River Falls (WQOW) - Three girls have died and their father is in jail in what is an unthinkable tragedy in River Falls.
Aaron Schaffhausen is in custody. He turned himself in on Tuesday. Charges have not been filed.
Police say Schaffhausen left his home in North Dakota on Tuesday and called his ex-wife on the way, asking to see their three girls. Later that afternoon, their bodies were found in the home.
"I have been in River Falls for over 34 years and it is certainly the worst we've seen," says River Falls Police Chief Roger Leque.
Investigators say Schaffhausen arrived at his ex-wife's house on Tuesday where a babysitter was watching the kids and he told the sitter she could leave. Later, his ex-wife, Jessica, called police, saying she was concerned about her children's safety. Police went to the home around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon and found the bodies of 11-year-old Amara, eight-year-old Sophie and five-year-old Cecilia. No one else was in the home. Police say the gas fireplace was on and there was a smell of what was believed to be flammable liquid in the house.
"The victims are being examined at the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office. I'm sorry that we don't want to speculate as to the injuries or what may have been the cause of death until we get the results of the autopsy," Leque explains. "At this point in time, we are not looking at any other suspects."
Neighbors say they are shocked and saddened with the news of the loss of the three little girls. When WQOW News 18 asked the neighbors to describe the girls' personalities, they said that they were fun-loving, energetic and loved being together. "It's really surreal," says neighbor Emily Kuhn. "You would never have thought it would happen in this neighborhood. It's the kind of neighborhood where you don't have to lock your doors."
Police say there had been two other incidents they are aware of: a domestic incident three years ago and another one in March where Aaron allegedly threatened to harm at least one of the children. Aaron and Jessica Schaffhausen divorced in January 2012.
*****************************************************
River Falls (WQOW/Press Release) - A press conference is held Wednesday afternoon in the death of 3 young girls in River Falls.
Police have their 34-year-old father, Aaron Schaffhausen, in custody.
New information about what happened was released:
On Tuesday, July 10, 2012, at approximately 3:32 p.m., River Falls police were dispatched to 2790 Morningside Avenue, River Falls, Wisconsin, regarding a reported domestic situation and welfare check.
River Falls Police Department received a call from the mother of three female children, ages 5 to 11, with concerns for their physical safety due to statements made from the father of the children concerning their well-being.
Officers responded to the home and upon entry searched the residence. In the process of the search, the gas fireplace was found to be activated and an odor of what was believed to be flammable liquid in the basement level. One of the responding officers turned the fireplace off.
Officers discovered the bodies of three deceased children. We have positively identified the victims as:
Amara Schaffhausen, age 11
Sophie Schaffhausen, age 8
Cecilia Schaffhausen, age 5
No one else was present in the home.
The bodies of the victims are currently begin examined at the Ramsey County, Minnesota Medical Examiner's Office. At this time, we are awaiting the results of those examinations.
Law enforcement from various agencies have been working throughout the night and remain at the scene conducting a thorough investigation at the residence.
The suspect, Aaron Schaffhausen, age 34, is currently being held in the St. Croix County Jail and is expected to be arraigned Thursday at 1 p.m. Formal charges are pending and will be determined by the District Attorney's office.
The mother, Jessica Schaffhausen, has immediate family with her and we are working closely with the family to make sure their needs are met. The family would like to express their gratitude for the outpouring of support and they ask that everyone respect their privacy. The Schaffhausen family has lived in River Falls for several years.
Jessica and Aaron were divorced in January 2012. Jessica was living at the Morningside Avenue address with the three children. The father has been living in Minot, North Dakota.
The children were at home with a babysitter until the father came to visit. At which time, the babysitter left the residence.
River Falls Police records indicate there was a domestic incident in August 2009 at the Morningside residence. There was also a March 2012 harassment incident where the father had allegedly threatened to harm at least one of the children. Those records are being reviewed for subsequent release to the media.
Our investigators have been in contact with North Dakota law enforcement to assist in the investigation.
The incident is still under investigation by the River Falls Police Department, St. Croix County Sheriff's Department, Pierce County Sheriff's Department, University of Wisconsin – River Falls Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation and State Crime Lab.
The River Falls School District has scheduled staff and counselors for two sessions open only to families and students of Greenwood Elementary school to deal with the tragedy at the Greenwood Elementary School Media Center from 2pm to 4pm Wednesday, July 1th and 10am to 2pm, Thursday, July 12th.
Further details will be coming forward for members of the greater community seeking assistance in dealing with the event, as they become available.
The Family has asked Bakken-Young Funeral Home to handle arrangements on their behalf.
The Family has asked that those wishing to assist the family with monetary donations make those to First National Bank of River Falls in River Falls or Prescott to the "Benefit Account for Schaffhausen Children." This account has been authorized by the family. The public advised to use this account if they wish to make donations and be cautious about other solicitations for funds for the family.
We anticipate that the streets in the area of the residence will be opened later this evening. However, the residence and its property will continue to be a crime scene and will be secured until further notice. We ask that the media and the community consider the surrounding neighbors by respecting their desire to enjoy their private property and their privacy as they deal with the loss of neighbors and friends in this tragedy.
