1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: Murder in Illinois is a production of iHeartRadio. Five weeks 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:11,480 Speaker 1: after the killings, a grand jury indicted Christopher Vaughan on 3 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: four counts of first degree murder in connection with the 4 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,639 Speaker 1: shooting deaths of his wife and three children. His family 5 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:23,240 Speaker 1: has never shared their story or spoken publicly about the murders, 6 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: the investigation, or Chris until now. 7 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 2: Oh. 8 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 3: He has always been curious. If there was a puzzle, 9 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 3: he had to do it. If something was broken, he 10 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 3: would try to fix it. 11 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:42,239 Speaker 1: Long before Christopher Vaughan was known as a killer, he 12 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: was a son and a brother in the Vaughan family 13 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: of Missouri by way of Indiana, the eldest of Gail 14 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: and Pierre Vaughan's three boys. 15 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 2: I compare the other boys to Aiman, I would say 16 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 2: they were more typical. But if he gave Chris something 17 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 2: to do, he did it be slightly different than I 18 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 2: would do it, or somebody else would do it. That 19 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 2: was just him. He had his own way of doing things. 20 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: When Gail speaks of her three sons, there's a definite 21 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: sparkle in her voice that shimmers with pride. But when 22 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:19,839 Speaker 1: she shares specific memories of Chris as a child, there's 23 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: also a sense of awe. 24 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 3: Chris was a natural. Anything he touched, he could do. 25 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 3: He was really good at sports. His academic achievements are amazing. 26 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 4: There was one time it was Christmas and he had 27 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 4: asked for an R two D two. 28 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 3: It was a little motorized robot. Well, he was so 29 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 3: excited when he opened it up and he just his 30 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 3: eyes just oh my gosh, oh my gosh, you know, 31 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 3: and he's bouncing around, and he disappeared and we were 32 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 3: still opening gifts, but he has gone. Well about an 33 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 3: hour or two, Laters comes out of his bedroom and 34 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 3: he was so excited because he came out with a 35 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 3: walking dinosaur holding an object like a card in front 36 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,519 Speaker 3: of him. What he'd done is he'd taken his R 37 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 3: two D two apart and along with some of his 38 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 3: other toys, made a dinosaur butler that tried to carry objects. 39 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 3: The way he could think was amazing. If you have 40 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 3: a routine and you do something a certain way all 41 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 3: the time, but it takes you twenty minutes to do it, 42 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 3: he would look at what you're doing and he would 43 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 3: be able to get the result that you got faster 44 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 3: than what you did in twenty minutes. It was just 45 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 3: aggravating sometimes because you think, man, I've done this forever 46 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 3: and look at the sool squirt. He just showed me 47 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:46,679 Speaker 3: how to do it better and more efficiently. 48 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 4: So now that took quite a bit from us parents 49 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:53,959 Speaker 4: not to Chris do it this way. 50 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 3: Because we tried not to do that. We tried really hard. 51 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 3: All the boys think on your own, you know, think 52 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 3: out of the box, don't always go with the crowd. 53 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 3: So that's kind of what we got. 54 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: I'm Lauren brad Pacheco, and this is murder in Illinois. 55 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:26,079 Speaker 3: You know, think foot baby like sticky, a beautyful bards. 56 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 5: You came to distress Fuxicent. 57 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 2: All on broging hard cards, but you. 58 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 5: Did try to love somewhat. But now you've got to listen. 59 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 6: To Lisa. 60 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: During his trial, Christopher Vaughan was portrayed by the prosecution 61 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: as a fairly monstrous person, a selfish, emotionless man who 62 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: thought nothing of murdering his wife and three children. But 63 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 1: that depiction is at odds with the Chris the people 64 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: closest to him claim to know. As we start to 65 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: unpack this case, it's important to understand who Vaughn was. 66 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: According to those who have known him his entire life 67 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: for more than thirty years. Before Christopher Vaughan was a 68 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: headlined villain and later a convicted killer, he was a 69 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: son and a brother. The eldest of three, Chris's creative 70 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 1: mind set him apart early on. Here's his brother Eric, 71 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: the younger by thirteen months. 72 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 7: Well, I am definitely a middle child, which in my 73 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 7: definition as an instiator and in the moodlifter. Chris has 74 00:04:55,480 --> 00:05:00,080 Speaker 7: always been kind of a rock. He was the brains 75 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 7: of the three of us until a little brother got older. 76 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:09,720 Speaker 7: But he would always be curious on technologies, and you know, 77 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 7: he took a part in my parents' first computer and 78 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 7: ended up blowing it up, which was not a good deal. 79 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 7: He was always curious as to, you know, how things 80 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 7: worked and stuff like that. 81 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: Being so close in age, Eric and Chris were excited 82 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:28,039 Speaker 1: about the prospect of having a younger sibling, but only 83 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: a brother. Here's their dad, Pierre. 