A former Webster County Deputy has been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action after police discovered a grisly homicide scene in the early morning hours of Friday, Aug. 15.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Douglas County, the Ava Police Department was dispatched at approximately 1:18 a.m. to a residence on Bunch Avenue in Ava. Upon arrival, officers found blood evidence leading from a silver 2012 Mercedes in the garage into the basement of the home. Inside, authorities discovered a deceased male on a couch with multiple stab wounds.
The victim had suffered injuries to the shoulder, abdomen, leg, face, and neck. A knife was found lodged in the victim’s face, and investigators noted that stab wounds to the left leg appeared to have been inflicted before a prosthetic device was reattached. Several firearms were recovered from the residence, and the body was taken for autopsy.
Police identified the suspect as 54 year old Aaron Ray Vaughan, who was located at the scene with blood on his hands, arms, and clothing. The victim was identified as Dale Hansen, 48, originally of Springfield. Hansen and Vaughan were both Webster County deputies in the early 2000’s.
The first officer to arrive on the scene of the murder reported that Vaughan resisted arrest but was subdued and taken into custody. He was read his Miranda rights and transported to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
At the jail, Vaughan registered a blood alcohol concentration of .169 on a preliminary breath test and later consented to a blood draw. During a brief interview, Vaughan admitted to drinking and said he and the victim had been in a fistfight earlier in the evening.
The probable cause statement noted that Vaughan denied killing the victim, but at one point told investigators that he had to leave the room “because if I did not, I was going to k—,” stopping short of completing the word “kill.”
Investigators also documented a wound on Vaughan’s hand consistent with striking another person in the mouth.
Based on the evidence, prosecutors have filed charges of Murder in the First Degree, Armed Criminal Action and Resisting/Interfering with Arrest for a Felony against Vaughan.
Vaughan remains in custody in Douglas County, pending further court proceedings. A bond hearing is set for Monday, Aug. 25.
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