Band director dressed as Santa held in attack
Posted on Saturday, December 29, 2007
JONESBORO — A Brookland High School teacher donned a Santa Claus hat and beard, festive clothing and gloves and broke into his superintendent’s home Thursday night with a loaded handgun, police said.
Steven Craig Vaughn, the high school band director, was charged with two counts of kidnapping and one count each of criminal attempt to commit firstdegree murder and residential breaking and entering in Craighead County District Court.
According to a probablecause arrest affidavit filed in court, Vaughn drove to Brookland Superintendent Nathan McGaughey’s home on Lynette Drive in Jonesboro at 9: 30 p.m. Thursday. Vaughn was wearing a red Santa hat with white trim, an attached beard, a red sweat shirt and black pants. He was also wearing black gloves, the affidavit says.
When McGaughey answered the door, Vaughn barged into the residence and pulled a. 22-caliber semiautomatic handgun from a large plastic container that had the words “Football Boosters Club” on the box, the affidavit says.
He reportedly ordered Mc-Gaughey and his son, Kevin Mc-Gaughey, to lie on the floor.
Instead, said detective Kenny Oldham of the Jonesboro Police Department, the elder Mc-Gaughey rushed Vaughn.
“He fought with Santa,” Oldham said.
Kevin McGaughey joined in the melee, and Vaughn’s gun was knocked away, according to reports. McGaughey’s wife, Angelia McGaughey, notified police while the two subdued Vaughn, reports say.
During the altercation, Nathan McGaughey received a cut on his face that required 30 stitches, and at least one of his ribs was broken, Oldham said.
“They had quite a fight,” the detective said.
On Friday, Craighead County District Judge Keith Blackman ordered Vaughn to undergo psychiatric treatment before he sets bail.
Vaughn’s attorney, John Barttelt of Jonesboro, said Vaughn had undergone spinal surgery on Dec. 21 and the anesthesia interacted poorly with antidepressants Vaughn had been taking.
“He does need an evaluation,” Barttelt said. “He was taking antidepressants for psychological problems. We feel the anesthesia had a large factor into why he acted the way he did.” Barttelt snapped angrily when asked if he planned to use the anesthesia as a defense for Vaughn. “I’ve only had this case for three hours,” he said Friday afternoon. “We’ll know much more when we find out what’s wrong when he goes through the psychological exam.” Blackman ordered Vaughn to undergo testing immediately at MidSouth Health Systems in Jonesboro. He set a Wednesday hearing to determine Vaughn’s bail once the testing is completed.
Oldham said Vaughn had expressed anger toward Mc-Gaughey throughout the year after Vaughn’s wife, a former Brookland Junior High School teacher, was injured during an altercation with a student in February.
“That may have been the beginning of this,” Oldham said.
After Vaughn was arrested, police reportedly found a 9-mm Ruger automatic handgun in his car, along with a clip of 32 bullets. Authorities also found a 5-gallon container full of gasoline, and a cigarette lighter.
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