84 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 2: There was a time too that when we were living Indiana, 85 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,720 Speaker 2: we found out Gail was pregnant with Adham. That the 86 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 2: boys huddled in their room for all morning and they 87 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 2: come out and they told Gails. They said, yeah, we 88 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 2: decided you need to have another boy, because we really 89 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 2: don't want a girl, and if we have a girl, 90 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 2: we'll have center back. Of course, they were like three 91 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 2: and four years old when that happened, so that was 92 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 2: pretty cute. 93 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: Until recently, Air, who also goes by the nickname Pete, 94 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: kept busy as an estimator and product manager for a 95 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:09,039 Speaker 1: large painting company. He shares his wife's love of all 96 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 1: things outdoors, given the activities they've just finished or are 97 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 1: about to set out on each and every time I 98 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:19,039 Speaker 1: call I joke, they're the most active retired couple I know. 99 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: Here's the youngest, Vaughan Adam's take. 100 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 8: I think my dad probably spearheads that no pun intended 101 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 8: with his enjoyment of the outdoors. He's always pres only 102 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 8: I can remember. He's always been into fishing, fishing and hunting, 103 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 8: just being outside, always doing something in the yard, whether 104 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 8: that's maintenance or or improvement. He doesn't sit still very well, 105 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 8: so out of doors was just always a really good 106 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 8: good place for him. He always said that he could, 107 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 8: you know, sit in a deer stand or or on 108 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 8: a boat fishing and just relax and decompressed from work 109 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 8: and all that. And he attempted to pass that love 110 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 8: of out of doors onto my brother's snary. We did 111 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 8: do a lot of fishing. 112 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: Growing up, Gail says. Chris had an interesting spin on that. 113 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: From an early age. 114 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 3: We taught the boys how to fish for catfish because 115 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 3: they were ponds only used for children to fish in. 116 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 4: But the fish didn't realize that they were in a. 117 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 3: Small pond, and they were very large catfish, and Chris 118 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 3: showed his brother how to catch one. After we caught 119 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 3: a couple, he watched them and he would he always 120 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 3: think of ways to make things better. So what he 121 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 3: did was he would lock his reel once he got 122 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 3: a bike, and he just turned to the shore and 123 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 3: run full speed, dragging the fish out of the water with. 124 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: Him so we wouldn't have to reel it in exactly. 125 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 3: So all the other kids were watching him, going wow, oh. 126 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 3: So pretty soon there were other children doing the same things, 127 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 3: and you know, the catch ratio was much better that way. 128 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: The von boys enjoyed a childhood of camaraderie and healthy competition. 129 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: According to Pierre. 130 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 2: The three boys were close, Chris and Eric. You know, 131 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 2: they were always doing boy things, picking on each other 132 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 2: and stuff like that. And they you know, those two 133 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 2: were close enough where they they would challenge each other 134 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 2: whether we were practicing archery or fishing or whatever. Typical boys, 135 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 2: they had to, you know, have a challenge all the time, 136 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 2: so it was a competition. But no, they were always 137 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 2: great and they looked out after each other, and if 138 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 2: one of them needed help doing something, you know, Chris 139 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 2: would jump in and help them, and the other ones would. 140 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 2: To Adam come a few of the years later, but 141 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 2: they included him in the brotherhood. 142 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 1: Chris in particular, was a huge influence on his youngest brother. 143 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 8: Chris was quite a role model for most of my childhood. 144 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 8: Being five years older than I am, he was kind 145 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 8: of the trendsetter in the house. Being the oldest child, 146 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 8: he had to clear the path with the parents and 147 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 8: between Chris and my other brother, Eric, they were able 148 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 8: to explore both ends of the spectrum, which allowed me 149 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 8: to learn from their mistakes and successes and plot a 150 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:31,720 Speaker 8: path right down the middle. I looked Chris a lot 151 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 8: for some of the direction during what I would consider 152 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:39,599 Speaker 8: my formative years, simple things such as his passion for 153 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 8: soccer or his ability to buckle down and do well 154 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 8: in school. 155 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:50,679 Speaker 1: Even now decades later, somewhat shadowed by the exhaustion and 156 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 1: sadness of the tragedy they've weathered. There's a fondness and 157 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 1: affinity for the bond the brothers have shared since childhood. 158 00:09:58,440 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: Here again is Eric. 159 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 7: You know, we were pretty close to the three of us, 160 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 7: even with the age gap for a younger brother, but 161 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 7: we were the eighth team. Adam, Chris, Eric is what 162 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 7: we dubbed as kids, which is pretty cool. We didn't 163 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 7: have a lot of video games and stuff like that. 164 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 7: We got creative, went outside and did stuff, played outside. 165 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 1: And tell me a little bit more about that. It 166 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: really sounds like your parents instilled a love of outdoor 167 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 1: activity for you guys. So just tell me how did 168 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 1: the outdoors kind of become your playground? 