MISTRIAL KS - Mike Sisco, 47, & Karen Harkness, 53, murdered, Topeka, 7 July 2002 *2nd retrial*

[Jewels53]

A motion hearing came to a halt Thursday as double murder defendant Dana Chandler argued for a change of judge for the fourth time.

Shawnee County District Judge Nancy Parrish heard Chandler’s arguments during a hearing that was closed to prosecutors and the public.

Once the hearing was made open, Parrish said she denied the fourth change of judge motion. However Chandler intended to file an affidavit in support of the motion, which prevented the court from proceeding.

Dana Chandler files fourth affidavit for change of judge

 

[JerseyGirl]

Chandler seeks to exclude CSI witness testimony in murder re-trial

The start of Chandler's re-trial will start on June 10.

 

[JerseyGirl]

For the third time, a judge moved back the starting date for the murder re-trial of Dana Lynn Chandler. The extension will give Chandler 70 more days to prepare for the six-week trial.

Chandler's second trial on two charges of first-degree murder in the 2002 shooting deaths of her former husband and his fiancee will start Sept 18. Before the hearing on Wednesday, the re-trial had been scheduled to start on June 10.

Chandler gets 3rd trial extension, wants to fire stand-by counsel

 

[JerseyGirl]

Chandler murder re-trial postponed again; no new date

 

[imstilla.grandma]

In the affidavit, Keen A. Umbehr, an attorney in the Chandler defense team, filed a 33-page affidavit asking Senior District Court Judge Robert Fairchild to issue a search warrant authorizing collection of three swabs from the mouth of a man who is related to a woman who was shot to death.

The mouth swabs obtained from the man would be compared to the DNA profiles obtained from forensic evidence recovered from the crime scene of the murders of Karen Harkness and Michael Sisco.
Affidavit: Chandler wants DNA collected from relative of one of two murder victims

 

[JerseyGirl]

Judge: prosecutors not in contempt in Chandler re-trial

Prosecutors in the re-trial of Dana Lynn Chandler, who is charged in the shooting deaths of two people, aren’t in contempt of court when they didn’t file answers to a Chandler motion, the Shawnee County District Court judge hearing the case wrote.

Chandler is acting as her own defense attorney in her re-trial.

Rios denied Chandler’s request for more time beyond the October 23 hearing date.

Chandler has two standby defense attorneys, Paul Oller, of Hays, and Cyndy Short, of Riverside, Mo.

Oller and Short don’t sit at Chandler’s table during court hearings but are in the courtroom.

Defendants representing themselves “are held to the same standards of an attorney and are required to follow the procedural rules of the court,” Rios wrote.

“Defendant’s request to continue motions set for hearing on October 23, 2020, is denied,” the judge wrote.

The judge’s rulings were issued by the judge on September 17.

Following a lengthy trial in 2012, a Shawnee County District Court jury convicted Chandler of two counts of first-degree murder, and she was sentenced to two consecutive terms.

But the Kansas Supreme Court overturned the convictions in 2018.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Chandler asks judge to remove appointed lawyers in peding murder re-trial

Dana Lynn Chandler, who is facing the re-trial in the 2002 shooting deaths of her former husband and his fiancee, wants the stand-by attorneys aiding her legal defense to be removed from the case, Chandler said in a court motion.

Paul Oller, a Hays attorney, and Cynthia Short, a Riverside, Mo., attorney, are the fifth and sixth defense attorneys assigned to defend Chandler or aid in her defense in her re-trial.

Chandler, who remains in jail in lieu of bond, is representing herself pro se.

Chandler alleged Oller “aggressively lunged” at her during a meeting with Chandler at the Shawnee County Adult Detention Center and yelled at her.

Chandler alleged Oller made a “cruel comment” to Chandler about her adult daughter and was “emotionally and mentally abusive.”

Besides removing Oller and Short as standby counsel, Chandler’s motion also asks the judge to appoint replacement standby counsel.

Following a lengthy trial in 2012, a Shawnee County District Court jury convicted Chandler of two counts of first-degree murder, and she was sentenced to two consecutive 50-year prison terms.

