Four grim words on son’s web history after dismembering mum and dad

Chandler Halderson’s parents Bart and Krista were ‘proud’ of his achievements but when they learned the truth about his life of deception, it had deadly consequences

Bart and Krista Halderson were over the moon with their son Chandler Halderson’s achievements. He had impressed them with tales of his studies at a technical college, his involvement with the local police scuba diving team, and his new job at SpaceX, Elon Musk‘s groundbreaking spaceflight company.

This meant that Halderson would have to leave his parents’ home in Windsor, Wisconsin, and relocate to Florida. The entire family was thrilled about this fantastic opportunity but it was never to come to light after his devastating actions some time later came to light.

In 2021, there was lots of discussion about Halderson’s future at home. Accountant dad, Bart, 50, had always been supportive of his son.

Chandler had been a Scout, and Bart had participated by becoming a Scout den leader. Halderson was also an avid swimmer, and Bart would often accompany him to training sessions.

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Krista, 53, adored being a mother to Halderson and her other son, Mitchell, who had already moved out. Her friends said she was a beacon of positivity, always lighting up any room she entered – and she was constantly cheering Halderson on his path to success.

Both she and Bart were ecstatic when Halderson secured a spot at Madison Area Technical College. He would update them on his studies and the various jobs he was juggling alongside his classes.

His impressive swimming skills had reportedly led to him working with the local police scuba team, and he also maintained a job at an insurance firm, which he was managing remotely due to the pandemic.

Bart frequently questioned his son about his lack of rent payments, to which Halderson responded that there had been confusion with his salary. He even presented his father with emails from HR supposedly addressing the issue.

In June, Halderson announced he had secured a job at SpaceX in Florida and planned to relocate there with his then-girlfriend. He claimed to have already arranged accommodation.

However, suddenly, his ability to accept the job was thrown into doubt.

He began wearing a neck brace, explaining that he had fallen down some stairs and suffered a concussion. The head injury, he said, made him feel unfit to take on the new role due to difficulties with driving and flying.

There was also a delay from his college in providing documentation about his qualifications, prompting Bart to intervene. He started emailing Halderson’s college to understand the cause of the delay, eager to secure his son’s impressive new job.

UNEMPLOYED DROP-OUT

Growing frustrated with what felt like stalling tactics, Bart called the college – only to be shocked when he was informed that Halderson had only attended for a short period before dropping out. The staff members he claimed to have been corresponding with via email didn’t exist – it had all been a fabrication.

When Bart confronted his son, Halderson claimed they had a meeting on 1 July to sort things out – but this, too, was a lie. The truth of Halderson’s life of deception began to dawn on them.

The reality was that he’d quit college and had never held a job.

He hadn’t worked for the police or an insurance company – and he certainly hadn’t been offered a job at SpaceX. Halderson had been pretending to go to non-existent meetings and spending his days playing video games at home, while spinning tales of a fake life to his parents.

He created faux email accounts for the college and HR staff supposedly assisting him with his pay, so he could email Bart. He even had a burner phone – a cheap, disposable mobile that can be discarded when no longer needed – to stage calls.

As the date of the fictitious college appointment approached, Halderson’s web of lies began to unravel.

Then, on 7 July, he reported his parents missing. He claimed they had gone to their riverside cabin in north Wisconsin for the weekend and hadn’t come back.

They hadn’t been seen since 1 July.

A search was launched and police began questioning Halderson. His story didn’t hold up and he wasn’t very cooperative.

He claimed his parents were going with another couple but couldn’t say who. He also said they went to watch a parade – but there was no parade.

Halderson was apprehended for being uncooperative, and witnesses spotted him at a rural property, where he parked before venturing into the woods.

Upon investigating the site, police made a horrifying discovery – Bart’s torso. Back at the Halderson residence, officers discovered human bone fragments in the fireplace and cutting tools smeared with his parents’ DNA.

Halderson was subsequently charged with Bart’s first-degree murder, concealing a corpse and mutilating a corpse.

Then, on 14 July, more body parts were discovered near the Wisconsin River. They were identified as Krista’s legs.

