Oswego mom, children killed

Confused wrote:

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She didn't snap. He did it. Had to of. Explain to me how someone wanting to commit a murder-suicide would shoot her own children multiple times and only her husband once. And in the leg. Don't murder-suicides usually make sure that everyone would be dead before offing themselves? This is a tragic, tragic story and I don't know where this world is going to. How anyone could harm thier own children is beyond my coherence. But this Christopher guys story is not adding up. Why wouldn't you find help right away when your family was in danger? I'm sorry, but if something was threatening me and my son, I would die before letting something happen to him. Plus this guy owns his own private investigations. He knows how to try and get around the system. Did they check his hands for gun residue before letting him go?

I TOTALLY agree ... From everything that's been on the news, it sounds more like Christopher Vaughn did the shooting - NOT Kimberly Vaughn - nothing he says makes any sense and she's not here to defend herself...

I wonder if the police log and read these comments. I wonder if this would open their eyes to what we see as the obvious but what they are not diving into. Or maybe they just aren't saying it. I think he did, so many others think he did it. He needs to be brought back in and questioned old school until he tells the REAL TRUTH!

Following your thoughts on murder-suicide ... he didn't do it ... she didn't do it ... he was/is having an affair and had to get rid of the family and the girlfriend was hiding in that remote area and did it.

Confused wrote:

<quoted text>
She didn't snap. He did it. Had to of. Explain to me how someone wanting to commit a murder-suicide would shoot her own children multiple times and only her husband once. And in the leg. Don't murder-suicides usually make sure that everyone would be dead before offing themselves? This is a tragic, tragic story and I don't know where this world is going to. How anyone could harm thier own children is beyond my coherence. But this Christopher guys story is not adding up. Why wouldn't you find help right away when your family was in danger? I'm sorry, but if something was threatening me and my son, I would die before letting something happen to him. Plus this guy owns his own private investigations. He knows how to try and get around the system. Did they check his hands for gun residue before letting him go?

The police must be hiding some real facts about this case that they have not devulged yet - because this Christopher Vaughn has so many stories it's not even plausible. Time will tell - I just hope they're watching him and he doesn't get away. How sad for the kids ... and the rest of the extended family...

I think the police are not giving all the facts for a reason. The media always runs with a story and us poor citizens end up spectulating on what did or did not happen which of course turns into many rumors. Hopefully, they will give an update today because there has not been one since early this morning.

It is happening all around us... the status, big homes, nice cars and the front of being a happy family. The dream. It is more noticable to us old time Oswego residents.. the subdivisions with the big homes that have popped up everywhere amongst the fields. You never know what goes on behind closed doors anymore and it is safer to assume that your neighbor may not be what they portray themselves to be. "Made in America". It is not about being a good person, friend or community memeber any longer... it is merely putting up the appearance that you are. Because to be a truly good person these days just takes too much effort. Lets just make things appear that they are normal. And how is normal defined anymore? By the media and marketing that is prevelant EVRYWHERE. Living the dream and running up the credit cards. No moral compass. And in the end, what do you have? Yes, I am assuming a lot here.. but my gut feeling tells me they were in deep and his only way out was to end it that led to this tragic outcome that did not have to happen. My heart aches for the children and their mother. His story is bull. Just google earth the location of the scene... now would you pull in there to adjust your luggage rack...? Unbelievable.

Perhaps Another Planet wrote:

It is happening all around us... the status, big homes, nice cars and the front of being a happy family. The dream. It is more noticable to us old time Oswego residents.. the subdivisions with the big homes that have popped up everywhere amongst the fields. You never know what goes on behind closed doors anymore and it is safer to assume that your neighbor may not be what they portray themselves to be. "Made in America". It is not about being a good person, friend or community memeber any longer... it is merely putting up the appearance that you are. Because to be a truly good person these days just takes too much effort. Lets just make things appear that they are normal. And how is normal defined anymore? By the media and marketing that is prevelant EVRYWHERE. Living the dream and running up the credit cards. No moral compass. And in the end, what do you have? Yes, I am assuming a lot here.. but my gut feeling tells me they were in deep and his only way out was to end it that led to this tragic outcome that did not have to happen. My heart aches for the children and their mother. His story is bull. Just google earth the location of the scene... now would you pull in there to adjust your luggage rack...? Unbelievable.

