dreams. 395 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:56.920 He sounds so deep. 396 00:20:57.640 --> 00:21:00.880 Chris hacked into Maya's computer and searched for her address 397 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:04.640 and phone number, despite her never giving him her full name. 398 00:21:05.279 --> 00:21:07.759 Two more entertainers were on the witness list, but they 399 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:11.359 were not called. Chris's behavior was becoming more reckless. He 400 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:14.319 was visiting strip clubs multiple times a week and putting 401 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:16.480 it on his credit card. Do you think that was 402 00:21:16.519 --> 00:21:18.160 because Kim would never see the bill? 403 00:21:18.599 --> 00:21:20.279 I mean it could be. 404 00:21:20.559 --> 00:21:24.759 The State's expert in crime scene reconstruction, Matthew Nodle, explained 405 00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:27.799 that the nine millimeter gun found in the suv was 406 00:21:27.839 --> 00:21:31.720 a semi automatic pistol. It had fully cycled after the 407 00:21:31.799 --> 00:21:35.240 last shot, meaning it was ready to fire again. In 408 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:39.799 a suicide, semi automatic weapons often jam because the shooter's 409 00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:42.799 hand fails to support the gun after the fatal shot, 410 00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:45.440 because after the victim dies, there is no pressure on 411 00:21:45.480 --> 00:21:46.000 the trigger. 412 00:21:46.200 --> 00:21:49.480 It's called rimp list

syndrome. Oh okay, I'm working out 413 00:21:49.480 --> 00:21:50.720 a case right now where this is. 414 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:54.000 Okay, interesting. I hope I explained this right. It was 415 00:21:54.079 --> 00:21:56.400 kind of confusing to me. The fact that the gun 416 00:21:56.440 --> 00:21:59.599 did not jam was a strong indication that Kim was 417 00:21:59.640 --> 00:22:03.079 not the one who fired the last shot. Doctor Larry Blum. 418 00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:06.759 The pathologists who performed the four autopsies, testified that the 419 00:22:06.839 --> 00:22:10.480 nortryptolene levels in Kim's blood were at the low end 420 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:14.960 of toxicity, but stressed the post mortem redistribution could have 421 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:18.720 made the level appear higher than it actually was. After death, 422 00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:22.559 the body redistributes drugs into the blood as organs such 423 00:22:22.599 --> 00:22:26.400 as the lungs, liver, and myocardium purge them. That's kind 424 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:27.839 of confusing. Do you understand that? 425 00:22:28.599 --> 00:22:29.279 I think so. 426 00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:31.720 I'm not sure I quite understand it, but I think 427 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:36.039 that the drugs their stored in your organs, and then 428 00:22:36.119 --> 00:22:39.400 after you die, your organs kind of release the toxins 429 00:22:39.480 --> 00:22:41.839 and go back into the bloodstream. So that's when you 430 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:45.440 test the blood, it might appear higher than it actually was. 431 00:22:45.559 --> 00:22:45.880 Gotcha. 432 00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:50.119 Forensic scientist Kelly Kraanik testified about the sheer amount of 433 00:22:50.200 --> 00:22:53.640 blood found inside the Vaughns SUV. There was a lot 434 00:22:53.720 --> 00:22:57.720 of blood and biological material throughout the vehicle. Remember when 435 00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:00.559 we talked about how the officers were walking up to 436 00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:03.680 the vehicle and there was a trickle of blood like 437 00:23:03.799 --> 00:23:07.480 hundreds of feet long that was coming out of the suv, disturbing. 438 00:23:08.079 --> 00:23:10.880 Chris's blood was splattered on the driver's side door, on 439 00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:13.839 the jacket investigators believe was wrapped around the muzzle of 440 00:23:13.880 --> 00:23:17.359 the gun, on Kim's seatbelt and buckle, the passenger side 441 00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:20.960 of the console, the driver's seat, Kim's shorts and shirt, 442 00:23:21.319 --> 00:23:24.519 the floorboard, and even a book near Kim's feet. Wow, 443 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:26.920 it's an awful lot of blood for a man who 444 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:30.079 claimed that he wasn't even in the vehicle when the 445 00:23:30.119 --> 00:23:33.480 shots were fired. Kim's blood was found on the bottom 446 00:23:33.480 --> 00:23:36.000 of Chris's jacket, the right side of the driver's seat, 447 00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:39.799 the center console, and her own clothing. Of course, drops 448 00:23:39.799 --> 00:23:43.359 of Chris's blood were found on Kim, something forensic expert 449 00:23:43.559 --> 00:23:48.119 Paul Kish testified was significant. According to Kish, those drops 450 00:23:48.119 --> 00:23:52.319 of blood indicate that Kim was already immobile, likely dead 451 00:23:52.519 --> 00:23:55.799 when the blood landed on her. Furthermore, Kim's blood on 452 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:59.240 the console was smudged, and since she was dead, she 453 00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:01.440 couldn't have been the one who smudged it. 454 00:24:01.960 --> 00:24:04.720 This is really interesting the blood evidence. Can you explain? 455 00:24:04.759 --> 00:24:08.079 I'm not sure I quite understand the logic behind drops 456 00:24:08.119 --> 00:24:11.680 of Chris's blood being found on Kim mean that she 457 00:24:11.880 --> 00:24:12.920 was immobile already. 458 00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:16.680 Okay. I'm not a CSI, but if you think about 459 00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:20.160 like a drop of blood landing on someone, if you 460 00:24:20.319 --> 00:24:23.079 move the blood, it's going to show some sort of movement. 461 00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:25.400 And I think it was just like a drop of blood, Okay, 462 00:24:25.480 --> 00:24:27.599 And there wasn't like, you know, like if you have 463 00:24:27.640 --> 00:24:30.400 a nosebleed, let's say, and it falls, like there's going 464 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:32.880 to be like kind of a trickle coming out of it. 465 00:24:32.920 --> 00:24:34.640 Do you know what I'm saying. Yeah, And I think 466 00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:37.480 these were just like little plops of blood. So had 467 00:24:37.519 --> 00:24:40.799 she like moved, it would have the blood probably would 468 00:24:40.799 --> 00:24:41.240 have run. 469 00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:42.799 Yeah, that makes sense. 470 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:45.920 Chris insisted he got out of the suv before Kim 471 00:24:45.960 --> 00:24:51.279 shot herself, what prosecutors argued that the blood evidence suggested otherwise. Instead, 472 00:24:51.319 --> 00:24:53.799 they said it showed he was moving over Kim's body 473 00:24:53.880 --> 00:24:56.880 after her death, and notably, none of the blood evidence 474 00:24:56.920 --> 00:24:59.519 pointed to a struggle. Not all of the blood on 475 00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:03.359 Kim was tested, but a major question remains if Chris 476 00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:05.799 left the vehicle after he was shot to go for help. 477 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:08.759 Why was his blood on Kim and on the floor. 478 00:25:09.079 --> 00:25:11.400 He had no answer for the blood evidence during the trial, 479 00:25:11.640 --> 00:25:15.880 but years later he would have an explanation for everything. 480 00:25:16.279 --> 00:25:18.519 There's also the issue of the gun. If Kim had 481 00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:21.000 died by suicide, there should have been blood spatter on 482

