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Prosecutors Seek E-Mails From Wife Of Family Massacre Suspect

JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) -- Prosecutors want hundreds of pages of e-mails for the murder trial of Christopher Vaughn of Oswego, who is accused of killing his wife and three children in 2007.

As WBBM Newsradio's Lisa Fielding reports, prosecutors tell the Chicago Tribune the e-mails from Kimberly Vaughn will rebut claims that she was suicidal and shot and killed her three children, and also shot and wounded her husband.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Lisa Fielding reports

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The e-mails may detail Vaughn's Druid religious beliefs and his reported attempts to file claims against his wife's life insurance policy, among other things.

Vaughn's assistant public defender, George Lenard, says the emails aren't relevant and would prejudice a jury against Vaughn.

Vaughn is charged in the June 14, 2007, murders of his wife Kimberly, and their three children – Abigayle, 12; Cassandra, 11; and Blake, 8. Early that morning, state police found the four bodies inside the family's SUV while it was parked on an Interstate 55 frontage road in Channahon Township.

Authorities have said Vaughn had a magazine article about staging crime scenes and "making the death appear to be a suicide," which was confiscated by police.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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