South Carolina deputies suspected a man was killed in a hit-and-run. An oil trail led them down a darker path.
It was just after 1 a.m. on May 7, 2023, when authorities responded to a reported road accident on a secluded dead-end street in Greenwood, South Carolina.
At the edge of the nearby woods, they would find 46-year-old Davis McClendon 's body. But what they saw at first was on the road itself: a shirt, a shoe and a mangled BMW 5 Series sedan.
After first responders had locked everything down, Greenwood County Sheriff's Investigator Patrick Durkin arrived to begin photographing the scene.
Patrick Durkin: And there was significant damage to the fender.
Patrick Durkin: The front driver's side wheel was turned slightly –
A HIT-AND-RUN OR A PLANNED ATTACK?
Whatever had transpired at this deserted crossroads, Durkin's job was to freeze it in time. First responders had thought Davis McClendon's injuries seemed consistent with having been hit by a vehicle, though no other vehicle relating to the collision was there. They'd found McClendon's body about 50 feet away from the BMW, leading them to suspect he'd been outside his car when he was hit.
Patrick Durkin: There was no rain or anything that would potentially wash anything away. So, um, the main thing I focused on … was the vehicle.
Durkin tells '48 Hours: correspondent Anne-Marie Green he noticed some strange damage to the BMW.
Patrick Durkin: Usually when we would … you'd think of a normal fender bender —
Anne-Marie Green: Yeah.
Patrick Durkin: — it would just kinda be pressed into it. And this was torn back, like a tuna can in a sense.
It had made authorities wonder if it was a hit-and-run or something more sinister. The airbags were out, and a phone was on the front passenger seat. Durkin saw more debris in the road, but nothing particularly telling.
Ronny Powell: The assumption was that he was struck by a vehicle.
Investigator Ronny Powell from the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office says authorities had learned more by speaking to two women at the scene: Meredith Haynie and Megan McGovern, who'd called 911. McGovern often babysat for Haynie's three children.
Ronny Powell: They … provided statements of what they saw and what had occurred … all night long.
Anne-Marie Green: What did Meredith say?
Ronny Powell: She pretty much gave a summary of the whole backstory … that she had been dating Davis.
Haynie had told the authorities that McClendon left a club they'd been in that night, calling her minutes later from the road, saying he was parked at the intersection of Avid Road and Sawgrass Place. When he'd put her on hold and then failed to come back on the line, Haynie was worried and got a ride there from McGovern. It was McGovern, the babysitter, who'd gotten out of her car and was the first to see McClendon's body.
DAVIS MCCLENDON WAS 'EVERYONE'S BEST FRIEND'
Davis McClendon was the ultimate people person without an enemy in the world say his friends Chip Funderbunk, Zach Calhoun and Johnny Coats.
Anne-Marie Green: That news must have been stunning.
Chip Funderbunk: Yeah, it was devastating. It was. It was crushing.
Chip Funderbunk: Everybody loved Davis. He was just awesome.
Zach Calhoun: He – he — he loved BIG!
Johnny Coats: And what Zach said. He was everyone's best friend.
Zach Calhoun: He was.
Johnny Coats: He loved everyone.
But none of them could remember McClendon ever mentioning the specifics of his love life. Not until he met Meredith Haynie.
Zach Calhoun: He told me that he had met somebody and they had just kind of been chatting and um you know enjoying getting to know each other … Seemed like a positive thing, for sure.
Calhoun says McClendon had gone through a divorce, but the end of his marriage hadn't done anything to weaken his devotion as a father and a friend — even to the residents of the retirement home where he worked.
Meredith Haynie: He was the most empathetic person I've ever met.
More than four months before McClendon died, on the night of Dec. 23, 2022, Haynie was at that club, celebrating her 39th birthday with her best friends. She says they were wearing their worst Christmas sweaters when the handsome stranger struck up a conversation.
Meredith Haynie: Then I think he texted on Christmas Day and then the next day, and then the next.
Anne-Marie Green: And you just kept on talking.
Meredith Haynie: Mm-hmm.
Until meeting McClendon, she says she'd been keeping her head down. Just about six months earlier, Haynie had left her husband of 10 years — a local auto body shop owner named Bud Ackerman — and she was struggling to balance parenting their three kids and her job as a grammar school teacher. She says she knew getting involved with someone new would not be easy.
Anne-Marie Green: Was there any hesitancy about moving forward with this?
Meredith Haynie: There, I mean, there was.
She says first McClendon wanted to make sure she had no intention of reconciling her marriage.
Meredith Haynie: He didn't want to be the reason that, you know, we didn't get our family back together. So, we made sure from the get-go that that wasn't going to be an issue and it just — It just happened.
They would have less than six months together.
The night of McClendon's death, at the site, Durkin noticed something beyond the strangeness of the crashed car and Davis's distance from it.
Anne-Marie Green (with Durkin at crash site): Could you start to guess … what may have happened? How it was hit?
There was an oil slick in the road.
Anne-Marie Green: (pointing at the stain in the road): It's still here.
Patrick Durkin: Just over … a year later … it's, it's still here. … but there was a number of footprints and … and some tire tracks that were leading away from this oil stain.
Anne-Marie Green: And what did that tell you when you saw it?
Patrick Durkin: Well, we knew that there was, some type of impact to the vehicle. And then we knew there was, uh, oil and — and tire marks that left from here.
It looked like evidence from the vehicle that hit Davis.
Anne-Marie Green: You guys are looking around and you realize the oil continues …
Patrick Durkin: You could see … it was very obvious that there was tire marks that … had had gone back down the road and kinda turned around …
Back where the tire tracks seemed to show a vehicle had turned around, investigators had found oil spatters about a foot up on a streetlight post.
And from there, there was a trail of oil that had led down the road into the distance.
Anne-Marie Green: It's breadcrumbs, basically.
Patrick Durkin: In a manner of speaking.
Ronny Powell: You know, we just have to view the investigation … and — and see what evidence is there and see where it leads us to.
INVESTIGATORS FOLLOW THE OIL TRAIL AND A HUNCH
Investigator Ronny Powell says by the time authorities started following that oil trail from the crash site, they had a solid hunch where it might lead. Davis McClendon's girlfriend Meredith Haynie had told them she'd suspected where he had been going when he left her at the bar that night: to meet her estranged husband Bud Ackerman.
And it turns out the oily evidence led right to Ackerman's parents' house. He'd been living there since separating from Haynie about a year earlier.
SHERIFF'S DEPUTY (body cam): … Sheriff's office.
BUD ACKERMAN (walks towards deputy): Yes, sir.
Authorities' body cameras were rolling.
Ronny Powell: He kind of walked up, um, and almost was expecting us.
Bud Ackerman and his father were both standing near the garage.
SHERIFF'S DEPUTY (body cam): Are there some … kids here?
BUD ACKERMAN: Yeah.
SHERIFF'S DEPUTY: OK. Whose kids are they?
BUD ACKERMAN: Mine.
SHERIFF'S DEPUTY: Yours and who?
BUD ACKERMAN: Uh, my wife.
SHERIFF'S DEPUTY: OK …
Ackerman had spent the day with his three children at a local festival. He and his wife Meredith Haynie had a custody arrangement and it was his night with the kids. But in the driveway, authorities noticed his white Ford F-250 pickup with oil leaking from the undercarriage. They also noticed a crack in the grille and other evidence that suggested the vehicle had hit someone.
SHERIFF'S DEPUTY (body cam): … that's a palm mark.
Investigators turned to Ackerman.
SHERIFF'S DEPUTY: Do you have your ID on you?
BUD ACKERMAN: Uh, I do not.
SHERIFF'S DEPUTY: Just step over here for me.
Authorities say Ackerman referred them to his attorney. But from speaking with Haynie, they learned she had a contentious relationship with her soon-to-be ex-husband and came to suspect a jealous Bud Ackerman had mowed Davis McClendon down.
Looking at the scene, they deduced McClendon had been standing outside his BMW, as shown in this CBS News animation based on their investigation. They suspect Ackerman's pickup truck sideswiped the sedan and hit McClendon, carrying him on the vehicle's grille and depositing his body across the road.
