James Kraig Kahler, known as Kraig, was a successful professional and family man. He lived in Weatherford, Texas, with his wife, Karen, their two teenage daughters, Emily and Lauren, and their nine-year-old son, Sean. Kahler worked as the director of public utilities, while Karen was a personal trainer. Many people who knew them believed they had the perfect family life.

In 2008, Kahler accepted a new job as the director of water and light in Columbia, Missouri. He moved there ahead of his family, expecting them to join him later. However, before the move, Karen started a romantic relationship with a female coworker. Kahler initially tolerated it, believing it was temporary, but when the affair continued, it led to serious problems in their marriage.

On New Year's Eve 2008, Kahler and Karen had a public argument that escalated their marital issues. In early 2009, Karen filed for divorce. Their separation deeply affected Kahler, especially since his daughters sided with their mother. He remained close to his son, Sean, but he felt abandoned by the rest of his family. His emotional state worsened when Karen accused him of domestic battery, which led to his arrest during a city council meeting. The incident became public, damaging his reputation and worsening his mental health.

By late 2009, Kahler had lost his job and was struggling with severe depression. The divorce proceedings were ongoing, and he became increasingly unstable. His anger toward Karen and his daughters grew, and he blamed them for ruining his life. Just days after Thanksgiving, his resentment exploded into violence.

On November 28, 2009, during Thanksgiving weekend, Karen and the children were visiting her grandmother, 89-year-old Dorothy Wight, in Burlingame, Kansas. That evening, Kahler drove to Wight’s house with a loaded rifle. As he entered the home, he saw Karen in the kitchen with Sean. Without hesitation, he shot Karen twice. Sean, the only survivor, managed to escape from the house unharmed.

Kahler then moved through the house, shooting his two daughters, Emily (18) and Lauren (16), as well as Karen’s grandmother, Dorothy. Each victim was shot multiple times. When police arrived, they found Karen, Emily, and Lauren still alive but critically wounded. They were rushed to the hospital but died shortly after. Dorothy was also alive when officers found her, but she did not survive her injuries.

After the murders, Kahler fled the scene, triggering a manhunt. He was arrested the next morning without putting up a fight. At his trial, his defense team argued that he was suffering from severe depression and mental illness, which prevented him from forming intent. However, Kansas law does not allow for an insanity defense that fully excuses a crime. On August 26, 2011, a jury found Kahler guilty of capital murder, and he was sentenced to death.

His case later reached the U.S. Supreme Court in Kahler v. Kansas, which challenged the state’s strict laws on the insanity defense. In March 2020, the Court ruled against Kahler, upholding Kansas’s legal stance.

Kahler remains on death row in Kansas, awaiting execution for the brutal murders of his wife, daughters, and mother-in-law.