A girl from Kansas was sentenced Tuesday to life imprisonment for the 2002 murders of her ex -husband and her girlfriend. Choose Cheryl Rios delivered two consecutive phrases of life for Dana Chandler65, who was sentenced for the dying of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness.
It won’t be eligible for probation for 50 years, with credit score for roughly 13 years of time it has already served.
Hailey Seel, the daughter of Chandler and Sisco, gave an influence assertion of the sufferer within the sentence. In response to Kansas’s reflector, Seel stated about his mom in courtroom: “I actually see her because the evil assassin. I hate him. I do not wish to name you evil assassin, however I am unable to dwell in a fairy story.”
In response to the reviews, Seel really helpful the choose to point out Chandler’s mercy if he confessed the crime and expressed remorse. But when Chandler continued to disclaim his participation, Seel really helpful that the choose impose the utmost sentence.
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The Kansas reflector reported that Chandler continued to disclaim the participation within the crimes, stating: “I’ve at all times maintained my innocence. I nonetheless preserve my innocence. I used to be not in Topeka, Kansas, on July 7. He was by no means the proprietor or possessed a firefire of 9 millimeters. What is occurring on this courtroom is a critical injustice. It was not the one who killed them.
Sisco, 47, and Harkness, 53, shot a number of occasions with a 9 mm gun on July 7, 2002, in Harkness’ Topeka, Kansas, House. Police shortly suspected Chandler after members of Harkness and Sisco households stated he harassed Sisco with unusual visits and frequent phone calls after his bitter battle of divorce and custody. She was questioned by the police however was not accused. Chandler has at all times maintained his innocence.
“48 hours” has been overlaying the case since 2008, and extra just lately in “My Mom’s Homicide Trials” reported by the collaborator Jim Axelrod.
For years, the couple’s households met with the police and even performed their very own investigation in search of further proof, such because the homicidal weapon, which was by no means discovered. At the moment, Shawnee County District Prosecutor, Robert Heht, stated there weren’t sufficient proof to accuse Chandler. In 2011, a brand new day, Chad Taylor, was in workplace and made the choice to advance the case.
Dana Chandler was arrested in 2011 and declared two first diploma homicide positions harmless. A jury condemned Chandler in 2012, and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Six years later, Chandler’s convictions had been annulled attributable to prosecuting misconduct. The Supreme Courtroom of Kansas dominated that the statements made in Chandler’s trial by prosecutor Jacqie Spradling had been, in at the least one case, “invented” and “deceptive.” Spradling was later inhibited So the courtroom known as “acts of insupportable deception” addressed to the jury and the courts. “48 hours” contacted Spradling, however didn’t obtain a solution.
However Kansas’s Supreme Courtroom didn’t dismiss Chandler’s case. He determined that there was nonetheless sufficient proof for a jury to search out responsible Chandler. The choice to attempt once more to Chandler went to the brand new time that Shawnee Mike Kagay County, and determined to proceed with one other trial.
Chandler’s second trial started in July 2022. Defensor lawyer Tom Bathtub argued that there was no DNA proof, fingerprint or hair that positioned Chandler inside Harkness’s residence, and even within the state of Kansas.
Shawnee County deputy, Da Charles Kitt, acknowledged the dearth of bodily proof and advised the jury that the case was primarily based on jealousy, anger and obsession.
The jury on this trial couldn’t attain a unanimous resolution. After six days of deliberation, the choose introduced a Jury hangingIt’s knowledgeable with seven votes to sentence and 5 to acquit.
After the jury hung, the choose lowered Chandler’s hyperlink, and after being imprisoned for greater than a decade, she was jail With GPS monitoring. The protection additionally requested a change of place for the Subsequent take a look atgranted by the choose.
Chandler’s third trial It handed in February 2025, in Pottawatomie County, 60 miles from Topeka. On the morning of the opening statements, Chandler dismissed his attorneys and introduced that he would symbolize herself.
Within the trial, the kids of Chandler, Hailey Seel and Dustin Sisco, who had been youngsters on the time of murders, testified by the Prosecutor’s Workplace, as they’d achieved earlier than. Each consider that their mom, Dana Chandler, is liable for killing her father, Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness. They had been additionally interrogated by their mom.
When it was time to current his case, Chandler testified for roughly 20 hours, distributed for seven days. She argued that nobody may place it within the scene of the murders, and even within the state of Kansas on the time of murders, and that she had by no means had or possessed a firearm of .9 mm.
Deputy Da Kitt targeted on Chandler’s obsessive habits and advised the jury that he killed Sisco and Harkness as a result of he had misplaced management of his ex -husband.
The jury deliberated virtually 4 hours earlier than discovering Chandler responsible.
Hailey Seel says that she was relieved by the decision, however hopes that misplaced lives will not be forgotten.
“I really feel that the main focus of this case has virtually fully gone to Dana Chandler and that the victims and households of the victims have actually misplaced themselves on this case, which is absolutely unhappy. And I hope that from right here, the victims and households could be remembered extra,” stated Seel “48 hours.”
Chandler is presenting motions to attraction the conviction. “48 hours” he communicated with Chandler to remark, however didn’t obtain a solution.
contributed to this report.