The man accused of killing his three young daughters in River Falls and attempting to burn the evidence has pleaded not guilty in St. Croix Circuit Court. Aaron Schaffhausen is charged with three counts of first degree intentional homicide for the deaths of his daughters ages 5, 8 and 11. Prosecutors allege Schaffhausen, a construction worker living in North Dakota, drove to River falls and asked his ex-wife if he could see the girls. They say he then went to the home where the girls lived, slit their throats, and then called his ex-wife back to tell her he had “killed the kids.” Schaffhausen turned himself in to police, but he has not admitted to the crime. When police arrived at the home where the girls had been killed, they found an unlit gas fireplace had been turned on and flammable liquid was spilled in the basement. Schaffhausen is also facing an arson charge. Prosecutors have stated in court documents that they expect Schaffhausen’s attorney eventually to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. In that case, it would be up to the defense to prove Schaffhausen did not know what he did was wrong or that he could not control his actions. A motion hearing has been scheduled for September 20.
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