169 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 7: Well, I think what started at a pretty early age. 170 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 7: I was probably a five six seven range. On weekends, 171 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 7: usually either Saturday or Sunday, Mom and Dad would load 172 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 7: us up in the back of the pickup truck and 173 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 7: we go out to Bush Wildlife, which is a wildlife 174 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:08,079 Speaker 7: area that has like forty some odd man made lakes, 175 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 7: and we'd spend the whole day fishing. If we got 176 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 7: board fishing, then we had brought games and stuff, so 177 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 7: we'd go back to the truck and play games, and 178 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 7: we'd have a picnic lunch. And as we got a 179 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 7: little older and parents trust us a little more, we 180 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 7: would go fishing. They it actually he could rent like 181 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 7: a John boat, but they wouldn't give us the trolley motor. 182 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,199 Speaker 7: We had to row with oars. That was a lot 183 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:37,559 Speaker 7: of fun. It was like the three Stooges in a boat. 184 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 1: According to Adam, that sense of humor wasn't limited to 185 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:41,839 Speaker 1: the water. 186 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:45,560 Speaker 8: Something comes to mind that makes me smile. Chris was 187 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 8: probably about medium height and build. Eric was a little 188 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 8: smaller and a little thinner, whereas I was always the 189 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 8: large one in the group. Always carried a little bit 190 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:01,959 Speaker 8: more weight than I wanted to you, So for a 191 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 8: number of years there I was actually larger than Eric. 192 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,079 Speaker 8: What Chris and Eric figured out is that one of 193 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 8: them could stand behind me. It was almost like a 194 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 8: ventriloquist skit where I would stand there and move my 195 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 8: mouth and then one of them would talk from behind me. 196 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 8: I was just kind of the teenage hijinks that we 197 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 8: got into. 198 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 1: The Vaughns all convey a functional family and a loving home. Again, 199 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:31,440 Speaker 1: here's Adam. 200 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 8: I'd say we were a pretty tight knit family. Both 201 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 8: parents were engaged in seeing that my brothers and I 202 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 8: followed the rules and did our best to do whatever 203 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,439 Speaker 8: it is that we were tasked with doing, whether that 204 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:52,800 Speaker 8: be school or work or sports. My mom had the 205 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 8: opportunity to stay home most of my school years, so 206 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 8: she was around and involved. My dad worked, but he 207 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 8: did make the effort to still interact with us quite 208 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 8: a bit after work. He was, you know, a baseball 209 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:15,280 Speaker 8: coach for Chris and Eric for quite some time. Cool 210 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 8: thing about that was it was it was kind of 211 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:21,520 Speaker 8: a family thing, and I got to be the bat 212 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 8: boy for a number of years as well, so that 213 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 8: was one of the family type events that he did. 214 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 1: Well. It sounds like Gallon Pierre gave Chris and his 215 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 1: brothers an idyllic childhood. With three boys, you'd imagine there 216 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: would be the potential for a lot of fights or 217 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 1: physical altercation, but that was against family rules, and it 218 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: was also against Chris's nature. According to Gail, he was pretty. 219 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 3: Much kind of time and he wasn't a mean spirited person. 220 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 3: He still isn't. 221 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 8: Well. 222 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 3: The first rule of the house was you can't hit 223 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 3: the other person. You can holler at him, but you're. 224 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 5: Not supposed to knack anybody, So there was no physical 225 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 5: fights between them or anything. And they were all just 226 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 5: really good and work played well together all the time. 227 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 3: He was just so good. 228 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 1: Nothing we found and Crispond's upbringing or history suggests a 229 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: predisposition or inclination towards any sort of violent behavior. His 230 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 1: mother recalls he had a special affinity towards animals. 231 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 3: Yes, that is true. 232 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 4: He's especially like cats, all kinds of cats, domestic panthers, tigers, 233 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 4: makes no difference, just as long as as a cat. 234 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 4: And he admired their abilities the most because they were independent, 235 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 4: They were great parents to their cubs. They have an 236 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 4: ability to observe and ponder before pouncing instead of like 237 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 4: a dog just rushing. 238 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 3: In growing up, that thing to be what he was. 239 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 4: Trying to strive for, as in his abilities to be 240 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 4: independent and to observe before he did something. 241 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 3: And we did have one. 242 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:23,520 Speaker 4: Cat when he was growing up in Manchester along with 243 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 4: our great name. Her name was Stormy, and she was 244 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 4: just a regular domestic cat and Chris had a lot 245 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 4: of patients and he taught her to do tricks and 246 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:37,120 Speaker 4: he taught her to sit up and wave, and he 247 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:40,320 Speaker 4: could tell her to wave one paw or wave the 248 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 4: other paw, and then he also taught her to play fetch, 249 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 4: among other things. Those are the things I remember the most, 250 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 4: because it's kind of hard to get a cat to 251 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 4: bring you anything back unless they want to. 252 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: That patience and sensitivity seems to have gone hand in 253 00:15:56,480 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: hand with a bit of introversion. Many I've interviewed Chris, 254 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: particularly in his youth, as quiet and thoughtful. 