‘Murder in Illinois’ aims to answer one question: who killed the Vaughn family?
The second season of this true crime podcast follows the story of convicted killer Christopher Vaughn. How did a family road trip turn into a massacre? This iHeartRadio presentation exposes recent developments, emerging scandals, and uncertainties of this case. With all of these factors considered, the audience is left wondering if Chris was indeed the killer.
In 2007, a family of five embarked on a road trip in Illinois. A day of what was supposed to be filled with family fun at an amusement park became a tragedy. The only left survivor was the father, Chris. But he had little memory of what happened. Chris was found walking on the side of the road with gunshot wounds. His slaughtered family members were found in the nearby vehicle. Chris claimed his wife, Kimberly, shot everyone, and then killed herself. A gun was found by Kimberly in the car’s passenger seat. In 2012, Chris was convicted with four life sentences. Despite this chain of events, Chris’s family believe he’s innocent.
Forensic evidence emerges throughout the podcast series. We hear about inconsistencies, such as when the murder weapon was transported to the morgue, covered with cloth, and then washed.
Season 1 explored a different case. Researchers reopened the Michael Francke Murder in Oregon.
Host, journalist, and reporter Lauren Bright Pacheco interviews Chris’s family members, investigators, journalists, and the defense team to get answers. Lauren was struck by this murder. When scrolling through online articles on the case, Lauren was intrigued by the lost look in Chris’s eyes. Lauren found other people on the internet who, like Chris’s family, question the court’s ruling. Lauren previously worked on the true crime show, “Happy Face.” Episodes of “Murder in Illinois” will be released in 12 parts.
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