Haynie says Ackerman had been upset since reaching out to her days earlier when he found out she was dating McClendon.
Meredith Haynie: He'd text me.
Anne-Marie Green: What did he text you?
Meredith Haynie: He said something about 'Meredith, how could you'…
Meredith Haynie: I think it was hurt. Like I was, I felt bad because it — I just don't like to hurt people's feelings. I don't like people to be hurt, so I felt bad.
What had begun years earlier as a promising marriage that would bear three kids, had fallen apart.
Meredith Haynie: He was a good father … He was a really good dad.
Bud Ackerman was from a prominent local family. And he was a business owner. But Haynie says, his work had become stressful.
Meredith Haynie: I started to notice … like some depression and things like that, um, that I've never seen before.
She says he started drinking a lot and the more he drank, she says, the more unpredictable he became.
Meredith Haynie: There was … screaming, cussing.
Anne-Marie Green: You … felt threatened?
Meredith Haynie: Absolutely.
Haynie says he never laid a hand on her but destroyed her sense of self.
Meredith Haynie: The house was never clean enough. There were never … enough groceries … It was so loud and vulgar. … It was very degrading.
Then she says she noticed her husband was starting to become paranoid. She remembers being in her closet one day and noticing a strange pillow.
Meredith Haynie: He had cut a hole in it.
According to Haynie, there was a hidden camera inside.
Meredith Haynie: And then I started finding more of 'em …
Anne-Marie Green: What other places did you find the cameras?
Meredith Haynie: : Oh, um, there was one hidden in our dresser that faced the bed and … one in a bush in the front yard … and he put 'em in all the kids' rooms.
They separated in the spring of 2022.
Meredith Haynie: I could breathe. I could be me again.
Haynie says the separation seemed to help Ackerman, too — that he'd stopped drinking and kept going to church with her and the kids. But by then she'd decided it was too late.
Meredith Haynie: When I was done, I was done.
And starting again with someone new seemed like a distant dream, Haynie says, until that night Davis McClendon sauntered up and sat down in her life. They'd tried to keep things low-key at first. Haynie says she never wanted to rub Ackerman's nose in it.
Anne-Marie Green: So what did you all do?
Meredith Haynie: We would go out of town.
But Haynie says they knew they couldn't sneak around forever and it had started seeming like her new relationship with Davis was a forever kind of thing.
Meredith Haynie: We had talked about sitting on the porch, rocking chairs at 80 … and it was just a different kind of relationship.
But after Ackerman found out, there were new complications.
Anne-Marie Green: He accused you of cheating.
Meredith Haynie: Yeah.
Anne-Marie Green: Even though you were weeks away from your divorce —
Meredith Haynie: Right.
Haynie says Ackerman actually called McClendon and asked him to back off until the divorce was official.
Anne-Marie Green: What was Davis's reaction to that request?
Meredith Haynie: I think … he agreed, but then we talked about it and decided that was just giving him another little piece of control.
And on the night McClendon died, she says Ackerman seemed out of control. Back at his parents' house, investigators now had a warrant and were finding more clues that Ackerman had been at the crash site.
SHERIFF'S DEPUTY (bodycam showing trail into house): Oily footprints. Oily footprints …
At about 6:30 a.m. on May 7, 2023, Bud Ackerman was arrested. He would be charged with the murder of Davis McClendon.
Ronny Powell: We think there's enough evidence at the scene to — to prove of what occurred.
Anne-Marie Green: So, by the end of the night, you already have someone in custody.
Ronny Powell: Yes.
Anne Marie Green: What's left to do?
Ronny Powell: Well, that's just the beginning …
Because it turns out Ackerman did have a story to tell. He says McClendon was standing near the middle of a dark road. Ackerman says he didn't see McClendon until it was too late and that hitting him had been an accident. And Ackerman's team says they can prove it.
WHAT BUD ACKERMAN'S PICKUP TRUCK REVEALED
Investigators are confident they could prove Bud Ackerman's truck had hit and killed Davis McClendon. But they knew proving Ackerman had done it on purpose might be harder.
Ronny Powell: Building a case starts from that night …
And when investigators looked at that night, they learned Ackerman had been tracking McClendon and Haynie's whereabouts for hours.
Ronny Powell: He was trying to find them that night … and he was — was not happy about this whole situation.
Using security video, phone records, and even data from Ackerman's own truck, authorities built a timeline. They began with Haynie's phone, said Lt. Matthew Womack of the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office.
Lt. Matthew Womack: We were able to extract the information such as the calls and the texts.
There was a slew of calls and text messages Ackerman had made to Haynie leading up to the collision. At 8:54 p.m., Ackerman texts Haynie: 'Why do you hate me? I just don't understand?'
She doesn't respond to him. She's out with McClendon at a local restaurant —
Meredith Haynie: We went to dinner at Break on the Lake.
— and being interrupted by Ackerman's attempts to reach her.
Meredith Haynie: Where are you? Who are you with? Why are you doing this to me?
Anne-Marie-Green: Did you tell him where you were?
Meredith Haynie: I feel like at — at some point in the conversation either he could tell where I was because of what's around me or I finally did tell him. It was one or the other.
Anne-Marie-Green: So at that point he knows that you're out with Davis?
Meredith Haynie: Mm-hmm.
While Haynie continued her date with McClendon, security cameras catch Ackerman at 10:40 p.m., arriving at a popular Greenwood club called Key West.
Ronny Powell: You could see Bud … You know he's talking to people, interacting … consuming alcohol.
The video shows Ackerman spent about an hour-and-a-half at Key West, then called Haynie again.
Anne-Marie-Green: How did he sound on the phone?
Meredith Haynie: Intoxicated.
Anne-Marie-Green: What's an intoxicated Bud sound like?
Meredith Haynie: Vulgar.
Soon after midnight, Ackerman had left Key West. About a half hour later, cameras show Ackerman's truck circling in front of Break on the Lake. But by then, Haynie and McClendon were no longer at the restaurant.
Ronny Powell: You could see his vehicle drive through the parking lot as if he's looking for 'em.
Womack says before long investigators would learn just how far Ackerman had gone that night to find Haynie and McClendon. Though Ackerman himself wasn't talking, critical information would emerge from another digital witness: his truck.
Womack says in some cars and trucks, the 'infotainment systems,' as they're known, store detailed information about how the vehicles are being driven. Womack demonstrated in a similar model to Ackerman's Ford F-250 pickup.
Lt. Matthew Womack (looking at a monitor in the pickup truck with Green): So on Bud's vehicle … they were able to pull a significant amount of information … This is just a little snippet … You're talking just in — in a 24-hour time period, it's over 3,000 events …
Events, including snap measurements of speed, acceleration, and brake pressure. Ackerman's onboard computer even pinged public Wi-Fi's it passed. Investigators learned that Ackerman had actually driven by Haynie's house and onto McClendon's street that night. But while he was driving around looking for them, ironically they had moved to the Key West Club he had just left.
Meredith Haynie: When Davis decides to call Bud … He walked out the back of the bar.
It was 12:51 a.m.
Meredith Haynie: A few minutes passed and I went out there to check on him and he was gone.
Anne-Marie-Green: Did he think he could bring the temperature down?
Meredith Haynie: Mm-hmm.
Records show McClendon called her minutes later.
Meredith Haynie: 'Where are you?' … And that's when he told me that he was going to meet Bud.
Womack says other 'infotainment system' data shows that at a bit past 1 a.m., McClendon and Ackerman had their fatal encounter.
Lt. Matthew Womack (in the pickup truck with Green): And we can tell there was actually an event … at 1:11 a.m. on May the 7th.
They say Ackerman hit the brakes hard.
Lt. Matthew Womack: We could narrow it down to tenths of seconds of when the collision occurred.
And according to the computer, seconds after the collision, Ackerman's truck had stopped.
Lt. Matthew Womack: At that point in time, Bud's opening the door … He opens the door before he shifts it to park.
Womack thinks Ackerman got out of his truck, which was probably leaking from the collision — remember that puddle of oil in the road near the victim.
