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Haley Seal

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Haley Seal

My name is Daniel Chandler. I have been accused of double homicide and I am innocent.

Narrator / Reporter

Is it hard to believe you're sitting here again to talk about this?

Haley Seal

Yeah, it really is. I didn't think 20 years later that this is what would be happening in this situation. July 7th of 2002, my dad and his fiance Karen were shot and killed in their beds. I was 17 and my brother was 15. And there was just shock. The only person that hated them was my mom, Dana.

Narrator / Reporter

What should people understand about the fact that you, Dana Chandler's daughter, thinks Dana Chandler killed your father.

Haley Seal

I do have a mind of my own and I'm not biased in this situation. I don't want it to be her. I want the truth to come out and I want true justice for my dad, Karen.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

Mike and Karen were together for the weekend alone. They did everything. They loved each other.

Family Member / Witness

They drove up to a casino, spent a few hours there, and then arrived back home in the early morning hours. They were found Sunday afternoon, July 7th. The killer made it downstairs, shot Karen Harkness multiple times, shot Mike Sisco multiple times. It's unnerving to think that somebody could sneak into a house and do this and leave quietly and nobody knows about it until the next day. Whoever it was that did this hated these people. They wanted them dead and they wanted to make sure they were dead. Both hands out of the car.

Narrator / Reporter

It could be the justice. Two families have long Been waiting for the arrest of Dana chandler in the 2002 killings of Karen Hartness and Michael Sisko.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

You have a trial where she's found guilty.

Haley Seal

We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of the crime of murder.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

And then the Kansas Supreme Court comes and says this is prosecutorial misconduct and it's so bad that we're going to go ahead and overturn her conviction. You have a new trial.

Haley Seal

The jury is unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

And now they've had a hung jury and they're going to try her again. That just is almost unheard of.

Narrator / Reporter

For the third time, Dana Chandler is back on trial. The opening statements today is Chandler will represent herself in this case.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

I knew it was different. I just didn't know what was going to happen. I could never have predicted it.

Family Member / Witness

When officers talk to friends, family, co workers, they all said the same thing. You guys should look at Dana Chandler.

Haley Seal

The truth is that she murdered them. I did not kill Mike Sisco. I did not kill Karen Harkness. I am an innocent woman.

Narrator / Reporter

Dana Chandler has spent decades maintaining her innocence against allegations she was responsible for the 2002 murders of her ex husband Mike Sisko and his girlfriend, Karen Harkness.

Haley Seal

My liberty, my freedom is hanging in the balance.

Narrator / Reporter

In 2025, Chandler took on her own defense, representing herself in the third trial the state brought against her for the murders.

Haley Seal

I wanted to understand what happened and why and actually know the truth of what happened.

Narrator / Reporter

Haley Seal is Dana Chandler and Mike Sisko's daughter. She and other family members of Mike and Karen have spent decades grieving, searching for answers and for justice.

Family Member / Witness

Hi, Dana.

Narrator / Reporter

Harold dow, CBS News 48 Hours first started covering the murders in 2008 and spoke with individuals involved several times over the years.

Haley Seal

It's hard to swallow and it's. It's hard to believe. It's insane.

Narrator / Reporter

For Haley, it all started on July 7, 2002. She learned her father and Karen had been killed in Karen's Topeka, Kansas home.

Haley Seal

I immediately just saw a bunch of tape around the house and police and my grandma was sitting in there and she just told me that they had been shot.

Narrator / Reporter

The night before the murder, Mike and Karen enjoyed an evening at a casino about an hour outside of Topeka. Surveillance footage shows them leaving about 1:30am they then stopped to get coffee. The last time video captured Karen alive,

Haley Seal

they were extremely happy.

Narrator / Reporter

You could just see that Karen's father, Harold Warswick.

Family Member / Witness

Everything they did was for each other.

Narrator / Reporter

The day after Mike and Karen's night out, a family get together had been Planned at Karen's house. Relatives thought the couple might be announcing they were engaged.

