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In July 2002, Michael Sisco and his fiancée, Karen Harkness, were found shot to death in her home in Topeka, Kansas. What followed was a legal battle that dragged on for over twenty years. The case is back in the spotlight, with 48 Hours set to air a two-hour special titled My Mother’s Murder Trials on May 31, 2025, at 8 pm.
At first, detectives had little to work with. There was no physical evidence tying Michael’s ex-wife, Dana Chandler, to the killings. However, suspicion still lingered. By 2011, Chandler was arrested. A year later, she went to trial and was convicted, but that verdict didn’t hold. In 2018, the Kansas Supreme Court threw it out, citing serious misconduct by the prosecutor.
There was a second trial in 2022, and it ended without a decision as the jury couldn’t agree. Fast forward to March 2025, Chandler stood trial for the third time. This time, the jury found her guilty. Prosecutors said the motive was jealousy. They said she had stalked the couple and disappeared for 27 hours during the weekend of the murders.
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Michael Sisco and Karen Harkness were shot while asleep, with 11 shell casings found at the scene
Michael Sisco and Karen Harkness were each shot multiple times while in bed at Harkness’s Topeka duplex in the early morning hours of July 7, 2002. Sisco, 47, was shot seven times; Harkness, 53, was shot five times. Investigators found 11 shell casings at the scene, but there were no signs of forced entry or theft.
Authorities believed the victims were likely asleep at the time of the attack. Cash, jewelry, and casino winnings remained untouched, quickly ruling out robbery as a motive. The double homicide remained unsolved for years until renewed interest emerged from media coverage, including the 2009 episode of 48 Hours, titled Haunted.
Years of legal delays and retrials followed Chandler’s arrest
Dana Chandler was first arrested in 2011 following a new investigation that reignited after the broadcast of 48 Hours’ initial coverage.
She was charged with the murders of Michael Sisco and Karen Harkness based largely on circumstantial evidence, including a 27-hour period during which her whereabouts were unaccounted for and her failure to initially disclose the purchase of two 5-gallon gas cans.
In 2012, Chandler was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. However, that conviction was overturned in 2018 after the Kansas Supreme Court found that prosecutor Jacqie Spradling made false claims during closing arguments.
A second trial in 2022 ended in a hung jury, with jurors reportedly split 7–5 on a guilty verdict, according to an Oxygen.com report dated September 2, 2022. The third trial, held in Pottawatomie County in early 2025, concluded with a guilty verdict on March 7. Chandler, representing herself, had her motion for a new trial denied on April 22 due to a missed filing deadline.
Family testimony and circumstantial claims led to conviction
Throughout the trials, prosecutors argued that Chandler, who had divorced Michael Sisco in the late 1990s, acted out of jealousy and resentment. Michael Sisco had been granted custody of their children, and his family alleged he feared Chandler. During the 2012 trial, Chandler’s children, Hailey and Dustin, testified against her. Hailey stated in 48 Hours’ 2013 update, My Dad’s Killer,
“Your mom did kill your dad. That’s - that’s the fact.”
Despite the lack of DNA or physical evidence placing Chandler at the scene, the prosecution emphasized her inconsistent alibis, the unexplained gas can purchases, and testimony suggesting long-term harassment of Michael Sisco and Harkness. A truck stop clerk had previously told police she was 70% certain she saw Chandler the night of the murders but had passed away before the trial.
After her 2025 conviction, Chandler was remanded to custody. Sentencing is scheduled for June 3, 2025, in Westmoreland. The 48 Hours finale, My Mother’s Murder Trials, will revisit the timeline, legal challenges, and family trauma surrounding the deaths of Michael Sisco and Karen Harkness, offering new insights and archival content.
Stay tuned for more updates.
