View Full Version : James Kraig Kahler guns down wife, children and 89 year old
believe09
12-01-2009, 09:40 AM
I was suprised not to see this case here already-please merge if I missed it.
This is a former Kansas City official who lost his seat when he was convicted of domestic violence. He and his wife were going to court on custody issues in January and she had, say it with me folks, an ACTIVE restraining order against him. He broke into his wife's grandmother's home on Thanksgiving and shot everyone except for his 10 year old son who managed to escape to the neighbors and call 911.
He is being charged with capital murder in the deaths of his wife and children, and first degree attempted murder in the shooting of the 89 year old grandmother. He drove from Missouri to Kansas to execute his family.
Please take a moment to view the picture on Yahoo of him in his prison oranges-he is anorexic or clearly physically ill. I am leaning to the anorexia personally, but I suppose we will find out as the story unfolds.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091201/ap_on_re_us/us_kansas_slayings
The article mentions he was a misogynist and was totally disinterested in his daughters. I suppose that is why his son is alive today....
passionflower
12-01-2009, 10:05 AM
what a coward!
stilettos
12-01-2009, 10:27 AM
I was suprised not to see this case here already-please merge if I missed it.
This is a former Kansas City official who lost his seat when he was convicted of domestic violence. He and his wife were going to court on custody issues in January and she had, say it with me folks, an ACTIVE restraining order against him. He broke into his wife's grandmother's home on Thanksgiving and shot everyone except for his 10 year old son who managed to escape to the neighbors and call 911.
He is being charged with capital murder in the deaths of his wife and children, and first degree attempted murder in the shooting of the 89 year old grandmother. He drove from Missouri to Kansas to execute his family.
Please take a moment to view the picture on Yahoo of him in his prison oranges-he is anorexic or clearly physically ill. I am leaning to the anorexia personally, but I suppose we will find out as the story unfolds.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091201/ap_on_re_us/us_kansas_slayings
The article mentions he was a misogynist and was totally disinterested in his daughters. I suppose that is why his son is alive today....
BBM I would guess Meth!
Courtney1981
12-01-2009, 03:14 PM
I agree, I was thinking drugs when i saw his pic!
Missizzy
12-01-2009, 04:16 PM
Believe09--Thanks for posting this. When I saw it last night, I was too tired to do it, I'm afraid. My very first thought was of Phillip Garrido. Kahler is certainly gaunt, isn't he? I doubt, though, that he would have been reviewed well enough for this position if he were a meth user. That's pretty tough to hide. Something caused his new employers not to like what they got, though. I also wonder about HIV/AIDS? Possibly he was "in the closet" and had been for a long time...thus at higher risk of having been exposed to HIV. JMO
I had to actually look up the word "misogynist". I had the word confused with "anti- miscegeny" (one who believes in the mixing of the races--like ME!!) Four years of high school Latin never help with words from the Greek. So, a known hater of women? How would people know this? This isn't the sort of thing, especially when married to a woman and the parent of two daughters, that one would want the neighbors to know about. Hmmm. Has he published work about this. Does he openly espouse this or is this just a supposition by the attorney:
"From the facts I heard, I think he was a misogynist," Pingelton said."
It's very odd, though, that he placed the son in a safe location and also didn't harm himself. We've seen so much of that lately but the dynamics here seem to be totally different.
Given the location, I have to admit that I also instantly thought of the Mohler case. So far, though, I don't see a connection.
A very sad case. I'll be watching this one.
Missizzy
12-01-2009, 04:20 PM
Believe09--Can you edit the title of this thread? The man's name is Kraig with a "K" and it sounds as if that's the name he goes by. Might get confusing. Thanks!!
believe09
12-01-2009, 04:27 PM
Believe09--Can you edit the title of this thread? The man's name is Kraig with a "K" and it sounds as if that's the name he goes by. Might get confusing. Thanks!!
I asked Adnoid to fix it for us...
SunnieRN
12-01-2009, 05:37 PM
I have no idea how a person could perform such an act of cowardice. If you are tired of life and the way your life is going, kill yourself, not innocent victims.
I so feel for this poor boy, 10 years old boy. I can't imagine the pain he is dealing with!
Missizzy
12-02-2009, 02:39 AM
This man is as scary as it gets:
"Adam Fink, a Columbia computer forensics investigator, said in an e-mail to the Tribune he was hired by Karen Kahler in July to protect her computer from a relentless hacker. He believes her estranged husband was that hacker.
Calling him “very computer literate,” Fink said, “In all my years of investigating computer crimes and misdeeds, I have to say he was the hardest to track down.”
Fink said a remote user changed the settings on computers owned by Karen and Lauren Kahler, allowing the user to read every piece of data sent out or received from their Columbia home. Someone also changed the security settings on the router in the household to give outside computer systems access to the in-home network."
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2009/dec/01/slain-woman-was-target-of-online-stalker/
I found the two girls on Myspace--lovely, vibrant, normal seeming late teens. Lots of talk about missing Texas and friends, planning possible careers. Posted the day before they were killed. It's just overwhelming to think that they were there and now they're not.
Fermi
12-02-2009, 03:23 AM
The girls were in a band: Daze Off
I believe this is their mother, Karen, in this photo with them.
Such a senseless tragedy - I am so heartbroken for these girls.
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=91560678&albumID=54626&imageID=2455660
Filly
12-02-2009, 03:32 AM
How tragic. Such a senseless act of cowardice.
Here's a photograph of this guy at a "power lunch" in August. No matter what the cause of his weight like didn't someone go "What the heck is wrong here?". I'd be afraid of this guy.
http://www.columbiabusinesstimes.com/1698/2008/08/08/the-new-center-of-power/
believe09
12-02-2009, 08:52 AM
How tragic. Such a senseless act of cowardice.
Here's a photograph of this guy at a "power lunch" in August. No matter what the cause of his weight like didn't someone go "What the heck is wrong here?". I'd be afraid of this guy.
http://www.columbiabusinesstimes.com/1698/2008/08/08/the-new-center-of-power/
TY Filly-he was impossibly thin then and he is skeletal now. Anytime you can see the tendons in someone's face and arms, there is an issue.
The story regarding the hacking interested me quite a bit-I know someone who has been in a similar situation and there is little relief out there in the courts. The high level stalking Kahler was doing is difficult and expensive to nail down to even get sufficient evidence before a judge which would perhaps support a restraining order....and we can see what happens when someone is driven to continue to try and control someone who is trying desperately to get away. A classic case of you can run, but you cannot hide. That is all this guy wanted to prove in the end. It is quite likely his itch has been scratched and now he will not care what happens to him.
These guys have to fit a profile-there has to be a better way of identifying someone with this level of obsession before they kill the object of the obsession....OMG. It makes me so very, very sad. His wife took all the right steps to try and protect herself and her family.
SkewedView
12-02-2009, 09:12 AM
Here's a great article about the daughters:
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/11/30/teachers-friends-mourn-children-lost-triple-homicide/
Texas Mist
12-02-2009, 12:57 PM
:(
<snip>
A Kansas grandmother who was critically wounded during a weekend shooting that left three of her relatives dead has died in a Topeka, Kan. hospital, a spokeswoman with the Kansas Attorney General’s office said Wednesday.
Dorothy Wight, 89, died shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday, three days after a gunman killed her granddaughter, Karen Kahler, 44, of Columbia, Mo. and Kahler’s two teenage daughters, Emily Kahler, 18, and Lauren, Kahler, 16.
more here (but doesn't look like other updated details)
http://www.star-telegram.com/local/story/1804835.html
RIP, Dorothy.
cclearly
12-03-2009, 12:28 AM
Last spring the Kahlers were involved in a domestic dispute. He was arrested and charged with domestic battery and she filed for divorce. (By the way, I think that today would have been his day in court on those charges)
He was asked to step down from his job not too long after the incident - officials stated that his maritial problems were effecting his job. Incidently he was the highest paid city employee of Columbia Mo - at $150,000 a year.
I think his weight loss could just be due to the fact he has not come to terms with his marriage being over, the charges he was facing and his loss of control over his family and the loss of his job. I have no idea if this is true, but I have seen it before.
This is an unimaginable crime that he will have to live with unless he gets the death penalty. His poor son! I can't imagine what kind of person does this!
This same small rural Kansas county, Osage, had another multiple homicide by a father back in january. The father killed his children (I think 3 kids) then killed himself after setting fire to the house. His wife - the children's mother was at work. She found out that something was wrong when school officials called her at work to see why the kids weren't in school. She called a neighbor to go to the house to see if her husband was there. The neighbor could not get an answer at the door and then waited for the mother to come home -- they went in and found the kids and father dead - the house has been on fire but i think it went out.
Lovejac
12-03-2009, 01:34 AM
Here's a great article about the daughters:
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/11/30/teachers-friends-mourn-children-lost-triple-homicide/
What beautiful girls. Such a senseless tragedy.
Missizzy
12-06-2009, 02:16 AM
An excellent article on the legal stressors facing Kraig Kahler. It saddens me to see that his estranged wife was actually worried about his health and the fact that he was ignoring his daughters.
“It wasn’t like he was facing D-Day. That wasn’t the situation here at all.”