Family Member / Witness

And I rang the doorbell and knocked on the glass and couldn't raise anybody. I thought, this is strange.

Narrator / Reporter

Karen's father, who has since died, recalled that he entered Karen's home that afternoon through an open sliding door. Didn't see any sign of her or Mike, so he headed downstairs to the bedroom.

Family Member / Witness

Just as I got to the foot of the stairs, I could see Karen and I said, oh Christ. I knew she was dead. Then I found Mike on the outside of the bed.

Narrator / Reporter

Harold would then call 911.

Family Member / Witness

I've just located my daughter and she's downstairs and she's dead. I got a radio call just after 2 o' clock on July 7, 2002.

Narrator / Reporter

Richard Volley, now retired, was the Topeka police department's lead detective on the case.

Family Member / Witness

There was a report of two dead bodies in a basement.

Narrator / Reporter

Five bullets had struck 53 year old Karen, including in her back and buttocks. Mike, 47, suffered between five and seven gunshot wounds. The couple had been in bed. The rest of the house appears undisturbed. Investigators found more than $1,000 in cash, a Rolex watch and other jewelry left behind. Robbery was quickly ruled out. To understand who might want Karen and Mike dead, police turned to their families for information.

Family Member / Witness

What we're left with is an emotional killing. It's an emotional execution.

Narrator / Reporter

Mike, a salesperson for a welding company, and Karen, who worked in the hospitality industry, were both previously married and now divorced. The well liked couple had been dating about four years.

Family Member / Witness

It was a surprise to everybody that this would happen to somebody like her.

Narrator / Reporter

Karen's children, Chad and Aaron were in their 20s at the time of the murders.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

My mom was an amazing woman. She didn't have enemies and I remember

Haley Seal

telling her on several occasions that if I could be half the mom that she was to me, that I would be the best mom in the world.

Narrator / Reporter

Mike had custody of his two children, Hailey, then 17, and Dustin, 15.

Family Member / Witness

My dad was really in my life growing up. He was really my hero.

Narrator / Reporter

Haley's relationship with her dad was more complicated.

Haley Seal

I wasn't happy with my dad, I wasn't happy with my mom. I wasn't happy at my school.

Narrator / Reporter

By Haley's own admission, she was a difficult teenager.

Haley Seal

My dad gave me an ultimatum. Either you follow my rules or you move out.

Narrator / Reporter

Choosing to live with her then boyfriend

Haley Seal

Chris, I moved in with Chris and then my dad was killed.

Narrator / Reporter

That defiance made Haley and Chris of interest to police. They were polygraphed and questioned.

Family Member / Witness

I'm just Curious. Is everything all right with your dad and everything?

Haley Seal

Uh, yeah, we weren't really getting along for a little while.

Narrator / Reporter

Authorities said their alibis checked out, as did the alibis of Karen's daughter Erin and her husband, Jeff Sutton. Karen's son Chad was also questioned.

Family Member / Witness

I was hooked up to a polygraph machine and asked if I had murdered my mother or in any way participated in the murder of my mother.

Narrator / Reporter

Police concluded none of them were involved, but family members thought they knew who was responsible. Mike's ex wife, Dana Chandler, she just,

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

she never fit in.

Narrator / Reporter

Kathy Boots, Mike's sister, watched Dana and Mike's relationship deteriorate. After 15 years of marriage, the couple went through a bitter divorce, finalized in 1998. Mike's relatives say Dana had a drinking problem and she sporadically stalked Mike during and after the divorce with frequent calls and bizarre visits.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

The kids were upstairs in their room and we heard a noise and there she was in the middle of the night jumping on a trampoline in the backyard of Mike's home.

Family Member / Witness

I think she became obsessed with the fact that Mike was moving on with his life.

Narrator / Reporter

Mark Boots Mike's BROTHER in law and

Family Member / Witness

then when Karen entered the picture, that's when things really started, I think escalating.

Narrator / Reporter

Mike kept track of some of the incidents from 1998. In a day planner writing July 28, Dana stalking neighborhood at 8:30 caught her. She left November 12. Dana came in house while I was at Karen's from 7 to 11. Went through stuff.

