Kriti Mehrotra
The 2002 double homicide of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness continues to baffle many owing to the fact that their assailant was convicted in 2025, yet continues to maintain her innocence. Dana Chandler had been convicted once back in 2012, but the verdict was overturned on the grounds of prosecutorial misconduct, leading to a second trial that culminated in a mistrial and a third, final one. However, as explored in HBO’s ‘A Killer Story,’ authorities never identified another person of interest, but many sleuths believe Karen’s daughter and son-in-law, Erin and Jeff Sutton, could have had a hand in the matter.
Erin and Jeff Sutton Had a Great Relationship With Karen Harkness and Mike Sisco
Hailing from an affluent family of successful entrepreneurs, Karen Harkness had a trust fund and an inheritance, yet she never let it go to her head. She thus resided in a cozy, comfortable home after her first marriage crumbled, all the while caring for her two children to the best of her abilities. In fact, by the early 2000s, Chad Harkness and Erin Harkness Sutton were in their early 20s and well aware of how affectionate, caring, kind, loving, and incredible their mother was. “My mom was an amazing woman…,” Erin once candidly told CBS’ ’48 Hours.’
Erin added, “She, she didn’t have enemies… And I remember telling her on several occasions that if I could be half the mom that she was to me, then I would be the best mom in the world.” She was admittedly excited for this chapter of her life, especially as she had tied the knot with the love of her life, attorney Jeffrey “Jeff” Sutton, in October 2001. She had no idea that she would lose her mother in arguably the worst way imaginable, less than 9 months later. Since then, Jeff has also claimed that they were such a tight-knit unit, alongside Karen’s new partner, Mike Sisco, that they often spent every weekend and holiday together.
Erin and Jeff Were Never Arrested or Indicted in Connection With the Double Homicide
Therefore, when Mike and Karen were found heinously shot to death inside her home in July 2002, Erin and Jeff were among the first people officials interviewed. They both almost immediately indicated they had a feeling Mike’s ex-wife, Dana Chandler, was involved in the matter owing to their contentious divorce and continued tumultuousness. They both gave official details behind their reasoning, with Erin going as far as to say she knew her mother was afraid of Dana because of how often she called. According to records, she phoned Mike and Karen a total of 645 times in 2002 alone, often referring to Karen as a “wh**e,” a “s**t,” or other unsavory titles, making her genuinely afraid for her life.
Jeff reportedly backed these claims before giving authorities their alibis when asked – he and Erin had spent the night at home together – and they were eventually corroborated. Even Chad was asked to submit to a polygraph test owing to the potential financial motive, considering Karen’s significant wealth, and he was cleared without any issues, too. At the time of this entire ordeal, Jeff had just recently joined the family, stepped down as the local county prosecutor, and had dealt with his fair share of legal troubles, so he was looked into more closely.
No evidence pointed towards Jeff being involved in the matter, though, and officials moved on, that is, until some of Dana’s supporters pinpointed some odd details. According to their account, per the show, he allegedly had an interest in unique/illegal firearms, for which he had even bated a deal with the Sheriff’s department to take guns. So, many believe he had once taken an Israeli illegal gun called a Yuzi, which is the exact weapon used in the double homicide. Based on this circumstantial evidence and some of Jeff’s other past legal issues, the court issued an order for him to submit to genetic testing in 2019. After all, a shell casing recovered from the crime scene had traces of arm hair that did not match anybody, and his turned out to not be a match either.
Having Secured Justice, Erin and Jeff Sutton Now Prefer to Lead Quiet Lives
While Erin Sutton testified against Dana Chandler in all three of her trials over the years, Jeff Sutton has preferred to remain well away from the limelight. According to his accounts, the only people he needed to believe in him were his wife and his family, and they wholeheartedly did from day one. So, the accusations, the court order, or anything else did not impact him – the only thing that impacted him was how revisiting the case again and again upset his wife. Her grief has continued to linger because of legal proceedings, ripping her heart open each time, so both she and her husband are now glad that Dana has been convicted of the double homicide and sentenced to prison. Therefore, today, Erin and Jeff are doing their best to move forward in their lives while keeping the memories and legacy of Karen and Mike alive in their hearts.
From what we can tell, the Kansas residents are proud parents of 2 sons, and they have ensured the youngsters know about the grandmother they lost before they were even born. On a more professional standing, it seems Erin is a homemaker focusing on their family, whereas Jeff continues to serve as a lawyer. The 1989 Washburn University School of Law graduate and former prosecutor has his own private practice, Sutton Law Office, which he has operated since 2007. He is also a former Board Member of the Basehor Chamber of Commerce (2007-2020), served on the Advisory Board of Directors at the Kansas City Autism Training Center (2002-2022), and was a Managing Partner at Gibbens, Sutton and Sonntag (2008-2012).
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