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2009/dec/05/Kahler/
No, but his wife, daughters, and grandmother-in-law did face D-Day.
Neighbor
12-06-2009, 11:05 PM
I know Karen and her family personally. What did the dad do to their home computers for him to see all incoming and outgoing email? He was even sending emails from her account to her friends to slander her. Can someone do this by changing computer settings alone and without adding a computer program? Karen had a computer tech guy check her computer twice and never found any foreign software.
I know Karen and her family personally. What did the dad do to their home computers for him to see all incoming and outgoing email? He was even sending emails from her account to her friends to slander her. Can someone do this by changing computer settings alone and without adding a computer program? Karen had a computer tech guy check her computer twice and never found any foreign software.
I really know nothing about this kind of stuff, but recently my dad had a problem with his computer and called tech support. They were able to access his computer remotely with his permission, to diagnose the problem. I would imagine this technology could be used in illegal ways as well.
I am so very sorry for the loss of your friends, they were beautiful ladies.
May they rest in peace.
Neighbor
12-07-2009, 08:37 AM
I don't think Karen ever really knew the danger she was in. You wouldn't think your husband of 23 years would be capable.
believe09
12-07-2009, 11:22 AM
I know Karen and her family personally. What did the dad do to their home computers for him to see all incoming and outgoing email? He was even sending emails from her account to her friends to slander her. Can someone do this by changing computer settings alone and without adding a computer program? Karen had a computer tech guy check her computer twice and never found any foreign software.
I am so very, very sorry for your loss...yes, there are many different ways to accomplish something like this. Really it is military level hacking essentially-if her husband had access to people in the military or with contractors that worked in IT, he could get the programs that would make this possible. It may have been a tapped phone line or tapped network that ultimately let him in-lay people would never in a million years imagine something like this could happen, but when it does it is such a nightmare...I can imagine how Karen felt-thinking she was crazy and then knowing that she was never going to be out of his reach. I have a friend who has been through this.
Missizzy
12-07-2009, 12:00 PM
Believe09 and Texas Mist--I am not a techie but have a question. Is this type of cyber-stalking or surveillance what you suspected in the Jared Mohler search warrant, Texas Mist? I remember you commenting on the routers, etc. Given the fact that LE had a report from a year ago about the Mohlers, could LE have been tracking the computers in JM's home? Just wondering. I'd like to understand this a little more. We've had some strange things happen with our computers and telephones and there's certainly a group of very disgruntled people (our children's rapist's family/friends) who do NOT like us.
On another issue, has anyone seen any mention of Kraig's health? I didn't see anything on the MS pages. I'm thinking that he must have HIV or a serious metabolic disorder. I would think if he was anorexic or undergoing chemo, that would have been mentioned in the reports. He had a great job with benefits so could have easily accessed thyroid meds, chemo, or retrovirals. I wonder if any heavy duty meds he was on could have been a factor in his rage? He does not look like a healthy man. His deceased wife was a trainer and I would think that there would be some mention of a health issue with him if it had been long term. Has anyone seen any older photos?
believe09
12-07-2009, 12:13 PM
Believe09 and Texas Mist--I am not a techie but have a question. Is this type of cyber-stalking or surveillance what you suspected in the Jared Mohler search warrant, Texas Mist? I remember you commenting on the routers, etc. Given the fact that LE had a report from a year ago about the Mohlers, could LE have been tracking the computers in JM's home? Just wondering. I'd like to understand this a little more. We've had some strange things happen with our computers and telephones and there's certainly a group of very disgruntled people (our children's rapist's family/friends) who do NOT like us.
On another issue, has anyone seen any mention of Kraig's health? I didn't see anything on the MS pages. I'm thinking that he must have HIV or a serious metabolic disorder. I would think if he was anorexic or undergoing chemo, that would have been mentioned in the reports. He had a great job with benefits so could have easily accessed thyroid meds, chemo, or retrovirals. I wonder if any heavy duty meds he was on could have been a factor in his rage? He does not look like a healthy man. His deceased wife was a trainer and I would think that there would be some mention of a health issue with him if it had been long term. Has anyone seen any older photos?
We can break this out to the jury room or the Mohler thread, but the first thing I would do is call your ISP and phone company and ask them to check for any tracing that might be on your line either at a juncture box or by router. My friends trace was on her juncture box on her phone line.
Missizzy
12-07-2009, 12:37 PM
Thank you Believe09. It's been done before, during the trial. But it wouldn't hurt to have it done again.
I just found this on Kraig Kahler:
The article (dated 9/8/09) states that Mr. Kahler's resignation was asked for and received due to family problems and lack of focus which was unlikely to change. I find it interesting that he was receiving the "maximum separation pay" and thus, would have been far less stressed than I originally thought about finances. I guess that means, though, that his consultancy would have just ended.
This was all about control. But we knew that. I'm still intrigued by the statements that he was a misogynist. That seems to be a very strong label to throw at a guy (very probably deserved but still strange). That statement came from Dan Pingleton, Karen Kahler's attorney. You just don't see labels like that very often. I wonder if this problem was also apparent in the workplace?
http://www.themaneater.com/blogs/politics/
“I have no doubts about Kraig’s professional integrity and intelligence,” Watkins stated in the release, “But he is experiencing some difficult family issues at this time. In my opinion, this has affected his focus on the department in a way that is not likely to change in the near future.”
Watkins said Kahler left his position in good standing and is receiving the maximum separation pay allowed by city ordinance. He is also available on a consultancy basis for the next two months."
Neighbor
12-07-2009, 05:10 PM
Photos from New Years Eve show Kraig Kahler as slight of build. Other photos in the past show this too. Compare his mug shot from his March assault to his recent one and you can tell there is a loss in weight but he was already thin.
All 4 family cars were 1990's models. His recently purchased (June 08) house is for sale at $379,000. I think he lived modestly as the Weatherford, TX Director of Utilities for 10 years and got a huge pay raise coming to Columbia, Mo. The city council had to make an exception to pay him $150,000 per year making him the highest paid city employee.
Karen's tech investigator said he was physically changing router settings and port security settings only. But it took a second visit to her home for him to figure this out. You wouldn't expect the cyber attack coming from inside the home. Other than sitting outside her house picking up her unprotected wireless signal, I am not sure how he was watching and sending out from her email accounts. He was sending out emails to her friends trying to disparage her. He even made a fictitious MySpace page called mommymonster.
I cannot imagine what Karen was going through. She did not hide. She did not run. I think she thought his anger would only be directed toward her. That's the sense that I got when I talked to her about the slashed tires and asked if there is any reason my family should be afraid of this man? She said no and that it was just an annoyance. This was before I even knew it was her husband that was doing this.
I wonder if this piece of flesh sitting in a Kansas jail thinks he won. I wonder if 40 years from now if he will think that it was those around him that made him do these things and it’s not his fault. Can anyone with such a warped sense of reality understand that killing your wife and children is not winning? Will he ever feel sorry for what he has done? What about what he has done to the little boy he spared, what will become of him?
Missizzy
12-07-2009, 06:05 PM
Neighbor--You must be going through quite a bit of trauma after losing your friends. I'm so so sorry for your loss. Was there any concern about Kraig's health and his gaunt appearance? He just doesn't look like a physically healthy man. And all this talk about him being a misogynist (a hater of women). Does that ring true for you?
Who knows what he's thinking. I'm just relieved that the little boy did survive. Is there family available to take him in. His whole world turned upside down.
Missizzy
12-07-2009, 06:17 PM
I can't stop thinking about the way Kraig Kahler looks. I have a good friend who has Graves disease and he went through a period of looking much like Mr. Kahler, before he was successfully treated. I remember him telling me that he just could not figure out what was wrong with his temper as he was agitated and angry all the time, which was totally out of character. Anyway, just a thought about a possible contributing factor:
http://www.thyroid.ca/Guides/HG06.html
The symptoms and signs of Graves' hyperthyroidism are due to the effects of excess amounts of thyroid hormone on body function and metabolism. Common symptoms include weight loss, nervousness, irritability, intolerance to hot weather, excessive sweating, shakiness, and muscle weakness. Other signs include a rapid pulse, loss of body fat and muscle bulk, thyroid enlargement (goitre), fine tremors of the fingers and hot, moist, velvety skin.
About 50% of patients also have significant eye signs (Ophthalmopathy). The eyes, which bulge from their sockets are red and watery and the lids are swollen. Quite often the eyes do not move normally because the swollen eye muscles are unable to work precisely. The remaining 50% of patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism may have slightly bulging eyes because of spasm of the muscle of the lids, giving them a staring appearance.
Thyroid hormones have a wide variety of effects on the body and the symptoms and signs reflect these. In simple terms, all the metabolic processes are "speeded up"; for example, the pulse rate is rapid (over 100), bowel function is increased (diarrhea), and the sweat glands work excessively. The nervous system is also stimulated so that the patient becomes irritable and nervous. Despite increased appetite, the patient usually loses weight because food intake cannot keep up with the increased breakdown of body proteins. The end result is a thin, hot, nervous patient with "poppy" eyes and a goitre - a classical clinical situation quickly recognized by any medical practitioner who has previously seen such a patient."
believe09
12-07-2009, 07:15 PM
Photos from New Years Eve show Kraig Kahler as slight of build. Other photos in the past show this too. Compare his mug shot from his March assault to his recent one and you can tell there is a loss in weight but he was already thin.
