On Tuesday, July 10, 2012, Jessica Schaffhausen received an unexpected call from her ex-husband, whom she had divorced in February, asking to visit with their three daughters. Since Aaron Schaffhausen‘s move to Fargo, North Dakota, a few months prior, the girls hadn’t seen their father as much so Jessica agreed.
When Schaffhausen arrived at his ex-wife’s home at 2790 Morningside Avenue in River Falls, Wisconsin, he told the babysitter she could leave.
What happened between the babysitter’s departure and the arrival of police to the home at 3:32 p.m. that afternoon is known only by four persons.
And three of them are dead.
According to reports, Jessica Schaffhausen received a call from her husband stating he had “harmed the children.” Jessica, in turn, frantically called police from her cellphone as she rushed toward home.
When officers entered the residence they immediately noticed a strong gas odor and observed the fireplace had been activated. It was then they discovered the lifeless bodies of Jessica and Aaron’s daughters: Amara Schaffhausen, 11; Sophie Schaffhausen, 8; and Cecilia Schaffhausen, 5. An official cause of death has not been released as of this writing.
Aaron Schaffhausen had left the home before the officers’ arrival but was arrested when he turned himself in Tuesday evening. Since his arrest Schaffhausen has remained tight-lipped about what could have possibly possessed him to kill his daughters.
Providing only a vague hint at possible trouble is a 2009 domestic incident to which River Falls police responded and a “harassment incident” filed in March 2012 wherein Aaron threatened to harm one of his daughters. Specifics about each report is unknown but neither resulted in Order of Protections or restraining orders.
I can’t speak for the future jury that’s sure to hear this case but, for me personally, there is not a single excuse Aaron Schaffhausen can give for killing his children.
Zip. Nada. Zilch. None.
Having read story after story about pathetic parents such as Aaron Schaffhausen, I think I can guess what “excuse” he’ll use as a defense.
Dusting off my crystal ball, I see Aaron saying -
- He was angry with Jessica for breaking up their family and killing his offspring was how he decided to punish her
- He was ordered to pay more child support than he could afford and it was better for them to die than to live in poverty <insert eye roll>
- He was suffering severe depression after the divorce and wasn’t in his right mind. Ya think?
- He missed them so much and wanted them all to be together againso he planned a triple murder/suicide but chickened out (or something went wrong) after he murdered them
- His ex-wife had a new boyfriend he feared was going to take his place as Daddy and he couldn’t bear the thought of it. Smooth move, pal, now you’re not only their Daddy but their KILLER too!
Maybe Aaron Schaffhausen will give us an unique defense but I seriously doubt it. Since Wisconsin doesn’t have the death penalty, maybe he’ll do taxpayers a favor and plead guilty. I’m certain, however, his allocution will include one of the foregoing excuses (I’m placing my money on the “mental illness” defense, especially since a couple of interviews with family are already hinting as such).
At the end of the day, there is simply no excuse for these little young girls to be dead. This wasn’t some horrific accident. This was a deliberate execution of father’s plan to end his children’s lives. And for the next umpteen years, Wisconsin taxpayers will have to feed, clothe, and shelter this murderous bastard who callously snuffed out three beautiful lives he helped create.
So… tell me again why America shouldn’t have the death penalty? Because right now I’m having a tough time believing we shouldn’t.
Updated July 13, 2012: The official cause of death for the Schaffhausen sisters has been recorded as being the result of multiple stab wounds. Additionally, it has been reported Aaron Schaffhausen, who turned himself in clothing covered in his daughters’ blood, had recently been fired from his job – which leads me to believe he’ll claim both the child support and mental distress as a defense. <insert another eye roll>
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Obviously, he has some sort of personality disorder. Not making any excuses for him, but those sorts of things aren’t necessarily predicted by the perpetrator or recognized by the victim. A big ego for Aaron goes along with my arm-chair diagnosis. Sometimes, that manifests itself as “confidence” and “an out-going personality”, which in some eyes, makes him a good catch. All I’m saying is, really, really get to know your partner before you marry. Know strengths and weaknesses and kick ‘em to the curb BEFORE you marry, if something ugly reveals itself! It may save your life or the life of someone you love!
Well said. VERY well said.
this article should either be updated or taken down. It’s full in inaccuracies.
1. Child support was not in question
2. He told her “you can come home now. I killed the kids.” She asked if he was joking and he made a noise and hung up.
3. I don’t think we ever really know who we marry. I think she thought he was a great guy.
4. 3 Doctors state he has a major depressive disorder. Well so do I but you don’t see me killing my child.
5. More than likely he is sociopath. Which would make him very difficult for any person to spot. Sociopaths are able to appear to be “normal” until they snap! Then you know the person you’re dealing with.
6. The girls had their throats slit and the 5 year old was strangled as well. Maybe she just wouldn’t die fast enough for him. There were no “multiple stab wounds”.
7. Just released in court this week, he offered to pay someone to kill his family.
8. He told multiple people that he was having fantasies of “slitting the girls’ throats.”
9. He drove halfway there one time and then “changed his mind” and went home
10. Aaron lived in Minot, ND not Fargo.
11. The babysitter asked the mother if she could leave and she said it was ok. The babysitter never would have taken orders from Aaron. I also think if she would have refused to leave, there would have been a 4th victim.
This man is dangerous. He does not belong in a mental hospital (Mendota Mental Health), he belongs in a maxium sercurity prison (Grant County) where he will hopefully be released into the general population. Prisoners have a code of conduct of their own. A guy that kills kids is the lowest of the low in prison. We may not have the death penality in Wisconsin, but he will never be free to hurt another child or his wife again.
This is more of an editorial/opinion piece than news. At the time this was written, the information contained herein was what was reported.
That said, I agree that he should be in prison. But he is innocent until proven guilty so I’ll accept that a mental hospital is the best place to be until he is convicted. Definitely better than him being out on bail.