A press conference was held at 2 p.m. this afternoon at River Falls City Hall, 222 Lewis Street, in the Council Chambers.
Tom Westerhaus, Superintendent of River Falls Schools, had the following comments at the press briefing:
"The entire River Falls school family is shocked by this tragedy and deeply saddened by the loss of the three Schaffhausen girls. The two oldest girls, Amara and Sophie Schaffhausen,were students at Greenwood Elementary School and are being remembered as bright,happy, friendly children by staff and other students. We were looking forward to having Cecilia Schaffhausen join her sisters in school this fall when she would have started kindergarten.
Our district crisis team met this morning for several hours to address the many issues involved in helping students, staff, and parents deal with their grief through this terrible tragedy. We met with Greenwood staff members this afternoon to assist them in handling their grief.
Arrangements have been made for Greenwood families, staff, and students to come to school this afternoon starting at 2:00 and also tomorrow, Thursday, July 12th starting at 10:00 AM to meet with counselors and staff who will be there to assist with help in processing the grief. Greenwood staff members also are working on tangible ways for students to show their support for the Schaffhausen family and begin to work through their own sadness at the loss of members of the very close Greenwood Community."
Mayor Dan Toland began the briefing with the following comments:
"First of all, as a community,our thoughts and prayers go out to the family at this time. We want them to know that we will be here to help them with anything they need. This is a tragedy that has reminded us of the value of our law enforcement employees, support agencies, and partner staff. I have seen, first hand, how hard they are working on this issue. In these times, it is important for community members to support each other as we grieve the loss and deal with the shock together."
*********************************
River Falls (Press Release) - UPDATE
COMMUNITY SUPPORT NOTICE:
The River Falls School District has scheduled staff and counselors for two sessions open to families and students of Greenwood Elementary school community to deal with the tragedy at the Greenwood Elementary School Media Center from 2pm to 4pm Wednesday July 1th and 10am to 2pm, Thursday July 12th. Other members of the public are not invited.
Further details will be coming forward for members of the greater community seeking assistance in dealing with the event.
ARRANGEMENTS NOTICE:
The Family has asked Bakken-Young Funeral Home to handle arrangements on their behalf.
FAMILY SUPPORT NOTICE:
The Family has asked that those wishing to assist the family with monetary donations make those to First National Bank of River Falls, with whom a fund is being established. Contact 715-425-2401.
***************************
River Falls (Press Release) - On Tuesday, July 10, 2012, at approximately 3:32 p.m., River Falls police were dispatched to 2790 Morningside Avenue, River Falls, Wisconsin, regarding a reported domestic situation and welfare check.
River Falls Police Department received a call from the mother of three female children, ages 5 to 11, with concerns for their physical safety due to statements made from the father of the children concerning their well-being.
Officers responded to the home and upon entry discovered the odor of gas in the home. Officers then discovered the bodies of three deceased children. We have positively identified the victims as:
Amara Schaffhausen, age 11
Sophie Schaffhausen, age 8
Cecilia Lee Schaffhausen, age 5
Nobody else was present in the home.
The River Falls Police Department took a male individual, the father of the victims, into custody after he turned himself into the Police Department at approximately 4:45 p.m. That individual has been identified as Aaron Schaffhausen, age 34. He was taken into custody without incident.
Later, he was transported to the St. Croix County Jail and booked at approximately 11:30 p.m. He was booked in on three counts of first degree intentional homicide. Formal charges are pending and will be determined by the District Attorney's office.
The mother of the children, who was not home at the time, is safe and is assisting police in the
investigation.
The incident is still under investigation by the River Falls Police Department, St. Croix County Sheriff's Department, Pierce County Sheriff's Department, University of Wisconsin – River Falls Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation and State Crime Lab.
Chief Roger Leque indicates, "We continue to work on determining answers to this tragedy."
************************************
River Falls (WQOW) - Police are investigating an apparent triple homicide in River Falls. Three young girls were found dead Tuesday afternoon. Shortly after, a man believed to be their father turned himself in to police.
According to a release, River Falls Police received a call from the mother of three young girls Tuesday afternoon. She said she was concerned about their well-being after talking with their father. When officers arrived at 2790 Morningside Avenue, there was a strong odor of gas. Inside, they found the bodies of three girls, ages 5 to 11-years-old. No one else was inside the home.
Soon after the bodies of the girls were discovered Aaron Schaffhausen, age 34, turned himself in to police.
The mother of the children is safe and is assisting police in the investigation.
No further information is being released at this time.
***************************************
RIVER FALLS, Wis. (AP) -- Three girls are dead and their father is in jail as police investigate an apparent triple homicide in the western Wisconsin city of River Falls.
A news release says officers were dispatched about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday when girls' mother called police to express concern because of statements made by the father.
Police arrived to find the bodies of three girls, ages 5 to 11, who appeared to fit the descriptions of the children living there. Police reported the smell of gas in the home, but did not identify the cause of their deaths.
The 34-year-old father later turned himself in to police.
Police say the mother is safe and is assisting police.
River Falls Police Chief Roger Leque says there's no danger to the rest of the community.
