Clinton woman helped hide corpse; Husband in prison after killing, she gets probation

Jenna Blount, Clinton Herald, Iowa
·2 min read

Dec. 7—CLINTON — A Clinton woman has been sentenced to probation in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred at Hawthorne Woods apartments in February 2021.

Jessica Vaughn, 36, was charged with abuse of a corpse, a Class D felony punishable under Iowa Code by up to five years imprisonment and a fine of between $1,025 and $10,245, after an investigation showed that she helped her husband, Lewis Vaughn Sr., 45, dispose of the body of a man he shot and killed.

Jessica Vaughn's charges link back to Feb. 24, 2021, when Clinton Police were dispatched to Apartment 12 at 847 Gateway Ave. on Feb. 24, 2021, for a welfare check. An investigation concluded that Jessica's husband, who was the maintenance man of the Hawthorne Woods apartments, had a physical altercation with Khalil Pugh and shot him twice. Lewis contacted Jessica afterward and she helped to remove the body from the apartment and and put it into Lewis' truck. The body was then disposed of in a dumpster elsewhere.

Jessica was served an arrest warrant on Aug. 31, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the charge of abuse of a corpse. The $5,000 cash-only bond for her release from jail was posted two days later.

On Sept. 14 of this year, her plea was changed to guilty per a negotiated plea agreement. She was given a suspended sentence on Nov. 15 by Seventh Judicial District Associate Judge Kimberly Shepherd of prison for a period not to exceed five years with credit for time spent in the county jail in connection with the case. She was placed on probation for two years under the specified conditions that she maintain employment and abide by any other conditions set by the probation officer.

A fine of $1,025 was also suspended.

Lewis Vaughn was sentenced on Aug. 10 to prison. He got five years for abuse of a corpse and up to 25 years for first-degree burglary, a Class B felony. He is currently serving the sentences consecutively at the Iowa Medical Classification Center Correctional Facility at Oakdale, Iowa.

Lewis was further sentenced to pay fines totaling $2,395 which has been suspended. He also must pay $150,000 restitution to Pugh's son, who is a minor.