All 4 family cars were 1990's models. His recently purchased (June 08) house is for sale at $379,000. I think he lived modestly as the Weatherford, TX Director of Utilities for 10 years and got a huge pay raise coming to Columbia, Mo. The city council had to make an exception to pay him $150,000 per year making him the highest paid city employee.
Karen's tech investigator said he was physically changing router settings and port security settings only. But it took a second visit to her home for him to figure this out. You wouldn't expect the cyber attack coming from inside the home. Other than sitting outside her house picking up her unprotected wireless signal, I am not sure how he was watching and sending out from her email accounts. He was sending out emails to her friends trying to disparage her. He even made a fictitious MySpace page called mommymonster.
I cannot imagine what Karen was going through. She did not hide. She did not run. I think she thought his anger would only be directed toward her. That's the sense that I got when I talked to her about the slashed tires and asked if there is any reason my family should be afraid of this man? She said no and that it was just an annoyance. This was before I even knew it was her husband that was doing this.
I wonder if this piece of flesh sitting in a Kansas jail thinks he won. I wonder if 40 years from now if he will think that it was those around him that made him do these things and it’s not his fault. Can anyone with such a warped sense of reality understand that killing your wife and children is not winning? Will he ever feel sorry for what he has done? What about what he has done to the little boy he spared, what will become of him?
I thank you for speaking out for your friend.
For now, I am sure he is at peace for the moment because he completed his mission. Once he realizes that his son will not be under his tutelage or control, he will start to become concerned again and likely agitated.
It sounds to me like he had gone 'round the bend-they removed him from his position and maximized his payout because he must have been exceptional at one time and it was cheaper than rehab or whatever was going to happen if they just canned him outright....ie lawsuit for firing someone who might have been disabled mentally or physically.
It kills me that his wife believed only she was his target-it kills me that she believed he would not murder his own children simply because they were female. I can see his hatred in the action that took their lives-I can see his determination that they would not slip from his grasp. His wife did everything right-and in the end I am in despair because nothing can protect anyone from a human heart bent on destruction.
Neighbor
12-08-2009, 12:09 AM
I was not close to Karen but we were friendly neighbors. We never saw each other outside of our neighborhood and I was never in her home. She picked up my mail for me while I was on vacation and I warned her son about bouncing his baseball off the bricks between the windows of his home. Our kids have a shared back yard. Sean and Lauren would wave to me every day when they went to school. Lauren would ran back inside the house every time because she would forget something while Sean stayed inside the cold Suburban while it slowly warmed up.
It has been a bad time for me and I am just numb. My father past away last year. And more recently a car drove through our house and displaced my family for over a month while they rebuilt our home. Karen came over to see the damage and to see if everyone was alright. This was about the time Kraig was breaking into her house. I have never seen Kraig in person. When she filed for divorce is when her and the kids moved into my neighborhood. I never once saw him pick up the kids for visitation or otherwise. Kraig has to go back to court this Thurs to get the additional murder change since the great grandmother died. I can't understand how he could kill so many people. You would think that when he shot the first one the others would either run or throw something at him or all charge him at once. I just cannot fathom that a well educated person thought this was the only solution.
I saw a report from Burlingame, KS that a cashier at a Casey's saw Karen and daughters in the store in the morning and she saw Kraig in the same store in the afternoon on the day it happened. He did this at 6 pm so he was already in town much earlier than the crime. I think he probably used visitation with Sean as the means to get them together. But if that were the case then he wouldn’t have had to break into the house which is another charge he is facing.
I don't know why the details bug me so much. I just keep thinking about possible links that could have been broken in this awful chain of events.
I don't think Karen thought he wouldn't murder his children because they were girls. She did not think he would that that period. Even to her. She finally left him because she thought "someone was serioulsy going to get hurt" was what she wrote to the judge. She never thought their lives were in danger.
Missizzy
12-08-2009, 01:27 AM
Neighbor--You and Karen might not have been close, but you were neighbors. You obviously connected on some level. You obviously cared. My heart goes out to you as this is a lot of trauma to go through. You've been through a huge shock. Please take care of yourself.
believe09
12-08-2009, 08:52 AM
I was not close to Karen but we were friendly neighbors. We never saw each other outside of our neighborhood and I was never in her home. She picked up my mail for me while I was on vacation and I warned her son about bouncing his baseball off the bricks between the windows of his home. Our kids have a shared back yard. Sean and Lauren would wave to me every day when they went to school. Lauren would ran back inside the house every time because she would forget something while Sean stayed inside the cold Suburban while it slowly warmed up.
It has been a bad time for me and I am just numb. My father past away last year. And more recently a car drove through our house and displaced my family for over a month while they rebuilt our home. Karen came over to see the damage and to see if everyone was alright. This was about the time Kraig was breaking into her house. I have never seen Kraig in person. When she filed for divorce is when her and the kids moved into my neighborhood. I never once saw him pick up the kids for visitation or otherwise. Kraig has to go back to court this Thurs to get the additional murder change since the great grandmother died. I can't understand how he could kill so many people. You would think that when he shot the first one the others would either run or throw something at him or all charge him at once. I just cannot fathom that a well educated person thought this was the only solution.
I saw a report from Burlingame, KS that a cashier at a Casey's saw Karen and daughters in the store in the morning and she saw Kraig in the same store in the afternoon on the day it happened. He did this at 6 pm so he was already in town much earlier than the crime. I think he probably used visitation with Sean as the means to get them together. But if that were the case then he wouldn’t have had to break into the house which is another charge he is facing.
I don't know why the details bug me so much. I just keep thinking about possible links that could have been broken in this awful chain of events.
I don't think Karen thought he wouldn't murder his children because they were girls. She did not think he would that that period. Even to her. She finally left him because she thought "someone was serioulsy going to get hurt" was what she wrote to the judge. She never thought their lives were in danger.
Thank you for filling in small details. Neighbor, loss is loss especially when piled onto the year you have had. Make sure you are caring for you and yours. You could not have changed the outcome of this-Kraig is the only one who could have. Being touched in some way by that kind of evil has to be daunting, and incredibly sad.
Kraig had a plan and knew his wife well enough to know that she hoped for the best....and that the plan she knew in her mind was forming against her and her daughters she resisted in her heart because we are taught to believe that love conquers all. I do believe that Kraig will figure out the magnitude of what he has done, but only in relationship to himself. Once he realizes that his life is over, that his ability to be in control is gone forever, he will regret what he has done. I have known people like him-I do not ever use these words lightly but at best he is likely a narcissist and at worst a sociopath. Everything is about him which is why he could not tolerate the blows to his ego. JMO.
Neighbor
12-08-2009, 09:31 AM
Thanks for your support. Here is a better summary than I could give:
http://www.winonadailynews.com/mobile/article_cf3426c2-b3bb-5ea4-b2cb-5a3f6b129459.html
And here are Karen's two girls and a friend several years ago in their rock group Daze Off. Karen played the banjo believe it or not (not in the band). They were not great musicians but they were great kids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vUKm5SlVEA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhLajO4Eq4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWfWv7kN6cE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vuuml3PqDo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDj0vGXFt_U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhRUa_UcwRo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ55w1v4iFI
believe09
12-08-2009, 10:13 AM
At the end of the Kraig will be remembered, if at all, for being a loser who wasnt man enough to let go. He will be remembered, if at all, for being pathetic.
Karen, Emily and Laura will be loved and cherished forever....along with Gma.
Neighbor
12-08-2009, 10:51 AM
I agree.
Missizzy
12-08-2009, 01:05 PM
Karen and her girls certainly touched a lot of lives. That vibrancy will not be forgotten. Karen and the Grandma must have been fabulous women to have created two such wonderful young ladies.
Maybe some sort of memorial trust could be set up to help other young female musicians--possibly with grants for instruments and studio time. I'll bet the girls would have loved that.
Neighbor
12-08-2009, 02:26 PM
Here is a fund set up for 10 year old Sean Kahler. Use the PayPal button at the bottom to donate.
http://www.karenkahler.blogspot.com/
I like the idea of the music fund in the sisters name too.
Neighbor
12-08-2009, 02:37 PM
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/11/30/slain-woman-had-troubled-marriage-suspect/
Read the comments below the story. Unbelievable.
I lived next door to her since January and I never saw any company other than elderly family from Kansas. The gall.
believe09
12-08-2009, 02:44 PM
Abernathy Graves=Kraig Kahler....JMO...just a guess. AS IF any of this is the fault of the victims.
Neighbor
12-08-2009, 02:46 PM
He wouldn't have access to a computer in the Osage County Jail.
Missizzy
12-08-2009, 03:58 PM
Neighbor--Just a suggestion, don't read the comments, please. Turn away as they will cause you nothing but pain. That's what is so wonderful about WS. We are victim-focused. There will be NO blaming the victims for any reason.