Wow..I don't know what I believe about the actual incidint but you really wrapped everything else up in a nutshell. Look how many of those big beautiful homes are in foreclosure! A lot!

I have worked with law enforcement psychologists who profile murderers. Women almost NEVER use guns if they resort to killing their children (which so rarely happens that it's always worldwide news). For men, a gun is almost always the weapon of choice. Don't believe me, google it.

A man who feels threatened or impotent will indeed kill what he believes to belong to him--his possessions. Ah, but when it comes to killing HIMSELF, he often "snaps out" of that "temporary insanity." This Oswego case is classic, and the man was a hunter. Not that all hunters are killers (of humans), but this means the gun was probably his, and he knew how to use a gun efficiently.

You know how family road trips go. They're often stressful. They could have been arguing and he decided to pull off the road. They stopped and he probably got the gun out from that luggage rack on top of the SUV and lost it. I wonder why he felt the need to carry a gun on a "second honeymoon," and I wonder why, if he had a cell phone (which police found in the SUV), he needed to flag someone down HOURS later. A prompt call might have saved the lives of the kids, though probably NOT the wife, since she was obviously shot through the brain.

My guess is the family was in huge debt, the bills were mounting and he felt this was a good way out. According to psychologists, many men who are in debt over their heads will frequently fantasize about the good old days when they were free and didn't have a family.

I read the Suntimes, and it said that before buying this huge house in Oswego, the family had lived in an apartment in Aurora. They've had the new house a year. That's just enough time to realize that you are probably not going to keep up with payments.

He has a wife who works a piddly little job that pays nothing, and the entire financial burden is on his shoulders. Divorce would have meant paying a huge chunk of his salary for child support AND alimony (since she wasn't self-supporting). You can see where something like that might make someone snap.

Everyone here has raised such excellent points. I agree with most of you, like why didn't HE call 911?? He is the husband and dad and his wife shoots at him and he runs away?? Wouldn't a father's natural instinct be to make sure his kids are safe?? I read in the Chicago Sun-Times today that Kim's mother was talking to her up to the tragedy and her daughter told her everything that was going on in their plans but never mentioned this water park trip(they were supposedly on their way to Springfield when the shootings occurred). She couldn't understand why they were going to this park right before her and her husband were going away this weekend for a romantic getaway. Plus neighbors said that the 2 dogs they own and dote over were left home alone, which would mean they would be unattended to for a couple of days. They said she'd never do that. Her mother said she didn't think her daughter knew how to even use a gun. I think this guy is a lying snake. The truth will come out. He's a forensic expert, he probably thought he could get away with it. I do agree though, even though you see the "perfect" family, you just never ever know.

This whole thing may play out like one of those Fox series shows. Then we really get to see what actually happed that night-(morning). The night before: The husband is at the scene at about 10:30 shooting the gun into the air to check for any neighbor response). The next morning: Honey, I’ll get the kids into the car (parked inside the garage at the family’s home). The kids are shot. Bang! Bang! Bang! She comes down and finds him there with the gun in hand.“Get in the car!” He stages her death telling her that she just killed her children and that’s what everyone will believe. Bang! About 5 minutes after the first shots. Then using her hand with the gun, he shoots the children again (to get powder residue on her). Then he undresses and puts the clothing into a plastic bag. Using his underwear he lets himself back into the house to shower and put on a change of clean cloths. He drives to the area off of I-55 (going through a neighboring town that has garbage pick-up that morning to drop the bag in any can that would be emptied before the bodies are ever found). He parks the vehicle. Then he shoots himself in the leg (with her holding the gun), but just a scratch. Then he stages the suicide drop with the gun into her lap. The time difference between running away and returning to find someone with a cell phone,(because you are a successful businessman) but forgot to bring your phone with you…./ You get the picture….