Family Member / Witness

She was willing to travel great distances to show up back in his life.

Narrator / Reporter

According to the Boots, the last time Dana showed up at Mike's home was in the spring of 2002, several months before the murders. Kathy said Mike told her Dana went there to talk about moving back in.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

She said the kids are getting older, they're having different issues with themselves. Now they need both parents. I think I should move back in and we should parent together.

Family Member / Witness

All this harassment and stalking had come to the point that Mike told me that he and Karen now feared for their lives.

Narrator / Reporter

Mark says Mike made that clear to him on a fishing trip nine days before the murders.

Family Member / Witness

He turned to me and said, mark, you're gonna wake up and find me dead. And I want you to know who did it. Dana Chandler.

Narrator / Reporter

But Dana Chandler lived eight hours away in Denver, and there was no sign that she had been in Karen's house in Topeka the night of the murders.

Family Member / Witness

The victims were doing absolutely nothing and may not have seen it coming at all.

Narrator / Reporter

Investigators were trying to determine who would gun Down. Mike Sisko and Karen Harkness. As they lay in bed, Detective Richard Volley called Mike's ex wife, Dana Chandler, to inform her of Mike's murder.

Family Member / Witness

Your husband was found shot to death today. This afternoon, your ex husband. I'm sorry, can you tell me when the last time was that you talked to him?

Narrator / Reporter

Dana Volley says did not ask many questions and did not seem concerned. She would later say she was very upset on that call. But only Volley's side of their conversation was recorded due to a technical error, he said on his part. The next evening, Chandler called the Topeka Police Department, leaving a message on a different officer's voicemail.

Haley Seal

Hi, my name is Danny Chandler and I got a very disturbing phone call last night. No one, they said that my cousin had been killed and I'm just calling to see if that's true or not.

Narrator / Reporter

Dana would later explain her call was simply seeking confirmation. Given the personal nature of the murders, no signs of a burglary, and those stories about a messy divorce and stalking Dana Chandler became the main suspect. Detective Volley decided to talk with Chandler in person, recording this audio four days after the murders.

Family Member / Witness

Tell me about what happened on six.

Haley Seal

I got out.

Narrator / Reporter

But again, there was an issue with the recording. In most of the rest of the conversation, Dana is difficult to hear. Detective Volley recounted what he said she told him.

Family Member / Witness

She said she'd been at home Saturday morning, that's July 6th, and then made a couple of errand stops.

Narrator / Reporter

Dana said she bought cigarettes, snacks and a car cigarette lighter at several stores around Denver, and then got gas. But Volley says she failed to mention one purchase he saw on a credit card Receipt.

Family Member / Witness

She'd fought two 5 gallon gas cans as well.

Narrator / Reporter

Volley wondered why she didn't tell him and why she would even need gas cans unless she had been planning a trip, perhaps to Kansas, and didn't want to stop for gas along the way. According to Volley, Dana had also said after running those errands, she went home to her Denver apartment, didn't have any

Family Member / Witness

visitors, no contact with anybody, and the next day got up and went for a drive in the mountains at 10 o' clock in the morning.

Narrator / Reporter

But Volley couldn't verify that Dana was in her apartment the night of the murders, nor that she took a drive in the mountains the next day. Volley said the area Dana described driving through would have meant she'd have to pass Rocky Mountain national park surveillance cameras. Those cameras were checked. Volley said there was no sign of her car.

Family Member / Witness

The particular person that I had view that tape, looked at every frame slowly. She Was never there.

Narrator / Reporter

Investigators also reviewed Dana's cell phone records. They said that while she tended to use her cell phone frequently, she oddly had no activity around the time of the murders.

Family Member / Witness

What we found was There was a 27 hour window where her phone wasn't used.