Lt. Matthew Womack: Then he closes the door, then he gets back in. And then it's shifted to drive at that point in time.
Then, say authorities, Ackerman turns his truck around near the lamp post. He then drives away, leaking an oil trail all the way to his parents' driveway.
Lt. Matthew Womack (pointing at monitor in the pickup truck with Green): Right here his phone becomes unavailable, the ignition turned off and it disconnected from his device.
Anne-Marie-Green: What does that tell you?
Lt. Matthew Womack: That's when he got home and got out …
Lt. Matthew Womack: It started to paint a very clear picture.
But Ackerman's attorney Jack Swerling paints a different picture.
Jack Swerling: I don't think he intended to run Davis McClendon over.
Jack Swerling: There's no indication that he was an aggressive or violent individual …
Nor, says Swerling, is there much to indicate his client was drunk that night.
SHERIFF'S DEPUTY (bodycam): Let me ask you this, can I get you to step with me over here for me please?
BUD ACKERMAN: Alright.
None of the cops who arrested him reported he seemed tipsy.
Jack Swerling: The only one that said he was intoxicated was Meredith.
Anne-Marie-Green: Was he stalking them that night?
Jack Swerling: I think he was trying to find out, confirm that they were together. … He wanted to talk to her.
According to Swerling, Haynie and McClendon had betrayed McClendon's promise to Ackerman to stand down until the Ackerman's marriage was officially over.
Jack Swerling: She couldn't wait another month?… And she's out with this guy. Uh, and she's cheating on her husband. … They are still legally married. South Carolina law calls that adultery.
And Swerling says the night McClendon died, he'd let Ackerman's repeated calls and text messages to Haynie get under his skin.
Jack Swerling: Davis got upset about it and that's what led to them having this meeting. Bud just thought they were gonna meet and talk.
He says Ackerman had suggested an innocent and safe place for it to happen.
Jack Swerling: They were supposed to meet at Bud's parents' house, which is about half-a-mile from that location.
Swerling says Ackerman's children were sleeping there that night, so attacking Davis would have been the last thing on his client's mind.
Jack Swerling: You wouldn't meet at your parents' house if you were angry and threatening I'm ready to kill somebody.
He says it was McClendon who selected the deserted intersection as a new location. And remember how McClendon was found without his shirt on that night? Well, Swerling says he believes Davis took it off to prepare for a confrontation.
Jack Swerling: He was ready to fight.
Swerling insists Ackerman meant no harm that night. And Bud is about to tell that story to a jury.
THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA V. WILLIAM 'BUD' ACKERMAN
Prosecutors are determined to prove it was no accident that Bud Ackerman hit Davis McClendon the night McClendon died. So, in September 2024, Assistant Attorneys General John Conrad and John Meadors start the case off with a bang.
John Meadors (in court): He intentionally drove his car into the body of Davis McClendon. BAM! … And that's what this case is about.
They'll argue Ackerman couldn't stand the fact that his estranged wife was seeing someone and Bud was searching for Meredith Haynie and Davis McClendon all over town.
John Meadors: Bud Ackerman, was not going to let Davis McClendon be with Meredith.
John Meadors (in court referencing doorbell cam video): That's your house right there?
Roderick Maceda: Yes, sir.
Meadors and Conrad lead with their strongest evidence. There are actually time-stamped videos from the neighbors' doorbell cameras at the moment of the crash that killed McClendon. They show what prosecutors say is Ackerman's Ford F-250 driving through the frame. Seconds later on the video, what sounds like a crash. And seconds after that, a series of muffled sounds.
John Meadors (in court): What did you hear?
Roderick Maceda: I heard somebody yelling.
John Meadors: OK.
Prosecutors argue it's Ackerman's voice yelling at McClendon after running him down.
Meredith Haynie: What it sounded like to me was 'what do you wanna talk about now mother*****?'
John Meadors: Bud is … yelling … unheavenly expletives, he uh said to Davis as he was lying on the ground … I think he was glad he was dead.
But Ackerman's defense attorney, Jack Swerling argues the audio is too garbled to prove anything.
Jack Swerling (in court): I've listened to it several times now and … I don't believe you could conclude a hundred percent … that is exactly what he said.
The prosecutor then calls Megan McGovern, the Ackerman's' babysitter, and friend, to describe the moment she'd seen McClendon's body through traumatized teenaged eyes.
Megan McGovern (in court): He had blood coming out of his ears and his nose and I couldn't — I'm not exactly sure if it was coming out of his mouth or not cause I mean there was just blood everywhere from his nose and everything.
But their star witness is the woman at the center of both men's affection: Meredith Haynie, who testifies with the date night security videos as a guide.
John Meadors (in court, showing bar security video): Is that you?
Meredith Haynie: Yes, sir.
She tells the jury Bud Ackerman called her when she and McClendon were at Break on the Lake —
John Meadors (in court): Did you think he was trying to find you?
Meredith Haynie: I did worry. Yes.
— and kept calling after they got to the Key West Club.
John Meadors (in court, showing security video): Is that a call from the defendant Bud Ackerman?
Meredith Haynie: Yes, sir …
John Meadors: Did you reject that call?
Meredith Haynie: Yes …
John Meadors: 18 seconds later … you get another call?
Meredith Haynie: Yes sir.
John Meadors: What would you think about all these calls coming in …
Meredith Haynie: I was getting very frustrated and angry and just — it was getting obsessive; it was getting scary.
John Meadors (in court, referencing security video pictured above): And is that Davis McClendon leaving the bar?
Meredith Haynie: Yes …
And she says by the time McClendon left her at the Key West Club after midnight, she was worried Ackerman might be volatile. So when McClendon later called to tell her he was going to meet with Ackerman, she says she wanted to go check on the situation in person. And makes clear to the jury that when she saw the scene, she had little doubt who'd killed her boyfriend.
Meredith Haynie (in court): I dove back into Meg's car because I thought that the only way that Bud would've ever killed somebody would've been to shoot –
Jack Swerling: Objection!
John Meadors: Objection …
The judge sustains the defense's objection. But Haynie continues.
Meredith Haynie (in court): I was scared that he was still out there.
Judge Donald Hocker: OK, Mr. Swerling, any cross-examination?
Jack Swerling: I have no questions.
Judge Donald Hocker: Step down ma'am.
John Conrad: Your honor, uh, the state calls Special Agent Bryan Hudak.
Digital forensics expert Brian Hudak tells the jury, about data in the infotainment system of Ackerman's pickup, including some that show Bud was driving in exactly the right place –
Brian Hudak (in court): … in Greenwood at the intersection of Avid and Sawgrass.
— at exactly the right time to be implicated in the deadly collision.
Brian Hudak: 1:11:31 and 1:11:32.
He suggests they can even tell the moment of impact.
John Conrad (in court): There's something that causes this truck to de-accelerate (sic) very quickly, correct?
Brian Hudak: Correct.
And Hudak says the evidence shows Ackerman was going 25 miles per hour.
John Conrad: And the amount of detail that that truck had on what Bud did that night is, is simply breathtaking.
Cpl. Kristopher Bratcher: The Ford vehicle is … on the completely on the wrong side of the road when it strikes the BMW.
Collision reconstruction expert Corporal Kristopher Bratcher testifies the dents show Ackerman's speeding pickup sideswiped McClendon's BMW sedan, as shown in CBS News animation based on the prosecution's theory. They say Ackerman was aiming at McClendon, who was standing near the driver's door when he was hit, and that the truck kept going with McClendon on the grille until he fell off where authorities found him. But Swerling argues much of the same evidence shows hitting McClendon was an accident.
Jack Swerling (in court): We maintain that Mr. Ackerman did not act intentionally in this case.
He says Ackerman had no idea McClendon was standing outside his car, and calls auto forensics expert Jonathan Nelson to testify that given Ackerman's speed — in the dark, over a slope in the road and into the parked BMW's headlight beams — he wouldn't have seen McClendon standing in the road until at most two-and-a-half seconds before the collision.
Jack Swerling (in court): Would a person have sufficient opportunity to avoid impact?
