The shocking death of an entire family! The Kahler Family case. True Crime Documentary.

hey guys welcome to my channel and today we're going to take a look at another horrible case with you the klor family case can this crime be justified by a nervous disorder in 1995 Kansas passed a law stating that an offender who committed a premeditated crime could not blame his actions on a mental disorder that made him unable to distinguish right from wrong this law was passed because almost every criminal when brought to trial tried to avoid punishment by claiming that he was not in control of his actions or did not realize the consequences because of a mental disorder the head of the once happy and large Kor family tried to use Insanity as a defense to avoid responsibility for the atrocities he committed however he was found sane psychologists believe that his actions were motivated by jealousy rage and a desire for revenge against the ex-wife who left him and the daughters who supported their mother unfortunately such crimes motivated by jealousy and a pathological desire for Revenge are a common worldwide phenomenon according to statistics these motives account for one in eight crimes committed excessive suspicion insecurity and obsessive need to control a partner can turn a person into a real Beast who does not spare even his own children the story of the ker family James Craig ker was born in 1963 in Weatherford Texas his future wife Karen Kaylor n white was born in the same city in 1965 they met in the early 1980s as students at a Texas University Craig was graduating in engineering and Karen was a freshman in the humanities department they quickly found common ground and soon began a romantic relationship they were young in love and seemed like the perfect couple Craig was a top student known for his determination and talent in Engineering in the late 1980s after graduation they had a modest wedding attended only by close friends and family their first child Emily was born in 1991 followed by Lauren in 1993 they lived in a cozy house in Weatherford and were quite well off by local standard ards in 1999 when Karen was pregnant with her third child Craig received a lucrative job offer at a large utility company in Weatherford his promotion coincided with the birth of their son Shawn whom he adored with a higher income Craig bought a spacious house in the city's most prestigious neighborhood and a reliable family car Karen stayed at home and Craig became the primary bread winner outwardly the family seemed perfect the daughters Emily and Lauren were talented in sports and music often participating in vocal competitions and local events Emily excelled in school and went to a prestigious Pharmacy College while Lauren an excellent student dreamed of attending a conservatory to pursue a career in music Shawn was an outgoing kind and inquisitive boy interested in newmatics and aspiring to become an archaeologist he was very close to his parents and sisters Craig provided for for his family Karen made the home comfortable raised the children and baked tasty treats they were active in the community striving to improve their neighborhood they also raised three wonderful and talented children however behind the facade of perfection there were many problems that family members kept hidden in 2007 Karen admitted to her younger sister Linda that she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown she complained that Craig had been controlling and monitoring her for years and that this control was increasing Craig demanded a full accounting of all expenditures not just major purchases but everyday household expenses as well Karen provided him with Supermarket receipts Bank transaction data and reported her whereabouts every day while he was at work the entire Kaylor family lived on a strict schedule set by Craig when he returned from work his wife and children had to be home to meet him they went to bed woke up and ate at certain times and even intimacy between the couple was scheduled over time Craig's obsession with control intensified he became increasingly demanding and selfish and Karen's actions were scheduled down to the hour Karen felt enslaved she had no free time only duties and responsibilities she tried to fulfill all of her husband's demands hoping that he would loosen his control and they could get back to their old life but Craig seemed to enjoy his control and was unwilling to to change Linda was deeply disturbed by her sister's Revelations she like everyone else had seen Craig as the perfect husband father and family man and it turned out he was a domestic Tyrant however Karen did not want to destroy her family besides she and her children were financially dependent on Craig therefore she decided to find a job that would provide her with a stable [Music] income Karen's new hobby Karen despite her Advanced age and three children was in great physical shape she always adhered to the principles of good nutrition periodically followed diets took care of herself and went jogging every day secretly from her husband she enrolled in a local Fitness club where she started working out for several hours every day it was her way of blowing off steam distracting herself and getting her thoughts in order she attended the gym while Craig was at work and didn't notice her working out soon the management of the sports club noticed the attractive fit and diligent woman Karen was offered to try herself as a fitness instructor with a probationary period and the possibility of an official labor contract the former housewife could not have dreamed of such an opportunity because now she will be able to continue doing what she loves and even receive a decent remuneration for it eventually Craig found out that his wife was going to the gym Karen expected a scandal and that her husband would forbid her to go but surprisingly he reacted calmly he even seemed pleased that his wife had found something to do and was now earning her own money his only conditions were that she had to be home when he arrived cook meals and not disrupt their planned intimate life Karen found these conditions acceptable because now she had the freedom of action and the ability to provide for her own needs without having to justify to her husband every dime she spent unexpected romance and a love triangle soon there was a new instructor at the fitness club named Sunny rice Karen and sunny quickly hit it off and became friends for Karen who had been a stay-at-home mom for many