Karen obviously loved her children and would not knowingly put them in danger. Kraig is crazy and his actions could not be predicted. We need to stay focused on the real issue here--remembering four lovely women.
Neighbor
12-08-2009, 05:03 PM
I will stay off the comments section. The only way I found WS was doing a Google search for Karen Kahler because I felt cheated/guilty that I did not know her better. I did not know about her daughters being in a band and all of that. The more I learn about them the more I see what a wonderful family Karen and the kids were and it makes me feel better, then I think about all they accomplsihed and the dreams they had and I get sad. I need to stay off WS and the computer for a while. Trying to make sense can be consuming.
Texas Mist
12-10-2009, 05:43 PM
<snip>
The Kansas attorney general's office has filed a revised complaint against a former Columbia water and light director accused of shooting four people in northeast Kansas.
James Kraig Kahler, 46, remained charged Thursday with capital murder. But that charge originally didn't cover all four deaths from the Nov. 28 shootings in Osage County.
The attorney general's office filed the revised complaint Thursday, as Kahler had a hearing in district court in his case.
The capital murder charge originally covered the shootings of Kahler's estranged wife and their two daughters.
The revised charge now covers his wife's 89-year-old grandmother. The shootings occurred at the grandmother's home outside Burlingame.
...
After a four-minute hearing, he was scheduled to appear at a March 18 preliminary hearing.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2009/dec/10/kansas-ag-files-charge-death-kahler-grandmother/
Neighbor
12-12-2009, 10:42 PM
I was wrong about him making a fictitious MySpace page. I guess she was affectionately known as mommymonster. But he definitely broke into her home at least twice and was watching outgoing and incoming email.
wfgodot
06-22-2010, 08:50 PM
Judge denies motion to dismiss capital murder case against Missouri man
Posted on Tue, Jun. 22, 2010 03:23 PM
LYNDON, Kan. A northeast Kansas judge refused Tuesday to disqualify prosecutors or dismiss a capital murder case against a former Columbia, Mo., city official accused of fatally shooting his estranged wife, their two teenage daughters and the wife's grandmother.
Lawyers for James Kraig Kahler argued the case against him in Kansas is tainted because authorities seized documents related to divorce and domestic assault cases against him in Columbia, where he formerly served as water and light director. Defense attorneys said the seizure and use of those records violated the constitutionally protected confidences between Kahler and his lawyers.
---
Kansas Deputy Attorney General Barry Disney called the attempt by Kahler's attorneys to either dismiss the capital murder charge or remove prosecutors a “Hail Mary request” and “laughable.”
“We've done nothing wrong. We seized documents and inventoried them,” Disney told [Judge John Stephen] Jones during a hearing at the Osage County Courthouse. “Their motion is frivolous.”
---
and much more, at
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/22/2036192/judge-denies-motion-to-dismiss.html
Missizzy
10-23-2010, 02:16 AM
This makes me sad. The surviving child is going to have to testify, albeit by video but still....
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/oct/07/kahler-murder-hearing-delayed-again/
Kraig Kahler murder hearing delayed again
"The preliminary hearing for a former Columbia official charged with fatally shooting four members of his family last year has been moved to December because one of his attorneys is resigning from the firm that represents him...."
and
"...At least three law enforcement officers were inside the courtroom, and another heavily armed officer was positioned outside the door. As Kahler was being escorted out of the courthouse after the hearing, he asked the officer outside about the caliber of his weapon. The officer didn’t respond...."
more at link
wfgodot
11-28-2010, 08:58 PM
Friends recall Kahler family
Sunday marks anniversary of slayings in Osage County
COLUMBIA, MO. — Darla Atkins and her workout partners still meet every Monday and Friday for an hourlong, early-morning boot camp.
It has been a tradition for two years and counting, but a lot has changed.
Trainer Karen Kahler once led the crew at the Activity & Recreation Center, pushing them to the limit in each session. Participants shared their goals with her, and in return, Karen shared a window into her life.
She spoke proudly of her career, her friends and her three children — Emily, Lauren and Sean. And despite her pending divorce from Kraig Kahler — director of the Columbia Water and Light Department — she never spoke ill of her husband to the group, Atkins said. But already her husband had been charged in an alleged assault against her, and she had obtained a restraining order and filed for divorce.
For the past year, the group has reflected on Karen's inspirational spirit and the difficult life she apparently led behind closed doors.
---
long, excellent article at
http://cjonline.com/news/business/2010-11-27/friends_recall_kahler_family
Texas Mist
12-08-2010, 03:02 PM
LYNDON - A former Missouri city official charged in the slayings of four family members is asking a Kansas court to waive his preliminary hearing so his young son can be spared the trauma of testifying.
...............................
However, the Kansas Attorney General's office said in a response filed Tuesday that the hearing should be held because the prosecution also has a right to the proceeding, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.
more here
http://www.hutchnews.com/News/Mo--man-charged-in-4-slayings-wants-prelim-waived
believe09
12-08-2010, 03:11 PM
How did I know he would continue to "care" about his son? Mind you, he didnt put too much thought into how his son would deal with the slaughter of his mother, sisters and grandmother...and how much guilt he might feel at being the only one to survive...in fact the one "favored" by his father.
Grrr.
Texas Mist
12-21-2010, 01:31 PM
LYNDON — The son of capital murder defendant James Kraig Kahler, who is charged in four slayings, testified via television Tuesday morning that he saw his father shoot his mother with a deer-hunting rifle.
...............
The boy said he wanted to stay longer at his grandparents' home, so he could hunt and fish at the Kahler farm. He asked his mother for permission.
"When my mom said I couldn't stay any longer, my dad was mad at my mom," the boy said.
more here
http://cjonline.com/news/local/2010-12-21/boy_ids_father_as_mothers_killer
UdbCrzy2
04-01-2011, 08:37 PM
Kraig Kahler, a suspect in family's deaths, objects to jury pool
LYNDON, Kan. — A former Columbia city official is objecting to how the jury will be chosen for his trial in the deaths of four relatives in Kansas.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/04/01/kraig-kahler-suspect-familys-deaths-objects-jury-pool/
************************************************** **
Well, here we go with the defense complaining about everything...
believe09
04-01-2011, 09:28 PM
This little man likes control when he can get it.
Missizzy
04-05-2011, 11:39 PM
I have not read this thread in a while and was so sad to see that in the child's testimony, as clipped by Texas Mist (the link no longer works), it sounds like he's blaming himself. That's tragic. I realize that a therapist is probably helping him reframe the events but what he spoke is most likely how he still sees the murders. It seems as if he processed it that he asked for permission to stay at Grandma's and by doing that, he caused an argument.
That's awful. Oh, how I hope he has strong support.
Missizzy
04-05-2011, 11:48 PM
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2010/12/23/dying-declarations-entered-evidence-kraig-kahler-prosecution/
Dying declarations entered as evidence in Kraig Kahler hearing
December 23, 2010
"...Dorothy Wight and Lauren Kahler did not survive long enough to testify on Tuesday. Their last words were submitted by the sheriff's deputy and emergency medical technician who attended them as they were dying.
When the defense objected to the testimony, Osage County Magistrate Judge Stephen Jones overruled it under the "dying declaration" exception.
Although Kansas law suppresses hearsay, it does allow second-hand testimony when a deceased victim's statement was made voluntarily and in good faith and if the individual knows he faces imminent death...."
more at link
And a link about the son's testimony:
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2010/12/21/james-kraig-kahler-preliminary-hearing/
"....Kahler did not want his 11-year-old son exposed to the “stress and emotional trauma” of testifying, according to his lawyer...."
What about the stress of standing right next to your mother as she's murdered?? I had not realized that the little boy was actually right next to Karen when she was shot down. They were washing old coins together. My heart breaks for that little guy.
Missizzy
05-28-2011, 01:59 AM
And what did Kahler expect?
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/05/19/kraig-kahler-denied-trip-sons-custody-hearing/
Kraig Kahler denied trip to son's custody hearing
"A former Columbia city official accused of killing four family members in Kansas won't be able to attend the custody hearing for his son, who survived the carnage.
An Osage County district judge ruled Tuesday that James Kraig Kahler will not be taken to Wichita for the May 26 custody hearing for his 12-year-old son. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the judge suggested Kahler could participate by phone...."
more at link
At first blush, this seems like a no-brainer. However, DHS, must work towards termination of parental rights if the boy is to be adopted, even by a relative. Kahler is not convicted yet and thus still has some rights concerning custody. He can either sign the relinquishment papers or ask for a hearing. I'd be willing to bet that he'll drag this out and ask for a hearing. Poor child. He needs permanency now.
believe09
05-28-2011, 10:21 PM
His son was all he wanted. He was delivering a message when he murdered the women and left his son standing. He is not giving him up. He doesnt have that level of maturity and he would have to crawl out from under his narcissism to realize that the greatest gift he could give to his brave boy is to cut himself out of little man's life. But that takes compassion. That takes selflessness. I think Mr Kahler has proved his inability in this regard.
