It’s only been nine months since Chandler Halderson called the police to report his parents missing – but a lot has happened since then.
Hours after his phone call, cops stumbled upon the torso of Bart Halderson before his wife Krista’s legs were later found.
Now, less than a year later, Chandler, 24, is locked in a cell after receiving a life sentence last month for killing his parents – whose heads were dumped in the family fireplace.
Here, we take a look back at the gruesome case as Chandler pursues a court appeal with his new team of lawyers.
Who are the Haldersons?
Bart, 50, and Krista, 53, lived in Windsor, Wisconsin and were the parents of two sons.
Chandler lived with his mum and dad while his brother had moved out.
Bart worked as an accountant and got involved in activities to support his son throughout his life – including being a Scout den leader.
He also attended Chandler's swimming lessons while Krista was described as a kind and loving mother.
And for a time, they were proud of their boy.
After all, he had told them he was studying at Madison Area Technical College while also working on the police scuba diving team.
Chandler also claimed he was earning money with an insurance firm during the Covid-19 pandemic.
But unbeknown to Bart and Krista, Chandler was a habitual liar who spent his days playing video games while spinning a web of lies to his loved ones.
Family tension
According to Dane County Assistant District Attorney William Brown, Chandler also told his family he had bagged a job at Elon Musk’s space tech company, SpaceX in Florida.
But it turned out to be more fiction and soon his fibs spiralled out of control.
Bart began to get suspicious and he reportedly contacted Madison Area Technical College, before eventually learning that unemployed Chandler had not been attending class.
Panicking, Chandler said a meeting was due to take place at the college on July 1 to discuss matters.
However, this was the day Bart took his final breath.
Murdering son
Prosecutors believe Chandler shot Bart in the back at the family home in July 2021 before his mum returned – where she too was killed.
Her cause of death was not determined – but it was argued in court that Chandler used a saw and scissors to dismember the bodies before burning the heads in the fireplace.
It was also claimed fragments of a human skulls, and facial and knee bones were identified among the ashes.
Bart’s torso was left in a rural property while Krista's legs were dumped along the Wisconsin river.
Investigators later argued that Chandler killed his family rather than admitting his double life.
Catching a killer
After reporting his parents missing on July 7, police released an appeal for information.
A statement read: “The Dane County Sheriff’s Office is asking for assistance from the public in locating a missing couple from the Village of Windsor.
“Earlier today, a family member reported Bart and Krista Halderson were last seen on Thursday, July 1, 2021 at their home. They planned a trip to Langlade County, Wisconsin this weekend and family has been unable to confirm if they arrived safely.”
Chandler – initially charged with lying to police – was soon the number one suspect after remains were discovered.
His internet search history – from before the deaths were made public – was later examined and it included the phrase ‘Wisconsin dismembered body found’.
Trial
The double murders were pinned on Chandler who pleaded not guilty in court.
His team suggested he was a “normal kid” who liked to play video games.
But the prosecutor told the jury in January: “He had two options. Own up to his lies, stand up and finally tell the truth for once.
“Or like a coward, shoot your father in the back and that’s exactly what happened.”
He was found guilty on two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of mutilating a corpse, two counts of hiding a corpse and two counts of lying to police. The jury took just two hours to decide his guilt.
Chandler was then sentenced last month to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
And before the sentence was passed, he explained to the court why he hadn’t shown emotion throughout proceedings.
He said: “It’s not that I do not have feelings, it's that I was warned not to show them due to the scrutiny of this case.”
Afterwards, he said he would be appealing his conviction before asking for lawyers to contact him.
His grandmother also vowed to stick by him.
She said: “I love him even though what he did was horrific.”
Chandler is now serving his time at a maximum-security correction facility in Wisconsin called the Dodge Correctional Institution.
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