Jonathan Nelson: I think that most people would have little to no opportunity to begin to try to avoid.
And Swerling says McClendon wasn't standing right next to his car when he was hit, but further out towards the center of the road. And that Ackerman swerved to his left into the BMW to get around him, as shown in CBS News animation based on the defense's theory.
Jack Swerling: He's trying to avoid hitting him.
Jack Swerling: Why didn't he go right? … I can't answer that.
Swerling knows there may be only one person who can.
Jack Swerling (in court): I'd … call, uh, Bud Ackerman.
Judge Donald Hocker: Alright. Come around to the stand please, sir.
Ackerman's attorney begins by trying to show the jury his client was Haynie's long-suffering but devoted husband.
Jack Swerling (in court): Did you love her?
Bud Ackerman: I did very much.
He admits he was angry at Haynie, but says he only wanted to talk to her and agreed to meet McClendon to talk to him, too.
Jack Swerling (in court): Did you have any intention to hurt him?
Bud Ackerman: I did not.
Ackerman says he hadn't realized how fast he was going and that he was only trying to pull up next to McClendon to talk, and didn't see McClendon standing in the road until the last moment.
Jack Swerling (in court): What action did you take, if any, to avoid hitting the person?
Bud Ackerman: I jerked my truck as hard as I could to the left, to try to hit his car to stop the motion of my truck from going forward.
But on cross-examination, he admits something that undercuts his claims of innocence that night; he had never called 911.
Bud Ackerman (in court): I panicked.
John Meadors: You panicked?
Bud Ackerman: Mm-hmm.
Instead, he left the scene and drove to his parents' house and told them what had happened. But they never called authorities either.
Jack Swerling: I've seen so many people react in abnormal ways in all the cases I've handled that I've come to expect those kind of things.
In closings, prosecutor Meadors argues Ackerman is a murderer, with the truck as his weapon.
John Meadors (in court): This might as well be a drive-by shooting with a gun.
And he says the Ford pickup's infotainment system proves it.
John Meadors: (in court, holding up the truck's infotainment system): This is Bud's brain … This is malice. … this is intent.
Jack Swerling: The state has not proven that Mr. Ackerman acted with malice or with the intent.
It's the highest possible bar. And the defense insists the state has not proven its case.
Jack Swerling (in court): Mr. Ackerman is entitled … to a verdict of not guilty.
John Meadors (in court): This is judgment day. It's verdict day.
Jack Swerling: You never know what a jury is gonna do … you've got 12 people making the decision.
JURORS REACH A VERDICT
For the Ackerman jury, six days of testimony and evidence boil down to a deliberation less than a half hour long.
Anne-Marie Green: Did you have a feeling about what that verdict might be?
Jack Swerling: Yes. Yeah. Quick verdict like that is not good. Not good.
JURY FOREPERSON: The state of South Carolina Vs. William Grey 'Bud' Ackerman … We, the jury unanimously find the defendant … guilty.
Bud Ackerman is guilty of the murder of Davis McClendon.
John Meadors: It was the right verdict.
Meredith Haynie: I mean I thought it would be fast … not that fast!
Not just fast, but too fast to be thought through, says Ackerman's attorney Jack Swerling.
Jack Swerling: I don't think the jury considered everything that was presented to 'em.
Chip Funderbunk: They didn't need a lot of time to stew over the evidence, the evidence was clear and obvious.
Damning evidence of what Bud Ackerman did, say Davis McClendon's friends, and equally damning evidence, they say, of what Ackerman never did.
Zach Calhoun: Our friend laid there … in the road.
They still can't wrap their heads around why nobody in the Ackerman family ever called 911.
Johnny Coats: Somebody should have done the right thing.
At sentencing right after the verdict, McClendon's son demands accountability from the Ackerman's.
Frederick McClendon (in court): It is time for this spoiled evil individual and this spoiled evil family in Greenwood to finally gain some repercussions for their actions. Thank you.
William 'Gray' Ackerman Sr. (in court): A lot's been said about why we didn't call 911 …
Bud Ackerman's father tries to explain his own lack of action by saying he was too disoriented to know what to do at that hour of the night, when his son woke him with the news.
The judge's sentence is devastating to the defendant.
Judge Donald Hocker: Mr. Ackerman, if you please stand, sir. Sentence of the court is Mr. Ackerman, you be committed to the state department corrections, a period of 45 years.
It looks like the end of the road for Bud Ackerman.
Meredith Haynie: I know that where he is, is where he is supposed to be.
But it may allow for a new beginning for Meredith Haynie.
Meredith Haynie: I was worried that … if he only got five or 10 years, that I'd never get to start a new life because I'd be scared for when he got out.
With their father unlikely to get out of prison for decades, she's determined to spare her children from the impact of that horrible night. As a single mom, she leans on friends and family.
Anne-Marie Green: How are the kids doing?
Meredith Haynie: … we'll make it through.
Looking back, she believes Bud Ackerman really wanted to target her that night, and that she's only alive because he found Davis McClendon first.
Meredith Haynie: Davis saved my life.
Anne-Marie Green: You really feel that way?
Meredith Haynie: Absolutely.
If true, Haynie owes her life, however challenging, to the new man she had once hoped to share it with.
Anne-Marie Green: How would you like Davis to be remembered?
Meredith Haynie: As … a hero … for the way he treated people, for his empathy, for his heart … he was just a good person.
Meredith and her children no longer live in Greenwood, South Carolina.
Bud Ackerman is not eligible for parole and is expected to be released in 2068. Ackerman is appealing his conviction.
Produced by Josh Yager. Charlotte A. Fuller and Marc B. Goldbaum are the development producers. Shaheen Tokhi is the field producer. Atticus Brady, Michelle Harris and George Baluzy are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.
Anne-Marie Green
Anne-Marie Green is an accomplished journalist and correspondent for '48 Hours,' where she reports on the most gripping crime and investigative stories on television.She is also the host of the '48 Hours' 'Post Mortem' podcast. Green brings over two decades of experience in broadcast journalism to her work at CBS News.