Narrator / Reporter

Still, there was no DNA, no fingerprints or other forensic evidence to tie Dana to the killings. The gun used in the murders hadn't been found, though investigators learned the bullets were from an Israeli weapons manufacturer. And Dana would go on to say she didn't even own a gun. But family members remained convinced that Dana was responsible for the murders. They say they pushed to have a meeting with then DA Robert Hecht. Tim Sisco, Mike's brother.

Haley Seal

I specifically went into this meeting wanting to know if he would pursue a circumstantial case. And the answer was, without that murder weapon, we don't have enough hard evidence

Family Member / Witness

to move this forward.

Narrator / Reporter

Mike's and Karen's families grew increasingly frustrated and decided to take action, Looking for more information about Dana's possible involvement in the murders.

Haley Seal

I put her picture up everywhere.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

Have you seen this person?

Narrator / Reporter

Several months after the murders, having more questions than answers. Mike's sister Kathy said she and their mom Carol went searching for clues, Even lifting up manhole covers and looking in rest stop bathrooms for the gun used used in the murders.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

We thought, you know, maybe she threw the gun somewhere. So I would stand on a toilet and try and push a tile up.

Narrator / Reporter

They found nothing. But Haley, Dana and Mike's daughter, was also working the case.

Haley Seal

I felt the need to do something. I didn't want to just sit back with my hands tied and helpless.

Narrator / Reporter

In 2005, three years after the murders, Haley began secretly recording conversations with her mother, trying to learn what happened to her dad and Karen.

Haley Seal

I think that the only way I can really move on with a relationship with you is if we can get it. You know, if you can just tell me yourself that you did it. Well, number one, I didn't do it.

Family Member / Witness

And number one.

Haley Seal

And number two, I don't know what happened. Haley.

Narrator / Reporter

One thing Haley asked about was why her mother had no cell phone activity for 27 hours around the time of the murders.

Haley Seal

Why did it have no calls and wasn't home? You knew it could be traced. I was in the mountains. I didn't have a signal.

Narrator / Reporter

Dana insisted she had nothing to do with the murders, but did say she had violent thoughts about Mike.

Haley Seal

I thought I could kill him. Ever think about killing him? No. But I did. But honestly, they go over it with you?

Narrator / Reporter

The official investigation Though seems stalled. So authorities asked Vernon Geberth, the homicide and forensic consultant and former New York City Police Department detective, to review case files. In 2007, nearly five years after the murders, he issued a report concluding Dana Chandler is the one and only person who had the motive, means and opportunity to commit these murders. It was Gebirth who brought the case to the attention of 48 Hours. In 2009, 48 Hours aired its first report on the murders and tried to talk with Dana Chandler.

Family Member / Witness

Did you know anything about the death of Michael and Karen?

Haley Seal

I have no idea what happened to Michael and Karen.

Narrator / Reporter

48 Hours ended the episode asking viewers to contact police if they had any information. Again, the case seemed to be going nowhere. But two years later, a new da, Chad Taylor, decided he was willing to take a chance with the evidence they had. He chose to move the case forward and arrest Dana Chandler. With our cameras rolling, laid eyes on her. This morning, law enforcement zeroed in on Dana Chandler in Oklahoma, where she was staying at the time. Taylor didn't just help plan the arrest, but went on it with a gun at the ready. And on July 24, 2011, Dana Chandler was in custody, charged with the murders of Mike Sisko and Karen Harkins.

Haley Seal

I hit a point where I didn't know if justice would ever be served

Narrator / Reporter

for Haley, who was convinced her mother killed her father. Dana's arrest was nearly a decade in the making.

Haley Seal

It was such a feeling that it was unbelievable.

Narrator / Reporter

She was determined to get justice as she prepared to face Dana in court.

Haley Seal

I've made it this far. I can do anything. All rise.

Narrator / Reporter

In March 2012, Dana Chandler went on trial. Jackie Spradling, then chief Deputy da, began by referring to those conversations Haley had taped years earlier with her mother.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

I could kill him.

Haley Seal

I thought about killing him. These are the words of this defendant about her ex husband, Mike Sisco.

Narrator / Reporter

In her opening statement, Spradling suggested a possible motive for murder.

