My Mother's Murder Trials - Part 2
Dana Chandler, 65, was sentenced to beingness successful situation for the 2002 murders of her ex-husband Mike Sisco and his woman Karen Harkness connected June 3, 2025.
Judge Cheryl Rios handed down 2 consecutive beingness presumption and Chandler volition not beryllium eligible for parole for 50 years, with recognition for astir 13 years of clip she has already served.
Hailey Seel, Chandler and Sisco's daughter, gave a unfortunate interaction connection astatine sentencing. According to The Kansas Reflector, Seel said astir her parent successful court, "I genuinely spot her present arsenic the evil killer. I hatred it. I don't privation to telephone you evil killer, but I can't unrecorded successful a fairy tale."
Seel reportedly recommended the justice to amusement mercy connected Chandler if she confessed to the transgression and expressed remorse. But if Chandler continued to contradict her involvement, Seel recommended the justice should enforce the maximum sentence.
Dana Chandler astatine her sentencing for the 2002 murders of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness connected June 3, 2025.
Pool photography by Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal/USA Today Network
The Kansas Reflector reported Chandler continued to contradict engagement successful the crimes, stating, "I person ever maintained my innocence. I proceed to support my innocence. I was not successful Topeka, Kansas, connected July 7. I ne'er owned oregon possessed a 9-millimeter firearm. What is happening successful this courtroom is simply a sedate injustice. I was not the 1 who killed them."
Sisco, 47, and Harkness, 53, were each changeable aggregate times with a 9mm weapon connected July 7, 2002, successful Harkness' Topeka, Kansas, home. Police rapidly suspected Chandler aft members of the Harkness and Sisco families said she harassed Sisco with bizarre visits and predominant telephone calls pursuing their bitter divorcement and custody battle. She was questioned by constabulary but was not charged. Chandler has ever maintained her innocence.
"48 Hours" has been covering the lawsuit since 2008, and astir precocious successful "My Mother's Murder Trials" reported by contributor Jim Axelrod.
For years, the couple's families met with instrumentality enforcement and adjacent conducted their ain probe looking for further evidence, specified arsenic the execution weapon, which was ne'er found. At that time, Shawnee County District Attorney Robert Hecht reportedly said determination was not capable grounds to complaint Chandler. In 2011, a caller DA, Chad Taylor, was successful bureau and made the determination to determination the lawsuit forward.
Dana Chandler was arrested successful 2011 and entered not blameworthy pleas to 2 counts of first-degree murder. A assemblage convicted Chandler successful 2012, and she was sentenced to beingness successful prison.
Six years later, Chandler's convictions were overturned owed to prosecutorial misconduct. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that statements made astatine Chandler's proceedings by authoritative Jacqie Spradling was, successful astatine slightest 1 instance, "made-up" and "misleading." Spradling was aboriginal disbarred for what the tribunal called "intolerable acts of deception" aimed astatine the assemblage and the courts. "48 Hours" reached retired to Spradling, but did not person a response.
But the Kansas Supreme Court did not disregard Chandler's case. It ruled that determination was inactive capable grounds for a assemblage to find Chandler guilty. The determination whether to retry Chandler was up to the caller Shawnee County DA Mike Kagay, and helium chose to proceed with different trial.
Chandler's 2nd proceedings began successful July 2022. Defense lawyer Tom Bath argued determination was nary DNA, fingerprint oregon hairsbreadth grounds that placed Chandler wrong the Harkness residence, oregon adjacent successful the authorities of Kansas.
Shawnee County Deputy DA Charles Kitt acknowledged the deficiency of carnal grounds and told the assemblage the lawsuit was alternatively based connected jealousy, rage and obsession.
The assemblage successful this proceedings was incapable to scope a unanimous decision. After six days of deliberation, the justice announced a hung jury, reportedly with 7 votes to convict and 5 to acquit.
Following the hung jury, the justice reduced Chandler's bond, and aft being incarcerated for much than a decade, she was released from jail with GPS monitoring. The defence besides requested a alteration of venue for the upcoming trial, which the justice granted.
Chandler's 3rd trial got underway successful February 2025, successful Pottawatomie County, 60 miles from Topeka. On the greeting of opening statements, Chandler dismissed her attorneys and announced she would correspond herself.
At trial, Chandler's children, Hailey Seel and Dustin Sisco — who were teenagers astatine the clip of the murders — testified for the prosecution, arsenic they had done previously. They some judge their mother, Dana Chandler, is liable for murdering their father, Mike Sisco, and Karen Harkness. They were besides questioned by their mother.
When it was clip to contiguous her case, Chandler testified for astir 20 hours, dispersed implicit 7 days. She argued that nary 1 could spot her astatine the country of the murders, oregon adjacent successful the authorities of Kansas astatine the clip of the killings, and that she had ne'er owned oregon possessed a .9mm firearm.
Deputy DA Kitt focused connected Chandler's obsessive behaviour and told the assemblage she killed Sisco and Harkness due to the fact that she had mislaid power of her ex-husband.
The assemblage deliberated astir 4 hours earlier uncovering Chandler guilty.
Hailey Seel says she was relieved by the verdict but hopes that the lives mislaid are not forgotten.
"I bash consciousness similar the absorption of this lawsuit has gone astir wholly to Dana Chandler and that the — the victims and the families of the victims has truly been mislaid successful this case, which is truly sad. And I anticipation that from present retired the — the victims and the families tin beryllium remembered more," Seel told "48 Hours."
Chandler is filing motions to entreaty the conviction. "48 Hours" reached retired to Chandler for comment, but did not person a response.
Chelsea Narvaez contributed to this report.
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