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Wakala News
01-06-2025
- Wakala News
What did Dana Chandler do? Inside the case of the Kansas woman convicted of double murder after three trials
Dana Chandler has spent decades maintaining her innocence against allegations she was responsible for the 2002 murders of her ex-husband, Mike Sisco, and his girlfriend, Karen Harkness. In 2025, Chandler took on her own defense, representing herself in the third trial the state brought against her for the murders. DANA CHANDLER (in court, closing): My liberty, my freedom is hanging in the balance. Hailey Seel is Dana Chandler and Mike Sisco's daughter. She and other Sisco and Harkness family members have spent decades grieving, searching for answers and for justice. ' I want to understand what happened and why. And — and — and actually know the truth of what happened,' she tells '48 Hours' contributor Jim Axelrod. '48 Hours' first started covering the murders in 2008 and spoke with individuals involved several times over the years. THE MURDERS OF MIKE SISCO AND KAREN HARKNESS Hailey Seel: It's hard to swallow and it's hard to believe. It's insane. (crying) For Hailey, it all started on July 7, 2002. She learned her father and Harkness had been killed in Harkness' Topeka, Kansas, home. Hailey Seel: I immediately just saw a bunch of tape around the house and police. … And my grandma's sitting in there and she just told me that they had been shot. The night before the murders, Sisco and Harkness enjoyed an evening at a casino about an hour outside of Topeka. Surveillance footage shows them leaving about 1:30 a.m. They then stopped to get coffee – the last time video captured Harkness alive. Harold Worswick (2008): They were extremely happy, you could just see that. Harkness' father, Harold Worswick. Harold Worswick: Everything they did was for each other. The day after Sisco and Harkness' night out, a family get-together had been planned at Harkness' house. Relatives thought the couple might be announcing they were engaged. Harold Worswick: And I rang the doorbell and knocked on the glass and couldn't raise anybody. I thought, 'This is strange.' Worswick, who has since died, recalled that he entered Harkness' home that afternoon through an open sliding door, didn't see any sign of Karen or Mike Sisco, so he headed downstairs to the bedroom. Harold Worswick: Just as I got to the foot of the stairs, I could see Karen. … And I said, 'Oh, Christ.' I knew she was dead. And then I found Mike on the outside of the bed. Worswick would then call 911. HAROLD WORSWICK (to 911): I just located my daughter and she's downstairs and she's dead … Det. Richard Volle: I got a radio call just after two o'clock on July 7th, 2002. Richard Volle, now retired, was the Topeka Police Department's lead detective on the case. Det. Richard Volle: It was a report of two dead bodies in a basement. Five bullets had struck Harkness, 53, including in her back and buttocks. Sisco, 47, suffered between five and seven gunshot wounds. The couple had been in bed. The rest of the house appeared undisturbed. Investigators found more than $1,000 in cash, a Rolex watch and other jewelry left behind. Robbery was quickly ruled out. To understand who might want Harkness and Sisco dead, police turned to their families for information. Det. Richard Volle: What we're left with is an emotional killing. It's an emotional execution. Sisco, a salesperson for a welding company, and Harkness, who worked in the hospitality industry, were both previously married and now divorced. The well-liked couple had been dating about four years. Harkness' children, Chad and Erin, were in their 20s at the time of the murders. Chad Harkness: It was a surprise to everybody that this would happen to somebody like her. Erin Sutton: My mom was an amazing woman. … She, she didn't have enemies. … And I remember telling her on several occasions that if I could be half the mom that she was to me, then I would be the best mom in the world. Sisco had custody of his two children, Hailey, then, 17, and Dustin, 15. Dustin Sisco: My dad was really my life growing up … He was really my hero. Hailey's relationship with her dad was more complicated. Hailey Seel: I wasn't happy with my dad. I wasn't happy with my mom. I wasn't happy at my school. By Hailey's own admission, she was a difficult teen. Hailey Seel: My dad gave me an ultimatum: 'Either you follow my rules or you move out.' She chose to live with her then-boyfriend, Chris. Hailey Seel: And I moved in with Chris and then my dad was killed. That defiance made Hailey and Chris of interest to police. They were polygraphed and questioned. DET. VOLLE: I'm just curious, is everything all right with your dad and everything? HAILEY SEEL: Uh, yeah. … We weren't really getting along for a little while. Authorities said their alibis checked out. As did the alibis of Harkness' daughter, Erin, and her husband, Jeff Sutton. Harkness' son Chad was also questioned. Chad Harkness: I was hooked up to a polygraph machine and asked if I had murdered my mother or in any way participated in the murder of my mother. Police concluded none of them were involved. But family members thought they knew who was responsible: Mike Sisco's ex-wife, Dana Chandler. Cathy Boots: She just — she never fit in. Cathy Boots, Mike Sisco's sister, watched Chandler and Sisco's relationship deteriorate. After 15 years of marriage, the couple went through a bitter divorce, finalized in 1998. Sisco's relatives say Chandler had a drinking problem and she sporadically stalked Sisco during and after the divorce, with frequent calls and bizarre visits. Cathy Boots: The kids were upstairs in their room. … And we heard a noise and there she was … in the middle of the night … jumping on a trampoline in the backyard of Mike's home. Mark Boots is Mike Sisco's brother-in-law. Mark Boots: I think she became obsessed with the fact that Mike was moving on with his life. … And then when Karen entered the picture, that's when things really started, I think, escalating. Mike Sisco kept track of some of the incidents from 1998 in a day planner, writing: JULY 28: … Dana stalking neighborhood at 8:30, caught her she left. … NOVEMBER 12: Dana came in house while I was at Karens from 7:00 to 11:00 went thrus stuff … Mark Boots: She was willing to travel great distances to show up back in his life. According to the Boots, the last time Chandler showed up at Mike Sisco's home was in the spring of 2002, several months before the murders. Cathy Boots said Mike told her Chandler went there to talk about moving back in. Cathy Boots: She said, 'The kids are getting older. … They're having different issues with themselves now. They need both parents. I think I should move back in and we should parent together.' Mark Boots: All this harassment and stalking had come to the point that Mike told me that he and Karen now feared for their lives. Mark Boots says Mike Sisco made that clear to him on a fishing trip, nine days before the murders. Mark Boots: He turned to me and said, 'Mark, you're gonna wake up and find me dead. And I want you to know who did it, Dana Chandler.' But Chandler lived eight hours away in Denver and there was no sign that she had been in Harkness' house in Topeka the night of the murders. WHO WANTED THE COUPLE DEAD? Det. Richard Volle: The victims were doing absolutely nothing and may not have seen it coming at all. Investigators were trying to determine who would gun down Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness as they lay in bed. Detective Richard Volle called Sisco's ex-wife, Dana Chandler, to inform her of Mike's murder. DET. RICHARD VOLLE (phone call to Chandler): Your husband was found shot to death today, this afternoon. Your ex-husband, I'm sorry … Can you tell me when the last time was that you talked to him? Chandler, Volle says, did not ask many questions and did not seem concerned. Chandler would later say she was very upset on that call. But only Volle's side of their conversation was recorded, due to a technical error, he said, on his part. The next evening, Chandler called the Topeka Police Department, leaving a message on a different officer's voicemail: DANA CHANDLER (phone call to police): Hi, my name is Dana Chandler and I got a very disturbing phone call last night. Someone had said that my ex-husband had been killed, and I'm just calling to — to see if that's true or not … Chandler would later explain her call was simply seeking confirmation. Given the personal nature of the murders, no signs of a burglary, and those stories about a messy divorce and stalking, Chandler became the main suspect. Volle decided to talk with Chandler in person, recording this audio, four days after the murders: DET. RICHARD VOLLE ( interview audio 2002): Tell me about what happened on the 6th. DANA CHANDLER: I got up, I had my morning coffee. But again, there was an issue with the recording. In most of the rest of the conversation, Chandler is difficult to hear. Volle recounted what he said she told him. Det. Richard Volle: She said she'd been at home, Saturday morning, that's July 6th … and then made a couple of errand stops. Chandler said she bought cigarettes, snacks, and a car cigarette lighter at several stores around Denver and then got gas. But Volle says she failed to mention one purchase he saw on a credit card receipt. Det. Richard Volle: She'd bought two five-gallon gas cans, as well. Volle wondered why she didn't tell him and why she would even need gas cans, unless she had been planning a trip, perhaps to Kansas, and didn't want to stop for gas along the way. According to Volle, Chandler had also said, after running those errands, she went home to her Denver apartment. Det. Richard Volle: Didn't have any visitors. No contact with anybody. And the next day got up and went for a drive in the mountains at ten o'clock in the morning. But Volle couldn't verify that Chandler