Earnest Lee Hargon, 43, a former cattle truck driver and Michael Hargon's cousin, was charged Monday with capital murder in the deaths. Lawyers for Vaughn claim investigators manipulated DNA test results, which they say helped lead to the original indictment. Vaughn's family murder occurred on June 14th, 2007. CHANNAHON, Ill. (WLS) -- The family of Christopher Vaughn, the Oswego man convicted of killing his wife and three young children in 2007, claims the grand jury that indicted him was misled by prosecutors. The tragic incident took place on what should have been an exciting day at a local waterpark for the . We caught up with her to ask what the experience was like. All Rights Reserved. He's bleeding and seemingly in shock. He was accused, charged and convicted of shooting his wife Kimberly Vaughn . Updated February 24, 2023 10:48 AM. Yet again, its a question of identity. Lauren Bright Pacheco finally meets Chris Vaughn in person before Bill Clutter mounts an ambitious crime scene reconstruction. On Saturday, Vaughn was arrested in St. Charles and charged with eight counts of. I've been researching this case for more than two years and the comments on the attached link are very much in keeping with the way in which this case was prosecuted and covered, so far. It includes rarely-seen text messages and letters between Watts and his wife. Murder in Illinois follows the complicated circumstances that led to Vaughns conviction, as well as the forensic evidence his supporters believe proves his innocence-in attempt to answer one question: Who Trailer 2 - On July 8th, we re-examine a case thats been tightly closed to shed light on whether Christopher Vaughn was justly charged, tried and convicted- and explore whether pertinent facts and later developments that could have been utilized in his defense were overlooked or ignored. It also digs into the corrupt nature of the criminal justice system. The government ruled Olson's death a suicide, but his son Eric believes it was murder. The Francke family raise concerns that Mike was targeted and are met with resistance from state officials. He told the operator that multiple shots were fired inside his home, leaving one person dead. Vaughn was also able to identify the person who killed Mark Rivas, his best friend and roommate: he did it himself. And Mills came through, introducing Halle Berry, Usher, Lindsey Lohan, and Brandy (among many others) to the brand. The Oswego family was reportedly taking a day trip to a water park in Springfield when Christopher Vaughn left Interstate 55 and drove onto a frontage road when his wife became ill. It also could have greatly aided in the defense of Frank Gable, were it presented during his trial. Christopher had started a licensed private detective agency in Washington called Stone Bridge Security that specialized in cybercrime. It's entirely possible that none of the stuff that was in there taking up space was a bona fide artifact for any self-respecting murder museum. As investigators unravel the truth, they find that not everyone in this family was a happy camper. After seeing these colorized vintage crime scene photos, take a look at colorized photos that bring century-old New York to life. The basis for the case and the outcome of the trial would shock and outrage many- including Kevin Francke. In 2007, 3-year-old Madeleine McCann disappeared from her bed while vacationing at a resort in Portugal with her family. Family life: Christopher Vaughn, 37, with his wife Kimberly and children (left to right) Cassandra, 11, Blake, eight, and Abigayle, 12. The film, streaming on Amazon, explores similar cases in the area, Noreen's claims about being visited by her son in the 1990s, and other evidence police have ignored. When a clothing brand stakes its reputation and appeal on being the label-of-choice for the hottest celebrities, but can no longer deliver, that stops being part of their identity. Murder in Illinois Play Newest Follow In 2007, Chris Vaughn was arrested during a funeral for his wife and three children. She explained that "the Vaughn case had been upstaged by the Peterson case," leading to less national coverage and, in a way, leading to the possibility for Vaughn to be seen as guilty well before he even went to trial and was officially convicted. The family would never arrive. In January of 1989 the director of Oregons Department of Corrections, Michael Francke, was brutally stabbed to death outside his office building in Salem. Vaughn previously claimed his wife killed their children before killing herself. On Thursday, District. I have always appreciated those photographers who go the extra mile to make these places still look hauntingly beautiful, although the subject matter is dark and the glory of the estates or establishments long since diminished. His children, 12-year-old Abigayle, 11-year-old Cassandra, and 8-year-old Blake, were found dead, seated together in the rear passenger seat, each shot twice. Chris Vaughn and his family are driving to a water park when their lives are tragically ended in a roadside shooting. The lawyer W.W. Vaughan, with his wife and several of their children. The Will County State Attorney, James Glasgow confirmed a grand jury indictment against Christopher D Vaughn (32 at the time) on four counts of First Degree Murder in connection to the murders of his family including his wife and three children in Channahon, Illinois. