Christopher Vaughn Gets Four Life Sentences For Killing Wife, Family
By Chuck Sudo in News on Nov 27, 2012 5:30PM
CBS File Photo
Vaughn showed little emotion as the sentences were handed down by Will County Judge Daniel Rozak and read along with impact statements by four members of his late wife’s family. Will County prosecutors read two, the others were read by Kimberly Vaughn’s mother, Susan Phillips, and her twin sister, Jennifer Ledbetter. Vaughn appeared to wipe his eyes as Ledbetter read her impact statement, while Phillips described Vaughn as “a selfish coward” who "destroy(ed) the very best thing that he had, a loving wife and three amazing children."
Vaughn long claimed his wife was responsible for killing their children and herself, while wounding him in a murder suicide plot en route to a Springfield water park. Investigators found a magazine article on how to stage crime scenes in the Vaughn family home; found that Vaughn visited a gun range the day before the murders; and that he was the beneficiary of his wife’s life insurance policy. Vaughn also admitted to cheating on his wife.
Late last week, Vaughn’s attorneys filed a motion for a new trial, claiming the antics of the higher profile Drew Peterson trial next door somehow resulted in an inability for Vaughn to receive a fair trial. Rozak stopped his sentencing to find against that motion. Rozak also indicated a wish that the Death Penalty was still an option in Illinois, noting he found his sentencing options “very frustrating.