was in her apartment the night of the murders, nor that she took a drive in the mountains the next day. Volle said the area Chandler described driving through would have meant she'd have to pass Rocky Mountain National Park surveillance cameras. Those cameras were checked. Volle said there was no sign of her car. Det. Richard Volle: The particular person that I had view that tape looked at every frame slowly. … She was never there. Investigators also reviewed Chandler's cellphone records. They said that while she tended to use her cellphone frequently, she, oddly, had no activity around the time of the murders. Det. Richard Volle: What we found was there was a 27-hour window where her phone wasn't used. Still, there was no DNA, no fingerprints, or other forensic evidence to tie Chandler to the killings. The gun used in the murders hadn't been found, though investigators learned the bullets were from an Israeli weapons manufacturer. And Chandler would go on to say she didn't even own a gun. But family members remained convinced that Chandler was responsible for the murders. They say they pushed to have a meeting with then-DA Robert Hecht. Tim Sisco is Mike Sisco's brother. Tim Sisco: I specifically went into this meeting wanting to know if he would pursue a circumstantial case. … And the answer was, 'Without that murder weapon, we don't have enough hard evidence to move this forward.' The Sisco and Harkness families grew increasingly frustrated and decided to take action — looking for more information about Chandler's possible involvement in the murders. Cathy Boots: I put her picture up everywhere. 'Have you seen this person?' Several months after the murders, having more questions than answers, Mike Sisco's sister Cathy Boots said she and their mom Carol Sisco went searching for clues, even lifting up manhole covers and looking in rest stop bathrooms for the gun used in the murders. Cathy Boots: We thought, you know, maybe she threw the gun somewhere. … So I would stand on a toilet and try and push a tile up. They found nothing, but Hailey Seel, Chandler, and Mike Sisco's daughter, was also working the case. Hailey Seel: I felt the need to do something. I didn't wanna just sit back with my hands tied and helpless. In 2005, three years after the murders, Hailey began secretly recording conversations with her mother, trying to learn what happened to her dad and Harkness. HAILEY SEEL (recorded phone call): … I think that the only way I can really move on with a relationship with you is if we can get it, you know, if you can just tell me yourself that you did it. … DANA CHANDLER: Well, number one, I didn't do it and number one I, number two, I don't know what happened Hailey. … One thing Hailey asked about was why her mother had no cellphone activity for 27 hours around the time of the murders. HAILEY SEEL (recorded phone call): Why did it have no calls and was at home the whole time? You knew it could be traced. DANA CHANDLER: I was in the mountains; I didn't have a signal. Chandler insisted she had nothing to do with the murders, but did say she had violent thoughts about Mike Sisco. DANA CHANDLER (recorded conversation): I said I could kill him. You ever think about killing him? HAILEY SEEL No, but — DANA CHANDLER: I did. HAILEY SEEL: But — DANA CHANDLER: Honestly, I can say I did. The official investigation, though, seemed stalled, so authorities asked Vernon Geberth, a homicide and forensic consultant and former New York City Police Department detective, to review case files. In 2007, nearly five years after the murders, he issued a report concluding '… Dana Chandler is the one and only person who had the motive, means and opportunity to commit these murders.' It was Geberth who brought the case to the attention of '48 Hours.' In 2009, '48 Hours' aired its first report on the murders —and tried to talk with Chandler. HAROLD DOW | '48 Hours' correspondent: Did you know anything about the death of Michael and Karen? DANA CHANDLER: I have no idea what happened to Mike and Karen. '48 Hours' ended the episode asking viewers to contact police if they had any information. Again, the case seemed to be going nowhere. But two years later, a new DA, Chad Taylor, decided he was willing to take a chance with the evidence they had. He chose to move the case forward and arrest Chandler. With '48 Hours' cameras rolling, law enforcement, zeroed in on Chandler in Oklahoma, where she was staying at the time. Taylor didn't just help plan the arrest, but went on it, with a gun at the ready. And on July 24, 2011, Chandler was in custody, charged with the murders of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness. WHERE WAS DANA CHANDLER THE NIGHT OF THE MURDERS? Hailey Seel I'd hit a point where I didn't know … if justice would ever … be served. For Hailey Seel who was convinced her mother killed her father, Dana Chandler's arrest was nearly a decade in the making. Hailey Seel It was such a feeling that I – I — it was unbelievable. She was determined to get justice as she prepared to face Dana Chandler in court. Hailey Seel: I've made it this far. … I can do anything. In March 2012, Chandler went on trial. Jacqie Spradling, then-chief deputy DA, began by referring to those conversations Hailey Seel had taped years earlier with her mother. JACQIE SPRADLING (in court): 'I could kill him. I thought about killing him.' These are the words of this defendant about her ex-husband Mike Sisco. In her opening statement, Spradling suggested a possible motive for murder. JACQIE SPRADLING (in court) Two days before the homicides, the defendant called Mike. Mike at this time told the defendant, in that five-minute phone call, that he and Karen were going to be married. But there is no recording of that call. MARK BENNETT (in court) It's easy to make allegations. It's difficult to prove those allegations. And in his opening, defense attorney Mark Bennett argued the case against Chandler was all speculation. MARK BENNETT (in court): There is no evidence that places Dana Chandler in or near the Harkness residence on July 6th or 7th, 2002. But to authorities, there was the question about exactly where Chandler was during that time. Volle says she told him she was home Saturday, the night of the murders and then drove through the mountains the next day. But Chandler's business acquaintance Jeff Bailey, testified Chandler told him something different — that she slept in her car in the mountains the Saturday night of the murders. JEFF BAILEY (in court): She told me that the story she was giving me was the truth. And the story that she'd given to the law enforcements was not the truth. And prosecutors told the jury Chandler did not use her cellphone for 27 hours the weekend of the murders. Remember, Hailey Seel accused her mother of trying to avoid being tracked. Volle found another instance when Chandler didn't use her phone a month before the murders. DET. RICHARD VOLLE (in court): There were no calls registered. There were some calls came to the phone, but none were picked up. And prosecutors say that's important, because during that time — a month before the murders — was Chandler's dry run for the killings. They called her friend Ann Carrender to the stand. Carrender says Dana told her she had driven to Topeka. ANN CARRENDER (in court): She had— gone to Mike's house— through the window. Um, nobody was home. … JACQIE SPRADLING: What else did she tell you? ANN CARRENDER: That she had gone — and sat outside Karen's house. Spradling says Chandler was obsessed with Mike Sisco and presented evidence that in the six months leading up to the murders, she called Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness more than 600 times. The defense argued Chandler was calling to talk to her kids, but Hailey Seel remembered her mother's calls differently. JACQIE SPRADLING (in court): What was the thing that she talked to you the most about? HAILEY SEEL: She talked about my dad a lot. And – I — I re — I really feel like she was — was really just obsessed — with him. An FBI analyst testified Chandler often called late at night, and frequently made repeated calls in a short time period, including a month before the murders. ALICE CASEY (in court): On June 3rd, she made 17 calls in 18 minutes. Both of Chandler's children testified for the prosecution, saying that their mother also had a history of stalking their father. DUSTIN SISCO (in court): She took me and my sister with her to go spy on my dad. … And so we were in the car and she told us, you know, we're just going to be her little helpers. HAILEY SEEL (in court): She asked if I would go — go up to the house with her. And we did. And she was looking in all the windows. And she told me to look in the windows. And – JACQIE SPRADLING: Did you? HAILEY SISCO: I did. … JACQIE SPRADLING: What was it that she was looking at in there? HAILEY SEEL: I think that she — was — was thinking there was — a lady in there with my dad. Hailey also testified about those recordings she made talking with her mother. During one of them, Chandler, who attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, gave an explanation as to why she bought those gas cans. DANA CHANDLER (audio recording): I ran into a girl that had run out of gas at an AA meeting and so I went and got gas for her. She asked me for money and we don't give people money at AA … Prosecutor Spradling told the jury that she believed Chandler used those two five-gallon gas cans to have enough gas so she would not have to stop and potentially be seen near the crime scene. But Chandler's attorney argued there was no proof she was ever in Topeka during the time of the murders. MARK BENNETT (in court): Did you or … any other members of the Topeka Police Department … ever find an eyewitness that put — the defendant, Dana Chandler, in Topeka, Kansas on either July 6 or July 7, 2002? DET. RICHARD VOLLE: No. The closest law enforcement was able to come was at