00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:23.839 both the gun and her hand, but there was only 483 00:25:23.880 --> 00:25:26.480 one small blood spot on her left hand and none 484 00:25:26.519 --> 00:25:29.559 on the gun. Additionally, the expert testified that both of 485 00:25:29.640 --> 00:25:32.880 Chris's gun shot wounds were contact wounds or fired a 486 00:25:33.079 --> 00:25:36.319 very close range. Would Kim have leaned over to shoot 487 00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:39.319 him in the left leg? Chris told police that he 488 00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:41.720 had emptied the gun after he left the shooting range 489 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:45.200 the previous evening. If Kim was the shooter, she would 490 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:48.440 have had to have reloaded the magazine, but her fingerprints 491 00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:51.720 were not found on it. As for the children, the 492 00:25:51.720 --> 00:25:54.759 evidence suggested that they were shot from the passenger seat. 493 00:25:55.279 --> 00:25:58.279 Prosecutors argued that Chris could have leaned over Kim her 494 00:25:58.279 --> 00:26:01.319 body slumped to one side to shoot them, which would 495 00:26:01.359 --> 00:26:04.240 explain why his blood was found on Kim's seat belt 496 00:26:04.279 --> 00:26:07.720 and clothing. However, the forensic expert couldn't rule out the 497 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:11.279 possibility that Kim had unbuckled, then turned around in her 498 00:26:11.319 --> 00:26:15.240 seat and fired the shots herself. But just because experts 499 00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:18.559 couldn't rule out the shooting and the suicide, that doesn't 500 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:19.400 mean that it's likely. 501 00:26:19.960 --> 00:26:21.799 So a few days ago, I didn't know why you 502 00:26:21.799 --> 00:26:24.960 were asking to do this, but we went out to 503 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:26.000 your car and we. 504 00:26:25.880 --> 00:26:28.400 Did a little bit very scientific recreation. 505 00:26:28.599 --> 00:26:31.000 Your car's a little bit smaller than a foreign expedition, 506 00:26:31.599 --> 00:26:34.240 but still I think what I learned from that is 507 00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:36.359 if you were sitting in the passenger seat of a car, 508 00:26:36.680 --> 00:26:39.319 it would be very difficult, I think, to turn around 509 00:26:39.400 --> 00:26:42.640 and shoot the person sitting directly behind you. 510 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:47.079 Yeah. If you remember so, Abby, Sandy and Blake are 511 00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:51.519 the children. Abby was behind the driver and then Sandy 512 00:26:51.599 --> 00:26:53.799 was in the middle and Blake was behind Kim. 513 00:26:54.039 --> 00:26:54.240 Yeah. 514 00:26:54.400 --> 00:26:57.039 Yeah, And when we went to, like, you know, the 515 00:26:57.119 --> 00:27:00.240 person behind the passenger, that was a really hard shot 516 00:27:00.279 --> 00:27:01.799 to make, unless, you. 517 00:27:01.359 --> 00:27:03.400 Know, unless you actually kind of got up out of 518 00:27:03.400 --> 00:27:06.079 your seat and got on your knees and turned around. 519 00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:06.839 Yeah. 520 00:27:06.960 --> 00:27:12.559 But and then you tried to like yeah, yeah, and 521 00:27:13.079 --> 00:27:14.079 were you able to do that. 522 00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:16.759 It was definitely an easier thing to do than it 523 00:27:16.759 --> 00:27:19.319 would have been I think sitting in the passenger scene. 524 00:27:19.599 --> 00:27:22.960 During the trial, mistakes made during the investigation were revealed. 525 00:27:23.160 --> 00:27:26.400 Crime scene technicians failed to swab deep inside the barrel 526 00:27:26.440 --> 00:27:29.920 of the gun for Kim's biological matter. If they found it, 527 00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:32.519 it would have been definitive proof that the last shot 528 00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:36.519 fired was self inflicted, although Kelly Kranik said she looked 529 00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:39.160 down the barrel with a flashlight and a magnifier and 530 00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:41.920 she saw no blood. And they did swab down the 531 00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:45.240 barrel like a couple of inches, but not deep inside. 532 00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:45.640 Okay. 533 00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:49.559 Another air involved a white towel with blood spatter found 534 00:27:49.599 --> 00:27:52.519 on Kim's lap. It was never collected as evidence, but 535 00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:55.799 there's pictures like crime scene photos of this towel on 536 00:27:55.880 --> 00:27:59.039 her lap. Instead, it was later wasted at the crime lab, 537 00:27:59.119 --> 00:28:02.000 erasing whatever forensic value it may have had. 538 00:28:02.079 --> 00:28:02.640 That's bizarre. 539 00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:04.720 They thought it was a cleaning towel. 540 00:28:04.799 --> 00:28:06.279 Okay. I thought I was going to ask if maybe 541 00:28:06.279 --> 00:28:09.319 they thought it was one of theirs. But yeah, really still, it. 542 00:28:09.319 --> 00:28:12.200 Was frustrating to investigators because they thought, like that could 543 00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:14.359 have been, you know, kind of definitive proof of what 544 00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:18.000 was on the towel whose blood was on right top 545 00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:22.279 of it. After five weeks, six hundred exhibits and eighty witnesses, 546 00:28:22.359 --> 00:28:25.720 the state rested its case. It presented a chilling picture 547 00:28:26.039 --> 00:28:28.519 a man deviously plot of the murders of his wife 548 00:28:28.519 --> 00:28:30.440 and children because they stood in the way of a 549 00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:33.799 new life he dreamt of in the Canadian wilderness. We'll 550 00:28:33.799 --> 00:28:44.960 be back after a break. Welcome back, It's good to 551 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:48.160 be back. Now we're going to talk about Chris's defense, okay, 552 00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:51.640 and how do you think his defense attorney started, Well, 553 00:28:51.960 --> 00:28:52.359 I know. 554 00:28:52.279 -->

00:28:54.880 If they're going to convince the jury that Chris is 555 00:28:55.039 --> 00:28:57.480 not guilty, that means they've got to convince them that 556 00:28:57.599 --> 00:28:59.559 Kim is guilty, because those are really the only two 557 00:28:59.559 --> 00:29:02.559 possibilit right, So yeah, guessing it's something about that. 558 00:29:02.920 --> 00:29:05.799 You are correct. What I was getting to though, is 559 00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:08.400 his attorney is going to start with, well, we know 560 00:29:08.599 --> 00:29:09.640 Chris Bond wasn't a. 561 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:12.400 Private of course, yes. 562 00:29:12.160 --> 00:29:14.039 But he's not on trial for being a bad. 563 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:17.440 Husband, right, So yeah, you've heard that a few times. 564 00:29:17.160 --> 00:29:19.920 So yeah, it's kind of predictable. But that's where they started. 565 00:29:20.279 --> 00:29:24.079 George Lenard, Chris's court appointed defense attorney, floated the theory 566 00:29:24.119 --> 00:29:26.759 that Kim was distraught over the state of her marriage 567 00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:29.799 and decided to take her own life and to take Abby, 568 00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:33.240 Sandy and Blake with her as a twisted act of mercy. 569 00:29:33.880 --> 00:29:36.880 Lenard said quote, she was of the mindset that if 570 00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:39.559 she was gone, they were better off with her. Come 571 00:29:39.599 --> 00:29:42.200 with me to heaven. The problem was there was no 572 00:29:42.279 --> 00:29:45.200 evidence that Kim was upset about her marriage. She was 573 00:29:45.240 --> 00:29:47.960 excited to get away with Chris the weekend before her death, 574 00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:50.960 and they had other trips planned that summer. Kim was 575 00:29:51.000 --> 00:29:54.720 excited about her graduation and what was next. She never 576 00:29:54.839 --> 00:29:57.160 voiced concerns about her marriage to anyone. 577 00:29:57.559 --> 00:29:59.799 And you don't just wake up one morning with depression 578 00:30:00.039 --> 00:30:01.319 at a homicidal rage. 579 00:30:01.480 --> 00:30:04.400 Yeah, especially when you're woken at four am to go 580 00:30:04.519 --> 00:30:06.799 to the water park. You're not going to just wake 581 00:30:06.880 --> 00:30:08.960 up and be like, you know what, today, I'm going to. 582 00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:12.039 Grab the gun out of my husband's closet and. 583 00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:14.640 Right, Yeah, it just doesn't add up. The defense claimed 584 00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:19.640 that Chris suffered from disassociative amnesia also called psychogenic amnesia 585 00:30:20.039 --> 00:30:23.759 memory loss after witnessing a traumatic event as a coping mechanism. 586 00:30:24.079 --> 00:30:26.079 He had no memory of what happened in the early 587 00:30:26.079 --> 00:30:29.400 morning hours of June fourteenth, two thousand and seven. It's 588 00:30:29.440 --> 00:30:32.319 more common in females, and the memory loss is typically 589 00:30:32.359 --> 00:30:33.119 short term. 590 00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:36.000 But even if Chris had amnesia, it doesn't mean that 591 00:30:36.240 --> 00:30:37.359 he's innocent. 