Haley Seal

Two days before the homicides, the defendant called Mike. Mike at this time told the defendant in that five minute phone call that he and Karen were going to be married.

Narrator / Reporter

But there is no recording of that call. It's easy to make allegations. It's difficult to prove those allegations. And in his opening defense attorney Mark Bennett argued the case against Dana Chandler was all speculation that there is no

Family Member / Witness

evidence that places Dana Chandler in or near the Harkness residence on July 6 or 7, 2002.

Narrator / Reporter

But to authorities, there was the question about exactly where Dana was during that time. Detective Volley says she told him she was home Saturday. The night of the murders and then drove through the mountains the next day. But Dana's business acquaintance, acquaintance Jeff Bailey, testified Dana told him something different, that she slept in her car in the mountains the Saturday night of the murders.

Family Member / Witness

She told me that the story she was giving me was the truth, and the story that she'd given to the law enforcement was not the truth.

Narrator / Reporter

And prosecutors told the jury Dana did not use her cell phone for 27 hours the weekend of the murders. Remember, Haley accused her mother of trying to avoid being tracked. Volley found another instance when Dana didn't use her phone a month before the murders.

Family Member / Witness

There were no calls registered. There were some calls came to the phone, but none were picked up.

Narrator / Reporter

And prosecutors say that's important because during that time, a month before the murders was Dana's dry run for the killings. They called her friend Ann Karender to the stand. Karender says Dana told her she had driven to Topeka.

Haley Seal

She had gone to Mike's house through the window. Nobody was home. What else did she tell you? That she had gone and sat outside Karen's house.

Narrator / Reporter

Spradling says Dana was obsessed with Mike and presented evidence that in the six months leading up to the murders, she called Mike and Karen more than 600 times. The defense argued Dana was calling to talk to her kids. But Haley remembered her mother's calls differently.

Haley Seal

What was the thing that she talked to you the most about? She talked about my dad a lot, and I really feel like she was really just obsessed with him.

Narrator / Reporter

An FBI analyst testified Dana often called late at night and frequently made repeated calls. In a short time period, including a month before the murders on June 3,

Haley Seal

she made 17 calls in 18 minutes.

Narrator / Reporter

Both of Dana's children testified for the prosecution, saying that their mother also had a history of stalking their father.

Family Member / Witness

She took me and my sister with her to go spy on my dad. And so we were in the car and she told us, you know, we're just going to be her little helpers.

Haley Seal

She asked if I would go up to the house with her, and we did. And she was looking in all the windows, and she told me to look in the windows. Did you? I did. Okay. What was it that she was looking at in there? I think that she was thinking there was a lady in there with my dad.

Narrator / Reporter

Haylei also testified about those recordings she made talking with her mother during one of them. Dana, who attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, gave an explanation as to why she bought those gas cans.

Haley Seal

I ran into a girl that had run out of gas at an AA meeting, and so I went and got work for her. She asked people money and we don't give people money at aa.

Narrator / Reporter

Prosecutor Spradling told the jury that she believed Chandler used those two 5 gallon gas cans to have enough gas so she would not have to stop and potentially be seen near the crime scene. But Chandler's attorney argued there was no proof she was ever in Topeka during the time of the murders. Did you or any other members of the Topeka Police Department ever find an

Family Member / Witness

eyewitness that put the defendant, Dana Chandler, in Topeka, Kansas, on either July 6th or July 7th, 2002? No.

Narrator / Reporter

The closest law enforcement was able to come was here at a gas station in Waikini, Kansas, nearly halfway between Denver and Topeka. Clerk Patti Williams wasn't sure, but she thought she might have seen Dana. The night of the murders.

Haley Seal

Patty was shown a picture of the defendant. Patty indicated that she was 70% sure that that was the woman who had been there.

Narrator / Reporter

But by the time Chandler went on trial, Patty Williams had died. A different worker from the gas station testified about seeing a black car that looks similar to the one Chandler drove that day. But she said it might have had license plates from Virginia. When it was the defense's turn, Bennett pointed out there was no proof Dana was ever there. There wasn't any receipt from Waukeni, was there?