The rest of her body would never be recovered. Halderson was also charged with her murder.

Police concluded that Halderson had shot his father in the back at their home on 1 July. He then murdered his mother upon her return. With only Krista’s legs found, it was impossible to ascertain her cause of death.

He had dismembered their bodies using a saw and scissors before attempting to incinerate them in the family fireplace. The ashes in the fireplace contained fragments of human skull, facial bones and knee bones.

Halderson had discarded Krista’s limbs along the Wisconsin River and Bart’s torso at the rural property. His mobile phone placed him at both locations where his parents’ body parts were discovered, and he was seen purchasing ice at petrol stations – presumably in an attempt to slow down the decomposition of the remains.

His internet search history revealed a chilling detail after he committed murder; he looked up “Wisconsin dismembered body found” even before his parents’ bodies were discovered. The motive? It appears that the exposure of Halderson’s fabrications was a key factor.

He was on the brink of having to accompany his father to college, but there was no sign that Bart and Krista had threatened to kick him out or disown him they seemed nothing but supportive. Yet, this seemingly trivial trigger led to a horrific double homicide.

DESPERATE FINAL LIE

During the trial in January, prosecutors argued that Halderson murdered his parents because his tangled web of deceit came to light. With increasing pressure to start paying rent and the SpaceX job claim being a desperate final lie, the situation escalated.

“The best way out of your pretend job is an even more pretend job,” said the prosecutor, painting a picture of Halderson’s choices. “He’s gonna be an astronaut. He had two options. Own up to his lies, stand up and finally tell the truth for once. Or, like a coward, shoot your father in the back – and that’s exactly what happened.”

And according to the prosecution, that’s precisely what happened.

The jury was informed about the gruesome manner in which the bodies were dismembered and burned. “He had burned his parents’ heads in the fireplace,” stated the prosecution.

Despite pleading not guilty, Halderson did not testify to explain or refute his actions. His defence portrayed him as a liar but also just a “normal kid” who enjoyed video games and spending time with his girlfriend.

“Chandler Halderson did not murder his parents,” they insisted.

The prosecution argued that after the death of his parents, not a single moment of grief was apparent from him.

Police recordings of his jail calls and messages revealed no mourning whatsoever, something the prosecution branded as “unique” in their line of work.

Local security footage pinpointed which vehicles had been at the scene on 1 July, the day Bart and Halderman were scheduled to visit the college. On that crucial day, Bart texted his son just before their planned meeting: “I’m ready whenever you are.”

That message marked the last time his phone would be used.

Following that, Halderman informed his mother that Bart’s phone battery had died, asking if she could pick up a soda for him. The ever-attentive Krista replied agreeably, “K I can,” accompanied by a smiley face emoticon.

In a striking accusation, the prosecution declared to the jurors that Bart and Krista entered their home and were never seen whole again.

They likened the case to piecing together a puzzle, suggesting Halderman had scattered fragments of this puzzle all over Wisconsin during an eight-day period.

Halderson faced conviction on two counts each for first-degree murder, mutilation of a corpse, concealment of a corpse, and providing false information concerning a missing individual. His attempt to dodge his sentencing hearing was thwarted when the judge rejected his plea.

In a chilling scene in March, 24-year-old Halderson faced sentencing and briefly stated his intent to appeal before attempting to justify his detached demeanour during the trial. “It’s not that I do not have feelings; it’s that I was warned not to show them in the scrutiny of this case,” he claimed.

His grandmother professed her enduring love for him, admitting his actions were “horrific” but expressing hope that he might learn a trade in prison and someday be released. The judge, however, asserted that such leniency wasn’t something he could afford, insisting on a strict sentence for the safety of the public.

“I have to ensure the only time Mr Halderson comes back into the community is to have the privilege of a burial he denied his parents,” the judge pronounced, condemning Halderson to a life behind bars without the possibility of parole.

The breadth of Halderson’s deceptions had been deeply unsettling, yet no one could have foreseen the depths of deception the fantasist would plunge to protect his lies.