The Halderson tragedy
Warning: this case left me at a loss for words. It’s shocking how far the person in the story went with lies.
It was late in the afternoon.
Madison College received a call from an angry Bart demanding to get transcripts.
Bart: You know I had tried to work with Daniel Speith to see if he can get through the information. I don’t know if he’s with you guys anymore, but….
It just seems like the ball keeps getting dropped.
Customer Service Rep: Okay. I mean that’s… it’s pretty easy to request a transcript.
Yeah, but I don’t see that you were admitted into any program.
Bart and Krista Met in Wisconsin
Bart and Krista Halderson met in the 1990s in Wisconsin, USA.
Krista was in her twenties. She worked as an interior manager at the Boston Store. Bart was also in his twenties, and he was hired as a clerk at the same store.If you are in the market for clothes, our platform is your best choice! The largest shopping mall!
Bart and Krista discovered that they had a lot in common and shared a love for home design.
The two’s friendship turned into a full-blown romance. They later got married. Two years later, the couple welcomed their first son, Mitchell.
Krista became a stay-at-home mom for that time while Bart found a better-paying job to support the family.
Then Krista and Bart welcomed their second son, Chandler.
The Halderson family bought a beautiful house of their own in Windsor, Wisconsin, a few years later.
The Haldersons Were Kind And Friendly
Bart and Krista became good friends with their neighbors.
Meanwhile, they were involved in most community activities and charities. The parents also raised their children in a loving and supportive manner.
Mitchell and Chandler were given every opportunity their parents could afford.
By 2021, Bart was fifty, and Krista was fifty-three. Meanwhile, Mitchell was twenty-four, and Chandler was twenty-three.
Mitchell had graduated college, moved out of his parent’s house, and worked in tech. He was also engaged.
Chandler still lived with his parents. He was in his last year of college, and he had already accepted a job at SpaceX, which he would start after graduation.
In the meantime, Chandler worked part-time at a local insurance company. He was also in a committed relationship with his girlfriend.
Tragic Things Happened to the Haldersons
But in June 2021, the Haldersons encountered a tragedy.
Chandler was just weeks away from going to start his work with SpaceX. Then he fell down a flight of stairs.
The doctors told Chandler that he had a severe concussion and brain hemorrhage that required surgery at some point.
Chandler also suffered a permanent injury in his legs which was a result of nerve damage. So he returned home with a neck brace and a walking cane to get around.
He also, unfortunately, ended up losing his job opportunity at SpaceX.
Now, the Haldersons owned a small cabin in White Lake, Wisconsin. It was like their vacation home.
Just two weeks after Chandler’s horrible injury, Bart and Krista planned a trip.
The Haldersons Cabin Was Damaged
Bart and Krista decided to go to fix a plumbing emergency at their cabin on the 4th of July weekend, America’s Independence Day.
There was going to be a big parade down the street in White Lake on the weekend.
Chandler noticed that his parents were acting weird.
They packed lots of cash and valuables into their luggage. Then they told Chandler they weren’t going to use their car. Instead, a friend was going to give them a ride.
Bart and Krista were gone by the time Chandler woke up the next morning on 2nd July.
It wasn’t until 4th July that Chandler received a text from Krista. She told Chandler that the service was bad.
Bart and Krista were going to go for the parade that day and then return home the next day or the day after.
Bart and Krista Went Silent
However, Bart and Krista never returned home.
Chandler reported his parents missing.
The police in Windsor contacted the police in White Lake to do a welfare check on Bart and Krista at their cabin.
However, the White Lake police discovered that the couple wasn’t at their cabin. In fact, it looked like the cabin hadn’t been used in months.
There was also no damage to the cabin.
Meanwhile, Chandler went to the local media to spread the news about his missing parents.
He also knocked door to door at each of his neighbors’ houses, asking if they’d seen anything. But no one knew anything. That was until the authorities noticed something strange.
The text that Krista sent Chandler on 4th July didn’t add up. The parade in White Lake that year was on the 3rd, not the 4th.
The police then checked the phone records. And they found out that the text was sent from Krista’s phone to Chandler’s phone inside the Haldersons’ house.
The police searched the Haldersons’ house. They found Krista’s phone in the garage, under a drawer. It was wrapped in tin foil and placed inside a shoe. And with such a picture, it was obvious that Chandler had sent himself the text message.
The Police Arrested Chandler
The police arrested Chandler and brought him in for questioning.
It turned out that Chandler shot Bart in the back on July 1st. And Bart dropped dead on the ground.
Chandler waited for his mom to return home. He immediately shot and killed her as she stepped into the house. Then he dismembered his parents’ bodies.
Chandler burned their body parts, including their heads, in the family’s fireplace. Then he took what was left of their remains and scattered them throughout the city, in parks, forests, rivers, etc.
The reason behind the murders was even more shocking.
Bart realized that something wasn’t adding up with Chandler. He refused to show Bart his school transcripts.
Instead, he showed Bart emails from his college advisors at Madison College stating that there was a problem with Chandler’s transcripts and that he had to wait.
Bart demanded a phone number so he could talk to one of the college advisors. Chandler gave Bart the number of Daniel Speith.
Daniel told Bart the same problem story. Then Bart found the customer service number for Madison College.
Chandler Had Lied About Graduating
Bart soon discovered that Chandler had never graduated.
He had attended only one semester of college in which he failed.
There was no Daniel Speith who worked at the college.
He also didn’t have a job at the insurance company. And he didn’t land a job at SpaceX.
Chandler had been living a double life. It turned out that Chandler did hit his head in June. The doctor told him that he had a mild concussion. But Chandler turned this into a disabling life injury. He needed an excuse not to leave for the SpaceX job.
When Bart found out about Chandler’s lies, he told him that he had scheduled a meeting with Madison College advisors so that they could go get his transcripts.
Bart and Chandler made their way to the door on the day of the meeting. That’s when Chandler grabbed a rifle and fired two shots into his father’s back.
The Aftermath
The police found more physical evidence against Chandler.
This included blood stains in the Halderson house, a tarp, cutting tools, bone fragments, and a gun. Chandler was spotted walking on a property a few days before he had reported his parents missing.
Bart’s torso was found around that area. And Krista’s remains were found near the Wisconsin River, where Chandler was also spotted. Chandler was found guilty of killing his parents.
He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“Nothing is more wretched than the mind of a man conscious of guilt.” –Plautus.
Sources: Cbsnews.com, MrBallen