Family Member / Witness

No.

Narrator / Reporter

And Bennett questioned whether Detective Volley investigated other suspects, like two men with criminal records who had stolen checks from Mike Sisko and Cached One after the murders.

Family Member / Witness

That didn't make him a suspect. No, because the check wasn't taken from Karen Harkness house where the murders occurred. The check was actually taken from Mike Sisco's house where the murders did not.

Narrator / Reporter

And one of the men was in jail when the murders occurred. In closing arguments, Bennett reiterated there was no forensic evidence linking Chandler to the crime. All this time they've been trying to

Family Member / Witness

put her in Kansas when this happened, and for nine and a half years, they've come up dry.

Narrator / Reporter

Spradling reminded the jury of Dana's stalking behavior and tried to make sure they knew just how scared Mike was of Dana. She said Mike had gotten a protection from abuse order against Dana, so he

Haley Seal

got a court order saying she has to stay away. The protection from abuse order did not stop the defendant, though.

Narrator / Reporter

After two weeks of testimony, it took the jury 83 minutes to reach a verdict.

Haley Seal

Defendant would please stand. We the jury, find the defendant guilty of the crime of murder in the first degree as charged in count one. I feel better in the sense that my dad's killer is paying for their actions. I don't feel better that my mom is capable of killing my dad.

Narrator / Reporter

When it was time for sentencing, Haley asked that her mom receive the maximum sentence.

Haley Seal

We each have a deep scar in our souls from what this monster has done.

Narrator / Reporter

But Chandler would also get a chance to speak.

Haley Seal

But most importantly, I deny that I murdered Michael. Karen, I am innocent. I did not murder Mike or Karen.

Narrator / Reporter

Dana Chandler was sentenced to life in prison. But soon that verdict would be called into question. Evening Buyer's Remorse Buy a new car. I'll be moving in. Let's get started.

Haley Seal

Sorry, I think there's been a mistake. I bought it from Carvana.

Narrator / Reporter

You what?

Haley Seal

Yeah, great price. I even have seven days to love it or return it.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

So there's no, no, no buyer's remorse More like Buyers rejoice.

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I guess I'll let myself out.

Narrator / Reporter

Congratulations. I mean it.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

Buyers rejoice.

Haley Seal

Buy your car today on Carvana. Limitations and exclusions may apply. See our seven day return policy@carvana.com if

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Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

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Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

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Haley Seal

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Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

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Haley Seal

A lot of my mind has been focused on her getting away with killing my dad and just drags me down.

Narrator / Reporter

For years, Haley Seale's thoughts were consumed with proving her mother killed her father, Mike Sisko and Karen Harkness. With Dana Chandler in prison, Haley was relieved she could concentrate on other things. But her relief was tinged with pain.

Haley Seal

I want to focus on my future and what I want to do with my life. I want to be everything my mom wasn't.

Narrator / Reporter

But Haley's focus would turn again to the case. Dana Chandler almost immediately began filing motions as she worked to appeal her conviction. She and her attorney cited, among other things, the actions of prosecutor Jackie Spradlin, in particular, statements Spradling made at trial about that protection from abuse order.

Haley Seal

I got a protection from abuse. A court order. He applied and said, hey, judge, please order this woman to stay away from me.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

And the judge agreed, and that is just a blatant misstatement.

Narrator / Reporter

Stacey Schlimmer, one of Chandler's appeal attorneys, was never able to find a protection from abuse order.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

I went through the whole case. I went and looked for every possible order I could find, and there wasn't one that she was referring to.

Narrator / Reporter

In 2018, Schlimmer argued that Jackie Spradling's actions constituted prosecutorial misconduct.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

I think that Ms. Chandler never had an opportunity at a fair trial from the get go.

Narrator / Reporter

Schlimmer contended the case against Dana Chandler should be thrown out. The court agreed.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

The Kansas Supreme Court held that it's so bad that we're going to go ahead and overturn her conviction.