Missizzy
05-29-2011, 03:15 PM
What really concerns me, Believe, is that given that the child is now 12, he has "standing" in court. If there is a Termination of Parental Rights trial, the little boy would most likely be called to testify about his wishes concerning custody. Judges want to hear from older children. Kahler is just cruel and narcissistic enough to go through with this. He wanted to "spare" the child and yet he mows down the entire family in front of the little guy, effectively traumatizing him forever. The only decent thing (if that's even possible for this monster) is to sign the darned papers and let the boy get on with his life. Jeanette Maples' parents did that in Oregon not long after their arrest and the signatures allowed the children to be permanently placed.
The alternative is to wait for a conviction but that leaves the child in limbo for far too long, IMO. This child needs stability and closure. How I wish Kahler could at least give this child that. I, like you, don't have high hopes, about Kahler exhibiting a shred of decency, however.
Missizzy
06-15-2011, 03:24 AM
http://cjonline.com/news/2011-06-12/kahler-attys-judge-suppress-his-statement
Kahler attorneys to judge: Suppress his statement
Death penalty unconstitutional, defense says
June 12, 2011
"Whatever capital murder defendant James Kraig Kahler told an investigator during questioning shouldn't be heard by Osage County District Court jurors during his trial, Kahler defense attorneys have told the district court judge in a motion.
But if Kahler is convicted of capital murder, he "likely" would receive the "discriminatory application of the death penalty," defense attorneys wrote in a motion challenging the constitutionality of the Kansas death penalty...."
more at link
And an article about the son's upcoming testimony. "Tender years". Oh, how I hope that judge and those therapists fight like heck for this child's emotional well being. He's so so fragile:
http://cjonline.com/news/local/2010-05-19/surviving_son_to_testify_in_murder_trial#.TfhcHmBq Ilc
Surviving son to testify in murder trial
"A 10-year-old boy was the lone survivor of a massacre that killed his mother, two sisters and great-grandmother. And it is he who will testify next month in a proceeding involving his father, who is charged with the quadruple homicide.
On Wednesday, an Osage County District Court magistrate judge ruled Sean Kahler, now 11, will testify by a remote television hookup during the preliminary hearing of his father, James Kraig Kahler. The hearing will be June 22 and 23...."
and
"..."This is about strong emotions he has had for his father (and) the loss of his mother and sisters. Those emotions are still raw. He's in the middle of it...."
and
"...Magistrate Judge Jon Stephen Jones said the fact the boy was "almost of tender years" influenced his decision to use the closed-circuit TV alternative. Jones said he found Sean could testify by closed-circuit TV because the boy would be traumatized in a courtroom setting and the emotional distress of being in the presence of his father would be more than "de minimis," meaning more than mere nervousness or excitement or some reluctance to testify...."
more at link
Missizzy
06-21-2011, 10:35 PM
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/jun/17/judge-rules-to-allow-kahlers-statements/
Judge rules to allow Kahler's statements
June 17, 2011
"A judge yesterday denied a motion to suppress statements capital murder defendant Kraig Kahler made to law enforcement officers questioning him about the slayings of his wife, two daughters and his wife’s grandmother in November 2009.
Osage County District Court Chief Judge Phillip Fromme said Kahler — a former director of the Columbia Water and Light Department — had waived his Miranda rights to remain silent and to have an attorney present during questioning...."
and
"....The trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 8 and last three weeks...."
more at link
wfgodot
07-27-2011, 07:57 PM
From the pretrial hearing:
Kahler trial will include testimony of 'home wrecker' (http://cjonline.com/news/2011-07-27/kahler-trial-will-include-testimony-home-wrecker)LYNDON — Jurors hearing the trial of James Kraig Kahler, who is charged with capital murder in the slayings of four family members, likely will hear testimony that a woman having a relationship with his wife was a “serial home wrecker,” an Osage County District Court judge ruled Wednesday.
The testimony will center on the relationship of Karen Kahler, the defendant's wife, and Sunny Reese, and may be part of the defense that Kahler suffered a mental breakdown as a result of the relationship, contributing to the slayings.
---
much more at Topeka Capital-Journal link above
believe09
07-27-2011, 09:10 PM
Silly me-I can see how your wife having a relationship with someone else can trigger mass murder....whoops-he murdered just the women folk so there is something not adding up here...I hope his attorney has a back up plan.
This case brings out the very worst in me, I have to say-death is not enough for Kahler-he has to continue to abuse and slander the mother of his children. As much as he may hate it, she gave birth to his son as well. Apparently this was immaterial.
He stalked her-she was his prey. He planned this meticulously. He blew away the women in the house, just the women. He forced his son to live with a horror that is unimaginable. The survivors guilt must be monumental.....but it isnt enough for Kahler. I can see why he wants a trial-he just wants to kill them all over again.
believe09
07-27-2011, 09:17 PM
'"Kraig Kahler is entitled to put on a defense, Fromme said, and there is evidence that the defendant thinks his divorce and the break-up of his marriage was due to Reece, that the relationship continued in the presence of his children, led to his mental breakdown and contributed to the slayings."
From your link wfgo. He didnt kill Reece, who he believed was threatening his marriage. He killed his wife, his daughters and her grandmother.
Kahler was fired from his job for beating his wife. There were multiple DV calls and she had a Restraining Order.
But it was Reece's fault.
wfgodot
07-27-2011, 09:54 PM
Heinous, this case. While KS does have the death penalty, it's never been used since its reintroduction in 1994, death by lethal injection now being the means.
We used to hang them.
Of the single-event mass slayings in the 20th century in Kansas that I can recall, only the event known as the Wichita Massacre produced more victims - five in that case. Kahler is on the hook for four murders, the same number as the victims of the infamous killings in Holcomb, in 1959.
To me, if he's found guilty, hey, bring back hanging, the fate of the two Clutter killers. Death by lethal injection's too good for this guy. And I say that as one primarily opposed to capital punishment.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/7070a78f0e3d41b9ba3e2430d63c8b21/KS--Kansas-Family-Slain/
Jury selection begins in 2009 shooting death of 4 family members in northeast Kansas
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: August 08, 2011 - 5:01 am
Last Updated: August 08, 2011 - 5:01 am
UdbCrzy2
08-09-2011, 04:00 PM
Judge declines request to move Kahler trial
LYNDON, Kan. — A woman called for jury duty during the trial of capital murder defendant Kraig Kahler cried yesterday as she told a judge of her lifelong ties to Dorothy Wight, 89, one of the four slaying victims.
A prosecutor had asked the woman whether she could look at evidence in the case to decide Kahler’s guilt or innocence in the 2009 shooting deaths of Wight; Kahler’s wife, Karen Kahler, 44; and daughters Lauren, 16, and Emily, 18. Wight was Karen Kahler’s grandmother, and the killings occurred inside Wight’s home in Burlingame, where Karen Kahler and her daughters, all of Columbia, were visiting for Thanksgiving.
“I have known George and Dorothy all my life,” the woman said, referring to Wight’s husband. “They were family friends. I worked for them,” as did two other members of her family. “It’s just too intertwined for me to deal with.”
Chief Judge Phillip Fromme released the distraught woman from jury duty.
After the questioning this morning of a third panel of prospective jurors, another 15 were added to the pool. Shortly before noon, the 15 were chosen from a panel that started with 19.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/08/judge-declines-request-move-kahler-trial/
UdbCrzy2
08-11-2011, 01:39 PM
Yesterday afternoon, a panel of 21 prospective jurors yielded 18 more qualified jurors. That brought to 52 the number of Osage County residents who are the pool of qualified jurors. All 52 qualified jurors are to report Friday to the Osage County Courthouse, where prosecution and defense attorneys each will use 15 peremptory challenges to choose the jury and alternates.
One prospective juror released yesterday was a woman who said she knew Wight because she had cleaned her home. The woman said she was concerned about being impartial to hear the case. “I feel like he’s already guilty,” she said suddenly.
Also yesterday, the judge announced a ruling to deny a defense motion seeking to dismiss the case. The dismissal motion was tied to two search warrants in which documents linked to the pending divorce of Kraig and Karen Kahler were seized from the defendant’s vehicle and his father’s residence.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/09/attorneys-fill-out-qualified-kahler-jury-pool/
UdbCrzy2
08-15-2011, 11:04 AM
n the preliminary hearing, Sean, who was 11 at the time of the shootings, testified via a video hookup to the courtroom while he was in another room in the courthouse. During the trial, he is to testify in the courtroom in front of his father. If the boy appears especially troubled, he will be allowed to testify via the remote hookup.
Two of Wight’s neighbors, who testified in the preliminary hearing that they saw Kraig Kahler’s vehicle in Burlingame on the night of the shootings, are expected to be called as witnesses ahead of Sean Kahler.
In a list given to Kahler defense attorneys Friday, prosecution witnesses totaled 38 people during the first four days of the prosecution’s case.
There are 11 witnesses listed tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday and five on Thursday.
Witnesses will begin testifying after prosecutors make an opening statement. Kahler defense attorneys can make an opening statement at that point or do so after the prosecution’s case is over.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/14/kraig-kahlers-son-to-testify-on-first-day-of-trial/
___________________________________
Also scheduled to testify for the prosecution Monday are Karen Kahler’s brother, Bill Hetrick, and Columbia attorney Dan Pingelton, who was representing Karen Kahler in her divorce from Kraig Kahler. The divorce was in progress when she was killed.
