Does Wisconsin have the death penalty? Chandler Halderson verdict finds son guilty of killing and dismembering parents

Chandler Halderson, a 23-year-old man from Wisconsin, was found guilty of killing and dismembering his parents Bart (50) and Krista Halderson (53) in July 2021.

According to The Sun, Dane County Assistant District Attorney William Brown alleged that Halderson killed his parents after they found out he lied about attending college and having a job.

Chandler Halderson reportedly filed a false missing report, claiming that his parents had gone missing following a trip on the Fourth of July weekend. After further investigation, Halderson was indicted based on a large amount of physical and digital evidence.

The convict has been charged with two counts of “first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse, and providing false information on a missing persons investigation.” He reportedly remained silent during the arraignment and pled not guilty to all the charges.

If found guilty of all charges, Chandler Halderson could reportedly face life imprisonment. However, he does not stand the chance to face the death penalty as it has been abolished in the American state of Wisconsin since 1853.

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Why did Wisconsin abolish the death penalty?

Wisconsin became the first state in the United States of America to permanently abolish the death penalty for all crimes after the Death Penalty Repeal Act was passed on July 10, 1853. Currently, it is one of only 12 states in the country that do not have a death penalty law.

The first and only man to face the death penalty in the state of Wisconsin was John McCaffary in the town of Kenosha. He was charged with killing his wife in 1851 and publicly hanged in front of thousands of spectators on August 21, 1851.

The public's reaction to McCaffary’s execution played an instrumental role in the abolishment of the death penalty from Wisconsin. The movement was headed by American inventor, former senate member, and Kenosha Telegraph editor Christopher Latham Sholes.

Sholes once addressed McCaffary as a “judicially murdered man” in one of his editorials. He also delivered an hour-long speech against capital punishment in front of his contemporaries. Later, Marvin Bovee took over the movement against the death penalty.

As the construction of the state's first penitentiary neared completion in Waupun, life imprisonment was considered an alternative for execution in 1852. In 1853, lawmakers passed the death penalty abolishment bill following Sholes’ election to the state assembly.

In response to Sholes and Bovee’s joint efforts, the senate passed the Death Penalty Repeal Act and on July 10, 1853, Governor Leonard J. Farwell signed the bill permanently abolishing the death penalty in Wisconsin.

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A look into the Chandler Halderson homicide case

Chandler Hadlerson killed his parents after they found out he lied about college and job (Image via Law and Crime Network)

Chandler Halderson has been charged with killing his parents Bart and Krista in July 2021. As per Attorney William Brown, the 23-year-old lied to his parents about attending Madison College, working at American Family Insurance, and running for a job at Space X.

He allegedly fabricated several emails between him and the college to prove his stance after his father doubted his enrollment. Investigators mentioned Halderson even duped his parents by speaking to them as a college representative using a burner phone.

However, Bart later learned that his son had been missing from college for an entire semester. On July 1, 2021, Bart attempted to arrange a meeting with the institution, but was shot dead by his son. On July 7, 2021, Chandler Halderson filed a missing report for his parents.

He claimed they left their home in the village of Windsor with an unknown couple to enjoy the Fourth of July holiday at their cabin in White Lake. However, investigators found no such proof at the specified location.

On July 5, 2021, Halderson visited his girlfriend’s Cottage Grove property in Dane County. He reportedly asked her parents if he could go swimming in their pool. However, the partner of his girlfriend’s mother noted that he was not wet when he returned after an hour and a half.

On July 8, 2021, officials found a mutilated torso on the same property as well as scissors, saw blades, and bolt cutters in a nearby water tank. The very same day, Chandler Halderson was arrested for lying about his parent’s disappearance.

On July 10, 2021, the human remains were identified as belonging to Bart Halderson and coroners reported that he had been shot with a firearm. Meanwhile, a woman reported that a man matching the convict’s description was previously seen on DNR land near the Wisconsin River on July 3.

More human remains were later discovered in the area. On July 30, 2021, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office announced that additional remains found near the Wisconsin River belonged to Krista Halderson.

Attorney William Brown also claimed that ashes from the fireplace in Halderson’s home also contained human remains, including parts of facial and knee bones as well as fragments of human skull.

Prosecutors alleged that Chandler Halderson killed his parents, dismembered their bodies, burnt some of their remains, and dumped the remaining. The convict was officially charged with murdering and mutilating his parents as well as providing false information regarding the case.

Authorities also shared evidence against Halderson, including a pair of his shoes with blood matching that of Bart and Krista’s DNA while phone records confirmed his presence in the area his parents’ remains were discovered.

As part of the latest hearing, Chandler Halderson was found guilty of all charges and is likely to face life in prison in his upcoming sentencing trial.