Chandler Halderson Murdered his Parents to Cover up His Lies
A still from the video of Chandler Halderson's interview with police. Image: CBS
Chandler Halderson claimed to be working remotely for an insurance company while studying for a degree in IT. He also claimed he had a lucrative job lined up at SpaceX starting in the next few months. It turns out in reality he flunked out of college, was unemployed and spent all of his time at home playing video games. When his parents found out the truth he murdered them to cover up his lies.
Who Were Bart and Krista Halderson
Bart and Krista Halderson
In a serene corner of Windsor, Wisconsin, Bart and Krista Halderson found solace in a quiet life with their two sons. The couple's journey began with their marriage in 1994, followed by the arrival of Mitchell in 1996 and Chandler in 1998. While the boys grew up, Krista devoted herself to being a stay-at-home mom, while Bart excelled as an accomplished accountant. As their sons transitioned into young adulthood, Krista returned to the workforce as an administrative assistant. From the outside it seemed the couple had a perfect life until it was all destroyed by their youngest son.
Chandler Halderson’s Web of Lies
Chandler Halderson presented a very different version of himself to the world than what he was in reality. He claimed to be studying at Madison College pursuing an IT degree while working from home for an insurance company during the pandemic. He also claimed he had recently been offered a job at SpaceX and planned to move to Florida with Cat, his girlfriend of two years.
Despite working full-time remotely, Chandler seemed to have no money and wasn't contributing to household expenses. He explained that paycheck issues arose, claiming that the insurance company listed him as an hourly employee instead of salaried and had incorrect direct deposit details on file. He claimed that the owed back pay was so substantial that the bank suspected it was fraudulent.
While Bart and Krista were loving and supportive, they started becoming concerned about their son's financial situation. Bart, being an accountant, knew that what his son was claiming was incredibly unlikely.
Chandler’s situation escalated further when he had an “accident”, falling down a flight of stairs, resulting in visible injuries like a neck brace. Chandler told his family that he suffered from brain bleeding, hematoma, spinal and nerve damage affecting his ability to walk or travel, and requiring a colostomy bag. Because of this, he claimed, he had to decline the job at SpaceX and continue living with his parents in Wisconsin.
It turned out very little of this was true. Chandler flunked out of college, never had a job lined up at SpaceX and never worked for an insurance company. He went as far as creating email accounts and sending himself emails to reinforce his story to his parents. When they thought he was working or studying he was actually at home playing video games.
As for his injury, Halderson's medical records indicated that he had visited the emergency room due to a head injury. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion and provided with a neck brace. However, no additional treatment was deemed necessary for his condition.
Bart had discovered the truth about his son's lies regarding his education and job the day before, and he had arranged a meeting involving the school, himself, and Chandler. Chandler knew that attending this meeting would lead to the discovery of all his other secrets, and he desperately wanted to avoid facing the consequences of his actions.
Chandler Halderson Murders his Parents
Bart and Krista Halderson’s family cabin
On July 2nd Krista Halderson didn't show up for work, causing concern among her coworkers and friends. Despite numerous attempts to reach her through phone calls, there was no response.
Worried about her well-being, a coworker decided to visit the Halderson home to check on Krista. Chandler, Krista's son, was present and explained that his parents had left the previous day to spend the July 4th weekend at their cabin in northern Wisconsin.
Chandler mentioned that the cabin area had poor cell service, so it was possible that Krista hadn't received her friend's text messages. Although it seemed odd that Krista hadn't informed work about her absence, it was reasonable to assume that she and her husband had chosen to spend the holiday at the family cabin.
During the July 4th weekend, Chandler celebrated with his girlfriend, Cat, and her family. The couple enjoyed fireworks, used the family pool, and had a pleasant time together. Cat mentioned that Chandler was able to exercise his legs in the pool, aiding his recovery from injuries. Chandler informed her that his parents had gone to the cabin and were expected to return on Monday night or Tuesday morning.
On Wednesday, July 7th, 2021, Chandler took the initiative to file a missing person report with the Dane County Sheriff's Office for his parents. According to Chandler's account, a couple had supposedly picked up his parents on the 1st to head to the cabin. As a result, Bart and Krista's vehicles remained parked at their home. Chandlertold police that he did not recognize the couple his parents left with.
While authorities commenced the search, Chandler personally went door to door, inquiring with neighbors if they had witnessed anything suspicious, but no one had. Chandler presented a text message from his mother, supposedly confirming their arrival at the cabin.
