5 chilling details about Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness’ murders 

In July 2002, Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness were found shot to death in the basement bedroom of Harkness' Topeka, Kansas home. Both had been shot multiple times with a 9mm weapon. Mike Sisco was shot seven times and Harkness five while they were believed to be sleeping, as per a CBS News report dated September 1, 2022.

Their killings showed no signs of forced entry or robbery, and valuables, including casino winnings, remained untouched, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal report dated August 6, 2022. The couple, who had been dating for four years and were expected to announce their engagement, had returned home from a local casino just hours before they were killed.

Mike Sisco's ex-wife, Dana Chandler, became a central figure in the case. The suspicion was raised after family members, and investigators pointed to her history of obsessive behavior, stalking, and a contentious divorce that resulted in Mike Sisco gaining full custody of their two children.

Chandler was eventually convicted in 2012. While circumstantial evidence pointed to her over the years, the lack of physical proof and prosecutorial misconduct led to overturned convictions and hung juries. She was tried three times for the murders and was found guilty of killing Sisco and Harknessat at the third trial on March 7, 2025.

The years of legal scrutiny and multiple retrials of Chandler are the focus of the Dateline episode titled Deadly Obsession, which airs on Friday, April 4, at 9/8c on NBC.

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5 shocking details about Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness' murders explored

1) Chandler's 27-hour gap and untraceable alibi raised suspicion

According to CBS News' 48 Hours, investigators became concerned when Dana Chandler could not account for a 27-hour period around the time Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness were murdered. She initially told police she stayed home in Denver, but phone and credit card activity showed no trace of her location during the crucial hours.

Chandler later gave a different account to a friend, stating she went camping and slept in her car. However, she failed to mention anything about the massive forest fires that had blackened the area she claimed to have driven through, as per a CBS News report dated May 4, 2013.

The unaccounted time and inconsistencies contributed to authorities' theory that Chandler drove from Denver to Topeka overnight to commit the murders, then returned undetected.

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2) Purchase of gas cans sparked theories about a stealth trip to Kansas

Dana Chandler purchased gas cans instead of stopping for fuel in Kansas (Image via Pexels)

Investigators also flagged a peculiar purchase by Chandler: two five-gallon gas cans. Though she claimed they were for helping someone at an AA meeting, she never identified the individual, as per a CBS News report.

According to a Topeka Capital-Journal report dated August 6, 2022, prosecutors argued that Chandler used the gas cans to avoid stopping for fuel in Kansas, thereby evading surveillance and leaving no trace of her journey. The gas cans became a critical element in the theory that she drove to Topeka, shot Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness, and escaped unnoticed.

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3) Children's testimonies played a central role in prosecution's narrative

Dana Chandler's children testified against her (Image via Pexels)

Both Hailey Sisco and Dustin Sisco, children of Dana Chandler and Mike Sisco, testified against their mother in multiple trials.

Their emotional recollections were central to the prosecution's argument. As reported by CBS News, Dustin testified that Chandler used visitation time to monitor Mike Sisco's activities, once asking him and Hailey to "peek into a window" at their father's house.

Hailey, in her recorded interactions with Chandler, directly asked whether she had killed their father. Chandler denied it but admitted to being tired of being blamed. These taped conversations became part of the prosecution's circumstantial case.

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4) A single hair on a shell casing was never tested against alternate suspects

One overlooked detail was the presence of human hair found on a shell casing at the crime scene. A CBS News report dated May 4, 2013, noted that the hair did not match Chandler or the victims. The authorities did not test it against two men, Walt Rogers and Terry Tignor, who were later found in possession of one of Mike Sisco's checks.

The defense criticized this as a missed opportunity to explore alternative suspects. Det. Richard Volle admitted in court that neither Rogers nor Tignor was excluded as a match for the unidentified DNA.

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5) A key eyewitness died before trial, but her name resurfaced in jail calls

Patty Williams, a Kansas truck stop clerk, once claimed she saw Chandler at her store around the time of the murders. Though she was only 70% sure of the ID and died before the trial, her claim remained relevant. According to CBS News (September 1, 2022), Chandler was recorded discussing Williams' death with her sister while in jail, saying:

“that, you know, little piece of information could potentially put me in Kansas. But that's the only thing.”

Prosecutors presented the call to suggest that Chandler had acknowledged the importance of the witness's testimony.

Despite convictions, appeals, and delays, the murders of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness remain a complex legal saga shaped by circumstantial theories, emotional testimony, and unresolved forensic questions.

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Watch the latest episode titled Deadly Obsession, where Dateline correspondent Andrea Canning delves into the 2002 double homicide of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness, which occurred in Topeka, Kansas.