255 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 3: There was one time in elementary school he was going 256 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 3: to be in a Christmas play and he was all 257 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 3: dressed out in his little outfit, and when it came 258 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 3: for him to go on to stage, he crawled under 259 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 3: his desk and stayed there. He didn't want to be 260 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 3: on the spotlight. But as he got older he got 261 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 3: a little better. Because he and a girl in junior 262 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:31,680 Speaker 3: high for a speech contest, they did a like a 263 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 3: little skit about Mark Twain and he. 264 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 4: Did really, really, really well, and he started coming out 265 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 4: of his shell a little bit. 266 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:46,320 Speaker 1: That may have coincided a bit with teenage hormones and 267 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 1: Chris's growing effect on girls. Here's how Adam puts it. 268 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 8: He was definitely able to catch the eyes of the 269 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 8: fair sex. I was always envious to that as well. 270 00:16:59,240 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 8: As I said he. 271 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 2: Was. 272 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:04,399 Speaker 8: He was kind of the goal of what I wanted 273 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:05,160 Speaker 8: to be. 274 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:09,440 Speaker 3: Back to Gail, Well, he enjoyed talking to girls. 275 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 4: I mean, Chris was and is a very good looking 276 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 4: young man. 277 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 3: They would just do anything to talk to him. But 278 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 3: he really didn't date, so to speak. He was shy 279 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 3: at the dand says he didn't want to do that 280 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,359 Speaker 3: and we didn't pressure it. But he would talk to 281 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:34,360 Speaker 3: his girls on the phone, and it seemed like there 282 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:36,679 Speaker 3: for a while he had all of his girlfriends were 283 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 3: the name of Christie, Kristen, Christy. He told me that 284 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,639 Speaker 3: that was so if he said their name, they all 285 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,440 Speaker 3: sounded the same and they wouldn't know he was talking 286 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 3: to somebody else. 287 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 1: But while he may have joked about it with his mom, 288 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:54,520 Speaker 1: Chris wasn't overly comfortable with female attention. 289 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:59,160 Speaker 4: No, They overwhelmed him sometime and he just kind of 290 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:01,920 Speaker 4: took it, tried and treated him nicely, but. 291 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 3: He just did not single any one girl out, which 292 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:07,640 Speaker 3: drove him crazy. 293 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: And then right before Chris's first year of college, he 294 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: finally met the girl who would end up breaking that pattern. 295 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 3: He and his brother Eric were working at a miniature 296 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:23,919 Speaker 3: golf place and two girls came past this one girl 297 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 3: made a Tommy joy and he goes, oh, really, and 298 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 3: somehow he just picked her ball up and threw it 299 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 3: in the water. 300 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 4: Well, then she demanded he got here another mall, and 301 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 4: it seemed like he was just instantly smitten with her. 302 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:46,600 Speaker 3: I mean, it was just a click. He was just there. 303 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 1: That encounter wasn't just by chance. Through a mutual friend, 304 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:54,720 Speaker 1: his brother Eric met the girl he thought Chris needed 305 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:59,400 Speaker 1: to meet, and in a way, Chris's fate was sealed. 306 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:07,360 Speaker 7: Vocally with introducing Chris to Kimberly. Through Kimberly's friend Colleen. 307 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 7: I knew Colleen from when I was in middle school. 308 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 7: At high school, her parents owned the golf driving range, 309 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,800 Speaker 7: and that summer I was working as a painter's apprentice 310 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:21,679 Speaker 7: from the company, my painting company my dad worked for 311 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:25,439 Speaker 7: during the day, and then you know, I would go 312 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:31,359 Speaker 7: from there to the golf driving range after they closed 313 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:34,879 Speaker 7: and helped pick up golf balls. Well, one evening when 314 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:37,920 Speaker 7: I was up there, Kim was up there visiting colleens. 315 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 7: So I got to talking with him and a little bit, 316 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:44,400 Speaker 7: and then I went home, you know, next day, told 317 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:47,440 Speaker 7: Chris that he really needed to come up and meet 318 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:50,199 Speaker 7: this person. You know, I think he did work together. 319 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 1: Even though Kimberly was a bit older, Eric thought she'd 320 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:57,159 Speaker 1: nicely balance Chris's more quiet, introspective nature. 321 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 7: Well, my first impression she was very bubbly. You could 322 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 7: see that she was pretty intelligent, just with the witty 323 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:09,359 Speaker 7: comments that she would come back with when I was 324 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 7: making jokes or picking on her. Slender blonde several years 325 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 7: older than myself, so I wasn't unnecessarily interested, but I 326 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 7: could tell she had a really good personality and all 327 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:26,359 Speaker 7: in all seemed to be like a nice person. That 328 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:28,639 Speaker 7: was my first impression of her, for sure. 329 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 1: Once christ and Kimberly started hanging out, things progressed quickly. 330 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:36,600 Speaker 7: They would come over and you know, she'd bring her 331 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 7: school books and stuff like that, and they would sit 332 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:44,879 Speaker 7: in the front room and talk and you know, appear 333 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 7: to be doing homework er studying or whatever. He would 334 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:51,800 Speaker 7: go see her in the evenings whenever he was available, 335 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 7: and you know, it was more frequent that they were 336 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:58,040 Speaker 7: hanging out, so it was noticeable that, you know, they 337 00:20:58,080 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 7: were getting to know each other better. 