The case of Chandler Halderson has captivated the public in Wisconsin and beyond. In July 2021, the 23-year-old was charged with killing his parents Bart and Krista Halderson in their home in Windsor, Wisconsin. Investigators uncovered several key pieces of evidence that helped crack the case, including a cryptic message Chandler had posted on Snapchat shortly after his parents went missing.
The Disappearance
Bart and Krista Halderson were last seen on July 1, 2021. Chandler told police his parents had gone to their cabin in Langlade County for the Fourth of July weekend, but when questioned by Bart’s employer on July 7, Chandler gave conflicting information about his parents’ whereabouts. This raised suspicions that something was amiss.
On July 8, Chandler reported his parents missing. He told police they had planned a trip to their cabin but never returned. Over the next few days, Chandler gave police additional false information and elaborated lies about his parents’ disappearance. Detectives became increasingly suspicious of his story.
The Investigation
Police obtained warrants to search the Haldersons’ home and property. In the process, they found human remains on the property, later identified as Bart Halderson. Additional searches uncovered more human remains, identified as Krista Halderson. The medical examiner determined both had been shot and dismembered.
Further investigation found no evidence the couple had ever left for their cabin. Detectives also scrutinized Chandler’s social media and online activity. This provided them with vital clues, including a strange Snapchat message posted by Chandler the day after his parents disappeared.
The Snapchat Message
On July 2 at 6:48 p.m., Chandler posted an ominous message on Snapchat. It contained a photo of actor Chandler Riggs as his character Carl Grimes on “The Walking Dead.” The photo showed Carl with an eyepatch after being shot in the eye. Chandler’s Snapchat caption read “Went hiking with mom and dad! Exploring the wild!”
For detectives, this Snapchat message was highly suspicious for several reasons:
- It was posted less than 24 hours after Chandler claimed his parents left for their cabin.
- The photo depicts a character who suffered a gruesome facial gunshot injury.
- The message claims Chandler was hiking with his parents, which was quickly proven untrue.
The implications were chilling. For investigators, the Snapchat message seemed to imply Chandler had fatally shot one or both of his parents in the face. It was essentially a veiled confession if their theory was correct.
Collecting Evidence
Along with the Snapchat message, investigators uncovered other key evidence linking Chandler to his parents’ murders:
- Surveillance footage showed Chandler driving his parents’ pickup truck on July 1, contradicting his story.
- Data from Chandler’s phone placed him near the Wisconsin River when he claimed to be elsewhere.
- Searches of the Halderson home revealed bloodstains, bullet fragments, and empty shell casings.
- A gun found in the home contained Chandler’s DNA, not his father’s.
The physical and digital evidence clearly demonstrated that Chandler was lying about his parents leaving town. Detectives now felt certain he had murdered them and disposed of their bodies.
Motive
What would drive Chandler Halderson to murder his own parents? After weeks of investigation, police began to unveil possible motives:
- Chandler had been lying to his parents for months about attending technical college, when he had actually dropped out.
- Bart had just discovered Chandler’s lies about college and his son was about to be exposed.
- Chandler spent a lot of money and may have been afraid his parents would cut him off financially.
- He murdered his parents to continue misleading people about attending college.
Detectives theorized that Chandler decided killing his parents was the only way to prevent his web of lies from unraveling. The Snapchat message appeared to show he felt confident getting away with the crime.
The Arrest
On July 8, 2021, the day Chandler reported his parents missing, police arrested him and held him on charges of providing false information. After recovering the remains of Bart and Krista and compiling extensive evidence, Chandler was formally charged on July 14 with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse, and providing false information.
When faced with the overwhelming evidence, Chandler continued spinning an elaborate web of lies. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and told new fake stories to try and prove his innocence. However, prosecutors maintained they had an air-tight case, thanks in part to his chilling Snapchat message.
The Trial
Jury selection for Chandler’s trial began on January 3, 2022. The prosecution outlined their case over two weeks, methodically laying out the physical evidence, surveillance footage, DNA results, cell records, and digital footprints that betrayed Chandler’s guilt. The Snapchat message remained a centerpiece of their argument.
Taking the stand in his own defense, Chandler repeated his claim that his parents left for their cabin and never returned. He asserted his innocence, but could not explain away much of the evidence. After only 3 hours of deliberation, the jury found Chandler guilty on all counts in the murder of his parents.
Conclusion
The tragic murders of Bart and Krista Halderson shocked Wisconsin in the summer of 2021. But through meticulous police work, criminal investigators were able to unravel a web of deceit perpetrated by the couple’s own son, Chandler. Among the most chilling clues was a subtle Snapchat post in which Chandler appeared to confess to the brutal killings the day after committing them. Along with extensive physical evidence, it helped bring a murderer to justice and provided some small measure of closure to those who knew and loved Bart and Krista Halderson.