In July 2021, Dane County Sheriff’s detectives Sabrina Sims and Brian Shunk had been assigned to research the disappearance of Windsor, Wisconsin, couple Bart and Krista Halderson. Their 23-year-old son Chandler Halderson had reported them lacking, telling police they went to the household cabin for the Fourth of July vacation weekend however by no means returned.
Dane County Sheriff’s Workplace
Bart and Krista Halderson had been the proud mother and father of two sons, Mitchell, 24, who labored in tech, and Chandler, 23, who was in faculty learning for an IT diploma and residing at house. Chandler had large desires and was excited a couple of profitable job he had landed with SpaceX, owned by one of many richest individuals on this planet, Elon Musk.
Every little thing appeared to be going effectively for the Haldersons, so when the couple appeared to only disappear there was actual concern. “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty stories on how detectives solved the case in “The Snapchat Clue.”
Police interviewed neighbors, family and friends and finally obtained a break. Chandler’s girlfriend, Cathryn “Cat” Mellender, allowed investigators to obtain knowledge from her cellphone. Sims heard that Chandler had cheated on Mellender prior to now, so she would preserve tabs on him through Snapchat. The favored app permits customers to trace their associates’ location in actual time. Early on July 3, Mellender opened the app and noticed Chandler at a distant location close to the Wisconsin River and saved a screenshot of it.
Dane County Clerk of Courts
The app positioned Chandler at that distant location throughout the time his mother and father had been lacking. Detectives later determined to go looking that space and to their shock, they found human stays. The stays belonged to Chandler’s lacking mom Krista Halderson.
The stays of Bart Halderson, Chandler’s father, had been found at a farm positioned about 20 miles away from the Halderson house. The farm proprietor instructed detectives she was shocked to see Chandler on her property. She instructed police she noticed him popping out of the farm’s wooden line. When deputies searched the realm, they discovered Bart’s stays. Bart Halderson had been shot no less than twice within the again.
Chandler Halderson was charged with the homicide of his mother and father, Bart and Krista. He was additionally charged with dismembering them and mendacity to police. He pleaded not responsible.
However why would Chandler kill his mother and father?
In January 2022, his trial started. Prosecutors instructed the jury Chandler murdered his mother and father as a result of that they had found he had been mendacity to them.
Prosecutors introduced proof that Chandler, with out his mother and father figuring out, had flunked out of school. And that job at SpaceX? It was made up. Prosecutors consider that on the day Chandler murdered his mother and father, his father had scheduled a gathering for the 2 of them to satisfy on the faculty he claimed he was attending.
Prosecutors additionally confirmed the jury a video {that a} neighbor’s safety digicam captured the day they consider Bart and Krista had been killed. It was a flickering mild from a window within the Halderson house. Prosecutors say the flickering mild was from the Halderson’s fire. A forensic skilled later testified that greater than 200 human bone fragments had been found within the Halderson’s fire.
Chandler Halderson’s protection group argued the prosecution did not have sufficient proof to show their case. They declare nobody actually is aware of what occurred contained in the Halderson house or how Bart and Krista had been killed. Chandler didn’t testify at trial.
After two hours of deliberations, a jury discovered Chandler Halderson responsible on all expenses. At sentencing, Chandler instructed the choose he had one thing to say and requested if there have been any legal professionals prepared to tackle his attraction.
Chandler was sentenced to life in jail with out the opportunity of parole. He has a brand new lawyer, however has not but filed an attraction.
