Chris Vaughn's Judgment Day Looms

After five years in for allegedly gunning down his wife and three children, accused mass murderer Christopher Vaughn is less than a month away from the start of his murder trial.

Vaughn, 37, appeared in for a brief Monday morning hearing. Will County Judge Daniel Rozak called for one more appearance before the start of Vaughn's murder trial on Aug.13, setting an Aug. 3 date for the hearing.

Vaughn has been locked up since June 2007 on charges he murdered his wife and children.

Vaughn, his wife Kimberly, 34, and children Blake, 8, Cassandra, 11, and Abigayle, 12 were heading from their Oswego home to a Springfield waterpark when he pulled off Interstate 55 and stopped on the frontage road outside Channahon.

Christopher Vaughn then gunned down his wife and children as they sat in the family's minivan, according to police and prosecutors.

But Vaughn told detectives it was actually his wife who shot their children, put a bullet in his leg as he fled for his life, then turned the pistol on herself and committed suicide.

Christopher Vaughn reportedly explained to detectives that he had confessed to his wife about an extramarital dalliance and that was what led to the unhinged Kimberly Vaughn's killing spree.

Vaughn also told investigators that the medication his wife was taking for migraine headaches contributed to her becoming both homicidal and suicidal, officials said.