Christopher Vaughn indicted in connection with the murder of his three children and his wife

in

July 25

JOLIET – A grand jury on Wednesday (July 25, 2007) indicted Christopher D. Vaughn on four counts of first-degree murder in connection with the June 14 shooting deaths of his wife and three children in Channahon Township.

Vaughn, 32, of 711 Mansfield Court, Oswego, is scheduled to be arraigned before Circuit Judge Daniel Rozak at 9:30 a.m. on Friday (July 27) in courtroom 405. The four-count bill of indictment was returned before Judge Rozak on Wednesday afternoon (July 25).

Vaughn is accused of shooting his wife, Kimberly Vaughn, 34, and his three children, Abigayle, 12, Cassandra, 11, and Blake, 8. The four victims were found inside a red Ford Expedition that was parked on a secluded service road near Bluff Road and Interstate 55 at about 5:30 a.m. June 14.

The indictments allege Vaughn shot his wife and three children “without lawful justification and with the intent to kill.”

Vaughn remains in custody with no bond in the Will County Jail.

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow has yet to determine whether he will seek the death penalty in this case. Glasgow has convened a committee of assistant state’s attorneys from his office to review evidence in the case to assist him in making that decision. The state’s attorney has until Oct. 30 to make that determination.

Glasgow will personally prosecute this case when it goes to trial.  His second chair will be Assistant State’s Attorney Lea Norbut, chief of the state’s attorney’s criminal division. His third chair will be Assistant State’s Attorney John Connor, who heads the state’s attorney’s computer crimes unit.

The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office reminds the public that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.