338 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 1: Gail picks it up here. 339 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 3: From there, they started dating, I mean seriously dating, dinner, movies, 340 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:13,040 Speaker 3: drive picnics, and going to her house a lot. 341 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 1: Chris and Kimberly apparently became serious right. 342 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:21,439 Speaker 4: Away instantly, I mean there was no in between, just 343 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:25,440 Speaker 4: from just talking to all the girls to one. 344 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:30,080 Speaker 1: But Pierre didn't necessarily feel they were an ideal match. 345 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:33,399 Speaker 2: She was more or less the one decided that she 346 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:38,480 Speaker 2: wanted to be with Chris and talking with Chris. Other 347 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 2: than having a good time when they were together, they 348 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 2: really had nothing in common. 349 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:46,439 Speaker 1: Having raised Chris and his brothers to have strong and 350 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 1: active ethics, both in terms of work and recreation, Pierre 351 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: and Gail found Kimberly's inclinations more sedentary and cerebral. 352 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 2: With Chris, we had him doing so many different things, 353 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 2: and he worked at Summer help in construction. I had 354 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 2: him out in the field painting and delivering goods to 355 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 2: the painters, and so he got some construction experience. And 356 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:17,760 Speaker 2: Kimberly's family their bookworms, their college people, and they never camped, 357 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,439 Speaker 2: they hiked, they stayed in the house. When they weren't 358 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:25,360 Speaker 2: studying or reading books, they were watching TV. So they 359 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 2: weren't outdoors people at all. So Chris was like this 360 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 2: amazing person that knew a lot about everything, and she 361 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 2: was very sheltered, so you know, that was another thing 362 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:39,200 Speaker 2: that she liked about him. 363 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: We want to reiterate here that the Phillips family has 364 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 1: declined our request for an interview. What we are presenting 365 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 1: is the Bond's take on the dynamic between the young couple, 366 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 1: one in which they saw Chris as the protector, even 367 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:55,719 Speaker 1: though he was younger than kim by two years. 368 00:22:56,200 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 3: Chris was always good night in shining armor. He was 369 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:05,879 Speaker 3: always rescuing, and Kimberly came across as being very, very needy, 370 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:09,680 Speaker 3: and she was always arguing with their parents, and she 371 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 3: was in tears about something that happened during the day, 372 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 3: and he was always trying to boister her up and 373 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:22,960 Speaker 3: make her happy again and try to solve her problems. 374 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: And as Chris was heading to college, there was another 375 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:29,199 Speaker 1: reason why the Bonds may have wanted that to be 376 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:30,959 Speaker 1: his focus. Here's Adam. 377 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:34,919 Speaker 8: I do remember a conversation between my parents and Chris 378 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:40,400 Speaker 8: prior to Chris leaving for school in regards to Kimberly. 379 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 8: At that point, Chris was the first vawd that I 380 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:49,080 Speaker 8: was aware of that attended college. My parents told him 381 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 8: pretty directly that they didn't anticipate his relationship with Kimberly 382 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 8: to be a long term the situation because they wanted 383 00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 8: them to focus on school, and Chris, of course took 384 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 8: offense to that, as most hot blooded teenage boys will, 385 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:11,680 Speaker 8: and said he would find a way to make it work. 386 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: Did you ever think in a million years that Chris 387 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,439 Speaker 1: would come home from college and tell you guys he 388 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:18,200 Speaker 1: was getting married. 389 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:24,199 Speaker 8: No, well that's not entirely true. I remember one Friday 390 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:28,679 Speaker 8: night at Pizza Hut, we had a conversation basically to 391 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 8: the effect that with three boys, this was my dad talking, 392 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 8: do you expect us at some point to be curious 393 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:40,919 Speaker 8: and eventually to want to be a girl? It was 394 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:44,120 Speaker 8: my dad's attempt at telling us to use protection if 395 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 8: we ever chose to go that group that got me thinking, oh, wow, 396 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,679 Speaker 8: I guess my brothers are into things more advanced than 397 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:52,080 Speaker 8: where I was. 398 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 1: During Chris's first and only year of college in Missouri, 399 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:12,400 Speaker 1: he was traveling to see Kim fairly often. Here's Gail. 400 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:15,280 Speaker 3: She was going to Missou at the time in Colombia, 401 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 3: and he was in Ralla, Missouri, so he would make 402 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:21,920 Speaker 3: the trip quite often and not tell us about it. 403 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:24,600 Speaker 3: There was just no way you could put a webs 404 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:25,280 Speaker 3: between them. 405 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 1: And while Chris had traditionally done fairly well in school, 406 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:34,280 Speaker 1: Gail believed his growing relationship with Kim started to change that. 407 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 3: Back in high school, all of his classes were honors classes. 408 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:42,000 Speaker 3: He had been on the honor wall the entire high 409 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:48,560 Speaker 3: school four years, and then once he got Durala and Kimberly, his. 410 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 4: Grades started showing signs of stress. His report cards were 411 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:56,919 Speaker 4: terrible and he just couldn't concentrate. 412 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:01,480 Speaker 1: It's interesting that Gail pointed out what she perceived from 413 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:06,439 Speaker 1: Chris was stress rather than happiness, but academic achievements in 414 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: general represented very different goals to both families. Here's Pierre's 415 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:12,800 Speaker 1: take on the Phillips. 