Sunny Reese, the woman whose relationship with Karen Kahler the defense is expected to argue caused Kraig Kahler to have a mental breakdown, is scheduled to testify Wednesday. Also on the prosecution’s witness list for Wednesday are Kraig Kahler’s parents, Wayne and Patricia Kahler.
Defense co-counsel Tom Haney said during jury selection that two psychiatrists, one for the prosecution and one for defense, will also testify over the next two weeks.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/08/14/witness-testimony-monday-includes-kraig-kahlers-son-sean/
UdbCrzy2
08-16-2011, 12:13 PM
LYNDON, Kan. — Sean Kahler, the 12-year-old son of James Kraig Kahler, made prolonged eye contact with his father just twice during his half-hour of testimony Monday — once while pointing at his father to identify him, and the other after he was asked by defense co-counsel Tom Haney if he still loved his father.
“Not really,” he replied quietly.
Sean Kahler is the only living witness to the Nov. 28, 2009, shootings that ended the lives of his mother, Karen Kahler, 44; sisters, Emily Kahler, 18, and Lauren Kahler, 16; and great-grandmother, Dorothy Wight, 89.
Kraig Kahler, former director of Columbia Water and Light, is charged with four counts of capital murder in the slayings and one count of aggravated burglary in connection with the break-in at Wight’s Burlingame home. His wife and daughters were Columbia residents.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/08/15/sean-kahler-speaks-against-father-first-day-witness-testimony-kahler-trial/
_______________________________
LYNDON, Kan. — An audio recording of a wounded Lauren Kahler pleading to live and a photo of Emily Kahler’s body stretched across her great-grandmother’s living room drew no physical reaction from their father, murder suspect Kraig Kahler, when presented Monday in Osage County District Court.
urors at Kahler’s capital murder trial were provided a detailed description Monday of the carnage the former Columbia Water and Light Department director is charged with creating. His 12-year-old son, Sean, described his father’s quick burst into the Burlingame, Kan., home and seeing him fire a shot into his mother’s leg. The boy, 10 years old at the time, testified that he dashed out of the home and heard additional shots while fleeing for help.
After the boy’s account, former Osage County Deputy Nathan Purling described to the jury the scene he discovered upon entering the home where the shootings occurred Nov. 28, 2009. He found 18-year-old Emily Kahler already dead after being shot in the chest, as well as the nearly lifeless Karen Kahler, 44, Lauren Kahler, 16, and Dorothy Wight, 89.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/15/kahler-wasnt-sane-defense-lawyer-argues/
ohiogirl
08-17-2011, 09:48 AM
What a P.O.S. Trying to blame this on everyone but himself. He needs to give it up. I feel for the son, his life will never be the same.
believe09
08-17-2011, 09:52 AM
Great job Sean. Just keep swimming.
wfgodot
08-17-2011, 09:59 AM
The Daily Mail has got ahold of the tale:
Fired government worker 'murdered children and wife after request for a threesome drove her to lesbian affair' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2026864/James-Kraig-Kahler-murdered-family-threesome-request-drove-wife-lesbian-affair.html)
believe09
08-17-2011, 10:05 AM
How elegant. I am not sure I would have reduced this event to that particular soundbite, but I expect it will sell papers.
UdbCrzy2
08-18-2011, 02:06 AM
LYNDON, Kan. — Paper bag after paper bag of items recovered from Dorothy Wight’s home, James Kraig Kahler’s red Ford Explorer and the defendant himself in the days after the Burlingame slayings were admitted into evidence Tuesday afternoon as witness testimony continued in Kahler’s capital murder trial.
Tuesday morning's testimony had focused mainly on the "chaos" surrounding the Nov. 28, 2009, shootings, as one witness described it, and the events leading up to them. Karen Kahler's Columbia divorce attorney, Dan Pingelton, told the court that Karen and Kraig Kahler had a very different relationship with Sunny Reese than the one defense attorney Tom Haney had sketched out in his opening statement to the jury — that of a serial home wrecker who broke up the Kahler marriage.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/08/16/testimony-kahler-trial-centers-around-evidence-collection-tuesday-afternoon/
__________________________________________
LYNDON, Kan. — During Kraig Kahler's murder trial on Wednesday, Sunny Reese told the Osage County District Court that she loved Karen Kahler "too much” and that she wanted her to be safe — "with or without me.”
During her hour and 45 minutes on the witness stand, Reese testified about the details of her relationship with Karen Kahler. She said they met in January 2006 at Powerhouse Gym in Weatherford, Texas, where the two were instructors before the Kahlers moved to Columbia. That contradicted testimony from Karen Kahler’s divorce attorney, Dan Pingelton, who testified Tuesday that Karen Kahler told him her husband had “introduced Sunny sexually” to the couple.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/08/17/serial-home-wrecker-sunny-reese-testifies-relationship-kahlers-wife-never-secret/
______________________________________________
Tuesday, Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent Ryan Boyer began displaying items he collected from Kahler’s SUV and Wight’s home. His testimony continued Wednesday morning as he held up more than 40 exhibits for the jury.
As he’d laid out in his opening statement, defense attorney Tom Haney showed under cross-examination of Boyer that Kahler had not taken any of the 30 clonazepam pills he was prescribed on March 26, 2009. The pills, prescribed to alleviate symptoms of seizures and panic attacks, were found in a labeled prescription bottle inside a camouflage backpack retrieved from the back of Kahler’s Explorer.
Haney had Boyer pour the pills out onto the witness stand and count them. Then he asked Boyer why they were not investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and pointed out that the pills and bottle were also not originally marked as one of the prosecution’s exhibits, unlike other contents of the backpack.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/08/17/defense-attorney-shows-kahler-did-not-take-prescribed-medication/
ohiogirl
08-18-2011, 08:44 AM
http://cjonline.com/news/2011-08-17/witness-she-urged-wife-divorce-kahler
Reese said she told Karen Kahler she should divorce her husband for her own safety.
"I would have loved for her to be with me, but the circumstances weren't right," Reese said. "I loved her, I wanted her to be safe, with or without me."
Reese said she and Karen Kahler met in January 2008 at the Powerhouse Gym where they worked in Weatherford, Texas. Reese met Kraig Kahler about the same time.
Reese denied she had a three-way sexual relationship with the Kahlers.
Osage County Attorney Brandon Jones asked whether someone had suggested such a relationship.
"Yes, sir," Reese said.
Who? he asked.
"Kraig Kahler, through a text message to myself," Reese said.
But on questioning by defense attorney Tom Haney, Reese said she didn't have a copy of the text message to prove it.
More at link.
UdbCrzy2
08-18-2011, 12:58 PM
A Life Alert smoke detector was activated around 6:07 p.m. Nov. 28, 2009, at Wight’s home in Burlingame, Kan., said John Brady, a former Life Alert vice president. He said it was possible gunfire triggered the smoke detector.
“Somebody is trying to kill us,” Lauren Kahler screamed on the alert system’s recording in a desperate and disturbing call for help. “He’s in the house.”
Weatherford, Texas, resident Sunny Reese testified Wednesday afternoon for the prosecution, identifying the voice on the recording as Lauren Kahler’s. Defense attorney Tom Haney during opening statements Monday accused Reese of tearing apart the Kahler family and driving his client to a “tipping point.”
Columbia attorney Dan Pingelton, who represented Karen Kahler during the couple’s divorce proceedings, testified Tuesday that Kraig Kahler had suggested that he, his wife and Reese all participate in a sexual threesome and that Karen Kahler and Reese were in love.
Reese was visibly disturbed when the recording was played to the jury. She and Karen Kahler were together on the morning of her murder.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/17/friend-details-kahlers-knowledge-affair/
_________________________________
Yesterday afternoon, testimony in Kahler’s murder trial focused on the aftermath of the killings, Kahler’s capture and evidence collection.
Testimony from several Osage and Shawnee county deputies, as well as investigators with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, occupied the attention of the 15 Osage County jurors yesterday afternoon.
Defense attorney Tom Haney does not dispute that his client committed the Nov. 28, 2009, crime in Burlingame, Kan. Instead, Haney said his case will show his client was not sane at the time of the killings and will accuse a Texas woman, Sunny Reese, of wrecking the Kahler family home and driving him to his “tipping point.”
Columbia attorney Dan Pingelton represented Karen Kahler during her divorce from the defendant. He said yesterday that his client and Reese were in love. Reese was scheduled to testify today.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/17/deputies-detail-capture-of-kraig-kahler/
UdbCrzy2
08-19-2011, 12:20 AM
LYNDON, Kan. — In his interview with a Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent the morning of his arrest, James Kraig Kahler said it “messed up (his) mind” to see the unraveling of his “perfect family” and “great marriage.”
“I’m so sorry I’m here. I just can’t believe I’m here,” he told Bill Halverson in a videotaped interview played for the jury in Osage County District Court on Thursday. “I can’t believe how fast you can lose everything.”
But Kahler showed no curiosity about the charges against him, or about the shootings, when Halverson told him about them.
