Dana Chandler to be tried for murder a 3rd time

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.

Chandler was represented by defense lawyers Tom Bath, Tricia Bath and Mark Hartman.

Chandler’s defense team, in a document filed Friday Sept. 23, asked Shawnee County District Court Judge to reduce Chandler’s bond, which currently sits at $1 million as she is in the Shawnee County Jail.

Chandler’s defense team also made a motion for acquittal.

The next status hearing in the case is set for 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, in the Shawnee County Courthouse.

This will be the third time Chandler would go to trial for the July 7, 2002 murders of her ex-husband and his fiancé at a duplex at 2231 S.W. Westport Square in west Topeka.

Chandler’s first trial, in 2012, ended in a conviction, but was later thrown out by the Kansas Supreme Court for prosecutorial misconduct.

Her second trial ended Sept. 1 in a hung jury. Following the trial, one juror told 13 NEWS that throughout the six days of deliberations the jury was mostly evenly split between conviction and acquittal.

The retrial took place Aug. 5 to Sept. 1 in Shawnee County District Court.

Chandler has maintained her innocence, she was arrested in 2011.

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