Dec 21, 2007 10:47 pm US/Central
Chris Vaughn Took Out $1M Insurance Policy On Wife
Policy Could Be Presented As A Motive For The Alleged Murders Of Vaughn's Wife And Their 3 Children
OSWEGO, Ill. (CBS) ―
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Christopher Vaughn (back left) is accused of killing his wife and the couple's three children.
CBS
Was money the motive for an Oswego man accused of murdering his family and then covering it up? Revealing documents in the Christopher Vaughn case suggest that might be what happened.
As CBS 2 West Suburban Bureau Chief Mike Puccinelli reports, Vaughn stood to gain $1 million if his wife, Kimberly, died. Information about Vaughn's life insurance policies was released at a Kendall County estate hearing attended by CBS 2 news partner the Aurora Beacon News.
Vaughn could be put to death if he's convicted of killing his wife and their three children, Abigail, Cassandra and Blake. They were found shot to death in the family's sport-utility vehicle just more than six months ago.
CBS 2 legal analyst Irv Miller, when asked if the policy adds up to a motive, said: "A $1 million life insurance policy is an absolute, dead bang motive. And if the case goes to trial, that's going to be one of the key pieces of evidence against him in court."
Vaughan's defense attorney, Scott Rosenblum, in a brief phone interview, said "I don't think it's appropriate to comment on the facts of the case."
When asked about the money being a possible motive, he responded "cases are not won or lost in the press."
On the Oswego block where Kimberly Vaughn and the children used to play, the life insurance revelations revealed plenty to the Vaughns' next door neighbor.
"From the very first day I was thinking what was the motive," said Mohammad Ansar. "And it came to our discussion that there might be an insurance policy pending."
If Vaughan was after money, it's highly unlikely he'll get any, unless he's acquitted.
"The slayer statute is that you cannot inherit based upon an ill deed that you do," Miller said. "In other words, if you kill somebody, you can't benefit from it."
After Kimberly Vaughn was killed, her home was put up for sale and her mother was in charge of her $1 million life insurance estate. But a judge ruled Friday that a third party should take control, and that no money can be removed without a court order. An exception was made for about $30,000, the cost of the funeral for Kimberly Vaughn and the three children.
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