a gas station in WaKeeney, Kansas, nearly halfway between Denver and Topeka. Clerk Patty Williams wasn't sure, but she thought she might have seen Chandler the night of the murders. Jacqie Spradling: Patty was shown a picture of the defendant … Patty indicated that she was 70 percent sure that that was the woman who had been there. But by the time Chandler went on trial, Patty Williams had died. A different worker from the gas station testified about seeing a black car that looked similar to the one Chandler drove that day. But she said it might have had license plates from Virginia. When it was the defense's turn, Bennett pointed out there was no proof Chandler was ever there. MARK BENNETT (in court): Wasn't any receipt from WaKeeney, was there? DET. RICHARD VOLLE: No. And Bennett questioned whether Volle investigated other suspects, like two men with criminal records who had stolen checks from Mike Sisco and cashed one after the murders. MARK BENNETT (in court): That didn't make 'em a suspect? DET. RICHARD VOLLE: No, because the check wasn't taken from Karen Harkness' house where the murders occurred. The check was actually taken from Mike Sisco's house where the murders did not occur. And one of the men was in jail when the murders occurred. In closing arguments, Bennett reiterated there was no forensic evidence linking Chandler to the crime. MARK BENNETT (in court): All this time, they've been trying to put her in Kansas when this happened. And for nine-and-a-half years, they've come up dry. Spradling reminded the jury of Chandler's stalking behavior— and tried to make sure they knew just how scared Mike Sisco was of Chandler. She said Mike Sisco had gotten a protection from abuse order against Chandler. JACQIE SPRADLING (in court): So, he got a court order saying she has to stay away. The protection from abuse order did not stop the defendant, though. After two weeks of testimony, it took the jury 83 minutes to reach a verdict: guilty of first-degree murder. Hailey Seel: I feel better in the sense that my dad's killer is paying for their actions … I don't feel better that my mom is capable of killing my dad. When it was time for sentencing, Hailey Seel asked that her mom receive the maximum sentence. HAILEY SEEL (in court:) We each have a deep scar on our souls from what this monster has done. But Chandler would also get a chance to speak. DANA CHANDLER (in court): But most importantly, I deny that I murdered Mike or Karen. I am innocent. I did not murder Mike or Karen. Chandler was sentenced to life in prison. But soon that verdict would be called into question. DANA CHANDLER'S CONVICTION REVERSED Hailey Seel: A lot of my mind has been focused on her getting away with killing my Dad, and … just drags me down. For years, Hailey Seel's thoughts were consumed with proving her mother killed her father, Mike Sisco, and Karen Harkness. With Dana Chandler in prison, Hailey was relieved she could concentrate on other things. But her relief was tinged with pain. Hailey Seel: I wanna focus on my future and what I want to do with my life. … I wanna be everything my mom wasn't. (cries) But Hailey's focus would turn again to the case. Chandler almost immediately began filing motions as she worked to appeal her conviction. She and her attorneys cited, among other things, the actions of prosecutor Jacqie Spradling. In particular, statements Spradling made at trial about that protection from abuse order. JACQIE SPRADLING (in court): Mike got a protection from abuse, a court order. He applied and said, 'Hey, judge, please order this woman to stay away from me.' And the judge agreed. Stacey Schlimmer: And that is just a blatant misstatement. Stacey Schlimmer, one of Chandler's appeal attorneys, was never able to find a protection from abuse order. Stacey Schlimmer: I went through the whole case. I went and looked for every possible order I could find. And there wasn't one that she was referring to. In 2018, Schlimmer argued that Spradling's actions constituted prosecutorial misconduct. STACEY SCHLIMMER (arguing before Kansas Supreme Court): I — I think that Ms. Chandler never had an opportunity at a fair trial from the get-go. Schlimmer contended the case against Chandler should be thrown out. The court agreed. Stacey Schlimmer: The Kansas Supreme Court held that … it's so bad that we're going to go ahead and overturn her conviction. Other issues about statements Spradling made at trial also came up, including describing a route Chandler took between Kansas and Denver when there was no evidence that she drove that way. JACQIE SPRADLING (in court): She drove directly up to Nebraska. And after she gets on Nebraska she turns around and goes home. Stacey Schlimmer: They just kinda hypothesized, 'Well, she must have went up and went over from Nebraska.' There was no evidence of that at all. Schlimmer also contended the state did not have enough evidence to prove Dana Chandler's guilt. Stacey Schlimmer: We argued insufficiency of evidence as an issue for appeal … Jim Axelrod: Meaning you don't think prosecutors had enough to make a legitimate case? Stacey Schlimmer: Jurors didn't have enough evidence before them if you took out all the evidence that should've never been presented or told to them incorrectly. The Kansas Supreme Court described Spradling's actions as, 'intolerable acts of deception.' And she was disbarred. '48 Hours' reached out to Spradling, but did not receive a response. Stacey Schlimmer: When a case gets reversed, like a case like this, we essentially have an innocent woman who's been convicted of crime because of the prosecutor. Or we have a family that has now a reversed conviction that has to go through the system again. Jim Axelrod: Either way, there's an injustice. Stacey Schlimmer: Right. So … that conduct is gonna affect someone. The Kansas Supreme Court did decide, though, there was sufficient evidence to retry Chandler if the district attorney chose to. Hailey Seel: When I found out that the Kansas Supreme Court overturned the verdict … it was very shocking. … What does this mean? Will the DA's office retry her? … Jim Axelrod: Were you angry with the prosecutor who was cited for misconduct? Hailey Seel: I've never been angry with her. … I think it was an innocent mistake. Chad Harkness, Karen Harkness' son, takes a different view of Spradling's actions. Chad Harkness: Had Jacqie not made those comments, we wouldn't be sitting here today. This — this would be over. … Now … all these years later, we're still having to, you know, live through this again. And it — it's just — it's not right. It's not fair. The decision whether to retry Chandler was now in the hands of Shawnee County's new DA, Mike Kagay. Mike Kagay: We analyzed every aspect of the case. And ultimately, we came to the conclusion that we believed justice demanded that we move forward, and we pursue another trial. Pursuing that would take years. Chandler remained incarcerated. She, and her defense lawyers, argued she should be set free, and fought against having another trial. : Unbelievable. For Hailey, the delays seemed endless. Chandler and her lawyers filed nearly 400 motions, including ones requesting a change of judge, to retain an investigator, for her bond to be reduced, and to disqualify the Shawnee County District Attorney's Office. And through it all, she fired several of her lawyers. Hailey Seel: She went through seven lawyers in that time, uh, between representing herself. There were also dozens of hearings, including one where Hailey was called to testify – and Chandler did the questioning. Hailey Seel: She took me on the stand for at least 45 minutes … and she directly questioned me. Jim Axelrod: What was that like? Hailey Seel: It was the most awful thing I've ever … I mean, the — the suspect in the killing of my dad is now having the power to question me on the stand and talk to me. … Jim Axelrod: Not just the suspect in the killing of your dad, your own mother. Hailey Seel: Yeah, yeah. I mean, It – it — it was awful. But Hailey was willing to take whatever steps necessary to ensure her mother would stand trial again for the murders. Hailey Seel: If she could bring out something to prove where she was, to say she didn't do it, prove she didn't do it — that's not just for me, that's for her and her own freedom. But she can't, and she hasn't. WOULD DANA CHANDLER BE RETRIED? Mike Kagay: Two innocent people were murdered in our community. That demands justice. Although Dana Chandler's conviction had been overturned, prosecutors were determined to retry her for the murders of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness. By 2021, the organization, Miracle of Innocence, got involved, advocating for Chandler. Darryl Burton: Dana Chandler was someone who, we believed in her innocence. … When we looked at the case, the facts was just … nothing connected this lady to the crime. Darryl Burton is the co-founder of Miracle of Innocence. He's someone who was wrongfully imprisoned and had his murder conviction reversed. He says, before sending someone to prison, the case needs to be more convincing than the one made against Chandler. Darryl Burton: There's no evidence … no fingerprints, no DNA, no confession, no weapon, no witnesses, nothing. … When it comes to, you know, these kinds of crimes of murder, you just got to have more than that. Chandler and her attorneys also raised other issues as they tried to get the case dismissed. Some allegations related to the 2009 '48 Hours' broadcast. Chandler falsely accused law enforcement of forming 'a partnership with '48 Hours' to film an episode aimed at convincing the public that Ms. Chandler murdered Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness.' Jim Axelrod: What do you make of the idea that, if '48 Hours' had not reported, starting in 2009, on this case, that Dana Chandler would never have been arrested or tried? Stacey Schlimmer: I don't think it was '48 Hours' (laughs). 