years and was unable to socialize with people outside the family Sunny became a trusted Confidant the women spent time together at work every day sometimes going for walks drinking coffee and having heart-to-heart talks it didn't take long for their friendship to grow into something more naturally they hid their feelings and relationship from everyone but in time Karen decided that she had to confess everything to her husband she spent months preparing for this conversation trying to find the right words not knowing how to start and what the consequences might be eventually she opened up to Craig although Craig was quite puzzled by his wife's Revelation he reacted rather calmly and did not make a scene however the next day Craig stated that he agreed to his wife's relationship with sunny but on the condition that he could join them Karen was shocked by her husband's proposal and didn't know how to react to it nevertheless Craig took the initiative and began courting Sunny sending her flowers and small gifts he seemed to see this as an opportunity to brighten his intimate life and add passion and New Sensations to his marriage to Karen at first the women agreed to his proposal but soon realized that for Craig it was a game of dominance their peculiar love triangle didn't last long and Craig was made to realize that he was not welcome in their relationship feeling insulted Craig demanded that Karen end the affair immediately but she continued to date Sunny genuinely in love after nearly two decades of marriage it seemed that Karen was ready to leave her husband for a new relationship a move to another state in secret meetings after months of scandals confrontations and agonizing deliberation Craig decided that the best solution to save his family would be to move to another state he began looking for a new job sending out rumes and soon landed a position as a water director for a large company in Columbia Missouri a city neighboring Kansas Craig believed that his wife's move to another state would end her affair with sunny and their family life would return to normal the move in the summer of 2008 proved difficult for the family as the children had to change schools make new friends and adjust to life in a new city although the family was already well off Craig's salary and his new position was nearly double what he earned in Weatherford however with more responsibilities and more hours on the job Craig naively thought he had cut sunny out of his wife's life for good but he was wrong Karen and sunny continued to communicate regularly exchanging calls and texts and meeting in secret they would drive to meet halfway and spend a couple hours in a roadside Hotel before returning home by then Karen knew her marriage was doomed she no longer loved her husband and divorce was only a matter of time these secret trist continued until December 2008 on that New Year's Eve the Kaylor family returned to their Hometown to visit family and friends Sunny was also present at this party Karen and sunny beh aved lowkey at first simply exchanging greetings however as the party progressed and under the influence of alcohol they seemed to forget about social norms the lovers were inseparable holding hands exchanging longing glances and some guests even caught them kissing Craig wasn't just angry he was Furious Karen had insulted and humiliated him in front of dozens of former roommates friends and co-workers making her Affair public Craig made a scene at the party verbally attacking his wife and sunny an enraged Craig forcibly dragged Karen away from the party on the way home he lost control of himself he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her with such force that her dress ripped he then slapped her causing her to stumble and fall hitting her head hard divorce and painful harassment after returning home the conflict did not subside and a few days later Karen told Craig that she was leaving him she initiated divorce proceedings and demanded custody of the children at first Craig tried to apologize begging to keep the family for the sake of the children and offering to give their marriage another chance however Karen was adamant and obtained a divorce Craig then began calling their mutual friends and relatives asking them to talk to Karen and convince her not to break up the family and stay with him despite his best efforts she firmly told him that she was leaving for sunny and was never truly happy in their marriage in the early spring of 2009 while they were still living under the same roof another argument broke out and Craig resorted to physical violence for the first time since that New Year's Eve party Caren reported him to the police and he was arrested however at the station he claimed that his wife was hysterical and he only held her tightly to calm her down which caused the bruises on her arms after this incident Karen without waiting for an official divorce took the children and moved out for Craig it was a serious blow but even more he was angry when he learned that his daughters sided with their mother saying that for the first time in a long time saw her happy he saw this as a betrayal and refused to communicate with Emily and Lauren only calling Shawn and taking him with him on weekends while blatantly ignoring his daughters meanwhile despite the ongoing divorce proceedings Craig still hoped that his wife would change her mind and come back to him he was jealous tried to control her and followed her everywhere he watched her house followed her around town in a rental car trying to remain undetected and even tried to set up a hidden camera in her house when no one was there naturally all of this took time and effort so Craig had to sacrifice work first he took a vacation then he claimed that he was sick and in the end he just started skipping work without explanation this Reckless Behavior led to his termination after losing his job and source of income Craig was forced to move into his parents' house because he couldn't afford his own now with plenty of free time he was able to stalk his ex-wife all day long leading her to take his ex-husband to court to stop him from approaching her horrible Thanksgiving in November 2009 just before Thanksgiving Karen took her children to visit her 89-year-old grandmother Dorothy white in the small town of Berling game Kansas to spend the vacations on the evening of November 29th the Berling game police department received an alarm call about a suspicious van and the sound of gunshots