Jurors in the Vaughn murder trial got the case on Thursday afternoon. After less than an hour of deliberations, they notified the judge they had reached a verdict.
During the five week trial, prosecutors argued that Vaughn, 37, shot his wife, Kimberly, and three children -- Abigayle, Cassandra, and Blake -- because he didn't want a family life. Vaughn's defense attorneys argued that Kimberly killed the children, and shot at Vaughn, who received graze wounds to his wrist and thigh.
"She idolized her husband. Felt bad that he had to travel so much for work. Not someone who wanted to do in her husband," Will County Assistant State's Attorney Michael Fitzgerald said.
"The evidence in this case is so overwhelming. It conclusively proves Chris Vaughn is guilty of these murders," Will County Assistant State's Attorney Chris Regis said.
"You don't know, ladies and gentlemen. You really don't know what happened in the car. You really don't know," George Lenard, Vaughn's attorney, said.
The Oswego family was on its way to a water park in 2007 when Kimberly and the three children were shot to death in the SUV on an outer road near Channahon.