416 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:17,439 Speaker 2: They're basically professional students. They went to college and they 417 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:19,560 Speaker 2: got their degrees, and they kept going back and got 418 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:24,359 Speaker 2: more degrees, and they eventually, you know, worked around the college. 419 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:28,680 Speaker 1: Keep in mind, Chris was the first Bond to attend college, 420 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: while one of Kim's sisters obtained multiple graduate degrees. According 421 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: to the Vaughn family, the discrepancy left them feeling judged. 422 00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 7: Here's Eric, especially Kim was one of Kim's sisters. I mean, 423 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:46,679 Speaker 7: even up into the anth that they happened in O seven, 424 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:52,879 Speaker 7: she was still said doctorate in multiple master's degrees, and 425 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 7: to the lifelong student that pretty much ran on their 426 00:26:57,280 --> 00:27:01,920 Speaker 7: side of the family. I think with Susan being Kim's mother, 427 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:05,600 Speaker 7: I believe she had a master's degree also in teaching. 428 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 7: If you didn't have that, you weren't good enough for 429 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:12,639 Speaker 7: anybody type attitude. I just let it roll off my 430 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:15,200 Speaker 7: shoulder as they go, Well, I mean, you know, I'm 431 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 7: not a book smart person. I'm more of a street smarts. 432 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:20,199 Speaker 7: You know, you show it to me once I can 433 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:24,040 Speaker 7: stand up and give a presentation on it. Versus they 434 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:28,239 Speaker 7: were very much book smart individuals, especially. 435 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:31,119 Speaker 1: In the early stages of the relationship. The Vaughns didn't 436 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:35,080 Speaker 1: have many encounters with Kim's family, but when they did, 437 00:27:35,359 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: they felt definite discomfort. Eric recalls a holiday dinner they 438 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 1: attended at the Phillips home. 439 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:47,639 Speaker 7: Well, we went over and we met Kimberly's parents for 440 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 7: the first time, and it was definitely an odd, odd family. 441 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:57,080 Speaker 7: Her dad and her mom had a unique relationship coming 442 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:00,639 Speaker 7: from my family and seeing their family is like, I 443 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 7: don't know how this works. And I remember thinking to myself, 444 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:05,719 Speaker 7: if I had to grow up in a house like this, 445 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 7: I wouldn't be home very much at all because I 446 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:09,359 Speaker 7: wouldn't want to be here. 447 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:13,159 Speaker 1: Decades later, this is how he remembers that evening. 448 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 7: Jim's mom definitely ran the household. She was a teacher 449 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:22,199 Speaker 7: at a local high school. And Kim's dad, Dell, he 450 00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:26,800 Speaker 7: was a attorney X army guy, I believe, and he 451 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:30,680 Speaker 7: was very submissive. She asked him to do anything, he'd 452 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:32,679 Speaker 7: jump up and just go run and do it. And 453 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 7: I had not ever seen, you know, married couple act 454 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:41,360 Speaker 7: like that before. It was not cut the tension with 455 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 7: a knife type, but it was definitely awkward. My parents' opinion, 456 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 7: if I remember correctly, it was we're doing this for 457 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:53,320 Speaker 7: Chris and Kim, we really don't want to be here 458 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 7: type thing, just because it just felt weird when you 459 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 7: were there. And Tim's mom couldn't cook with a darn, so, 460 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:06,480 Speaker 7: you know, my mom being a really good cook, and 461 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:10,360 Speaker 7: which rubbed off on me, you know, very critical on 462 00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:13,360 Speaker 7: you know, the dishes that they chose to serve. 463 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 1: So Eric recalls the time frame of that meal was 464 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:18,040 Speaker 1: odd too. 465 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 7: Yeah, we got there at like six o'clock. They waited 466 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 7: until we got there to actually start cooking it. In 467 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:28,320 Speaker 7: my mind, I would have prepped the stuff because there's 468 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 7: a lot of like chopping and preparing that you could 469 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 7: have done ahead of time, but they didn't. They waited 470 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:38,560 Speaker 7: until we got there to start cooking. So when we 471 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,920 Speaker 7: got there, you know, Kimberly was helping her mom in. 472 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 7: Kim's dad, Dell, was in the living room watching TV, 473 00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 7: and my parents and you know, I was kind of 474 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:53,040 Speaker 7: bouncing back and forth instead of sitting in front of 475 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 7: the TV. But yeah, we came over to expecting dinner, 476 00:29:56,880 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 7: not to sitting awkwardly converse for almost three hours before eating. 477 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 1: Kim and Chris's relationship progressed in an equally awkward way 478 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:09,560 Speaker 1: for both families. Here's Gail. 479 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 3: I had a very strong reaction. Chris came back on 480 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:19,520 Speaker 3: Valentine's Day or Mother's Day and says, well, I'm going 481 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 3: to marry Kimberly because we're expecting and being the night 482 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 3: shining armor, he was going to take care of what 483 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:33,880 Speaker 3: he had done. And I was very upset with him, 484 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 3: to say the least, that actually put a little rift 485 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:41,520 Speaker 3: in between us for a while, but I got over 486 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 3: it because he was determined. He had a determination that 487 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 3: when he started something, he was going to finish it, 488 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 3: and he was actually looking forward to a family. 489 00:30:55,880 --> 00:31:01,440 Speaker 1: Christopher Vaughan was nineteen. Pierre was upset to especially since 490 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 1: he believed Kimberly's father had been enabling the situation the 491 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:09,680 Speaker 1: entire time without Gail or Pierre's knowledge. 