592 00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:39.119 Right if he had done it, he could also be 593 00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:43.000 traumatized by exactly The defense called a blood spatter expert 594 00:30:43.079 --> 00:30:45.599 who said that the blood on Kim's left thumb was 595 00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:49.480 consistent with blowback spatter, meaning that she could have pulled 596 00:30:49.480 --> 00:30:53.119 the trigger. Kim was right handed. He cited cases where 597 00:30:53.160 --> 00:30:55.799 people had shot a gun with their weaker hand, So 598 00:30:55.799 --> 00:30:58.559 I'm sure you could find cases where somebody shot a 599 00:30:58.599 --> 00:31:00.720 gun with their non dominant hand, but it seems really 600 00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:03.599 hard to believe in this case, especially someone like Kim 601 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:07.920 who wasn't experienced with guns. And if she were to 602 00:31:07.960 --> 00:31:10.480 shoot her kids in the back seat, how could she 603 00:31:10.519 --> 00:31:11.920 do that with her She wouldn't have done that with 604 00:31:11.960 --> 00:31:12.640 her left hands. 605 00:31:12.680 --> 00:31:14.759 Well, I think the point was the last shot was 606 00:31:14.799 --> 00:31:16.400 the one that she would have shot with her. 607 00:31:16.559 --> 00:31:19.000 Right But I'm just saying you wouldn't shoot. You wouldn't 608 00:31:19.079 --> 00:31:21.400 use your right hand to shoot your the people in 609 00:31:21.440 --> 00:31:23.599 the back seat and then switch to your left hand. 610 00:31:23.839 --> 00:31:25.160 It doesn't It just doesn't make any sense. 611 00:31:25.160 --> 00:31:26.000 None of it makes sense. 612 00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:30.960 Kim's neurologist, doctor Pradeep Basha, testified. He said that she 613 00:31:31.079 --> 00:31:35.519 had anxiety, but showed no signs of depression, hostility, or anger. Quote. 614 00:31:35.559 --> 00:31:38.039 I never had any reason to believe she was depressed. 615 00:31:38.279 --> 00:31:41.799 She was always smiling and cheerful. Doctor Bashia said that 616 00:31:41.839 --> 00:31:45.319 he did not worry about prescribing topamax to Kim because 617 00:31:45.359 --> 00:31:48.079 patients who have problems with the drug typically are suffering 618 00:31:48.119 --> 00:31:51.559 from mental health problems, and Kim did not and never had. 619 00:31:51.960 --> 00:31:55.079 In addition, he said that nortryptolene has only one point 620 00:31:55.079 --> 00:31:59.000 one six percent homicide rate. Kim's sister in law testified 621 00:31:59.039 --> 00:32:02.240 about the meltdown had about her school assignment during the 622 00:32:02.279 --> 00:32:06.279 Jeep Jamboree weekend. Sandy's fifth grade teacher testified about a 623 00:32:06.319 --> 00:32:09.480 conversation she had with Kim in which she was upset 624

00:32:09.519 --> 00:32:12.640 because she hadn't been turning in her homework. Kim said, quote, 625 00:32:12.680 --> 00:32:14.519 I've been crying about this all day. 626 00:32:14.799 --> 00:32:16.559 As far as I can tell. Those were the only 627 00:32:16.599 --> 00:32:20.599 two witnesses that the defense called that were witnesses to 628 00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:24.000 any sort of mental health problems that Kim was having. 629 00:32:24.359 --> 00:32:25.920 Those are pretty minor. 630 00:32:26.160 --> 00:32:28.400 Yeah, yeah, that seems like quite a leap to go 631 00:32:28.519 --> 00:32:32.039 from being upset about her daughter turning in homework late 632 00:32:32.119 --> 00:32:33.880 and you know, to. 633 00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:38.240 That putting her in Yeah. Suicidal, right, homicidal? Yeah. 634 00:32:38.720 --> 00:32:42.799 Friends of Kim testified that she was a loving, caring person. Quote. 635 00:32:42.839 --> 00:32:46.039 She just loved life. She cared more about others than herself. 636 00:32:46.279 --> 00:32:50.079 She just loved everybody. Robert Diel, a former Illinois State 637 00:32:50.119 --> 00:32:54.359 Police crime scene investigator, testified that during the investigation, after 638 00:32:54.400 --> 00:32:57.160 he posed the theory that Kim was the shooter, he 639 00:32:57.279 --> 00:33:00.000 was squeezed out quote every time I would come up 640 00:33:00.200 --> 00:33:03.000 with something that the evidence would suggest or support, or 641 00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:05.079 you would be able to at least follow the evidence 642 00:33:05.359 --> 00:33:08.200 to come to a logical conclusion. Basically, I was just 643 00:33:08.279 --> 00:33:10.920 given some other crazy way that this could have occurred, 644 00:33:11.480 --> 00:33:13.680 or they would change their theory of what happened to 645 00:33:13.680 --> 00:33:16.319 try to match the evidence, rather than letting the evidence 646 00:33:16.400 --> 00:33:19.440 dictate to you the events that occurred. He believes that 647 00:33:19.559 --> 00:33:22.519 Kim shot at Chris's head, but his watch deflected the 648 00:33:22.559 --> 00:33:24.599 shot when he raised his hands in defense. 649 00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:27.960 Do you remember his fabulous turquoise watch that he was 650 00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:31.559 worried about the police returning to him, So this watch 651 00:33:31.640 --> 00:33:33.920 must have some sort of superpowers. I don't know if 652 00:33:33.960 --> 00:33:36.240 Wonder Woman gave it to him, but how can a 653 00:33:36.279 --> 00:33:37.599 watch deflect a bullet? 654 00:33:37.839 --> 00:33:40.559 Yeah, that seems it is pretty far fetched, right, Yes, 655 00:33:41.000 --> 00:33:43.160 What the defense didn't want the jury to know is 656 00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:47.559 that Dial had already testified at the trial next door. Coincidentally, 657 00:33:47.839 --> 00:33:50.559 he was also the CSI who investigated the death of 658 00:33:50.640 --> 00:33:55.200 Drew Peterson's

third wife, Kathleen Saviot. His reputation and credibility 659 00:33:55.279 --> 00:33:58.160 never recovered after he botched the crime scene when he 660 00:33:58.200 --> 00:34:02.079 failed to gather any evidence from Kathleen's bathroom, resulting in 661 00:34:02.119 --> 00:34:05.799 her death initially being ruled a suicide. He was later 662 00:34:05.839 --> 00:34:09.360 reassigned by Will County to a patrol unit, his career 663 00:34:09.400 --> 00:34:12.800 as a crime scene investigator over. So, this seems like 664 00:34:12.840 --> 00:34:15.639 a really important part of this case because here they 665 00:34:15.719 --> 00:34:20.039 had a police officer, a crime scene investigator, testifying for 666 00:34:20.400 --> 00:34:23.360 Chris Vaughan for his defense. But at the same time, 667 00:34:23.440 --> 00:34:25.760 this guy really doesn't seem like he was good at 668 00:34:25.840 --> 00:34:26.679 his job. 669 00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:27.800 And he had left. 670 00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:30.719 If you remember Kathleen Saviot, it was a bathtub, and 671 00:34:31.000 --> 00:34:35.360 where the bathtub was dry, and the evidence might have 672 00:34:35.360 --> 00:34:38.280 been unclear as to whether it was a homicide or suicide. 673 00:34:38.400 --> 00:34:40.599 But he came back with no evidence at all. 674 00:34:40.800 --> 00:34:43.719 Yeah, but I'm sure Chris Vaughan's defense attorney was thrilled 675 00:34:43.760 --> 00:34:46.480 to be able to have a crime scene investigator testify 676 00:34:46.519 --> 00:34:47.119 on their behalf. 677 00:34:47.280 --> 00:34:47.559 Yeah. 678 00:34:48.039 --> 00:34:51.440 The final witness called was a rebuttal witness for the prosecution, 679 00:34:51.599 --> 00:34:55.960 who said that topamax and nortryptolene are commonly prescribed together 680 00:34:56.400 --> 00:34:58.760 and there is no strong evidence that points to an 681 00:34:58.800 --> 00:35:02.079 increase in suicide w and taking the drugs together does 682 00:35:02.119 --> 00:35:03.400 not multiply. 683 00:35:03.039 --> 00:35:07.079 The risk Assistant DA Chris Regis gave the closing arguments 684 00:35:07.079 --> 00:35:11.039 for the state, quote his story is so contradictory and 685 00:35:11.119 --> 00:35:14.480 so filled with holes that it completely reeks of guilt. 686 00:35:14.840 --> 00:35:18.960 Speaking on Chris's demeanor during the interrogation, Regis said, quote, 687 00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:22.000 think about the worst movie you've ever seen in your 688 00:35:22.039 --> 00:35:25.880 life and how bad the acting was. This was worse. 689 00:35:26.760 --> 00:35:29.639 The state argued that Chris's family were obstacles to the 690 00:35:29.639 --> 00:35:32.920 life he wanted to lead. The defense and their closing argument, 691 00:35:33.000 --> 00:35:35.960 presented by the public defender George Lenard, said there was 692 00:35:36.119 --> 00:35:40.119 reasonable doubt provided by expert witnesses that the forensic evidence 693 00:35:40.159 --> 00:35:42.920 could not rule out that Kim had possibly been the gunman. 