“It was greatly surprising to me that he would never ask why he was in custody, how anybody was doing or anything,” Halverson said.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/08/18/kahler-says-he-messed-interview-shortly-after-arrest/
ohiogirl
08-19-2011, 08:47 AM
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/08/18/kahlers-father-brother-say-he-made-disturbing-statements-weeks-shootings/
In the weeks before the shootings, James Kraig Kahler made statements about his emotional and mental state that frightened and disturbed his father and brother, the two men testified Thursday afternoon
ohiogirl
08-19-2011, 08:51 AM
In my mind, he can very well have been disturbed about the break up of his family, but there was no reason to kill the grandmother and the daughters. If he was upset with his wife, why shoot the daughters? And, he let the son go. That says a lot to me.
Also, in the above article, his father makes reference to Karen and the girl trashing the home when they moved out. What about the son? Wasn't he there too? This is a misogynistic family, imo.
So many devastating problems in families come from some feeling they are more important than others.
ohiogirl
08-19-2011, 08:54 AM
Former Kansas Bureau of Investigation Special Agent William Halversen said Thursday that Kahler assured him the gun law enforcement officers were searching for in the killings wouldn’t easily be found.
Law enforcement officials never did find the .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle they allege Kahler used during his rampage.
Halversen, who interviewed Kahler after his arrest, said that during questioning he told Kahler he was concerned the firearm might accidentally be found by a child.
Kahler said no kids would find the gun, Halversen said in a videotaped deposition shown Thursday morning to Osage County jurors. Prosecutors have introduced into evidence three loaded clips of .223-caliber ammunition found on or near Kahler when he was arrested.
http://cjonline.com/news/2011-08-18/kahler-made-blaze-glory-remark
Why not tell them were the gun is if you are not disputing that you shot them?
ohiogirl
08-19-2011, 08:56 AM
During the deposition, a brief reference was made to Kraig Kahler's "girlfriend," who told the KBI agent that the sale of a Ford Mustang to one of Kahler’s daughters was a "trigger" for the defendant. There was no elaboration on the girlfriend reference.
This is from the above link. First time I have heard of a girlfriend.
believe09
08-19-2011, 10:21 AM
Are you kidding me ohiogirl? (Rhetorical question.) This man have had a g/f? Well I suspect his defense is headed into the hopper then...
ohiogirl
08-19-2011, 02:01 PM
But, from the article, it didn't seem that either side wanted to pursue this. We'll see.
wfgodot
08-19-2011, 02:14 PM
LYNDON — The blood of James Kraig Kahler was found on a stairwell leading to a second story bedroom, where one of his daughters was shot to death Nov. 28, 2009, a DNA analyst with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation testified Friday in Osage County District Court.
---
more at Capital-Journal (http://cjonline.com/news/2011-08-19/kahlers-blood-found-site-shootings); jury getting back from lunch soon
UdbCrzy2
08-20-2011, 02:16 PM
Mitchell detailed each of the victim’s wounds.
PEmily Kahler, who was shot through the breast, likely would have survived if that had been her only wound, he said, but she sustained a fatal wound to her back that struck her spinal cord and likely paralyzed her immediately. She was the only victim who was dead when emergency responders arrived at the scene.
PEmily’s sister, Lauren Kahler, was shot in the back and buttocks. The shot to her back destroyed her liver, while the shot to her buttocks ripped apart her intestines. Mitchell concluded both wounds to be fatal. Particles on Lauren Kahler’s back indicate she was shot within two to four feet, Mitchell said.
PKaren Kahler was shot in the leg first, Mitchell theorized. The bullet entered and exited her body, shattering her femur on the way through. She also was shot in the back, striking her liver, stomach and diaphragm.
PWight was shot in the left arm, and as it exited the bullet blew a large chunk of her elbow out. The fragmented bullet continued into her abdomen — creating a large entry wound.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/20/kahler-jury-sees-graphic-images-of-victims/
UdbCrzy2
08-20-2011, 02:16 PM
Carr told the court that the bullet fragments he received from the home were in the .22-caliber family, which he said includes bullets used in .223-caliber guns. The gun associated with the shootings was never recovered, but an empty gun box for a .223-caliber MAK-90 made by Chinese company Norinco was found in the back of Kahler’s SUV.
Carr used a similar model he picked up from a forensics lab in Iowa to show the jury how the rifle functions. Jones asked Carr to fit the magazine found in the ditch into the gun, which Carr was able to do.
Carr also examined a plastic curtain with clear and orange flaps that hung in the stairwell of Wight’s home. Without having examined the curtain in his lab, Carr said a hole that went through two of the curtain’s flaps had distorted the surrounding plastic and had gray residue that was “very easy” to see. These marks, Carr said, were consistent with those found around bullet holes.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/08/19/dna-bloodstain-and-firearms-examiners-show-kahler-was-home-night-shootings/
believe09
08-20-2011, 06:39 PM
Does this sound like a crime of passion to anyone?
UdbCrzy2
08-21-2011, 03:22 AM
Does this sound like a crime of passion to anyone?
Sounds like anger and the work of a true nutjob to me:)
wfgodot
08-21-2011, 08:59 AM
Vengeful wrath directed at women, this was - a hate crime perpetrated by a misogynist on the cusp of mental illness but, ultimately, chillingly in control of his actions.
UdbCrzy2
08-22-2011, 05:25 PM
Stories of abuse take larger role in Kahler trial testimony
Prosecutors rested their case this morning against former Columbia Water and Light Director Kraig Kahler after a full week of testimony focused mostly on the events surrounding his alleged slaying of family members.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/22/stories-of-abuse-take-larger-toll/
__________________________
Friends say Kahler family like any other before marriage dissolved
LYNDON, Kan. — Friends of the family and a former colleague of James Kraig Kahler’s testified Monday that the family was just like any other before the Kahlers' marriage began to crumble.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/08/22/friends-colleague-say-kahler-family-was-just-any-other-divorce/
believe09
08-22-2011, 07:32 PM
No wonder he appeared to have rallied to his father in the days preceeding the murders-he was approaching the finish line.
UdbCrzy2
08-23-2011, 12:31 AM
Kahler defense focuses on mental struggles
The defense alleges that stress in Kraig Kahler’s life affected his sanity. The loss of his job with the city of Columbia and his crumbling marriage were two paramount factors that they contend led to him becoming “mentally overwhelmed” and “not able to control his behavior” in the months that led up to the Nov. 28, 2009, shootings at Wight’s home in Burlingame, Kan.
“Karen kept doing things that ate on Kraig. I know that ain’t no excuse,” Kraig Kahler’s father, Wayne Kahler, said to a Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent after the murders.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/22/kahler-defense-focuses-mental-struggles/
________________________________________
I just hate when the defense tires to make the murderer a victim. It's like they blame the murder victim for the murder.
believe09
08-23-2011, 09:00 AM
mentally overwhelmed? Ah well.
Joe Friday
08-23-2011, 01:57 PM
Ex-aide: Kan. murder suspect had 'perfect' family
Attorneys for James Kraig Kahler called Christine Williams, of Weatherford, Texas, as a witness during the second week of his trial in Osage County District Court.
(Snipped)
Defense attorneys contend Kraig Kahler was severely depressed over his wife's lesbian affair and pursuit of a divorce, causing him to lose his job in Columbia, Mo., in 2009 and sending his mental health into a downward spiral. But in Texas, Williams testified, Kahler was professional and efficient and made his family his top priority.
(Snipped)
Williams told jurors that Kahler was active in the lives of all his children and the local community. Defense attorneys say that as his marriage broke down, his family moved him into his the basement of his parents' home just outside Topeka, Kan.
Before that, Williams testified, "He wanted to go home and take care of his parents and Karen's grandmother."
http://www.chron.com/news/article/Ex-aide-Kan-murder-suspect-had-perfect-family-2136781.php
ohiogirl
08-23-2011, 03:05 PM
From above link.
"When a defendant's mental state is an issue in Kansas, jurors are not asked to consider whether they believe a defendant understood whether his alleged actions were criminal. Instead, they consider whether his mental state kept him from forming the intent to kill a specific victim or victims and from reflecting on actions he might take.
Richard Bonnie, a University of Virginia professor of law, medicine and psychiatry, said the Kansas standard is narrower than most other states' standards, so that even "delusional reasons" for criminal acts would not be enough to avoid a conviction. Bonnie said even under the insanity defenses allowed in most other states, rage or a loss of control isn't sufficient to avoid a conviction."
It doesn't sound like his insanity defense will work according to this. jmo
UdbCrzy2
08-23-2011, 07:01 PM
Peterson said Kahler's depression over the divorce was so severe that — in his opinion — Kahler couldn't avoid doing what he is accused of doing.
"For that moment, he had completely lost control," Peterson testified. "It wasn't rational thinking."
Peterson said Kahler had a rigid personality and was unsophisticated in his understanding of other's emotions. During the divorce, Peterson testified, Kahler became "obsessively focused" on publicly humiliating his wife to get her to come back to him.
Peterson said Kahler didn't understand what he was doing "would only kill the relationship."