The Kansas Supreme Court overturned the convictions in 2018.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Chandler pre-trial hearings ramping up

 

[JerseyGirl]

Chandler files motion to dismiss her case due to misconduct of trial prosecutor

 

[legalmomma]

Kansas prosecutor Jacqie Spradling disbarred for "intolerable acts of deception" in double murder case

The Court previously overturned the conviction of Dana Chandler in the murders of her ex-husband and his fiancee, and a new trial is scheduled for August.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[JerseyGirl]

Computer, firearms examiners testify Wednesday morning in Dana Chandler trial

Testimony began Wednesday morning on Day 4 of the Dana Chandler retrial in Shawnee County District Court.

www.wibw.com

 

[JerseyGirl]

Surprise witness points to Dana Chandler at Topeka double homicide: 'This is the person I saw'

Terry Anderson was a surprise witness Wednesday in the retrial of Dana Chandler for the slayings of her ex-husband Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness.

www.cjonline.com

 

[Jewels53]

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Jurors resumed their deliberations Tuesday morning in Day 15 of the Dana Chandler double-murder retrial at the Shawnee County Courthouse in downtown Topeka.

Jury resumes deliberations in Day 15 of Dana Chandler double-murder retrial

Jurors resumed their deliberations Tuesday morning in Day 15 of the Dana Chandler double-murder retrial at the Shawnee County Courthouse in downtown Topeka.

www.wibw.com

 

[JerseyGirl]

Hung jury in woman's second trial in 2002 Kansas double murder of her ex-husband and his fiancée

A Kansas jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision after deliberating for six days over whether Dana Chandler murdered her ex-husband and his fiancée.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Jewels53]

Dana Chandler to be tried for murder a 3rd time

Court documents obtained by 13 NEWS indicate plans to retry accused murderer Dana Chandler are in the works.

www.wibw.com

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Court documents obtained by 13 NEWS indicate plans to retry accused murderer Dana Chandler are in the works.

The motion was made in a document filed Thursday, Sept. 22, by the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office. The document was filed in Shawnee County District Court.

Charles Kitt, Shawnee County Deputy District Attorney, signed the document for the state.

The document signed by Kitt noted that in the retrial, seven of the 12 jurors voted to convict Chandler of the 2002 double-murders of her ex-husband Mike Sisco and his fiancé Karen Harkness at a west Topeka residence, while five jurors voted to acquit Chandler.

Kitt prosecuted the recently completed retrial for the state.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Dana Chandler’s third trial to take place in Pottawatomie County

The third trial for Dana Chandler in a double-murder case dating to 2002 will take place in Pottawatomie County District Court in Westmoreland, according to documents obtained by WIBW.

www.wibw.com

Also during the Sept. 29 status hearing, the date for Chandler’s third trial was set for Feb. 6, 2023. The third trial is expected to last approximately four weeks.

 

[Jewels53]

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Dana Chandler made bond and was released from Shawnee Co. Jail at 4:40 p.m. Wednesday, jail officials told 13 NEWS.

During a September 29 status hearing, Shawnee County District Court Judge Cheryl Rios lowered Chandler’s bond to $350,000 cash or professional surety from the previous amount of $1 million.

Dana Chandler released from Shawnee County Jail on bond

Dana Chandler made bond and was released from Shawnee Co. Jail at 4:40 p.m. Wednesday, jail officials told 13 NEWS.

www.wibw.com

 

[JerseyGirl]

Dana Chandler defense lawyers seek another change of venue for third trial

Defense lawyers for Dana Chandler have filed a motion in Shawnee County District Court for a change of venue from the previously announced location in Pottawatomie County, which was announced earlier this month by the Kansas Supreme Court.

www.wibw.com

 

[JerseyGirl]

3rd Dana Chandler trial to cost Shawnee County

TOPEKA (KSNT) – The Dana Chandler trial will restart next year but in a new location. Court Administrators are asking the Shawnee County Commissioners for the remaining $120,000 in their budg…

www.ksnt.com

The Dana Chandler trial will restart next year but in a new location.

Court Administrators are asking the Shawnee County Commissioners for the remaining $120,000 in their budget to be allocated to cover the upcoming Dana Chandler trial.