On July 7, 2002, Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness were found shot to death in Harkness’s Topeka, Kansas, home. The killings launched a years-long investigation that eventually centered on Sisco’s ex-wife, Dana Chandler. Chandler was arrested in 2011 and convicted in 2012, but the conviction was later overturned because of prosecutorial misconduct. A second trial ended with a hung jury, and a third trial ultimately resulted in another conviction in 2025. Chandler has continued to maintain her innocence.But what really happened that night?The case is filled with disputed evidence, conflicting narratives, a controversial prosecution, family heartbreak, and questions that have followed the investigation for more than two decades. With little direct physical evidence linking Chandler to the killings, the prosecution relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, including alleged motive, phone records, witness testimony, and questions surrounding her whereabouts.This book takes readers through the murders of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness, the investigation that followed, Dana Chandler’s three trials, the overturning of her first conviction, the hung jury, and the final courtroom battle. It also examines the people who refused to let the case disappear—including those who became convinced Chandler had been wrongfully convicted and devoted years to challenging the prosecution's case.
On July 7, 2002, Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness were found shot to death in Harkness’s Topeka, Kansas, home. The killings launched a years-long investigation that eventually centered on Sisco’s ex-wife, Dana Chandler. Chandler was arrested in 2011 and convicted in 2012, but the conviction was late...