Narrator / Reporter

Other issues about statements Spradling made at trial also came up, including describing a route Dana took between Kansas and Denver. When there was no evidence that she

Haley Seal

drove that way, she drove directly up to Nebraska, and after she gets on Nebraska, she turns around and goes home.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

They just kind of hypothesized, well, she must have went up and went over from Nebraska. There was no evidence of that at all.

Narrator / Reporter

Schlimmer also contended the state did not have enough evidence to prove Dana Chandler's guilt.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

We argued insufficiency of evidence as an issue for appeal, meaning you don't think

Narrator / Reporter

prosecutors had enough to make a legitimate case.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

Jurors didn't have enough evidence before them. If you took out all the evidence that should have never been presented or told to them incorrectly.

Narrator / Reporter

The Kansas Supreme Court described Jackie Spradling's actions as, quote, intolerable acts of deception. And she was disbarred. 48 Hours reached out to Spradling, but did not receive a response.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

When a case gets reversed like a case like this, we essentially have an innocent woman who's been convicted of crime because of a prosecutor, or we have a family that has now a reverse conviction that has to go through the system again.

Narrator / Reporter

Either way, there's an injustice.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

Right. So that conduct is going to affect someone.

Narrator / Reporter

The court did decide, though, there was sufficient evidence to retry Dana Chandler if the district attorney chose to.

Haley Seal

When I found out that this Kansas Supreme Court overturned the verdict, it was very shocking. What does this mean? Will the DA's office retry her?

Narrator / Reporter

Were you angry with the prosecutor who was cited for misconduct?

Haley Seal

No, I've never been angry with her. I think it was an innocent mistake.

Family Member / Witness

Had Jackie not made those comments, we wouldn't be sitting here today. This would be over.

Narrator / Reporter

Chad Harkness, Karen's son, takes a different view of Jackie Spradling's actions.

Family Member / Witness

Now, all these years later, we're still having to, you know, live through this again. And it's just. It's not right. It's not fair.

Narrator / Reporter

The decision whether to retry Dana Chandler was now in the hands of Shawnee County's new da, Mike Cage. We analyzed every aspect of the case,

Family Member / Witness

and ultimately we came to the conclusion that we believed justice demanded that we move forward and we pursue another trial.

Narrator / Reporter

Pursuing that would take years. Dana Chandler remained incarcerated. She and her defense lawyers argued she should be set free and fought against having another trial. What were those years like?

Haley Seal

Unbelievable.

Narrator / Reporter

For Haley, the delays seemed endless. Dana and her lawyers filed nearly 400 motions, including ones requesting a change of judge to retain an investigator, for her bond to be reduced, and to disqualify the Shawnee County District Attorney's office. And through it all, she fired several of her lawyers.

Haley Seal

She went through seven lawyers in that time. Between representing herself.

Narrator / Reporter

There were also dozens of hearings, including one where Haley was called to testify. And Dana did the questioning.

Haley Seal

She took me on the stand for at least 45 minutes, and she directly questioned me.

Narrator / Reporter

What was that like?

Haley Seal

It was the most awful thing I've ever. I mean, the suspect and the killing of my dad is now having the power to question me on the stand and talk to me.

Narrator / Reporter

Not just a suspect in the killing of your dad, your own mother.

Haley Seal

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it was awful.

Narrator / Reporter

But Haley was willing to take whatever steps necessary to ensure her mother would stand trial again for the murders.

Haley Seal

If she could bring out something to prove where she was, to say she didn't do it, prove she didn't do it, that's not just for me. That's for her and her own freedom. But she can't and she hasn't.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

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Haley Seal

So no matter how long the day goes, you can't stop. This power, this walk, this pose, this strut, this look, this talk. Your clothes will be so fresh you

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

can confidently strut into that end of

Haley Seal

the day meeting like a boss. Boss, Boss, boss, boss, boss, bosses. Let's talk business in my office. Add new unstoppables beads to your wash for 24 hour non stop freshness so you can smell unstoppable.

Narrator / Reporter

Two innocent people were murdered.