694 00:35:43.360 --> 00:35:46.719 This drove me crazy because they didn't say that Kim 695 00:35:47.079 --> 00:35:49.360 did it. They were saying, but we can't rule it out, 696 00:35:49.760 --> 00:35:53.199 so it was a possibility. But the defense will keep 697 00:35:53.239 --> 00:35:56.719 pointing to that as well. You know, we have witnesses 698 00:35:56.760 --> 00:36:00.000 that's saying that she did it. And Leonard argued that 699 00:36:00.199 --> 00:36:02.960 the state had proved only one thing, that Chris was 700 00:36:03.039 --> 00:36:05.599 unhappy and wanted to live a life in the wilderness, 701 00:36:05.800 --> 00:36:08.719 but they did not prove he killed his family. Quote, 702 00:36:08.800 --> 00:36:11.119 Christopher is not on trial of for planning to leave 703 00:36:11.159 --> 00:36:14.159 his family, and there was a big difference. Christopher has 704 00:36:14.199 --> 00:36:16.559 made mistakes in his life. There is no doubt about it. 705 00:36:16.840 --> 00:36:19.519 Nobody is saying that Christopher is a perfect husband or 706 00:36:19.760 --> 00:36:22.480 a perfect father in our show notes. I think the 707 00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:26.719 first or second source I have is the closing arguments, 708 00:36:27.159 --> 00:36:30.440 and it was like two hundred and fifty pages and 709 00:36:30.480 --> 00:36:33.559 I read it all and the prosecution, the state did. 710 00:36:33.599 --> 00:36:38.440 They did an excellent job summarizing the whole case. After 711 00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:42.320 hearing six hours of closing arguments, on September twentieth, twenty twelve, 712 00:36:42.360 --> 00:36:45.239 the jury was given the case at three thirty pm. 713 00:36:45.360 --> 00:36:48.039 It took the jury of eight men and four women 714 00:36:48.199 --> 00:36:50.719 just fifty minutes to reach a verdict. In the five 715 00:36:50.760 --> 00:36:53.639 week trial, look at me, Christopher Vaughan was. 716 00:36:53.639 --> 00:36:55.480 Found what do you think guilty? 717 00:36:55.760 --> 00:36:59.119 Guilty on all four counts of first degree murder. Vaughan said, 718 00:36:59.159 --> 00:37:01.840 expressionless as he had through most of the trial, as 719 00:37:01.840 --> 00:37:04.199 he learned his fate. He was likely coached by his 720 00:37:04.239 --> 00:37:07.320 attorneys to remain calm. Now would be a really bad 721 00:37:07.360 --> 00:37:10.360 time to finally show emotion. Chris didn't turn around to 722 00:37:10.360 --> 00:37:12.519 look at his family. He looked straight ahead and then 723 00:37:12.599 --> 00:37:16.800 left the courtroom. David Butch, a spokesman for the Phillips family, said, quote, 724 00:37:16.880 --> 00:37:19.599 They've been through a horrible ordeal, but they are people 725 00:37:19.639 --> 00:37:21.960 of faith and this is what has gotten them through this. 726 00:37:22.480 --> 00:37:24.960 He said. The defense claims that Kim killed her children 727

00:37:24.960 --> 00:37:27.880 and herself at an insult to injury to her family. 728 00:37:28.079 --> 00:37:31.519 He added, there are a lot of unanswered questions. Will 729 00:37:31.519 --> 00:37:35.079 County States Attorney James Glasgow said after the verdict, quote, 730 00:37:35.119 --> 00:37:37.719 this case is not just a murder, It's an atrocity 731 00:37:38.079 --> 00:37:40.920 to annihilate your family. I can't think of a more 732 00:37:40.960 --> 00:37:44.119 horrific crime. He'll spend the rest of his life staring 733 00:37:44.360 --> 00:37:47.199 at the cold walls of his prison cell, and then 734 00:37:47.320 --> 00:37:50.800 he'll meet his maker for his real punishment. Judge Rosack 735 00:37:50.840 --> 00:37:54.199 sat Vaughan's sentencing for November twenty sixth. The sentencing was 736 00:37:54.239 --> 00:37:56.599 pushed back, however, so the judge could hear his appeal 737 00:37:56.639 --> 00:37:59.920 for a new trial. George Leonard, Chris's attorney, alleged that 738 00:37:59.880 --> 00:38:02.519 he didn't receive a fair trial because of the extra 739 00:38:02.639 --> 00:38:06.400 media attention Garner due to Drew Peterson's trial occurring at 740 00:38:06.440 --> 00:38:09.880 the same time. Leonard claimed that jurors were so disgusted 741 00:38:09.880 --> 00:38:13.360 by Peterson's media performance that it carried over to his trial. 742 00:38:13.840 --> 00:38:14.199 Quote. 743 00:38:14.239 --> 00:38:16.360 I don't know exactly what it is they were thinking, 744 00:38:16.599 --> 00:38:19.440 but forty five minutes and not asking for any exhibits, 745 00:38:19.599 --> 00:38:23.159 not wanting to hear any testimony. That's extremely rare. I've 746 00:38:23.199 --> 00:38:26.199 never heard of a situation like that before, and that's odd. 747 00:38:26.599 --> 00:38:27.760 Seems like quite a stretch. 748 00:38:28.719 --> 00:38:31.599 The next day, the judge denied Vaughan's appeal. Before he 749 00:38:31.639 --> 00:38:34.440 was sentenced, Kim's sister and mother spoke to the court. 750 00:38:34.679 --> 00:38:38.360 Susan Phillips called Chris a selfish coward. Quote all this 751 00:38:38.480 --> 00:38:41.960 tragedy because one person was afraid to just walk away 752 00:38:42.320 --> 00:38:45.760 Jennifer Ledbetter, Kim's twin sister, spoke about how painful it 753 00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:48.760 was to lose her. She said she was afraid that 754 00:38:48.800 --> 00:38:51.440 her presence caused her family pain because she looked so 755 00:38:51.519 --> 00:38:54.519 much like her sister. Quote our hearts ache with the 756 00:38:54.599 --> 00:38:57.480 knowledge that they were priceless to everyone but the one 757 00:38:57.559 --> 00:39:00.639 man who should have loved them more than his own life. 758 00:39:01.199 --> 00:39:04.079 Must be so hard for Jennifer to lose her twin. Yeah, 759 00:39:04.360 --> 00:39:06.119 twins are so close, and. 760 00:39:06.519 --> 00:39:08.559 Yeah, I had forgotten that she was a twin, but 761 00:39:08.800 --> 00:39:11.119 I can't imagine that would be like losing half of 762 00:39:11.159 --> 00:39:12.039 yourself almost. 763 00:39:12.320 --> 00:39:14.159 Remember there was another case be covered. I think it 764 00:39:14.199 --> 00:39:17.239 was David and Belinda Temple, and Belinda was a twin. 765 00:39:17.360 --> 00:39:20.599 She lost her twin too. M hmm, so tragic. Vaughn 766 00:39:20.639 --> 00:39:23.480 declined to speak before his sentence was passed down. Judge 767 00:39:23.559 --> 00:39:28.039 Rosac sentence Vaughn to four consecutive life sentences. The judge 768 00:39:28.079 --> 00:39:30.719 implied that he would have sentenced Vaughn to death when 769 00:39:30.800 --> 00:39:33.440 he said that he was quote very frustrated by the 770 00:39:33.480 --> 00:39:38.960 state legislature's restrictions on sentencing. James Glasgow said, quote there 771 00:39:39.000 --> 00:39:41.920 isn't a punishment that could fit this crime. You could 772 00:39:42.000 --> 00:39:44.320 lock him up for five hundred lifetimes and it wouldn't 773 00:39:44.320 --> 00:39:47.480 compensate the victims in this case or the family members. 774 00:39:47.920 --> 00:39:51.920 I agree wholeheart too. Dell Phillips, Susan's father, said, quote, 775 00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:54.000 I don't think he felt what we felt when we 776 00:39:54.119 --> 00:39:57.400 held our grandchildren. He's saying that, you know, he didn't 777 00:39:57.440 --> 00:39:59.320 think that he had a strong enough bond with his Oh, 778 00:39:59.320 --> 00:40:00.679 you were looking at me. You didn't know what I 779 00:40:00.719 --> 00:40:05.199 was talking about. At the sentencing, Kim's family wept quietly. Later, 780 00:40:05.239 --> 00:40:08.519 they went to a nearby bar and ordered Kim's favorite drink, 781 00:40:08.679 --> 00:40:20.880 Lemon Drop Martini's We'll be back after a break. I 782 00:40:20.920 --> 00:40:23.920 wanted to go over with you in detail the evidence 783 00:40:23.920 --> 00:40:27.679 against Chris and the evidence against Kim. Okay, feel free 784 00:40:27.679 --> 00:40:29.719 to jump in if you think of something else. So 785 00:40:29.840 --> 00:40:32.719 Chris visited the shooting range twelve hours before the murders, 786 00:40:33.119 --> 00:40:35.679 and he went a week before that, and he hadn't 787 00:40:35.719 --> 00:40:38.119 really guarned the whole time that they'd lived in Illinois. 788 00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:41.800 When he returned home, he put the gun in his closet. 789 00:40:42.239 --> 00:40:45.559 Kim normally didn't allow the gun in the house, and 790 00:40:45.599 --> 00:40:47.920 he kept it in his jeep and like a locked 791 00:40:48.760 --> 00:40:52.639 glove compartment. When Kim felt ill, why didn't he just 792 00:40:52.679 --> 00:40:55.840 stop at a rest area or a gas station instead 793 00:40:56.159 --> 00:41:00.840 he pulled onto this wooded service drive. Said, Kim did 794 00:41:00.880 --> 00:41:03.639 not want to get out of the suv because she 795

00:41:03.840 --> 00:41:07.119 was shy, and that's why he wanted to park in 796 00:41:07.159 --> 00:41:08.239 the desolate area. 797 00:41:08.119 --> 00:41:10.199 Yeah, and there was an exit right before that, right 798 00:41:10.239 --> 00:41:12.000 with like a McDonald's and other things. 799 00:41:12.239 --> 00:41:14.320 And why did they leave their house at four thirty 800 00:41:14.360 --> 00:41:17.480 am to go to a water park three hours away 801 00:41:18.119 --> 00:41:21.199 when that water park didn't open until ten am? Yeah, 802 00:41:21.239 --> 00:41:23.079 he wanted to do it when it was still dark 803 00:41:23.199 --> 00:41:24.480 and there was little traffic. 804 00:41:24.639 --> 00:41:25.559 Yeah, that makes sense. 805 00:41:26.000 --> 00:41:28.679 So he exited the vehicle to get help. Why didn't 806 00:41:28.679 --> 00:41:31.360 he call the police from his cell phone? Or why 807 00:41:31.440 --> 00:41:34.079 didn't he just drive to the police station or the 808 00:41:34.119 --> 00:41:37.800 hospital with his kids like he should have. Wouldn't you 809 00:41:38.199 --> 00:41:39.159 fight for your children? 810 00:41:39.320 --> 00:41:41.599 Yeah? In that situation, That's that's the one that really 811 00:41:41.679 --> 00:41:43.599 gets me. It is like that he just he just 812 00:41:43.800 --> 00:41:48.079 abandoned his kids to his supposedly homicidal wife. It just 813 00:41:48.119 --> 00:41:50.159 makes it just doesn't make any sense. No one would 814 00:41:50.159 --> 00:41:50.440 do that. 815 00:41:50.480 --> 00:41:52.400 And he was injured, but it was his left arm 816 00:41:52.440 --> 00:41:56.079 and his left leg. And if Kim was so homicidal, 817 00:41:56.440 --> 00:41:59.199 why didn't she go after him right? Why didn't she, like, 818 00:41:59.400 --> 00:42:02.440 you know, chase him down the road, and why didn't 819 00:42:02.480 --> 00:42:05.440 she shoot him in the head. Yeah, And he wore 820 00:42:05.480 --> 00:42:08.000 the same clothes that he had worn the night before 821 00:42:08.039 --> 00:42:11.400 to the shooting range. A long sleeved shirt, a fleece jacket, jeans, 822 00:42:11.440 --> 00:42:12.639 and cowboy boots. 823 00:42:12.880 --> 00:42:15.320 Not what one would wear to the water Parky. 824 00:42:15.079 --> 00:42:17.239 It's one of those things that you woul I I 825 00:42:17.280 --> 00:42:19.360 would like be yelling at you. I'd be like, I'm 826 00:42:19.400 --> 00:42:21.039 not going to wear jeans to the water park. You 827 00:42:21.119 --> 00:42:22.119 look like an idiot. 828 00:42:22.559 --> 00:42:24.880 Yeah, And you would be right. In that case. 829 00:42:26.159 --> 00:42:28.360 Kim was wearing every when else in the car was 830 00:42:28.400 --> 00:42:30.920 wearing shorts and T shirts. I checked the weather that morning. 831 00:42:31.000 --> 00:42:34.400 It was already seventy degrees at five o'clock in the morning. 832 00:42:34.480 --> 00:42:36.199 So the only reason he would have done that is 833 00:42:36.239

