River Falls is a college town in Wisconsin of around 15,000 residents. It’s located around 25 minutes southeast of St. Paul, making it the perfect commuter town for those who want to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. In summer of 2012, police and paramedics in the town were asked to conduct a welfare check at the home of a family. As they entered, the distinct smell of gas emanated in the air but there was no sign of anybody. That was until they proceeded upstairs and entered a bedroom that was splattered with blood.
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Audio Sources:
“Video: Aaron Schaffhausen’s police interview hours after the deaths of his three daughters”
“Family members speak at Aaron Schaffhausen’s sentencing”
“Video: Opening statements in Aaron Schaffhausen’s sanity trial”
Sources:
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 10 July, 2012 – “River Falls Triple Homicide”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 10 July, 2012 – “3 Girls Dead, Dad Arrested”
Associated Press, 11 July, 2012 – “Father Arrested After Daughters Found Dead in Wis.”
Associated Press, 11 July, 2012 – “Wis. Dad Arrested After 3 Daughters Found Dead”
Leader-Telegram, 11 July, 2012 – “Three River Falls Girls Found Dead”
Lodi News-Sentinel, 11 July, 2012 – “Wisconsin Town Tries to Make Sense of 3 Sisters’ Deaths”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11 July, 2012 – “Father of Dead Girls Booked on Murder Charges”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 11 July, 2012 – “Public, Private Gatherings Held for Young Victims”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 11 July, 2012 – “Counselling Services Available for Community Grappling with Girls’ Deaths”
Associated Press, 12 July, 2012 – “Father Charged in 3 Daughters’ Deaths”
The Morning Sun, 12 July, 2012 – “Charges Say Father Slashed Throat of his 3 Daughters”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 12 July, 2012 – “Slaying of 3 River Falls Girls Stokes Community Fears of Domestic Violence”
Star Tribune, 12 July, 2012 – “Town Grieves 3 Bright Girls Full of Spirit”
The State Journal-Register, 12 July, 2012 – “Dad Accused of Killing Three Girls”
Star Tribune, 13 July, 2012 – “In Aftermath of Slaying, Compassion”
Star Tribune, 15 July, 2012 – “Unspeakable Crime is not so Uncommon”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 16 July, 2012 – “Relative of Girls Slain in River Falls Tells of Outpouring of Support”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 23 July, 2012 – “Witnesses Tell of Hysterical Mother”
Associated Press, 24 July, 2012 – “ND Man Bound Over for Trial”
Associated Press, 25 July, 2012 – “Dad Accused of Killing Girls Delusional”
Leader-Telegram, 28 July, 2012 – “Killings of Sisters Raise Awareness of Psychological Toil”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 27 August, 2012 – “River Falls Dad Accused of Killing Daughters Stands Mute at Plea Hearing”
Associated Press, 19 September, 2012 – “Schaffhausen Attorney: Stop Mental Health Visits”
Star Tribune, 19 September, 2012 – “Mental Health Checkups or Helping the Prosecution”
Capital Journal, 9 October, 2012 – “Letting Go”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 18 November, 2012 – “River Falls House Where 3 Girls Were Killed is Pulled from Real Estate Listing”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 21 November, 2012 – “Pretrial Hearing Held in Death of 3 Wis. Sisters”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 30 November, 2012 – “Foreclosure Looming for Home Where Three Girls Found Dead”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 2 December, 2012 – “River Falls Dad Accused of Murder Sobbed During questioning”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 15 December, 2012 – “Insanity Plea Deadline Missed in Girls’ Killings”
Leader-Telegram, 10 January, 2013 – “River Falls Sisters’ Slaying”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 15 January, 2013 – “Schaffhausen Enters Insanity Plea in Deaths of his 3 Daughters”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 31 January, 2013 – “River Falls Killings”
Associated Press, 20 February, 2013 – “Judge Orders Psych 2 Exams in Triple Homicide Case”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 27 March, 2013 – “In River Falls Slayings, Father Pleads Guilty but Insane”
Associated Press, 31 March, 2013 – “Sanity at Issue at Dad’s Trial for Killing 3 Girls”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 31 March, 2013 – “Schaffhausen Erratic Before Killing Girls”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 1 April, 2013 – “Aaron Schaffhausen’s Sanity Trial”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 2 April, 2013 – “Jessica Schaffhausen Gives Emotional Testimony”
Leader-Telegram, 3 April, 2013 – “Jessica Schaffhausen Testifies in Sanity Phase“
St, Paul Pioneer Press, 3 April, 2013 – “Jessica Schaffhausen Testifies that Ex-Husband Spoke of Harming Daughters”
Associated Press, 4 April, 2013 – “Mother of 3 Killed by Father Returns to Testify”
Associated Press, 4 April, 2013 – “Mother of Slain Wis. Girls Talks of Earlier Threats”
Leader-Telegram, 4 April, 2013 – “Ex-Wife of Girls’ Killer Tells Jurors that Schaffhausen Deceived Her”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 4 April, 2013 – “I Feel Homicidal”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 7 April, 2013 – “Schaffhausen Friend Charged with Witness Threat”
Associated Press, 8 April, 2013 – “Man Who Killed Daughters not Insane”
Associated Press, 8 April, 2013 – “Parents of Man Who Killed Daughters Testify”
Leader-Telegram, 8 April, 2013 – “Psychologist Testifies Schaffhausen Sane at Time of Murders”
Leader-Telegram, 8 April, 2013 – “Emotions Run High”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 8 April, 2013 – “Mental Illness Made Schaffhausen not Responsible”
Leader-Telegram, 10 April, 2013 – “Witnesses Paint Schaffhausen as Normal Before Murders”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 11 April, 2013 – “Schaffhausen Insanity Trial”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 15 April, 2013 – “Schaffhausen’s Insanity Claim Rejected”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 14 July, 2013 – “Schaffhausen Gets 3 Life Sentences”
Associated Press, 15 July, 2013 – “Man Who Killed 3 Daughters Gets Life in Prison”