Family Member / Witness

In our community that demands justice.

Narrator / Reporter

Although Dana Chandler's conviction had been overturned, prosecutors were determined to retry her for the murders of Mike Sisko and Karen Harkness. By 2021, the organization Miracle of Innocence got involved advocating for Dana.

Family Member / Witness

Dana Chandler was someone who we believed in her innocence. When we looked at the case, the facts was just nothing connected this lady to the crime.

Narrator / Reporter

Darrell Burton is the co founder of Miracle of Innocence. He's someone who was wrongfully imprisoned and had his murder conviction reversed. He says before sending someone to prison, the case needs to be more convincing than the one made against Dana Chandler.

Family Member / Witness

There's no evidence, no fingerprint, no DNA,

Narrator / Reporter

no confession, no weapon, no witnesses, nothing.

Family Member / Witness

When it comes to, you know, these kinds of crimes of murder, you just got to have more than that.

Narrator / Reporter

Dana and her attorneys also raised other issues as they tried to get the case dismissed. Some allegations related to the 200948 Hours broadcast. Chandler falsely accused law enforcement of forming a partnership with 48 Hours to film an episode aimed at convincing the public that Ms. Chandler murdered Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness. What do you make of the Idea that if 48 Hours had not reported starting in 2009 on this case, that Dana Chandler would never have been arrested or tried?

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

I don't think it was 48 hours. 2009 is a lot different than when they arrested her. They arrested her three or four years. Three years later. I think the family was what kept it going. They believe that Ms. Chandler did this. It was the new prosecutor and it was the family probably saying, hey, we need justice done in this.

Narrator / Reporter

But Stacy Schlimmer, Dana's former appeal attorney, does take issue with the handling of the 2011 arrest and the show of force. You've seen Dana Chandler's arrest many times, right? And it bothers you?

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

It bothers me a lot.

Narrator / Reporter

48 hours, as well as the Topeka Capitol Journal were given advance notice of the arrest by the office of then DA Chad Taylor. Are you bothered by law enforcement or are you bothered by the fact that there were cameras there?

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

I'm bothered by the prosecutor. I'm bothered by the district attorney showing up at an arrest and having that arrest filmed.

Narrator / Reporter

So they wanted video of law enforcement with their guns out.

Defense Attorney / Legal Expert

I think they wanted then the public to see that. That to me was. It seemed like such a production for a case. That prosecutor should never have done that.

Narrator / Reporter

Ultimately, the various arguments Dana Chandler state team made to dismiss the case were unsuccessful. Chandler's new trial was scheduled for the summer of 2022. Before the trial began, 48 Hours again tried to speak with Dana Chandler. She said she would only agree to an interview if CBS paid her million dollar bond. We declined.

Family Member / Witness

Never thought we'd be sitting here again and getting ready to start a retrial on this. It's just mind blowing.

Narrator / Reporter

Chad Harkness, Karen's son, was relieved the DA's office decided to retry Dana Chandler, but was concerned about going through this yet another time.

Family Member / Witness

Just us kids having to relive this again. And it just makes me sick.

Narrator / Reporter

Haley, too, was not looking forward to another trial, but said testifying again could give her some control of the situation.

Haley Seal

If I can realize my power and it gives me courage to go forward because I know the truth. The truth is that she murdered them.

Narrator / Reporter

The passage of time has left Haley with so much loss. Loss she holds her mother responsible for and as a mom herself. Having married her high school boyfriend, Chris, Haley's feelings are even more complicated. When you think of your mom, do you think Mother or do you think Dana?

Haley Seal

I think Dana. Yeah, she's Dana to me. Actually, mom is an ucky word to me. To the point where I don't even like my kids to call me Mom. I don't like Mom. Mom is a. A very hurtful person.

Narrator / Reporter

No matter the name, Dana Chandler is someone Haley will have to face again in court and someone who will eventually tell her side of the story.

Haley Seal

Start by stating my name. My name is. My name is Dana Chandler. I, as everyone know, have been accused of double homicide and I am innocent.