--> 00:42:39.519 because he could then say, oh, that's why gunpowder is 834 00:42:39.559 --> 00:42:41.360 on my clothes, because I was. It was the same 835 00:42:41.400 --> 00:42:43.599 clothes I wore to the shooting range. 836 00:42:43.360 --> 00:42:46.039 I believe so. Yeah. And he went to the strip club, 837 00:42:46.079 --> 00:42:49.119 and we know that he spent at least five thousand 838 00:42:49.159 --> 00:42:51.280 dollars on two nights, but we know that he went 839 00:42:51.360 --> 00:42:53.760 several other times, so we don't know how much money 840 00:42:53.800 --> 00:42:55.800 he really was spending at the strip club, but likely 841 00:42:55.840 --> 00:42:58.960 thousands of dollars. Yeah, because when you I know, I 842 00:42:59.000 --> 00:43:00.559 have to tell you this, because you don't know from 843 00:43:00.559 --> 00:43:04.440 personal experience that to get that private room with someone, 844 00:43:04.760 --> 00:43:07.559 I guess is very expensive, and he liked to have 845 00:43:07.599 --> 00:43:10.360 the private time with the girls to read them poetry 846 00:43:11.880 --> 00:43:15.159 and other things. In my opinion, he did this because 847 00:43:15.199 --> 00:43:17.440 he knew that Kim wasn't going to see the bills, 848 00:43:17.440 --> 00:43:18.559 because she was going to be gone. 849 00:43:18.639 --> 00:43:20.719 Either that or maybe he did it without thinking and 850 00:43:20.760 --> 00:43:23.320 then when he realized, oh, she's going to see these bills, 851 00:43:24.039 --> 00:43:25.199 I need to act. 852 00:43:25.639 --> 00:43:28.360 Kim did suffer from anxiety, but there was no history 853 00:43:28.400 --> 00:43:32.280 of depression or any mania of any kind. Chris was 854 00:43:32.320 --> 00:43:35.039 the only one not to suffer from life threatening wounds. 855 00:43:35.079 --> 00:43:38.440 Everyone else suffered from a head wound, but him. We 856 00:43:38.480 --> 00:43:40.599 do have a motive. Chris admitted to several people that 857 00:43:40.639 --> 00:43:42.840 he wanted to live a life of solitude in the 858 00:43:42.840 --> 00:43:45.320 Canadian wilderness. He had made a plan to fake his 859 00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:48.920 own death. I feel like it's pretty solid. The motive 860 00:43:49.880 --> 00:43:52.239 we know that Kim did not like guns. She had 861 00:43:52.280 --> 00:43:54.960 gone to the shooting range a few times, but was 862 00:43:55.000 --> 00:43:57.559 not a good shot. Kim went to the shooting range 863 00:43:57.559 --> 00:44:00.000 with Chris, not because she enjoyed it, but it was 864 00:44:00.119 --> 00:44:02.760 just something for them to do together. If she had 865 00:44:02.760 --> 00:44:05.320 Shata nine millimeters pistol, would she have been able to 866 00:44:05.320 --> 00:44:09.400 shoot so efficiently? Even at close range? There were no 867 00:44:09.559 --> 00:44:12.599 wasted bullets, maybe one waisted bullet. I just don't think 868 00:44:12.599 --> 00:44:14.440 that she would have been able

to shoot so efficiently. 869 00:44:14.559 --> 00:44:15.679 No, I wouldn't think so either. 870 00:44:16.000 --> 00:44:18.440 And if all of a sudden Kim is a sharp shooter, 871 00:44:18.880 --> 00:44:22.079 why did she shoot Chris on the leg and the 872 00:44:22.159 --> 00:44:23.119 hand and not? 873 00:44:23.360 --> 00:44:26.239 Well, he blocked it with his magic watch, right. 874 00:44:26.119 --> 00:44:30.320 That's true For a computer security expert, he was pretty careless. 875 00:44:30.920 --> 00:44:35.239 His stuff was encrypted, but someone was able to unencrypt 876 00:44:35.280 --> 00:44:38.199 it pretty easily, and that's how they found like all 877 00:44:38.239 --> 00:44:40.760 of the messages and his secret accounts. 878 00:44:40.800 --> 00:44:43.280 And yeah, you would think he would have been able 879 00:44:43.320 --> 00:44:45.079 to encrypt it in a way that they would not 880 00:44:45.119 --> 00:44:46.039 be able to access it. 881 00:44:46.239 --> 00:44:49.440 Well, I think of Josh Powell, who wasn't an expert, 882 00:44:50.079 --> 00:44:53.280 and they're still working on unencrypting his devices. 883 00:44:53.400 --> 00:44:54.960 Yeah, good point, and there is. 884 00:44:54.920 --> 00:44:57.920 Some evidence against Kim. Some of these come from the 885 00:44:58.000 --> 00:45:02.000 Murder in Illinois podcast. Her kids called her monster Mommy 886 00:45:02.119 --> 00:45:05.000 sometimes because they were afraid of her when she got 887 00:45:05.280 --> 00:45:06.119 in a bad mood. 888 00:45:06.320 --> 00:45:06.599 Okay. 889 00:45:06.960 --> 00:45:10.320 Abby allegedly told a classmate that Kim was hearing voices 890 00:45:10.360 --> 00:45:13.320 in her head and was a psycho, which I'm sorry 891 00:45:13.400 --> 00:45:16.320 find a twelve year old girl that doesn't call her mom. 892 00:45:16.639 --> 00:45:19.639 Kim didn't allow her kids to have sleepovers, and I 893 00:45:19.679 --> 00:45:21.960 don't think she allowed them to have friends in their house, 894 00:45:22.519 --> 00:45:25.000 which I kind of understand. We always had a lot 895 00:45:25.039 --> 00:45:26.960 of kids in our house and we didn't mind. But 896 00:45:27.400 --> 00:45:29.920 when we lived in a subdivision, a lot of kids 897 00:45:29.960 --> 00:45:31.400 are going to come in and out of your house, 898 00:45:31.440 --> 00:45:34.079 and some parents, a lot of parents actually say no, 899 00:45:34.199 --> 00:45:35.920 you can only play outside. 900 00:45:35.519 --> 00:45:39.079 Right right? Yeah, Well, and just like the Chris's defense 901 00:45:39.119 --> 00:45:41.440 team argument, you can twist it around the other way. 902 00:45:41.559 --> 00:45:43.920 Just because Kim didn't like to have kids over at 903 00:45:43.960 --> 00:45:45.719 her house doesn't make her a killer one. 904 00:45:45.760 --> 00:45:49.599 She suffered from migraines, she was a student. You know, 905 00:45:49.800 --> 00:45:52.159 I can't understand she was a single parent a lot 906 00:45:52.159

--> 00:45:54.800 of the time because he traveled a lot, so she 907 00:45:55.039 --> 00:45:56.400 just might not have had a lot of time to 908 00:45:56.440 --> 00:45:59.079 deal with that stuff. After Kim passed away and they 909 00:45:59.079 --> 00:46:01.440 were going through the house scale her mother in law 910 00:46:01.760 --> 00:46:05.480 found all these birthday cards that were unopened with the 911 00:46:05.599 --> 00:46:08.800 five dollars that she sent inside. Still, oh, so. 912 00:46:08.840 --> 00:46:12.119 These were birthday cards that Gail sent to her children. 913 00:46:12.440 --> 00:46:12.880 Yeah. 914 00:46:13.000 --> 00:46:13.840 Oh, interesting. 915 00:46:14.280 --> 00:46:17.639 The trajectory of the bullet that killed Cassandra proved that 916 00:46:17.719 --> 00:46:19.880 she was shot from the front seat. That was the 917 00:46:19.920 --> 00:46:22.920 one bullet that they could trace, and they definitively could 918 00:46:22.960 --> 00:46:25.920 tell like the exact trajectory of it, and that definitely 919 00:46:25.960 --> 00:46:27.039 really points. 920 00:46:26.960 --> 00:46:28.800 To either Kim or Chris. That could have been either 921 00:46:28.840 --> 00:46:29.280 of them. 922 00:46:29.480 --> 00:46:32.159 Both Kim and Chris's blood was on the seat belt buckle. 923 00:46:32.239 --> 00:46:34.320 And remember he said that he had left the car. 924 00:46:34.679 --> 00:46:37.760 Yeah, and if he had been shot like from if 925 00:46:37.800 --> 00:46:40.280 she had shot him from the passenger seat, his blood 926 00:46:40.280 --> 00:46:43.280 wouldn't get over to the seat belt on her side 927 00:46:43.320 --> 00:46:43.920 with the car. 928 00:46:44.079 --> 00:46:46.480 I don't think so. And remember she had told her 929 00:46:46.480 --> 00:46:49.880 doctor that she had a recent change in personality. Kim 930 00:46:50.039 --> 00:46:53.320 was taking two drugs with a side effect of suicidal ideation. 931 00:46:53.880 --> 00:46:55.639 But it's hard to believe that a person with no 932 00:46:55.840 --> 00:46:59.320 history of suicidal ideation or violence would suddenly go on 933 00:46:59.400 --> 00:47:03.079 her murders rampage. There were no warning signs, and side 934 00:47:03.119 --> 00:47:05.599 effect does not equal cause and effect. 