Brian, even though I hate to speculate like you did without all the facts, you do bring up a good point. We really don't know if in fact the location where the car was found was where the shootings took place. This man does work in forensics and no one told anyone that I know of that they were going to Springfield for a water park excursion. We really have to wait and see but I guess anything is possible at this point and some of this does seem staged.

I knew Kim and her children. She loved her kids to much to commit such a thing. She was always very protective of them. We shared times at Thompson Junior High in Oswego when Abbey ran in Cross Country with my son. Those were very good times. One time Abby had a broken hand due to falling off her bike and kim immediately made an appointment and took her to the Doctor and she got a pretty cast. Blake and Cassandra always played with my younger daughter. They all seem so happy. Kim was so happy about her studies and looking forward to the future. What happened? Herhusband's story does not add up. Look at what he does for a living. I hope there is a deep investigation. Now how can I explain to my 7 year old what happened to her friends.

Sad Mother's comments brought me to tears. I don't believe Kim did it either. The photos of her show a face that isn't secretive. His photos are a different story. The shades, the squinted eyes, the neutral, unsmiling expression.

And Brian, I got chills reading your account, and I think it's extremely feasible that it was done similarly to your speculations. Hopefully, the police will also have figured it out. Police should because they know that 98 percent of violent crimes are committed by males from the ages of 17 through 39.

Lethal injection is FAR too kind for a monster would would do something like this. He needs to be "Hanged by the neck until dead." And then burn in hell.

I'm sorry but this whole story doesnt make sense to me. The whole pulling to the side to adjust the luggage doesnt make any sense. If you look at the area of where they pulled off there was plenty of room to just pull to the side of the road to fix the luggage rack and keep going. I'm pretty sure at 2 in the morning there is no traffic on that frontage road. It just makes me sick that you would kill your own kids like that. I mean shot multiple times? What could they have possibly done to suffer like that? Nothing at all! I will bet that it comes out later on that he did it. None of this story is making sense. He basically killed all of them and then shot himself to make it seem as though she did it!

no man would not try to protect his children running when his wife is killing his family give me a break!! he is guilty!!!!! what is his excuse for not calling 911 and now his parents arrived to his house and they cant find him?

My heart goes out to the whole family. It is very, very sad that anyone could do that to their kids. To look your kids in the face and shoot multiple shots at them. It just makes me sick to my stomach. I don't think that the mom did it. When I look at photos of Chris, I think he looks kind of evil in a way. The picture of the whole family - I think the only one that looks happy is Kimberly. The kids look like they are bothered by something. My speculations are that the dad killed the kids, then she struggled with him to get the gun and it fired at him on accident - then he put the gun in her hand, pointed it at her head and pulled the trigger. Or he could have killed the kids and the mom figured she had nothing to live for and turned the gun on herself. Those are the only logical answers. Nothing he has said up to this point makes any sense. I also want to know - I thought someone said that the lights were on at their house at 3:00am Thursday and the SUV was in the driveway still but Chris was not home, but someone else had said that they heard shots at 2:30am. Were these shots heard at the home of Kimberly and Chris or were they heard in the neighborhood that the SUV was found in? Either way I think the truth will come out and I beleive that the investigators know more than they are saying they just need to get everything straight. Now Chris is missing - now I suppose he is going to be in tomorrows paper as having comitted suicide because now he has nothing to live for. It is also strange that the dogs were being put into a kennel - that leads me to beleive they know that they are going to be arresting him shortly.

confused 2 wrote:

My heart goes out to the whole family. It is very, very sad that anyone could do that to their kids. To look your kids in the face and shoot multiple shots at them. It just makes me sick to my stomach. I don't think that the mom did it. When I look at photos of Chris, I think he looks kind of evil in a way. The picture of the whole family - I think the only one that looks happy is Kimberly. The kids look like they are bothered by something. My speculations are that the dad killed the kids, then she struggled with him to get the gun and it fired at him on accident - then he put the gun in her hand, pointed it at her head and pulled the trigger. Or he could have killed the kids and the mom figured she had nothing to live for and turned the gun on herself. Those are the only logical answers. Nothing he has said up to this point makes any sense. I also want to know - I thought someone said that the lights were on at their house at 3:00am Thursday and the SUV was in the driveway still but Chris was not home, but someone else had said that they heard shots at 2:30am. Were these shots heard at the home of Kimberly and Chris or were they heard in the neighborhood that the SUV was found in? Either way I think the truth will come out and I beleive that the investigators know more than they are saying they just need to get everything straight. Now Chris is missing - now I suppose he is going to be in tomorrows paper as having comitted suicide because now he has nothing to live for. It is also strange that the dogs were being put into a kennel - that leads me to beleive they know that they are going to be arresting him shortly.

