JOHN J. KIM / SUN-TIMES
Reporters surround a car as it exits the Baue
Funeral and Memorial Center on Friday after
the wake of Kimberly Vaughn and her three
children in St. Charles, Mo.
BY DENISE CROSBY
What the heck. Isn't our local murder as newsworthy as the one in Ohio? While the national media has dabbled with the story of the Oswego family murder, it's been overshadowed by the blanket of attention given to the slaying of 26-year-old Jessie Davis.
Both crimes share horrific similarities. They involve the slayings of young mothers and their children. And in both cases, the fathers stand accused of the murders. Yet the Ohio story has garnered the most coast to coast coverage and I can't figure out why. Could it be because Jessie Davis was missing before her body was discovered; or because she was about to give birth (much like Laci Peterson, and we all know how the press ran with that story)? Or could it be because Jessie was a beautiful young white woman in a relationship with a black police officer?
Read Thursday's Viewpoint page to find out more about how the two cases compare, including a look at possible motives.
And now, the Vaughn headlines are getting buried even further with the case involving professional wrestler Chris Benoit, who police say choked his wife and young son to death before killing himself. Obviously, this crime is just as horrible -- police say Benoit may have used a wrestler's chokehold to kill his child. But someone who kills his loved ones, then takes his own life, strikes me as a different kind of killer than someone who allegedly slays his entire family, then walks away from the bloody murder scene and tries to profess his innocence. Yet as incomprehensible as the Vaughn murder is, it seems to have dropped even further off the national radar, without causing any real ripple.
Nancy Grace (CNN) had a short segment (maybe 15 minutes)on the Vaughn case last week. It followed a whole evening on the Ohio "Missing Mom" case. I assumed that after the husband was arrested and charged there would be more national coverage.
The Vaughn murder story has all the elements of a thriller. It gives me the goose bumps. The beautiful mother with the million dollar smile-the intelligent and endearing children, the sinister father who morphs into a P.I., specializing in corporate espionage and security. The bloodbath--committed by cold blooded daddy packing a 9mm hunk of heat. The lies. The ultimate betrayal. The web of deceit.
I, too, like you, Denise, can not possibly fathom why this hasn't been seized by the national media. It has consumed many in this area. I have personally obsessed over it because of my fascination with anomalous behavior. It has made me realize that media is very selective of what stories are aired. Apparently our tragedy with 4 people blown away with a 9 mm was less worthy than a murdered single mother pregnant for the second time by a married man. I am not judging that, just stating that those facts surely played into the decision to give this extreme airtime.
it had enough pubicity. more would have bee harder on her family there is such a thing as privacy REMEMBER
It's sad to say that the Paris Hilton fiasco and the story of the Ohio woman have captivated the media for weeks and the story of the "monster" father from Oswego has been put on the back burner. It's news that needs to be reported so other "potential" people contemplating the same actions as Christpher Vaughn see that there is no "perfect crime" and that you always get caught. His employment background can't save him now!!
I'm appalled that the Vaughn case is not getting the national attention that it deserves. It's even more tragic than the Ohio case, the Pro-Wrestler and even the Scott Petersen case. However, now that a few high profile attorneys have been hired, we may begin to see more national coverage.
Enough about Paris Hilton...PLEASE!!
I think this should not be a national thing... Give the poor family some privacy... as far as Chris Vaughn..there should be no hearing for coming back to Illinois. The story from the get go was a fricking lie.. he is as guilty as could be.. he should already be back here and already in the death chamber as far as I am concerned. How in the world could you kill your own children ,let alone your wife?????? If it was that bad divorce her!!!! As far as the memorials at the house...neighbors you should be ashamed.....totally ashamed of yourselves...WHY CAN YOU NOT GIVE KIMBERLY AND HER CHILDREN THAT MUCH!!!!!!!!!
Who do those people in the Vaughn neighborhood think they are taking a memorial that those children worked so hard on. Unless her family personally asked you to, you had no right. I hope you get shunned for the rest of the year.
Do we really want this kind of national attention for our community? SWChicagoland already is in the national news because of the missing Plainfield woman and her friends' and family's savvy PR effort. I commend that effort toward getting information and resolution, however I wonder why the people of Sugar Grove would want an ongoing media circus. I'm sure the builders and developers, as well as many homeowners, would like this to just settle into the dust.
I feel the same as the entries above. I think it's rediculous and not only that , What's up with all the secrecy on evidence. I follow a lot of these cases and have never seen the secrecy of evidence as with the Vaughn case. Do they have any or not.??? Were the angles for ballistics what they were supposed to be, was the time frame kosher, etc . How about some questions answered. If the evidence is so strong , than what do they have to worry about? Do some reporting give us something factual. The government officials are making the public doubt that they have nything at all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!