"It consumed him that very serious depression," Peterson testified. "He lost a great deal of his judgment."
http://www.chron.com/news/article/Psychiatrist-testifies-in-Kansas-murder-trial-2136781.php
___________________________
Kahler neighbors Don and Marina Coulter testified yesterday they also asked Reese to keep out of the Kahlers’ marriage.
Reese said last week she couldn’t do that because she knew Kraig Kahler was abusing his wife.
McAulay was the second person to acknowledge a statement Karen Kahler wrote in an ex parte petition in March 2009.
In the statement, she said one of her “chores” was to have sex with her husband each night at 8. McAulay recalled Karen describing herself as Kraig’s “trophy wife” and the family as “perfect” and “robotic.”
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/22/kahler-defense-focuses-mental-struggles/
believe09
08-23-2011, 07:07 PM
This poor woman. Can you imagine what the last moments of her life were like? Knowing that she couldnt save her babies, her grandmother, herself from the man she knew was excersising the ultimate form of control over her?
I posted this before, but this man wants this trial so he can continue to publicly humiliate her and to kill her all over again. He is savoring this-no doubt about it. Guilty or Not guilty is immaterial-he gets to live this all over again and have his attorney present his side...to try and justify the slaughter.
UdbCrzy2
08-23-2011, 10:32 PM
It's like he's trying to say that 'he HAD to kill her and her family'. Boy, wonder what the heck the jury thinks of him. I'll bet that they don't like him very much. I guess we'll see when they go to deliberations.
believe09
08-23-2011, 10:35 PM
It's like he's trying to say that 'he HAD to kill her and her family'. Boy, wonder what the heck the jury thinks of him. I'll bet that they don't like him very much. I guess we'll see when they go to deliberations.
Yes his defense is that he didnt understand it wasnt socially acceptable to publically and privately humiliate his wife in order to make her come back to him.
He hunted her and the girls. Grandma was the bonus-it makes me want to scream. I have known too many people in a similar set of circumstances, but clearly they were far more lucky in their outcome.
eta: From your link Udb
"Peterson said Kahler had a rigid personality and was unsophisticated in his understanding of other's emotions. During the divorce, Peterson testified, Kahler became "obsessively focused" on publicly humiliating his wife to get her to come back to him.
Peterson said Kahler didn't understand what he was doing "would only kill the relationship."
Honestly, she was going to come back on his terms-I am certain he went wild when he lost control of her, especially around 8pm every night. (sorry)
ohiogirl
08-23-2011, 10:51 PM
I believe he should be found guilty. That said, what happens to someone who has been raised to believe that the male is the be all and end all in the eyes of the family, and anyone who questions that authority is doomed? They don't have a choice but to destroy that usurper.
This is a huge problem in our society.
Don't get me wrong, he is definitely guilty, and needs to be kept away from society,
but society needs to find a way to instill a value of family above individual.
Situations like these scream for society to realize that the family is hugely more important than any one individually.
When will society catch up? When males stop thinking that their maleness is more important than anything else.
I have serious doubts that this will ever happen.
He was brought up wrong, he is reaping the consequences, he is doomed. jmo
ohiogirl
08-23-2011, 10:52 PM
Is it obvious that I am female?lol
UdbCrzy2
08-24-2011, 04:44 PM
Kahler silent as testimony concludes
LYNDON — After eight days of testimony, the two sides in the capital murder case of James Kraig Kahler concluded the presentation of evidence Wednesday morning without the defendant testifying.
Closing arguments in the Osage County District Court were scheduled for Thursday morning.
http://cjonline.com/news/2011-08-24/kahler-silent-testimony-concludes
______________________________
Kahler prosecutors work to prove intent
The 15 jurors will report at 8 a.m. Thursday for jury instructions and closing arguments.
Premeditation and intent are required to convict Kraig Kahler of capital murder and first-degree murder.
Factors cited included:
Cash was deducted out of his bank account.
He drove an hour’s distance from his parents’ home to Wight’s home.
He knew family members were in the home.
His vehicle was packed with food, luggage and backpacking equipment as if going on a trip.
A jacket found outside Wight’s home near a shed suggests he watched his family in the home.
The shooting took place over a long period of time. He had to pursue his victims in the home.
No missed shots suggest the shots were not random. Each bullet hit its intended target.
The murder weapon, which was never found, shows he was aware he did something wrong.
He was aware the police were looking for him and the reason why they were looking for him.
If in such a deranged state, he would have shot at neighbors who shined a flashlight on him.
He didn’t park at the house, nor did he knock on the door.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/24/kahler-prosecutors-work-prove-premeditation/
UdbCrzy2
08-24-2011, 04:52 PM
Kansas statute complicates case for insanity
The Kansas Legislature in 1995 abolished the traditional insanity defense. The current statute requires Kahler to show he lacked the mental state required in elements of the crimes he is charged with as a result of a mental disease or defect.
Evidence introduced during trial that could hurt Kahler’s defense in terms of the crime being intentional and premeditated has included:
Before the shootings, he withdrew a large amount of cash from the bank.
The defendant’s vehicle was loaded with a suitcase, trash bags filled with outdoor survival gear and canned goods, and a hiking backpack filled with supplies such as soap, lotion, hand towels, toilet paper, cotton balls, beef jerky, a compass and trail mix.
“I might go out in a blaze of glory,” Kris Kahler, 46, recalled his brother saying.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/24/kansas-statute-complicates-case-for-insanity/
UdbCrzy2
08-25-2011, 12:44 AM
Kahler capable of premeditation despite depression, psychiatrist says
“Somebody who is severely depressed … (would) not (be) capable of doing things that he was doing at the time,” Logan said of Kahler.
Under direct examination by Assistant Attorney General Amy Hanley, Logan gave his interpretation of Kahler’s behavior the night of the shootings, saying that the roughly hour-long drive from his parents’ house in Meriden directly to Wight’s home in Burlingame, Kan., showed that “this wasn’t a random act.”
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/08/24/during-rebuttal-psychiatrist-testifies-kahlers-depression-did-not-prevent-premeditation/
UdbCrzy2
08-25-2011, 10:16 PM
Kahler found guilty in quadruple homicide
After less than two and a half hours of deliberation, an Osage County jury today returned guilty verdicts of capital murder, four counts of first-degree murder and a single count of aggravated burglary against former Columbia Water and Light Director Kraig Kahler. He was found guilty of shooting his wife, Karen Kahler, 44; their daughters, Emily, 18, and Lauren, 16; and Dorothy Wight, 89, Karen Kahler’s grandmother, at Wight’s home on Nov. 28, 2009.
Sentencing proceedings will begin Monday, with further witnesses being called. Prosecutors' possible witnesses Monday are psychiatrist William Logan and forensic pathologist Erik Mitchell, both of whom also testified during the trial. The defense plans to call three or four witnesses as well. The jury will then reconvene to determine Kahler’s sentence of death or life in prison without parole.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/25/kraig-kahler-found-guilty-quadruple-homicide/
_______________________________
Kahler found guilty of capital murder, four counts of first-degree murder
In her closing statement, Assistant Attorney General Amy Hanley said the shootings clearly reflected Kahler’s organized, controlling and calculating personality. When Kahler couldn’t fix his marriage or family, she said, he decided to “eliminate the problem.”
“He murdered them all, one by one,” she continued. “He killed his family because they were no longer perfect.”
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/08/25/kahler-jury-deliberations-begin/
believe09
08-26-2011, 12:17 AM
Thank you.
ohiogirl
08-26-2011, 09:16 AM
That was quick! DP or LWOP?
westsidefox64
08-29-2011, 05:17 PM
http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/Jury_Recommends_Death_Penalty_For_Kahler.html?%3F% 3F%3F%3F%3F
An Osage County jury Monday recommended the death penalty for convicted murderer James Kahler.
ohiogirl
08-30-2011, 08:43 AM
Not very surprising. Thanks.
UdbCrzy2
10-10-2011, 01:27 PM
Death seen as likely sentence in 4 Kansas killings
A sentencing hearing for Kahler, 48, is scheduled for Tuesday morning before District Judge Phillip Fromme, who must decide whether the jury's recommendation for a death sentence is supported by the evidence. But, as defense attorney Thomas Haney noted, no Kansas trial court judge has rejected a jury's recommendation in a capital case since the law was reinstated.
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/09/3196697/death-seen-as-likely-sentence.html
UdbCrzy2
10-11-2011, 03:24 PM
During hearing, Kahler makes remarks
At 10:18 a.m. Tuesday, Kahler was sentenced to death for murdering Karen Kahler; daughters Lauren Kahler, 16, and Emily Kahler, 18; and Karen Kahler's grandmother, Dorothy Wight, 89.
The four were killed during the Thanksgiving Day weekend in 2009 in Burlingame.
“The court at this time for the crime of capital murder will sentence the defendant to death under the law,” Chief Judge Phillip Fromme announced.
http://cjonline.com/news/2011-10-11/during-hearing-kahler-makes-remarks#.TpSUQpsr2so
believe09
10-24-2011, 12:32 PM
We are now full circle on this monstrocity. As much as I am opposed to the DP, I have a very hard time coming up with a perp who deserves it more than this man.
I hope his son can find a way to move on.
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