When Mitchell, Chandler's brother, and his fiancé drove to the cabin accompanied by law enforcement, they found an overgrown yard, locked doors, and no signs of recent activity. Bart and Krista were nowhere to be found. As a result, authorities began growing suspicious of Chandler's story.
Just as Chandler had canvassed the neighborhood, the police conducted their own investigation. They collected video footage and images from Ring cameras and security cameras in the surrounding area. Upon reviewing the gathered evidence, it became evident that Bart and Krista had never left their home on Friday. Curiously, one of the videos showed flickering from the Halderson's fireplace on that Friday afternoon. The question arose: why would someone light a fireplace in the middle of summer?
Chandler Halderson has not revealed exactly what happened to his parents. The prosecution theorized that Chandler had shot his parents in their home during a discussion about the planned meeting with the school. They believe he then took their bodies to the basement, and dismembered them. Once they were in smaller pieces Chandler then took the bodies and disposed of them in two separate locations in Windsor.
Chandler's girlfriend, Cat, and her family willingly cooperated with the investigation, expressing their desire to assist Chandler in locating his parents. Cat's parents told police of their surprise when they saw Chandler returning to their farm a few days after the holiday, emerging from a nearby wooded area. Chandler explained that he wanted to use the pool again for leg exercises.
Prompted by this information, the police decided to search the wooded area and made a gruesome discovery—an unidentified male torso. Meanwhile, law enforcement continued to question Chandler regarding the inconsistencies in his statements.
Eventually, Chandler requested legal representation, terminating the interview. In spite of this, the police had managed to gather evidence that proved Chandler had provided false information about his parents' whereabouts. He was then arrested for providing false information about a missing person.
Two days later, the torso was positively identified as belonging to Bart Halderson. Subsequently, Chandler faced charges of murder, dismemberment of a corpse, and concealing a homicide by hiding the body. Despite the mounting evidence against Chandler, Cat steadfastly believed in his innocence and offered her support in any way possible to help prove it.
The snapchat screenshot of Chandler’s location leading to the discovery of Krista Halderson’s body.
Granting investigators permission, she allowed them to download data from her phone. Cat suspected that Chandler may have been cheating on her, which led her to frequently track his location using SnapChat. Among the data extracted from her phone was a screenshot taken on July 3rd, showing Chandler's location near the Wisconsin River. Acting upon this information, the police conducted a search in the area, leading to the discovery of partial remains belonging to Krista Halderson.
After Chandler's arrest, the investigation into the deaths of Bart and Krista continued. Police discovered multiple Google searches on Chandler's phone, conducted between June 30th and July 8th, with topics including phrases like "Wisconsin dismembered body found," "Woman's body found in Wisconsin," and "Body found in Wisconsin".
Krista's phone, which she used to send a text message to Chandler, was found in the Halderson home. Close to where Bart's body was discovered, the police found a pair of scissors, a saw blade, and handles that appeared to be from bolt cutters. During the investigation, one of Chandler's friends informed the authorities that he had given Chandler a rifle as a gift in June.
This rifle was the weapon Chandler preferred to use in the first-person shooter games he enjoyed playing. The autopsy conducted on Bart Halderson's remains revealed that he had been shot before being dismembered. The weapon, identified as Chandler's, was later found concealed behind a board in a barn on Cat's parents' property. It was determined to be a positive match for the murder weapon used to kill his father. The cause of Krista's death, however, could not be determined through the autopsy.
The Trial of Chandler Halderson
Chandler Halderson, seeking a swift legal process, initiated his trial in January 2022. During the proceedings, the prosecution presented a compelling array of evidence that strongly pointed to Chandler as the perpetrator of the crimes.
At the trial, all of Chandler’s lies were exposed. Testimony from his brother revealed that their parents possessed a life insurance policy worth nearly one million dollars, with the intention of dividing it between the siblings.
Emotionally distraught, Cat testified against her boyfriend. In contrast, the defense team provided a minimal defense strategy, refraining from calling any witnesses and offering statements that confused many, such as "What you don't know is evidence too."
The jury took merely two hours to deliberate and ultimately found Chandler Halderson guilty of both murders. Subsequently, he received a life sentence without the possibility of parole in 2022. Chandler has claimed he will appeal his conviction.
Sources:
Bart and Krista Halderson - An inside look at the Chandler Halderson case
Midwest Crime Files - Secrets & Lies: The Murders of Bart & Krista Halderson
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