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Murder of Bart and Krista Halderson

SOLVED2021Dane County, Wisconsin3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Chandler Michael Halderson (born March 15, 1998) was convicted of murdering and dismembering his parents, Bart and Krista Halderson, in Dane County, Wisconsin, in July 2021. The killings came to light after Halderson reported his parents missing, and the case ended with his conviction on all counts in March 2022.

On July 7, 2021, Chandler Halderson told authorities that his parents had left for their cabin in Langlade County, Wisconsin, with another couple, but had never arrived. The next day, July 8, investigators searching a property Halderson had recently visited discovered a mutilated torso with several bullet wounds; it was later identified as Bart Halderson. A rifle belonging to Chandler was also recovered from the same property. Halderson was arrested that night for lying to detectives during the missing-persons investigation and was subsequently charged with killing and dismembering his parents. One week later, on July 14, 2021, a pair of severed legs was found near the Wisconsin River in Roxbury, Wisconsin, in a location Halderson often visited. The remains were identified as belonging to Krista Halderson; because only her legs were recovered, her specific cause of death could not be determined.

Halderson was charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, providing false information on missing persons, mutilating a corpse, and hiding a corpse. He pleaded not guilty, and his trial began in January 2022, with opening statements on January 4. Prosecutors argued that Halderson killed his parents after they began to uncover that he had lied about major parts of his life, including claims that he was enrolled at Madison Area Technical College, employed at a local branch of American Family Insurance, and planning to move to Titusville, Florida, to work at SpaceX. According to prosecutors, Bart Halderson called Madison College after confronting his son about his lack of income and learned that Chandler was not enrolled there. Prosecutors said that on a day Bart planned to meet Chandler at the college, Chandler shot him in the back with a high-powered rifle that had been a gift from a friend, then texted Krista, whom he killed when she arrived home. Prosecutors said he then dismembered his parents' bodies and scattered the remains across southern Wisconsin.

On March 17, 2022, Halderson was convicted on all charges and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He has pursued multiple appeals of his convictions; the Wisconsin Supreme Court most recently denied a request to review his case on June 16, 2026.

Key facts

Victims
Bart Halderson, Krista Halderson
Date
2021
Location
Dane County, Wisconsin
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2021-07-07

    Chandler Halderson reports to authorities that his parents left for their cabin in Langlade County, Wisconsin, with another couple but never arrived.

  2. 2021-07-08

    Investigators searching a property Halderson had recently visited discover a mutilated torso with several bullet wounds, later identified as Bart Halderson; a rifle belonging to Chandler is recovered from the same property.

  3. 2021-07-08

    Chandler Halderson is arrested for lying to detectives during the missing-persons investigation and is later charged with killing and dismembering his parents.

  4. 2021-07-14

    A pair of severed legs is found near the Wisconsin River in Roxbury, Wisconsin, in a location Halderson often visited; the remains are identified as belonging to Krista Halderson.

  5. 2022-01-04

    Opening statements begin in Halderson's trial on two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and related charges.

  6. 2022-03-17

    Halderson is convicted on all charges and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

  7. 2026-06-16

    The Wisconsin Supreme Court denies Halderson's request to review his case, his most recent appeal.

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People

  • Bart Halderson

    VICTIM

    Chandler Halderson's father; killed in Dane County, Wisconsin, in July 2021. His mutilated torso, showing several bullet wounds, was found on July 8, 2021.

  • Krista Halderson

    VICTIM

    Chandler Halderson's mother; killed in Dane County, Wisconsin, in July 2021. Only her legs were recovered, found on July 14, 2021 near the Wisconsin River in Roxbury; her specific cause of death could not be determined.

  • Chandler Halderson

    CONVICTED

    Son of Bart and Krista Halderson; convicted on March 17, 2022, of two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, providing false information on missing persons, mutilating a corpse, and hiding a corpse. Sentenced to life in prison without parole; the Wisconsin Supreme Court denied his final appeal on June 16, 2026.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Dane County, Wisconsin

43.0731, -89.4012

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Chandler Halderson was convicted of murdering and dismembering his parents, Bart and Krista Halderson, in Dane County, Wisconsin, in July 2021, after they began to discover he had lied about his college enrollment, employment, and plans to relocate for a new job. He was convicted on all charges in March 2022 and sentenced to life without parole; his final appeal was denied by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in June 2026.
Where did the murder happen?
Dane County, Wisconsin.
Who was convicted?
Chandler Halderson (Son of Bart and Krista Halderson; convicted on March 17, 2022, of two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, providing false information on missing persons, mutilating a corpse, and hiding a corpse. Sentenced to life in prison without parole; the Wisconsin Supreme Court denied his final appeal on June 16, 2026.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Wisconsin

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICChandler HaldersonWikipedia · 2026-07-12
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — CBS NewsCBS News · 2026-07-12
  3. PRESSWisconsin parents murdered over college lies: How Snapchat helped uncover the truthABC News · 2026-07-12

Record history

First published
JUL 13, 2026