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. One Friday night in February 2005, Robert Bobby Vaughn grabbed his phone from a nightstand in his Los Angeles apartment and dialled 911 to report a shooting. Murder of the wife and children in the suburbs, Kimberly Christopher Vaughn Christopher Vaughn may be the least unjustly imprisoned of the tens of thousands of men and women doing time in Illinois prisons. Frustrated, Pat and Kevin link up with newspaper columnist Phil Stanford. To this day he maintains no memory of what occurred on the day of the murders. In this case, it was a $42 trucker hat. Three men Ed Boswell, Michael Cassel, and Vaughn all claim to have created it. It didnt take long before other people decided it was time to ditch their Von Dutch duds, too. A sworn statement, unearthed in 2004, presents some very damning information involving one of Michael Francke's former co-workers. She does look into other possibilities of what might have happened to the family, however. Then, see some truly haunting murder scenes from the streets of old New York. Wormwood follows Eric's struggle to make those involved with MKUltra accept responsibility for his father's horrible death. "It doesn't matter what I think of Chris Vaughns innocence or guilt, and that shouldn't matter," she said of listeners who tune into Murder in Illinois andlearn about the Vaughn family murders. "And so their perspective is very interesting as well because you get to see the trial unfold in their eyes.". A 2009 coronial inquest concluded Ms Vaughan was suspected to be murdered by an unknown person. Instead, it would be because of a misguided attempt to capitalize on the enduring appeal of the. Was he responsible? He brutally murdered them in June 2007 The sergeant tells . In the quiet pre-dawn hours of June 14th, 2007 the Vaughn family- Christopher, his wife Kimberly and their three children- set out for an impromptu trip to a waterpark. Your photos emphasize the beauty of the place. But he also has parents and his wife, Kimberly Vaughn, had parents she left behind who haven't yet spoken to Lauren regarding the case. Around 2003, when Tracey Mills first started working as the liaison between A-listers and Von Dutch, his future fashion collaborator, Kanye West told the clothing companys head designer that he was lucky to have Mills, because he had the rare ability to genuinely connect and communicate with celebrities. Last month, we found out that the Los Feliz Murder Mansion in Los Angeles, the site of a half-century old murder-suicide, and one of America's greatest murder houses, is about to be sold and made . Months after Mike's murder, the official investigation seems to stall. Reporters Liz Hayes, Tom Steinfort, Tara Brown, Liam Bartlett and Sarah Abo look past the headlines because there is always a bigger picture. The eight-part Netflix docuseriesThe Disappearance of Madeleine McCann reassesses the details of the case to find some thread of evidence that may lead to a conviction. Theres murder, but no mystery. I found it hard thinking about the murder, not knowing which bedroom would have been considered the master. He would be tried and convicted of their murders. He would meet his wife- and become a father- while he was still a teenager. Frustrated, Pat and Kevin link up with newspaper columnist Phil Stanford. The site's critical consensus reads, "American Murder: The Family Next Door chillingly unravels a brutal true crime story using the near-constant connectedness of the digital era. He would be tried and convicted of their murders. Unsolved crimes leave the loved ones of victims tangled up in unresolved pain and trauma. Was he responsible? In an exclusive interview with Distractify, Lauren talked about the case, her theories regarding what really happened that fateful summer day, and how she views the true-crime topic as a whole. Ms Spelde's family commissioned a roadside billboard appealing for information about Janine Vaughan . Vaughn was charged with first-degree murder, claimed self-defense, and was acquitted by a jury that, Out of all the cases that have ended up the California courts system, this one though tragic wasnt a major news story when it happened, despite being only six years after Vaughn helped launch Von Dutch, a, And yet, that true-but-solved crime is inexplicably positioned as the main event in. And that really was why I looked into the possibility that he could have been wrongfully convicted in the first place, and the deeper I dug, the more things