Shivangi Sinha
In July 2021, Chandler Halderson reported that his parents, Bart and Krista Halderson, had gone to their family cabin to celebrate the 4th of July but never returned home. He claimed he had seen them leaving with an unidentified couple and could not contact them. However, suspicion grew when a man reported seeing Chandler on his farm, only 20 miles from Bart and Krista’s home. This led to further investigation, and Chandler’s deceit was exposed when Bart’s remains were discovered in the same woods. CBS’s ’48 Hours’ episode titled ‘The Snapchat Clue’ provides a detailed timeline of the events and explores Chandler’s horrifying crime that shocked everyone involved.
Chandler Alleged His Parents Left Home With an Unidentified Couple
Bart and Krista Halderson welcomed their younger son, Chandler Halderson, on March 15, 1998. His older brother, Mitchell Halderson, was very welcoming of a companion and always looked out for him. As the youngest member of their family in Windsor, Wisconsin, Chandler was loved and well-cared for. His parents provided him with a comfortable life and ample opportunities. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at Madison Area Technical College and informed his family that he was on track to graduate in the spring of 2021.
On July 2, 2021, Krista’s work friends visited her home to check on her absence. Chandler, living at home then, answered the door and informed them that his parents had gone to the family cabin and had not returned. By July 7, after the friends had still not heard from Krista and Bart, they urged Chandler to file a police report. The police promptly visited the cabin and found that no one had been there in a long time. He had claimed he spoke to his mother after she left, but there was no evidence to support this communication.
As the police and Mitchell and his fiancée searched for Bart and Krista near the cabin, Chandler was going door to door asking neighbors if they had seen his parents. Although his behavior seemed somewhat odd, people generally sympathized with him, assuming he was under a lot of stress. Meanwhile, the police received a call from a friend of Chandler’s girlfriend, Cathryn “Cat” Mellender. The friend reported spending time with Chandler and Cat on her property on the Fourth of July and was surprised to see the young man alone in the same area the next day. This was in contrast to his claim that he had stayed at home.
Chandler Halderson Had Told Several Lies to His Family
The answers came to light soon after it was discovered that Chandler had failed out of college and had been deceiving his parents. He had fabricated a series of emails to mislead them, and in June 2021, Bart had uncovered the truth. His son had also lied about securing an internship at an insurance firm and a job at SpaceX. On July 1, Bart had arranged to meet him and sent him a text to remind him, which was the last communication from Bart’s phone. A search of Chandler’s home revealed traces of blood and evidence of an attempted cleanup. On July 15, 2021, he was charged with first-degree homicide, hiding a corpse, and mutilating a corpse.
Krista’s body had not yet been located, and that is when Cat became extremely valuable to the police. She had tracked Chandler’s location via Snapchat because he had cheated on her. On the morning of July 3, she noticed he was near the Wisconsin River in Roxbury. The police increased their search efforts in that area and discovered the dismembered remains of Krista. Both Bart and Krista had been shot before parts of their bodies were burned in the fireplace at their home, with the remaining parts tossed in various locations.
Chandler is Serving the Sentence for His Heinous Crime Today
The prosecution had accumulated substantial evidence against Chandler, making the case straightforward. In addition to physical evidence such as traces of blood and cutting instruments found in an oil drum with the victims’ blood, he was also captured on CCTV driving his mother’s car just hours after she was last seen alive. His trial began in January 2022, and he was found guilty without much difficulty on two counts, each of first-degree intentional homicide, providing false information about a missing person, mutilating a corpse, and hiding a corpse. In March 2022, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In September 2023, Chandler’s attorney filed a no-merit report, a legal document submitted by an attorney indicating that, after reviewing the case, they believe there are no viable grounds for an appeal. In April 2024, the perpetrator submitted an eight-page response, expressing that he still wished to pursue an appeal and did not want to withdraw his request. He raised the issue of being charged with “multiplicity,” which refers to multiple counts for the same act or conduct, but has not made further legal progress. As of the latest reports, he is being held at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin. At 26 years old, he faces many years of incarceration ahead.
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