This happened in River Falls, WI on July 10, 2012. I just found out that he was a gamer....
How father who killed his three daughters 'was obsessed with video games': Distraught mother describes her ex-husband's descent into 'catatonic depression'
Trial to decide if Schaffhausen, 35, was sane when he killed his three daughters - 11-year-old Amara, 8-year-old Sophie and 5-year-old Cecilia
Jessica Schaffhausen told Wisconsin court that her ex-husband would play video games for eight-hour stretches and drank every day
By James Nye and Associated Press
PUBLISHED: 22:46 EST, 3 April 2013 | UPDATED: 23:27 EST, 3 April 2013
The mother of three girls who were killed by their father in what prosecutors say was an act of revenge testified on Wednesday that her ex-husband was 'catatonically depressed' but began taking medication and seemed to be getting better in 2011.
Aaron Schaffhausen has admitted to killing his three daughters on July 10 last year, but claims he was not responsible due to mental illness.
Jurors at his trial in St. Croix County in Hudson, Wisconsin will determine whether he was sane at the time of the slayings.
While testifying on Wednesday, Jessica Schaffhausen was shown a photograph of 11-year-old Amara, eight-year-old Sophie and five-year-old Cecilia and cried: '(They're) my babies.'
The ex-wife said Aaron wasn't taking care of the girls or helping with chores and was playing video games for eight hours or more.
Aaron Schaffhausen worked at times after leaving school, but did not help enough with the household, choosing instead to play video games for eight hours or more a day, his ex-wife testified, saying the "video games always came first."
"He was playing video games and would be unkind if I tried to get him to participate with me or the kids," Jessica Schaffhausen said, adding that every day she saw him he would be drinking.
His behavior ultimately led to an ultimatum from Jessica Schaffhausen: "Things needed to change or else we were getting a divorce," she said.
"What were you trying to get Aaron to do?" asked defense attorney John Kucinski.
"Save our marriage," replied Jessica Schaffhausen.
Liz Woolley
Oh, how horribly, horribly sad. Thanks Liz for sharing this.
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