Woman’s trial for 2 Kansas deaths ends with hung jury

The jury foreman advised Shawnee County District Courtroom Decide Cheryl Rios that jurors weren’t in a position to attain a unanimous verdict within the case, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

Thursday’s proceedings lasted just a few moments. A standing listening to to find out the subsequent step within the long-running case was set for Sept. 29.

Chandler’s daughter Hailey Sisco, who testified that she believes her mom killed her father, cried whereas being hugged by prosecutor Charles Kitt.

Protection lawyer Tom Tub hugged Chandler, who will stay in custody till the standing listening to.

Juror Ben Alford advised the Capital-Journal that the ultimate vote was 7-5 to convict Chandler. He mentioned votes taken all through the prolonged deliberations have been at all times shut.

Prosecutors alleged Chandler killed the couple as a result of she was jealous of their relationship after her acrimonious divorce from Sisco. Chandler at all times maintained her innocence, saying she was in Colorado when the victims have been killed.

Throughout closing arguments Aug. 25, prosecutor Kitt acknowledged there was little bodily proof linking Chandler to the crime. However he mentioned obsessive conduct towards Sisco mixed with circumstantial proof ought to persuade jurors that she killed the couple.

“This isn’t a case that science can resolve,” he mentioned. “This case is about jealousy of Mike Sisco. Jealousy that Mike Sisco was in a position to transfer on together with his life. Jealousy concerning the new relationship that Mike Sisco had discovered.”

Investigators mentioned Chandler spied on Sisco and Harkness, entered Sisco’s house with out permission and tried to reconcile with him simply weeks earlier than the murders. Cellphone information reveals Chandler referred to as Sisco and Harkness almost 700 instances within the seven months earlier than their deaths.

Tub argued that regulation enforcement missed the chance to analyze different suspects as a result of they targeted solely on her. He underlined the restricted bodily proof discovered on the scene and questioned the best way it was dealt with by investigators and forensic scientists.

“What number of situations did we see the place proof was not adopted up on, not collected or not examined?” Tub requested the jury.

He continued: “We see time and time once more, the police ignored proof. They didn’t comply with proof — they adopted their bias.”

Prosecutors surprised court docket observers final week earlier than closing arguments once they referred to as a lady, Terri Anderson, who mentioned she noticed Chandler leaving Harkness’ house on the evening the couple was killed — the primary time within the two-decade-old case that anybody had positioned Chandler on the scene.

Anderson, who lived throughout the road, testified that she referred to as 911 after listening to gunshots that evening, and that she talked to investigators the subsequent day. Nevertheless, she mentioned she had not talked to police or investigators within the final 20 years, and protection attorneys famous that no police information exist to substantiate that she referred to as police or that she talked to investigators.

On Thursday, protection attorneys referred to as witnesses who undermined Anderson’s story. Topeka Police Det. Lance Inexperienced mentioned Anderson’s testimony that Chandler was on the scene shortly earlier than midnight on July 6, 2002, conflicts with different testimony that Sisco and Harkness have been at a on line casino till not less than 1:30 a.m. July 7.

Chandler was initially charged with the killings after a decade of investigation, and in 2012 was discovered responsible of two counts of homicide. She was sentenced to 2 consecutive life sentences with no probability of parole for 50 years.

The Kansas Supreme Courtroom overturned Chandler’s conviction i n 2018, citing misconduct by prosecutor Jacqie Spradling, who was later disbarred.

The second trial was delayed as Chandler and her attorneys filed quite a few motions looking for to exclude proof, a change of venue and dismissal of the case. The trial started Aug. 5.

In line with court docket information, investigators mentioned nothing was taken from the victims’ house. The gun was by no means recovered and no fingerprints have been discovered on empty shell casings on the scene. Hairs later taken from Chandler didn’t match hair and fiber samples on the scene, and no proof of the crime was present in her automobile.

Nevertheless, some members of the family suspected Chandler, who they mentioned was upset and indignant after Sisco initiated their divorce in 1997 and was given full custody of their kids.

Chandler was residing in Denver, Colorado, when the couple died. She advised investigators she was driving and mountain climbing in Colorado when the murders occurred, however tales about her particular routes have been inconsistent, with gaps in her bank card receipts and cellphone use, in line with court docket information.

Prosecutors alleged Chandler drove from Denver to Topeka, killed the couple and returned house.

The investigation went chilly till 2009. After CBS’ “48 Hours” aired an episode concerning the unsolved killings, then-Shawnee County District Lawyer Chad Taylor appointed a workforce to analyze chilly instances, together with Chandler’s.

Chandler, who had moved to Duncan, Oklahoma, to dwell along with her sister, was arrested in 2011 and charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree homicide.