935 00:47:05.719 --> 00:47:07.760 Well, what you said earlier too, is she didn't have 936 00:47:08.360 --> 00:47:12.599 symptoms of depression, and so she was taking the drugs 937 00:47:12.599 --> 00:47:14.199 for her anxiety. Is that right? 938 00:47:14.760 --> 00:47:17.480 So you know she was actually taking the drugs mostly 939 00:47:17.519 --> 00:47:21.719 for her migraine, the migraine together I used to treat migraine. 940 00:47:21.760 --> 00:47:24.360 And so the doctor that testified said it was really 941 00:47:24.519 --> 00:47:27.119 it would be really uncommon for someone who wasn't taking 942 00:47:27.159 --> 00:47:31.760 it because of depression to have suicidal ideations. 943 00:47:32.039 --> 00:47:37.039 And the suicidal ideation is typically in teenagers, well from 944 00:47:37.119 --> 00:47:39.239 I think the age of like fifteen to twenty four. 945 00:47:39.360 --> 00:47:39.559 Yeah. 946 00:47:39.920 --> 00:47:44.239 Since Christopher Band's conviction, some people staunchly believe he is innocent. 947 00:47:44.440 --> 00:47:47.960 His parents are his biggest supporters and advocates. Bill Clutter, 948 00:47:48.039 --> 00:47:51.840 co founder of Investigating Innocence and the Illinois Innocence Project, 949 00:47:52.000 --> 00:47:56.880 is another of Chris's staunchest advocates. Ex Indiana State trooper 950 00:47:56.960 --> 00:48:00.320 David cam who was exonerated for the murder of his 951 00:48:00.360 --> 00:48:03.280 wife and two children, is also a co founder of 952 00:48:03.360 --> 00:48:07.920 Investigating Innocence. Remember we covered that case in three episodes 953 00:48:07.960 --> 00:48:10.119 a while back, and it actually is one of our 954 00:48:10.119 --> 00:48:13.880 most controversial cases. I still get people messaging me sometimes 955 00:48:13.920 --> 00:48:16.360 like I can't believe you think he is innocent. 956 00:48:16.480 --> 00:48:18.800 I remember leaving that case really being on the fence. 957 00:48:18.920 --> 00:48:22.440 Yeah. Clutter, who worked as an attorney's investigator, said he 958 00:48:22.519 --> 00:48:25.760 initially thought that Chris was responsible for the murders until 959 00:48:25.800 --> 00:48:28.880 he met him. He told Lauren Bright Pacheco of the 960 00:48:28.960 --> 00:48:32.760 Murder in Illinois podcast, quote, he just didn't strike me 961 00:48:32.840 --> 00:48:33.760 as a murderer. 962 00:48:34.159 --> 00:48:35.280 Okay, well, there you have it. 963 00:48:35.639 --> 00:48:38.480 I'm sure Kim, who by all accounts was a lovely, 964 00:48:38.559 --> 00:48:41.960 lovely woman, did not present as a murderer either. But 965 00:48:42.079 --> 00:48:45.039 sadly she's dead and Bill can't meet her and assess 966 00:48:45.079 --> 00:48:45.599 her character. 967 00:48:45.760 --> 00:48:48.960 Well, it just seems really strange for somebody who's involved 968 00:48:48.960 --> 00:48:51.559 in the justice system in the way that he is 969 00:48:51.599 --> 00:48:54.480 to make a judgment like that based on, you know, 970 00:48:54.559 --> 00:48:56.920 just your impression of someone that, oh, exactly, Yeah, it 971 00:48:56.960 --> 00:48:57.800 doesn't make any sense. 972 00:48:58.280 --> 00:49:00.480 Clutter and others who believe that Chris for Vaughan is 973 00:49:00.559 --> 00:49:04.079 innocent accused law enforcement of portraying him as a criminal 974 00:49:04.159 --> 00:49:08.239 mastermind and having tunnel vision for failing to consider Kim 975 00:49:08.320 --> 00:49:11.880 a suspect. I think that they have tunnel vision and 976 00:49:12.079 --> 00:49:16.480 confirmation bias. They heavily point to the opinion of disgraced 977 00:49:16.559 --> 00:49:21.519 former Illinois

State Police crime scene investigator Robert Diel. He 978 00:49:21.639 --> 00:49:25.719 identified Kim as suspect number one and Chris as suspect 979 00:49:25.840 --> 00:49:29.239 number two. He claimed his opinion wasn't welcomed by the 980 00:49:29.440 --> 00:49:32.639 Illinois State Police and he was taken off the Vaughan case, 981 00:49:33.119 --> 00:49:36.079 although he was likely taken off the case because of 982 00:49:36.119 --> 00:49:39.559 his negligence, and he now has an axe to grind 983 00:49:39.559 --> 00:49:42.280 with the Illinois State Police, and he does speak pretty 984 00:49:42.320 --> 00:49:44.880 vocally about this case and how he believes that his 985 00:49:44.960 --> 00:49:49.800 opinions weren't respected. Gail and Pete Vaughan, along with Bill Clutter, 986 00:49:50.000 --> 00:49:51.599 were on the Doctor Phil Show. 987 00:49:51.840 --> 00:49:55.039 I never checked my common sense at the door. I 988 00:49:56.559 --> 00:49:59.159 use common sense in looking at these things. And one 989 00:49:59.199 --> 00:50:01.760 of the things that's duck out to me above all 990 00:50:01.800 --> 00:50:05.280 else is Chris had talked about wanting to live in 991 00:50:05.320 --> 00:50:08.039 the wilderness, live off the land, go off the grid. 992 00:50:08.719 --> 00:50:13.400 And if that were true, the last thing a man 993 00:50:13.559 --> 00:50:16.440 that wanted to do that and knew how to do 994 00:50:16.480 --> 00:50:21.320 that would do would be to shoot himself in the wrist. 995 00:50:21.920 --> 00:50:26.960 You don't render yourself one handed. If you're getting ready 996 00:50:27.000 --> 00:50:30.039 to go live off the land into wilderness, maybe shoot 997 00:50:30.079 --> 00:50:32.840 yourself through the meat of the leg. But to shoot 998 00:50:32.880 --> 00:50:37.360 yourself twice takes a lot of commitment, and to shoot 999 00:50:37.400 --> 00:50:42.079 yourself in the wrist where you might never be able 1000 00:50:42.079 --> 00:50:44.360 to use that hand again when you're going to go 1001 00:50:44.440 --> 00:50:47.719 live off. Just does it make common sense? 1002 00:50:48.519 --> 00:50:50.000 Well, there you have at Kim's guilty. 1003 00:50:50.519 --> 00:50:53.280 I mean, if you're going to go based on common sense, 1004 00:50:53.719 --> 00:50:56.239 I mean there's so many other things that point in 1005 00:50:56.280 --> 00:50:59.199 the other direction that I'm just I'm a little bit 1006 00:51:00.119 --> 00:51:02.440 guest at Doctor Phil's comments there. 1007 00:51:02.519 --> 00:51:05.559 I could only find one part of this Doctor Phil episode. 1008 00:51:05.599 --> 00:51:08.599 It was two parts. I don't believe that they told 1009 00:51:08.679 --> 00:51:11.800 him all the information. They didn't talk about any of 1010 00:51:12.440 --> 00:51:16.320 you know, the strippers or a lot of the other evidence. 1011 00:51:16.360 --> 00:51:19.679 They did not talk about that. Throughout the Murder in 1012 00:51:19.760 --> 00:51:24.119 Illinois podcast, the host keeps promising new evidence. Like all listeners, 1013 00:51:24.280 --> 00:51:27.480 I was waiting for a smoking gun evidence that would 1014 00:51:27.519 --> 00:51:31.480 clearly prove Christopher Vaughan's innocence and make this case worthy 1015 00:51:31.480 --> 00:51:34.480 of the attention of the Innocence Project. And a fourteen 1016 00:51:34.559 --> 00:51:39.440 part Deep Dive podcast. Sometime in twenty twenty one, Christopher Vaughan, 1017 00:51:39.599 --> 00:51:42.760 amidst the production of the podcast, wrote his parents a letter, 1018 00:51:43.119 --> 00:51:45.880 and the letter, he admitted that he had never suffered 1019 00:51:45.920 --> 00:51:50.440 from disassociative amnesia. What he remembered everything that had happened 1020 00:51:50.440 --> 00:51:54.519 on the morning of June fourteenth, two thousand and seven. Okay, 1021 00:51:54.639 --> 00:51:55.760 read the letter for us. 1022 00:51:56.079 --> 00:51:59.079 Mom and dad. When Lauren showed interest in my case, 1023 00:51:59.159 --> 00:52:01.239 I truly thought she would go the way of the 1024 00:52:01.280 --> 00:52:04.760 others before. She still seems intent on telling the story. 1025 00:52:05.119 --> 00:52:07.960 I know I have not been forthcoming, approachable, or even 1026 00:52:08.000 --> 00:52:11.599 cooperative in talking about what happened. My standard deflection to 1027 00:52:11.639 --> 00:52:14.480 any question is that I do not remember. It has 1028 00:52:14.559 --> 00:52:17.920 been easier not to talk about the kids and more specifically, 1029 00:52:18.000 --> 00:52:20.880 what Kim did. I have been really hopeful that I 1030 00:52:20.920 --> 00:52:23.800 wouldn't need to talk about that morning. Ever, again, I 1031 00:52:23.840 --> 00:52:26.480 don't know why now should be any different. I don't 1032 00:52:26.519 --> 00:52:28.639 know if it would be better just to leave everything 1033 00:52:28.719 --> 00:52:31.440 as is. If I'm going to fill in the blanks, 1034 00:52:31.480 --> 00:52:34.519 it will be for you first. Perhaps that will be enough, 1035 00:52:34.559 --> 00:52:36.599 and it won't be of any real value to give 1036 00:52:36.679 --> 00:52:39.760 Laura in this. Just leave it as is. I did 1037 00:52:39.800 --> 00:52:42.119 not know how to or want to deal with what 1038 00:52:42.280 --> 00:52:45.079 happened that morning, so I lied about not remembering how 1039 00:52:45.159 --> 00:52:49.199 kimberly shot my kids then killed herself. This is what happened. 1040 00:52:49.559 --> 00:52:51.599 We drove to the water park, as Kim and I 1041 00:52:51.679 --> 00:52:54.440 had talked about the night before. Kim told me she 1042 00:52:54.519 --> 00:52:57.239 felt sick. I pulled over and got out to give 1043 00:52:57.280 --> 00:52:59.519 her a minute. When I was around the back of 1044 00:52:59.559 --> 00:53:02.639 the truck heading back towards my door, it sounded like 1045 00:53:02.679 --> 00:53:06.079 the inside of the