Dorothy's neighbors reported seeing a small truck pull up to the elderly woman's home a man get out of it and enter the house they then allegedly heard screams and gunshots but are not sure the man then left the house got back into the truck and drove away quickly neighbors did not attempt to apprehend him fearing he was armed when police pulled up to the house they were met by a terrified 10-year-old boy calling for help it was Shawn Kaylor who couldn't explain what had happened but it was clear that a terrifying scene awaited the police inside near the front door they found the 89-year-old homeowner lying in a pool of blood and surprisingly alive despite two gunshot wounds in the kitchen police found the lifeless body of 44 y- old Karen she had been shot in the chest and then killed by a close-range gunshot to the Head her ex-husband had left her with no chance of survival the body of her oldest daughter 18-year-old Emily lay between a wall and a couch she had apparently tried to hide from her enraged father but he caught up with her and took her life with two point blank shots her younger sister Lauren lay in a pool of blood in a second floor bedroom she was still alive beg ing faintly to save her life and repeatedly stating that her father had done it the elderly woman and Lauren were immediately rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of a nearby hospital despite the doctor's best efforts their lives could not be saved Lauren died on the morning of December 1st from massive blood loss and damage to her internal organs and her great-grandmother died a few hours later that day the only surviving Witness Shawn was in a State of Shock psychologists worked with him but he needed a thorough interrogation as the only living witness to the tragic events at his great-grandmother's house he said that that evening his mother was in the kitchen preparing dinner and he approached her to ask for his favorite pies suddenly the back door of the house swung open and their father entered the house with a shotgun in his hands without saying a word the man pointed the barrel at his ex-wife and shot her then moved closer and fired again for the first few seconds Shawn froze in horror then his father turned to him but didn't aim just silently and intently stared at him Shawn realized he had to run so he jumped out the open back door the boy ran toward the main entrance hoping to alert his grandmother and sisters and call for help however as he reached the threshold he heard several more gunshots fearing to enter the house he hid in a small out building he heard several more shots and waited in Terror for his father to come after [Music] him where is Mr Kaylor Craig was immediately put on The Wanted list warning that he was armed and extremely dangerous meanwhile police received several reports of a speeding truck which helped them quickly determine the direction the gunman was traveling at one point the man abandoned his vehicle in a wooded area and began walking down a deserted Road law enforcement quickly caught up with him and app rended him the next morning he had left the rifle and ammunition in the back seat with prescription medication for depression and anxiety disorders lying next to the driver's seat Mr Kaylor did not resist arrest he did not seem to care anymore he looked confused and even frightened and honestly admitted that he was armed with a gun and a hunting knife but did not intend to use them he also admitted that he had done something terrible that he believed the police already knew about at first when he was taken to the police station Craig fully admitted his guilt and poured his heart out to the investigating officer he told how his wife had cheated on him with sunny how they had humiliated him in front of his friends at a New Year's Eve party how his attempts to save his marriage had cost him his job and what was left of his self-respect the man cried said he did not know how he had decided to take such a step and complained that everyone including his daughters had betrayed him trial and fair sentence Craig's trial began in December 2010 the defendant who was advised by his lawyer Thomas Heeney recanted his initial confession blaming his actions on mental illness and Insanity it was his only option to avoid the death penalty for the murder of four people Heeney tried to convince the court that his client was in a difficult psychoemotional state after his wife left him for a lover his children sided with their mother he lost his job and was forced to move back into his parents home all of these factors contributed to the breakdown the lawyer said and Mr Kaylor committed the crime while insane not realizing what he was doing prior to 1995 there was indeed a law that allowed criminals to get leniency by pleading Insanity however in Kansas where the crime was committed and the trial took place that law was repealed furthermore the prosecution found no EV evidence of insanity insanity or effective state in Craig's actions only cold calculation he purchased guns and ammunition in advance went to Dorothy White's house knowing that his entire family was there he shot each victim twice leaving no chance of survival however he deliberately spared his son Shawn allowing him to escape in August 2011 the man was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death Shawn who was 12 years old at the time testified at the final hearing he said that he did not wish his father dead as he was the only close relative left despite numerous appeals by Craig and his attorneys the verdict remained unchanged as of today Mr Kaylor is still in prison and continues to fight to have the case reviewed and the death sentence overturned as for Shawn after the death of his mother and sisters he was officially taken into custody by his maternal grandmother mother he is now an adult has finished school received an education and has decided to stay and work in his home state thanks for watching guys subscribe to the channel and also don't forget to click the Bell there are many shocking stories ahead

Channel: True Crime - Jack

Views: 578,212

Keywords: true crime, disappearance, mystery, missing person, creepy story, dark story, scary story, unsolved crime, dark, crime, solved crime, true crime documentary, crime documentary, truly criminal, true crime cases, true crime stories, true crime 2023, murder documentary, true crime podcast

Id: t8tr7qWE5TU

Length: 20min 50sec (1250 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 04 2024