Extradition Hearings Await Ill. Man Charged In Deaths Of wife, Children

Sunday, June 24th 2007, 7:24 pm

By: News On 6

CHICAGO (AP) _ Authorities said Sunday that they plan to bring a computer security consultant accused of gunning down his wife and three children back to Illinois from Missouri as soon as possible to face murder charges.

While Gov. Rod Blagojevich hadn't yet received an extradition order for Christopher Vaughn, his spokeswoman said Sunday afternoon that the governor wouldn't delay signing the document once he gets it from prosecutors.

``We're prepared to sign that just as quickly as we get it,'' said Abby Ottenhoff.

Vaughn, a 32-year-old computer consultant from Oswego, was arrested by Illinois State Police on Saturday morning at a funeral home in a suburb of St. Louis just before he was to attend a memorial service for his family.

Investigators say Vaughn killed his wife and children in their red sport utility vehicle. Their bodies were discovered June 14 in the parked SUV along a service road in Channahon, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago, after a wounded Vaughn flagged down a motorist.

He was being held Sunday on a $1 million cash bond in the St. Charles County Jail in Missouri, where he has also been charged with being an out-of-state fugitive, said Cpl. Michael Crane with the county department of corrections. Vaughn could be in court as soon as Monday, Crane added.

Prosecutors in Illinois said they were determined to bring Vaughn back to his home state _ and soon.

``I guarantee you that we will spare no expense and no effort in getting him back here quicker than you can imagine,'' Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow said Saturday.

But Vaughn's attorney, David Waltrip, has said his client plans to fight extradition. Waltrip did not return messages seeking comment Sunday.

Authorities have been mum about what evidence allowed them to seek an arrest warrant from a judge late Friday. The charges were built from interviews, forensic evidence, computer files and phone records, authorities said.

Christopher Vaughn had superficial gunshot wounds in the leg and arm, Glasgow said. His wife, Kimberly, 34, was shot once, while each of their children _ Abigayle, 12; Cassandra, 11; and Blake, 8 _ were all shot twice. His 9 mm handgun was found at the scene, authorities said.