truck was exploding. I opened my door, 1046 00:53:06.280 --> 00:53:08.639 saw the gun Kim was holding, and jumped in my 1047 00:53:08.719 --> 00:53:11.960 seat to grab it. Kim fired at me. I fell 1048 00:53:12.000 --> 00:53:15.159 back out the door, preparing to make another attempt. Kim 1049 00:53:15.239 --> 00:53:18.159 looked at me and said, you will not take my kids. 1050 00:53:18.400 --> 00:53:21.320 You killed them. She then turned the gun on herself 1051 00:53:21.360 --> 00:53:24.280 and fired. I got back in to check the kids. 1052 00:53:24.519 --> 00:53:27.280 Nothing could be done. I thought to drive the truck. 1053 00:53:27.639 --> 00:53:30.400 Kim was slumped, so I tried to buckle her. My 1054 00:53:30.519 --> 00:53:34.039 hands shook badly. I couldn't buckle the belt, I couldn't 1055 00:53:34.119 --> 00:53:36.599 drive the truck. I got to the road to get help. 1056 00:53:37.119 --> 00:53:39.760 I was and am deeply ashamed that I failed to 1057 00:53:39.760 --> 00:53:42.679 protect the kids. I am ashamed that I drove Kim 1058 00:53:42.719 --> 00:53:45.719 to do something so horrible. I am ashamed that had 1059 00:53:45.760 --> 00:53:48.199 she not shot herself, I would have taken the gun 1060 00:53:48.280 --> 00:53:50.840 and shot her myself. I did not want to deal 1061 00:53:50.880 --> 00:53:54.159 with what happened. I was completely unequipped to do so. 1062 00:53:54.400 --> 00:53:56.639 I did not want to discuss why Kim did what 1063 00:53:56.719 --> 00:53:58.960 she did. I did not want to repeat what she 1064 00:53:59.079 --> 00:54:01.960 said to me before she killed herself. I was certain 1065 00:54:01.960 --> 00:54:04.960 that the investigation would make clear what happened. How could 1066 00:54:05.000 --> 00:54:08.000 it not. During the interrogation, I was back and forth 1067 00:54:08.079 --> 00:54:11.960 between admitting my lie and continuing on. I was convinced 1068 00:54:11.960 --> 00:54:15.719 that being caught lying would have me convicted without further consideration, 1069 00:54:16.079 --> 00:54:19.039 regardless of the evidence. As I waited for the trial, 1070 00:54:19.079 --> 00:54:21.480 I realized that it really did not matter that I 1071 00:54:21.519 --> 00:54:24.679 had not fired a shot. I failed the kids. I 1072 00:54:24.800 --> 00:54:27.440 drove him to do what she did. What she said 1073 00:54:27.519 --> 00:54:30.880 was true. I was responsible. I will let the judge 1074 00:54:30.920 --> 00:54:33.639 decide what my punishment would be. I am sorry for 1075 00:54:33.719 --> 00:54:35.719 so many things. I have a lot of time to 1076 00:54:35.760 --> 00:54:38.960 go back over a lifetime of mistakes. Some made little 1077 00:54:38.960 --> 00:54:42.519 difference and others considerable. Saying that I did not remember 1078 00:54:42.559 --> 00:54:44.880 the morning of the tragedy was a mistake, and I 1079 00:54:44.960 --> 00:54:48.840 am sorry. Not taking responsibility was a mistake, and I 1080 00:54:48.880 --> 00:54:51.599 am sorry. I hope that after waiting all this time 1081 00:54:51.639 --> 00:54:54.320 to talk about it does not prove to be a mistake. Also, 1082 00:54:54.760 --> 00:54:55.480 love you both. 1083 00:54:55.760 --> 00:54:57.719 Chris, what do you think of the letter? 1084 00:54:58.360 --> 00:55:02.199 Wow? I mean it's a it's pretty shocking. So he 1085 00:55:02.280 --> 00:55:04.559 wrote this to the host of the. 1086 00:55:04.599 --> 00:55:06.440 Go to his mom and dad during. 1087 00:55:06.679 --> 00:55:09.119 Ask them to basically share it with those and this 1088 00:55:09.280 --> 00:55:12.920 is her new evidence that you were waiting to hear. 1089 00:55:12.880 --> 00:55:14.559 Through the pah she's calling this evidence. 1090 00:55:14.719 --> 00:55:16.599 Yeah, this does not seem like evidence to me. This 1091 00:55:16.679 --> 00:55:20.679 seems like somebody trying to find a new way to 1092 00:55:20.760 --> 00:55:24.119 argue his innocence and making up a new story that 1093 00:55:24.320 --> 00:55:25.519 maybe would catch on. 1094 00:55:25.920 --> 00:55:28.880 This letter led to a crime scene reconstruction paid for 1095 00:55:29.000 --> 00:55:34.519 by Jason Flome, a wealthy music industry executive, philanthropist, activist, 1096 00:55:34.800 --> 00:55:38.559 host of the Wrongful Conviction podcast and founder of Lava 1097 00:55:38.599 --> 00:55:41.880 for Good who does some great work, including the Bone 1098 00:55:41.920 --> 00:55:46.280 Valley podcast. In July twenty twenty one, Clutter, Lauren Bright, Pacheco, 1099 00:55:46.360 --> 00:55:51.039 and other investigators and actors recreated the crime crime scene 1100 00:55:51.239 --> 00:55:54.039 using the letter Chris wrote to his parents as a guide. 1101 00:55:54.360 --> 00:55:57.440 It was not at all scientific. It was theater. They 1102 00:55:57.559 --> 00:56:00.880 determined that the blood evidence exonerates Chris proves that Kim 1103 00:56:00.960 --> 00:56:04.639 was the shooter. But that's not how crime scene investigation works. 1104 00:56:05.039 --> 00:56:08.599 You can't work backwards. Chris has had over ten years 1105 00:56:08.639 --> 00:56:12.119 to recreate his narrative to fit this evidence. There is 1106 00:56:12.159 --> 00:56:14.639 a silver lining for Chris and all of this. While 1107 00:56:14.639 --> 00:56:17.400 he won't be living in the Canadian wilderness, he'll still 1108 00:56:17.440 --> 00:56:22.239 get to experience life without technology or modern day conveniences. 1109 00:56:22.440 --> 00:56:23.960 He'll definitely be roughing it. 1110 00:56:24.840 --> 00:56:28.800 What you said about recreating his narrative to fit the evidence, 1111 00:56:28.840 --> 00:56:31.039 that really that says what I wanted to say about 1112 00:56:31.039 --> 00:56:33.239 the letter, but I couldn't articulate at the time. That's 1113 00:56:33.239 --> 00:56:35.000 what it feels like, is Okay, he's looking at the 1114 00:56:35.039 --> 00:56:38.440 evidence and he's fig

figuring out exactly what he could 1115 00:56:38.480 --> 00:56:40.239 have done to make the evidence fit well. 1116 00:56:40.280 --> 00:56:42.320 And these people that are helping him, I believe that 1117 00:56:42.360 --> 00:56:45.519 they're good people, and I believe that they believe that 1118 00:56:45.559 --> 00:56:48.239 he's innocent, and it's just sad to me. 1119 00:56:48.639 --> 00:56:49.119 Yeah. 1120 00:56:49.280 --> 00:56:52.559 Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow told the Chicago Sun 1121 00:56:52.599 --> 00:56:55.880 Times that Vaughn would go free when hell freezes over 1122 00:56:56.400 --> 00:56:59.039 we proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Vaughn shot his 1123 00:56:59.159 --> 00:57:02.440 children in the head and chest at plaint blank range 1124 00:57:02.519 --> 00:57:04.599 after putting a gun under the chin of his wife 1125 00:57:04.639 --> 00:57:07.800 and pulling the trigger. In January twenty twenty four, a 1126 00:57:07.840 --> 00:57:12.559 federal judge find attorney Keith Altman, who represented Galeen Pierre Vaughan, 1127 00:57:12.639 --> 00:57:16.079 five hundred dollars for their twenty twenty two lawsuit, which 1128 00:57:16.119 --> 00:57:19.880 the judge called recklessly indifferent and said it had no 1129 00:57:20.000 --> 00:57:23.159 foundation in the law and the lawsuit. Altman alleged the 1130 00:57:23.159 --> 00:57:25.880 state misled the grand jury in order to indict Vaughan 1131 00:57:26.280 --> 00:57:31.119 and misrepresented the blood evidence. So Christopher Vaughan remains incarcerated 1132 00:57:31.159 --> 00:57:35.480 at the Pinkneyville Correctional Center in Illinois, a medium security prison. 1133 00:57:35.719 --> 00:57:38.960 What he is ineligible for parole and has exhausted all 1134 00:57:38.960 --> 00:57:41.000 of his appeals. The only way that he will get 1135 00:57:41.039 --> 00:57:43.000 out of prison is if he's granted a pardon by 1136 00:57:43.079 --> 00:57:46.920 Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker, or if new evidence comes 1137 00:57:47.000 --> 00:57:50.679 to light that proves his innocence or merits a new trial, or. 1138 00:57:50.679 --> 00:57:52.599 If he escapes. I don't know what the hell he's 1139 00:57:52.639 --> 00:57:55.880 doing in medium security prison. You kill you, your wife 1140 00:57:55.920 --> 00:57:56.599 and family. 1141 00:57:56.360 --> 00:58:00.840 Are four people. Yeah, it's because he is a little guy, 1142 00:58:00.880 --> 00:58:03.440 and I think he's I think he's probably in danger. 1143 00:58:03.559 --> 00:58:06.239 I don't know. Yeah, I wasn't able to find much 1144 00:58:06.280 --> 00:58:09.760 information about his prison life. This is the hard part. 1145 00:58:09.800 --> 00:58:11.760 This is the part that I always get emotional, and 1146 00:58:11.840 --> 00:58:13.719 you do too. But if I can't do it, you're 1147 00:58:13.760 --> 00:58:16.599 going to take over. Okay, But it's really important that 1148 00:58:16.639 --> 00:58:19.840 we remember these people as people and not just victims. 1149 00:58:20.599 --> 00:58:23.599 Abby Vaughn was a gifted artist. She loved playing soccer 1150 00:58:23.639 --> 00:58:26.199 and was a terrific goalie. She loved to read fantasy 1151 00:58:26.239 --> 00:58:29.079 books and also enjoyed writing her own books. She had 1152 00:58:29.079 --> 00:58:32.800 a goldfish named Larry. Sandy was a natural leader. Her 1153 00:58:32.840 --> 00:58:37.039 family nicknamed her Commander Sander because of her take charge attitude. 1154 00:58:37.440 --> 00:58:40.039 She loved to corral her siblings and cousins to perform 1155 00:58:40.119 --> 00:58:44.239 skits and play backyard sports and games. She loved animals, 1156 00:58:44.320 --> 00:58:47.280 especially frogs, and planned to start a dog walking business 1157 00:58:47.280 --> 00:58:50.639 in her neighborhood. Blake loved reading in baseball. He was 1158 00:58:50.639 --> 00:58:54.119 a walking encyclopedia of baseball facts. He enjoyed being a 1159 00:58:54.119 --> 00:58:57.639 cub scout and especially loved the soap box Derby. He 1160 00:58:57.760 --> 00:59:00.679 was looking forward to seeing the new Fantastic Four movie. 