Heart-wrenching 911 calls played during Hudson man's trial

HUDSON (WITI) -- Gutwrenching 911 calls were played this week inside a Hudson, WI court room. Aaron Schauffhausen is on trial -- accused of murdering his three young children.

The 911 call that Jessica Schauffhausen made on July 10th is heart-wrenching from the start...

911 Call: "My husband just called me and told me he killed my kids!"

The call was made as Jessica left her job in North St. Paul and rushed towards her River Falls home. Played in court Wednesday, April 3rd, it lasted nearly 40 minutes.

911 Call: "He said I could come home any time. I killed the kids. The girls were dead."

Dispatcher: "Did he stay on the line with you?"

911 Call: "No. He just broke down crying and hung up."

As the tape played, Aaron Schauffhausen sat still and showed no emotion -- even as his ex-wife began describing their daughters Amara, Sophie and Cecilia to the dispatcher.

As the dispatcher tried to comfort Jessica Schauffhausen, she also asked if her ex-husband had depression. To which Jessica answered - yes.

Dispatcher: "Does he take medication for a mental illness?"

911 Call: "No. He said he stopped taking them and that's what is making him psychotic."

The defense says Schaffhausen's state of mind drove him to make threats like this one: "I would like to come to River Falls and tie you up and have you choose which of our girls should die so you would understand the pain I feel."

Prosecutors say what Schaffhausen did was intentional and premeditated.

"He killed because he wanted to kill. That's why he did what he did," a prosecutor in the case said.

If Schaffhausen is found guilty but insane, he will likely be sent to a mental health facility instead of a prison.

The trial is expected to last several weeks.