492 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 2: I had pretty much the same reaction as Gail did. 493 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 2: I was not happy with it. And then, like I said, 494 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:19,880 Speaker 2: we found out later that her father was driving her 495 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 2: down for the weekends and stuff like that and. 496 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 3: Just dropping her off and supposedly staying with a girlfriend, 497 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 3: but it never turned. 498 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 2: Out that way. Yeah, she was really staying in Chris's 499 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:35,440 Speaker 2: dorm because his roommate was either staying with somebody else 500 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 2: or going home for the weekends and stuff like that. 501 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:41,800 Speaker 2: And then one thing led to another and we were grandparents. 502 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:47,040 Speaker 2: But like Gail said, you know, Chris took responsibility for 503 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 2: it and everything like that. Even though he was not 504 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:52,720 Speaker 2: happy with the situation either, he wasn't going to walk 505 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:53,240 Speaker 2: away from it. 506 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 1: We will be revisiting the unexpected nature of Kim's pregnancy 507 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:02,040 Speaker 1: in another episode, but the time, Eric wasn't all that 508 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:05,520 Speaker 1: aware of the real reason his older brother was getting hitched. 509 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 7: He didn't come out and tell me he was getting 510 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:11,840 Speaker 7: married or the reason for getting married necessarily, but he 511 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 7: alluded to it, and you know, I kind of drew conclusion. Okay, 512 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:19,560 Speaker 7: they've been dating for six, seven, eight months or so. 513 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,920 Speaker 7: They seem to be pretty serious. I mean, that's natural progression. 514 00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:28,680 Speaker 1: Their wedding day perhaps included a slight foreshadowing of problems 515 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 1: to come. 516 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:32,880 Speaker 7: The wedding itself went off without a hitch, you know, 517 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 7: when they got to the point of the pastor said 518 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 7: if anybody has objections, please say so now, and then 519 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 7: enlightening struck. That was a little awkward. It didn't rain. 520 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:47,040 Speaker 7: It was just like a heat lighting or something like that. 521 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:50,280 Speaker 7: So I made a big boom. He had beenished saying it, 522 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 7: and then within like ten seconds, you know, it happened. 523 00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 7: It was just like, okay, that's weird. Everyone kind of 524 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:00,280 Speaker 7: looked around at each other and kind of, you tell 525 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:03,760 Speaker 7: everyone a snicker in a little bit amongst themselves, but 526 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 7: standing up in the front looking back on everybody in attendance, it. 527 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 1: Was kind of funny he was still a teenager. But 528 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:15,720 Speaker 1: Chris brought that same driven ethic he'd applied to academics 529 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 1: and life in general into his marriage. Here's Pierre. 530 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 2: He responded very well. He was working full time and 531 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:26,800 Speaker 2: trying to upgrade his job up times a year. It 532 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:30,800 Speaker 2: was pretty amazing because he would change jobs, you know, 533 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:34,200 Speaker 2: half dozen times a year just to improve himself, and 534 00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:37,160 Speaker 2: every time he did he made more money. But as 535 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:42,640 Speaker 2: far as taking responsibility, Jim really didn't cook, so after 536 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 2: work he would come home and cook the meals and 537 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:45,920 Speaker 2: stuff like that. 538 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:50,120 Speaker 1: As newlyweds, Chris and Kim weren't quite able to afford 539 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 1: their own place at first, especially with a baby on 540 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:55,360 Speaker 1: the way. Here again is Eric. 541 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:58,560 Speaker 7: Once they got married, they stayed with Dell and Susan 542 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 7: for quite a while they didn't have their own place, 543 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:06,200 Speaker 7: and then at some point in time they stayed with 544 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:10,520 Speaker 7: my parents. My dad and I and Chris. We made 545 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 7: an apartment with a full bathroom in the basement at 546 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:17,439 Speaker 7: my parents' house. They kind of kept to themselves when 547 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:20,120 Speaker 7: they were there in the house. They were downstairs, and 548 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:22,400 Speaker 7: I really didn't go down and bug them too often. 549 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:26,239 Speaker 3: Here's Gail's take they had nowhere to stay and they 550 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:30,360 Speaker 3: had no money, so we had a downstairs apartment, a 551 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:33,720 Speaker 3: one bedroom, and that's where they stayed until two days 552 00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 3: before they induced our granddaughter's birth, and after that they 553 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:44,160 Speaker 3: stayed with Kimberly's mom and dad, and Kimberly's mom and 554 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:49,399 Speaker 3: dad were overly protective and didn't really let anybody come 555 00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 3: and visit. 556 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:54,040 Speaker 1: According to both Pierre and Gale, Kim's family started to 557 00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:57,279 Speaker 1: edge out the bonds from the young couple's lives, and 558 00:34:57,320 --> 00:34:59,200 Speaker 1: they perceived it as judgmental. 559 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:07,520 Speaker 2: Basically, Kimberly's parents attitude towards Chris and our family was 560 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:10,040 Speaker 2: that we were the people who lived on the other 561 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:14,040 Speaker 2: side of the tracks, and we were dumb and illiterate 562 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:18,680 Speaker 2: because we didn't have college educations, and that. 563 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:20,759 Speaker 3: Was a big deal in their family. College. 564 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:24,280 Speaker 1: Apparently Kimberly didn't escape that judgment either. 565 00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 3: Actually, they looked down on Kimberly because she hadn't gotten 566 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 3: a diploma on some specific venue. She never followed her 567 00:35:34,239 --> 00:35:40,839 Speaker 3: master's or did any dissertations to create anything, so her 568 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 3: parents actually treated her just like they treated us at times. 569 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:50,400 Speaker 1: After Abigail was born, Gail says Kim's parents quickly turned 570 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:54,120 Speaker 1: into gatekeepers of sorts, making it hard for the Bonds 571 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:54,560 Speaker 1: to visit. 