I agree with everything you are saying except the part about him committing suicide. He values himself too much. In the line of business he is in, he probably believes himself to be smarter than all of the police departments involved in the case. Classic narcissitic and psychopath behavior (think Scott Peterson killing his pregnant wife Laci in CA). He actually believes that he can charm and bullshit his way out of this. Tonight I watched the fireworks at the Oswego Prairie Fest from my back yard. As the sky lit up, it made me think about Kim and her children and I had to go inside fighting tears, to comfort my very special dog that does not care for this time of year because of fireworks. I also have a very special kitty cat that is not phased by much, but I petted and spoiled her anyway. Now, if what he says actually happened were to be true... why would he avoid going home? What I mean is.. yes it is tragic and heartbteaking I am sure to walk into a home that you worked so hard for and then go in and it is empty... knowing that your family is gone because your wife tried to kill you by grazing your thigh with a bullet and in the meantime shooting your children multiple times. But IF this is true, would you not want to be near the things you held so close as a family? Would you not want to touch your children's toys and smell their clothes and just reflect on what the hell happened? Would you not want to be sure the pets that you and your family loved were with you during this time? That says volumes. Guilt keeps him away.

Perhaps Another Planet wrote:

It is happening all around us... the status, big homes, nice cars and the front of being a happy family. The dream. It is more noticable to us old time Oswego residents.. the subdivisions with the big homes that have popped up everywhere amongst the fields. You never know what goes on behind closed doors anymore and it is safer to assume that your neighbor may not be what they portray themselves to be. "Made in America". It is not about being a good person, friend or community memeber any longer... it is merely putting up the appearance that you are. Because to be a truly good person these days just takes too much effort. Lets just make things appear that they are normal. And how is normal defined anymore? By the media and marketing that is prevelant EVRYWHERE. Living the dream and running up the credit cards. No moral compass. And in the end, what do you have? Yes, I am assuming a lot here.. but my gut feeling tells me they were in deep and his only way out was to end it that led to this tragic outcome that did not have to happen. My heart aches for the children and their mother. His story is bull. Just google earth the location of the scene... now would you pull in there to adjust your luggage rack...? Unbelievable.

I TOTALLY agree...

Brian wrote:

This whole thing may play out like one of those Fox series shows. Then we really get to see what actually happed that night-(morning). The night before: The husband is at the scene at about 10:30 shooting the gun into the air to check for any neighbor response). The next morning: Honey, I’ll get the kids into the car (parked inside the garage at the family’s home). The kids are shot. Bang! Bang! Bang! She comes down and finds him there with the gun in hand.“Get in the car!” He stages her death telling her that she just killed her children and that’s what everyone will believe. Bang! About 5 minutes after the first shots. Then using her hand with the gun, he shoots the children again (to get powder residue on her). Then he undresses and puts the clothing into a plastic bag. Using his underwear he lets himself back into the house to shower and put on a change of clean cloths. He drives to the area off of I-55 (going through a neighboring town that has garbage pick-up that morning to drop the bag in any can that would be emptied before the bodies are ever found). He parks the vehicle. Then he shoots himself in the leg (with her holding the gun), but just a scratch. Then he stages the suicide drop with the gun into her lap. The time difference between running away and returning to find someone with a cell phone,(because you are a successful businessman) but forgot to bring your phone with you…./ You get the picture….

Brian - I hope the detectives on this case think like you and I do - Christopher's story/stories are all TOO ridiculous - I don't believe him for a minute.