1161 00:59:01.119 --> 00:59:03.119 Kim loved being a wife and mother. She was an 1162 00:59:03.119 --> 00:59:06.239 athlete in high school and still enjoyed playing volleyball. She 1163 00:59:06.360 --> 00:59:08.920 was an enthusiastic Brownie and Girl Scout leader for her 1164 00:59:08.960 --> 00:59:12.159 daughter's troops, and an avid volunteer at her children's schools. 1165 00:59:12.760 --> 00:59:15.719 Rest in Peace, Abby, Sandy Blake, and Kim. 1166 00:59:16.239 --> 00:59:18.800 I listened to the Murder in Illinois podcast as one 1167 00:59:18.800 --> 00:59:21.960 of my sources, and I know how hard podcasters work, 1168 00:59:22.119 --> 00:59:26.239 and I never want to say anything negative about another podcast, 1169 00:59:26.679 --> 00:59:28.239 but I just want to say that I found it 1170 00:59:28.360 --> 00:59:33.679 incredibly one sided, biased, and disrespectful to the victims, especially Kim. 1171 00:59:33.880 --> 00:59:38.719 The podcast host damages her credibility by exclusively telling Chris's 1172 00:59:38.760 --> 00:59:41.519 story without presenting the other side of the story. That 1173 00:59:41.599 --> 00:59:45.039 approach might be acceptable in some cases, but in my opinion, 1174 00:59:45.360 --> 00:59:49.960 the evidence simply does not support Christopher Vaughan's innocence. Blaming 1175 00:59:50.000 --> 00:59:52.679 a woman who is no longer here to defend herself 1176 00:59:52.760 --> 00:59:56.199 feels profoundly wrong. The host doesn't say a single kind 1177 00:59:56.199 --> 00:59:59.360 word about Kimberly Vaughan or present any witnesses who do. 1178 01:00:00.000 --> 01:00:02.719 Even if you believe Kim shot the children, it wasn't 1179 01:00:02.719 --> 01:00:06.079 a deliberate act. It was a tragic moment of possibly 1180 01:00:06.199 --> 01:00:09.840 drug induce

psychosis, something that should be met with empathy, 1181 01:00:09.960 --> 01:00:13.199 not vilification. But to be clear, I do not think 1182 01:00:13.239 --> 01:00:16.000 that is what happened here. There is simply no evidence 1183 01:00:16.039 --> 01:00:20.599 whatsoever that Kim was suicidal. I'm also deeply bothered by 1184 01:00:20.599 --> 01:00:24.840 how Chris's defense and Pacheco portray antidepressants. While there is 1185 01:00:24.880 --> 01:00:29.079 a small slightly increased risk of suicidal thoughts, it's rare 1186 01:00:29.440 --> 01:00:33.119 decreases with age and time spent on the drug. Taking. 1187 01:00:33.119 --> 01:00:37.599 Antidepressants shouldn't carry a stigma. These medications help millions of 1188 01:00:37.599 --> 01:00:40.480 people live better lives. That said, if you are a 1189 01:00:40.519 --> 01:00:44.119 loved one notices changes in mood or behavior while taking 1190 01:00:44.159 --> 01:00:47.719 any medication, always check in with your doctor. I am 1191 01:00:47.719 --> 01:00:50.519 not an expert, just someone who has carefully researched this 1192 01:00:50.639 --> 01:00:53.559 case and formed my own opinion. I tried to present 1193 01:00:53.599 --> 01:00:56.199 both sides, and it's okay if you disagree with me 1194 01:00:56.440 --> 01:01:00.000 or rich And if Christopher Vaughan truly is innocent, I hope, 1195 01:01:00.000 --> 01:01:02.239 hope that he gets a second trial. If you believe 1196 01:01:02.280 --> 01:01:04.800 in his innocence, there is a petition that you can 1197 01:01:04.840 --> 01:01:08.239 sign on change dot Org. Right, I have some questions 1198 01:01:08.239 --> 01:01:11.800 for you before we wrap up here. Do you think 1199 01:01:11.840 --> 01:01:14.360 that there's any possibility that Kim was the murderer? 1200 01:01:14.760 --> 01:01:19.360 I mean, very very small possibility, certainly not reasonable doubt 1201 01:01:19.360 --> 01:01:21.719 possibility in my mind, I think. And again I didn't 1202 01:01:21.719 --> 01:01:23.960 sit through the trial, but if I based on what 1203 01:01:24.039 --> 01:01:26.159 I've heard, if I was on that jury, I think 1204 01:01:26.159 --> 01:01:28.360 I would have had no problem voting guilty. 1205 01:01:29.480 --> 01:01:32.199 Why did Chris decide to murder his family instead of 1206 01:01:32.199 --> 01:01:33.079 fake his own death? 1207 01:01:33.840 --> 01:01:37.159 You know, I's a great question. I don't know why 1208 01:01:37.199 --> 01:01:40.800 he chose that or why he didn't choose divorce instead, 1209 01:01:40.960 --> 01:01:43.920 But I don't know. I mean, maybe he just thought 1210 01:01:44.039 --> 01:01:47.079 he faking his own death would be too hard to 1211 01:01:47.079 --> 01:01:50.280 get away with, or I don't know. I mean, he 1212 01:01:50.320 --> 01:01:52.559 had talked to his friend about that, and then his 1213 01:01:52.559 --> 01:01:54.719 friend said he wanted to have no part in it, 1214 01:01:54.800 --> 01:01:57.440 and so maybe he just decided that it wasn't going 1215 01:01:57.480 --> 01:01:58.119 to work that way. 1216 01:01:58.239 --> 01:02:01.880 Yeah, how emotionally immature. Must want to believe that the 1217 01:02:01.960 --> 01:02:05.199 stripper you have spent four or five hours with is 1218 01:02:05.239 --> 01:02:08.719 going to run away with you to the Yukon territories. 1219 01:02:08.800 --> 01:02:14.280 Pretty emotionally immature. And yeah, writing poetry to your stripper friends. 1220 01:02:14.360 --> 01:02:17.800 I mean, yeah, it just seems like he was very 1221 01:02:17.800 --> 01:02:19.039 immature emotionally. 1222 01:02:19.440 --> 01:02:22.719 How long would Chris have survived in the Yukon territories. 1223 01:02:24.559 --> 01:02:27.360 I think he would have been eaten by a bear. Yeah, 1224 01:02:27.400 --> 01:02:29.920 probably no offense to bears. They would have spit him 1225 01:02:29.920 --> 01:02:32.400 out because he probably tasted really bad. Would you ever 1226 01:02:32.480 --> 01:02:33.519 want to live off the grid? 1227 01:02:33.800 --> 01:02:36.159 I mean there's a there is a certain like, you know, 1228 01:02:36.239 --> 01:02:39.239 appeal to that, like being able to live off the grid. 1229 01:02:39.239 --> 01:02:41.559 But I think the reality of it would It would 1230 01:02:41.639 --> 01:02:45.239 just be really hard and really lonesome. And you know, 1231 01:02:45.320 --> 01:02:47.920 as you get older too, you need you need people, 1232 01:02:48.000 --> 01:02:51.199 you need help, you need medical attention and things like that. 1233 01:02:51.280 --> 01:02:53.599 So I just think, yeah, it would not be It 1234 01:02:53.639 --> 01:02:56.639 wouldn't live up to the romantic, you know, ideal of 1235 01:02:56.679 --> 01:02:57.559 living off the grid. 1236 01:02:57.679 --> 01:02:59.639 Yeah, I think he would have gotten bored pretty quickly. 1237 01:03:00.079 --> 01:03:02.440 I do want to thank Kyle for recommending this case. 1238 01:03:02.519 --> 01:03:04.760 I want to thank our friend Nancy, who is a 1239 01:03:04.760 --> 01:03:08.159 pharmacist who helps us with a little bit of research. Sometimes. 1240 01:03:08.719 --> 01:03:10.559 I forgot to mention at the top of the episode 1241 01:03:10.559 --> 01:03:13.519 when I was talking about Kylie in Primetime Crime, go 1242 01:03:13.599 --> 01:03:17.480 listen to Kylie's latest two part episode on Darlene Holt's 1243 01:03:17.920 --> 01:03:20.639 very interesting. She did a great job. I wanted to 1244 01:03:20.639 --> 01:03:23.400 talk about sources really quick. I did listen to the 1245 01:03:23.480 --> 01:03:26.800 Murder in Illinois podcast. That was not my primary source, 1246 01:03:26.840 --> 01:03:29.800 although I had you listen to a couple of episodes 1247 01:03:29.800 --> 01:03:31.679 of it too, because I didn't want to. I thought 1248 01:03:31.719 --> 01:03:34.639 maybe I was being biased, Yeah, what was you have? Agree? 1249 01:03:34.760 --> 01:03:38.480 My impression was definitely that way as well. I mean, 1250 01:03:38.559 --> 01:03:40.920 but she did have interviews with a lot of his 1251 01:03:41.079 --> 01:03:43.559 family members, which was interesting to hear their point of. 1252 01:03:43.599 --> 01:03:46.000 View, right, And that was the information that I gleaned 1253 01:03:46.039 --> 01:03:49.159 from the podcast, was about Chris's childhood, some of the 1254 01:03:49.239 --> 01:03:52.480 relationships that they had with Kim. We have a subscription 1255 01:03:52.559 --> 01:03:55.840 to newspapers dot com, and a lot of time there 1256 01:03:55.880 --> 01:03:58.119 was not a lot of information about this case. So 1257 01:03:58.199 --> 01:04:02.320 I literally read every article in the Chicago Tribune on 1258 01:04:02.440 --> 01:04:07.480 this case, and after citing twenty five of them, I like, 1259 01:04:07.880 --> 01:04:11.599 stop citing them. So if you're wondering where the information 1260 01:04:11.679 --> 01:04:21.239 came from, it's it's really all the Chicago Tribune. Thank 1261 01:04:21.239 --> 01:04:23.840 you so much for listening to this episode of Love 1262 01:04:23.880 --> 01:04:24.400 Mary Kill. 1263 01:04:24.840 --> 01:04:28.199 Please rate, review, follow, and subscribe. Find us on social 1264 01:04:28.239 --> 01:04:31.679 media or send us an email at Lovemarykill at gmail 1265 01:04:31.760 --> 01:04:32.639 dot com. 1266 01:04:32.719 --> 01:04:36.800 Please consider supporting us on Patreon dot com slash Lovemrykill. 1267 01:04:37.039 --> 01:04:40.119 For five dollars a month. You get early ad free access, 1268 01:04:40.199 --> 01:04:41.960 and a monthly bonus episode. 1269 01:04:42.239 --> 01:04:45.480 Join us next Monday for another episode of Love Mary Kill, 1270 01:05:00.480 --> 01:05:18.760 then to Bang 1271 01:05:20.320 --> 01:05:20.360 The