that just sprang to the forefront. Privacy, Terms of Use & Our Code of Ethics Protecting Content Creators Copyrights, Something Was Wrong Tiffany Reese | Wondery. That document, along with others, sparks renewed interest in the Francke murder and once again places Phil at odds with his former employer. [9] That made American Murder: The Family Next Door the most viewed feature documentary on Netflix on that moment. But in 2007, it was a case that the media in Illinois took hold of and reported on until there were ideas about Vaughn's guilt or innocence long before he even went to trial. To this day, Madeleine's whereabouts or the identity of her kidnapper are unknown. Fourteen years after Christopher Vaughn was sentenced to four consecutive life terms for the murders of his wife and three children we revisit the evidence that led to his conviction. The Colorado father and oil worker was convicted of murdering his . A new documentary series about South Carolina's Murdaugh family landed on Netflix this week, following previous series and specials on HBO, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN . Music by: No Other Choice by Lee Rosevere - Licensed under attribution license. They were found in the. John List. It is a . And it links to the mysterious man in the pinstripe suit. RELATED:Murder To Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story (& 9 Other Heartbreaking True Crime Documentaries To Watch). Investigators work tirelessly to string together the events leading to gruesome murders. Tales that changed history, our nation and our lives. "[11] In the New York Times, Bilal Qureshi reviewed the movie positively writing, "Popplewells film presents the Watts story as more than a crime story. Chris Vaughn possibly lands significant support when social justice activist and host of the Wrongful Convictions podcast, Jason Flom, agrees to look into his case. Photos: Alexis Vaughn; Written by Mike Pearl. I just started listening to the podcast, "Murder in Illinois Who Killed the Vaughn Family?". [7], The documentary was released on Netflix on September 30, 2020. [8] During the first month of release, Netflix reported that 52 million households had started the documentary. Its clear within the first two minutes of the series that director Andrew Rezni wants it to be everyones next true crime obsession. The premiere trailer for Murder in Oregon. Dubbed the Oakland County Child Killings, these heinous slayings are the subject of Investigative Discovery's two-part documentaryChildren of the Snow. The program is hosted by Lauren Bright Pacheco who examines the complicated circumstances that led to Vaug See production, box office & company info. Christopher Vaughn, whose wife and three children were found fatally shot in the family's sports utility vehicle June 14, in Channahon, Ill., is seen Friday leaving a funeral home after the visitation in St. Charles, Mo. Through extensive interviews with survivors and those who knew the victims, the film hints at the possibility multiple adults were involved as part of a vast scheme to target children. Before Christopher Vaughn was known as a convicted killer, he was a son and a brother in the Vaughn family of Missouri, the eldest of Gail and Pierre Vaughn's three boys. His former girlfriend - and mother of his son - lays out the terrifying timeline of their relationship and the period leading up to, and after, Francke's murder. And the staggering violence and trauma she experienced is peppered with names closely tied to the Francke murder investigation. More than a year after Michael Francke's death, public and political pressure is mounting to capture his killer. Throughout this podcast we've seen the victimization of people caught in the crosshairs of politics and corruption. As a photographer, I have the opportunity and obligation to create life and elicit emotion with each photo, regardless of the subject matter. Lauren addressed the fact that with true-crime podcasts and documentaries often come the armchair detectives. You had to rush to get it.. Webb murdered Vaughn in Montgomery County in 2003. Three men Ed Boswell, Michael Cassel, and Vaughn all claim to have created it. By the time they get his autopsy report, all bets are off. Chris is wounded but survives. Megan is a public librarian by trade obsessed with the intersections between art, culture, and society. A documentary murder mystery about the filmmaker's family, set in lower Alabama. It also leads to a troubled and violent man some believe murdered Michael Francke. The film, streaming on Amazon, explores similar cases in the area, Noreen's claims about being visited by her son in the 1990s, and other evidence police have ignored. The bodies of Kimberly Ellen Vaughn, 34, and her children Abigayle Elizabeth, 12, Cassandra Ellen, 11, and Blake Philip, 8 were discovered around 5:25 a.m. Thursday. This is the first time Vaughn's family is getting a solid platform on which to speak out on his behalf.