572 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 3: My parents were still alive and at the time of 573 00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:02,640 Speaker 3: the birth of Abigail, and we were all so very excited, 574 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:06,520 Speaker 3: and my parents came up to celebrate and come and 575 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:09,920 Speaker 3: see the baby, and we were actually turned away at 576 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:16,160 Speaker 3: the door of Kimberly's moms, saying that they were busy 577 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:20,840 Speaker 3: and they didn't have time to see them us, which 578 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:24,399 Speaker 3: my mom was broken hearted. Pretty much. 579 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:27,800 Speaker 1: The Vaughan say they weren't even allowed to visit until 580 00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:30,600 Speaker 1: months after the baby was born, at. 581 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:35,480 Speaker 6: Least two or three months, so she was probably three 582 00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:37,920 Speaker 6: months old when we really started to get to see her, 583 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:40,680 Speaker 6: because that's when Kim's mom said it was okay for 584 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:42,760 Speaker 6: them to come out and visit the world. 585 00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:48,319 Speaker 1: In addition to restricting access, Gale and Pierre claimed Kimberly's 586 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:52,040 Speaker 1: mom asserted an odd control over the way Ken and 587 00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:53,000 Speaker 1: Chris parented. 588 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:58,640 Speaker 2: Kimberly's moms had weird ideas under things, baby shouldn't be 589 00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:02,000 Speaker 2: in sunlight, the baby shouldn't drink water, this, you know things. 590 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:04,239 Speaker 2: It was just very strange. 591 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:08,080 Speaker 1: Eventually things loosened up and Gale and Pierre were able 592 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:10,919 Speaker 1: to visit as often as they could. Kim and Chris 593 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:13,880 Speaker 1: had finally gotten a place of their own, just in 594 00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:15,120 Speaker 1: time for more news. 595 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:17,600 Speaker 2: Wasn't too long after that that they moved out of 596 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:24,120 Speaker 2: Shorty's parents' house and and got an apartment, and so 597 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:26,920 Speaker 2: then we could we could come over and see the kids. 598 00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:30,880 Speaker 3: It was just Abigail at the time, and then we 599 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:36,919 Speaker 3: found out that and was pregnant with the Sandy. Then 600 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:39,719 Speaker 3: Chris just kept building from there, and he decided that 601 00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:43,319 Speaker 3: the apartment that he had was not big enough, so 602 00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:46,560 Speaker 3: they he took it upon himself to get a house built. 603 00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:51,080 Speaker 1: The kids came quickly. They're firstborn, Abigail, and their second Cassandra, 604 00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 1: were born just a year apart. Chris applied an equally 605 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:59,520 Speaker 1: accelerated approach to applying for employment, a typical but effective. 606 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:04,440 Speaker 4: First he applied for a job, and it wasn't just 607 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:06,960 Speaker 4: a small job, it wasn't a fast food. He was 608 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:14,120 Speaker 4: going for executive status at major companies, and for some 609 00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:17,120 Speaker 4: reason they would call him back and they send us 610 00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:19,319 Speaker 4: your resume. He says, no, I would rather have a 611 00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:23,600 Speaker 4: face to face, and he never used a resume. 612 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:28,160 Speaker 3: What he did was he researched the company, he would 613 00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:33,080 Speaker 3: find weaknesses within the company. Then when he was at 614 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:34,919 Speaker 3: the face to face, he would advise on. 615 00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:40,200 Speaker 4: How to strengthen or relieve the weaknesses, and he would 616 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:44,160 Speaker 4: actually just sell himself on how valuable he was on 617 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:49,160 Speaker 4: fixing their problem and darning he got hired every single. 618 00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 1: Time, even without a college degree, Chris would quickly create 619 00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:57,680 Speaker 1: an impressive career that would bring affluence to his young family. Unfortunately, 620 00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:33,000 Speaker 1: the couple's relationship would not be as successful. On the 621 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:36,359 Speaker 1: next murder in Illinois, Kim and Chris present as a 622 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:40,520 Speaker 1: picture perfect family with behind closed doors, their marriage is 623 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:44,400 Speaker 1: marred by dysfunction and the stress of Chris's career. 624 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:49,960 Speaker 2: When nobody else was around, that dark side would come out. 625 00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:54,000 Speaker 3: We noticed Chris turning more into a loner. He would 626 00:39:54,040 --> 00:39:57,040 Speaker 3: be in the family, but he wouldn't laugh and be 627 00:39:57,080 --> 00:39:57,560 Speaker 3: as happy. 628 00:39:58,520 --> 00:40:01,480 Speaker 2: Kimberly's parents said, if you do you ever mistreat my daughter, 629 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:05,279 Speaker 2: or if you ever divorced my daughter, or anything like that, 630 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:08,600 Speaker 2: you'll regret it for the rest of your life. 631 00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:11,800 Speaker 3: I was contacted by a reporter. She told me of 632 00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:15,120 Speaker 3: the terrible accident. Then she told me that there were four. 633 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:21,680 Speaker 1: Dead Murder and Illinois, a production of iHeartRadio. Executive producers 634 00:40:21,719 --> 00:40:25,760 Speaker 1: are Lauren Bright Pacheco and Taylor Chackoine. Written by Lauren 635 00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:29,920 Speaker 1: Bright Pacheco and Matthew Riddle, Story editing by Matthew Riddle, 636 00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:34,200 Speaker 1: Editing and sound design by Evan Tyre and Taylor Chaqoine. 637 00:40:34,560 --> 00:40:38,680 Speaker 1: Featuring music by Cicada Rhythm with new compositions engineered and 638 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:43,439 Speaker 1: mixed by Evan Tyre and Taylor Chaqoine. 639 00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:54,120 Speaker 8: Sunday Day World is sad, it so and leave it all. 640 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:56,520 Speaker 3: It's just STAGEO. 641 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:05,040 Speaker 1: What's that used in a dream with our juerneys. 642 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:12,040 Speaker 2: E Speeze is so live? 643 00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:14,640 Speaker 7: Wait you. 644 00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:24,560 Speaker 8: Chake you up? Wait you w. 645 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:29,919 Speaker 2: Shake you Up. 646 00:41:57,160 --> 00:41:59,799 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, check out the 647 00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:03,680 Speaker 1: eye Heeartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get the 648 00:42:03,760 --> 00:42:05,080 Speaker 1: stories that matter to you.