2009 is a lot different than when they arrested her. They arrested her three or four years — three years later. I think the family was what kept it going. They believe that Ms. Chandler did this. … It was the new prosecutor, and it was the family probably saying, 'Hey, we need justice done in this.' But Stacey Schlimmer, Chandler's former appeal attorney, does take issue with the handling of the 2011 arrest and the show of force. Jim Axelrod: You've seen Dana Chandler's arrest many times. Stacey Schlimmer: Right. Jim Axelrod: And it bothers you. Stacey Schlimmer: It bothers me a lot. '48 Hours,' as well as The Topeka Capital-Journal, were given advance notice of the arrest by the office of then-DA Chad Taylor. Jim Axelrod: Are you bothered by law enforcement … or are you bothered by the fact that there were cameras there? Stacey Schlimmer: I'm bothered by the prosecutor. I'm bothered by the district attorney showing up at an arrest and having that arrest filmed. … Jim Axelrod: So they wanted video of law enforcement with their guns out? Stacey Schlimmer: I think they wanted then the public to see that. … That to me was it seemed like such a production for a case. … that prosecutor should never have done that. Ultimately, the various arguments Dana Chandler's team made to dismiss the case were unsuccessful. Chandler's new trial was scheduled for the summer of 2022. Before the trial began, '48 Hours' again tried to speak with Chandler. She said she would only agree to an interview if CBS paid her million-dollar bond. We declined. Chad Harkness: Never thought we'd be sitting here again and getting ready to start a — a retrial on this … it's just mind blowing. Chad Harkness, Karen Harkness' son, was relieved the DA's office decided to retry Chandler, but was concerned about going through this yet another time. Chad Harkness: Just — us kids having to relive this again and … It just it makes me sick. Hailey, too, was not looking forward to another trial. But said testifying again could give her some control of the situation. Hailey Seel: If I can … realize my power. … And it gives me courage to go forward because I know the truth … The truth is that … she murdered them. The passage of time has left Hailey with so much loss — loss she holds her mother responsible for. And, as a mom herself, having married her high school boyfriend Chris Seel, Hailey's feelings are even more complicated. Jim Axelrod: When you think of your mom, do you think mother, or do you think Dana? Hailey Seel: I think Dana, yeah. She's Dana to me. Actually, mom is — is a — an ucky word to me, to the point where I don't even like my kids to call me mom. I don't like mom. Mom is a — a very hurtful person (cries). No matter the name, Dana Chandler is someone her daughter will have to face again in court — and someone who will eventually tell her side of the story. DANA CHANDLER (in court): Let's start by stating my name. My name is Dana Chandler. I as everyone know, have been accused of double homicide and I am innocent. DANA CHANDLER RETRIED FOR DOUBLE MURDER In the summer of 2022, Dana Chandler was on trial for the second time for the murders of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness. As in her first trial, the defense focused on all that was lacking in the case against Chandler. TOM BATH (in court): There is no evidence that she was in the Harkness residence, no evidence she was in Topeka. There's no evidence she was in the state of Kansas. Defense attorney Tom Bath insisted Chandler was in Colorado at the time of the murders, more than 500 miles away, and faulted investigators for zeroing in on her. TOM BATH (in court): Everything they looked at, everything they examined … excluded Dana. The lack of physical evidence was acknowledged by Shawnee County Deputy District Attorney Charles Kitt. CHARLES KITT (in court): Science is not going to solve this case. This case is not based on DNA. Instead, the state focused on evidence such as Chandler's hatred of her ex-husband and his girlfriend. CHARLES KITT (in court): This case is based on jealousy, rage and obsession. Prosecutors presented evidence they say showed that obsession—including records of more than 600 phone calls Chandler made to Harkness and Sisco in the six months before the murders. And they introduced witnesses who said Harkness and Sisco told them some of those calls were menacing. Kim Warrender was Harkness' coworker. KIM WARRENDER (in court): She said she had been up all-night receiving phone calls from Dana. … CHARLES KITT: She told you she was afraid? KIM WARRENDER: Very afraid. Erin Sutton also testified that her mother, Karen Harkness, was scared of Chandler. She spoke about messages she said she heard that Chandler left on her mother's phone. ERIN SUTTON (in court): She would call my mom horrible names. CHARLES KITT: And, like, what kind of names would she call her? ERIN SUTTON: She would call her a whore. In addition to testimony about calls Chandler made, there was also attention paid to when there was no call activity on her phone– specifically during 27 hours the weekend of the murders. Authorities believed Chandler's phone was turned off so it could not be traced as she traveled to Kansas. But the defense suggested it could have just been spotty cellphone service in Colorado. Prosecutors told the jury about a purchase Chandler made the day before the murders but failed to mention to investigators. Kitt asked Richard Volle, the lead detective on the case, about the purchase. CHARLES KITT (in court): Can you tell us what that is? DET. RICHARD VOLLE (holding the receipt): This is an Auto Zone receipt … It shows the purch — first two purchases were five dollar or five-gallon gas cans. Authorities wondered why Chandler didn't tell them about the gas cans, and why she would need gas cans unless she was planning a trip — perhaps to Kansas — and did not want to stop for gas along the way. And there was the issue of Chandler's alibi — according to Detective Volle, a changing, unconfirmable one. One witness testified that Chandler said she was in the mountains in Colorado at the time of the murders, but Volle testified Chandler told him she was at home in her Denver apartment. DET. RICHARD VOLLE (in court): She said she'd stayed at her house, had no guests or phone calls and then she turned in about 9'o clock. A friend of Chandler's testified about something authorities thought might have been a dry run for the murders. She said about a month before the killings, Chandler called and told her about a trip she made to Sisco's and Harkness's homes . ANN HAMMER (in court): She told me that she knew nobody was in the house and that she went into Mike's home through the window. After that, she did go to, um, his girlfriend's house and sat outside her house, waiting for them to come home. But they didn't show up … CHARLES KITT: Did she tell you what she did when she — got into Mike's house? ANN HAMMER: She wanted to see what it looked like on the inside. But Chandler's attorney questioned the reliability of her testimony, pointing out she may have gotten some dates wrong regarding calls with Chandler. ANN HAMMER (in court): It must not have been a Monday. TOM BATH: But 20 years ago, you said it was a Monday. Right? ANN HAMMER: Sure. Testimony about Chandler's behavior also came from Cathy Boots, Mike Sisco's sister. She described an incident several years before the murders, that she said she witnessed while staying at Mike's house. CATHY BOOTS (in court): We went to bed that night and I woke up in the early morning hours … to a noise out in the backyard. And we had left the back porch lights on. And I looked out through the blinds and Dana was jumping on the trampoline out back. And Mike Sisco's brother-in-law, Mark Boots, recounted a disturbing conversation he said he had with Mike nine days before the murders. MARK BOOTS (in court): Mike told me that the patterns of harassment had increased and that he feared for he and Karen's lives. Mike Sisco and Dana Chandler's daughter, Hailey Seel, was going to be in the uncomfortable position of testifying against her mother. A DAUGHTER'S SECRET RECORDINGS PLAYED IN COURT Hailey Seel: I was absolutely still nervous — and scared. … Being up there, it causes conflict. As Hailey Seel reflected back on testifying against her mother, Dana Chandler, she recalled the stress she was under. As a prosecution witness, Seel was asked to describe some of her mother's behavior—behavior Seel said she found obsessive. CHARLES KITT (in court): Was there a time where you were asked to spy on your dad? HAILEY SEEL: Yeah. Seel recounted an incident, after her parents split up, when she said, Chandler drove her and her brother to Sisco's home, and they all sat in the car to watch the house. HAILEY SEEL (in court): She said, 'Come on. We need to watch your dad. And you can be my little helpers.' … She had me go with her to the house after so long. And — um, and she wanted to look in the windows. CHARLES KITT: Did she look in the windows? HAILEY SEEL: Yeah. We both looked in the windows. And she said, 'Did you see that? Did you see that?' And I said, 'No. I didn't see anything.' It was episodes like that which led Seel, early on, to think her mother could be responsible for the murders. Hailey Seel: I always suspected she had something to do with it because of the history of her harassment, stalking, hatred, talking bad about them to us all the time. Seel testified about some of the ways her mother expressed that dislike of her father — like the demeaning ways Chandler referred to him in emails and online chats — including ones where Chandler referred to Sisco as 'it' — sent when Seel was 14 years old. CHARLES KITT (in court, pointing at email): And does she call him manipulative and deceiving? HAILEY SEEL: Yes. CHARLES KITT: And then calls him a rapist. HAILEY SEEL: Yeah. … CHARLES KITT And just a couple of lines down, 'I hate his guts.' HAILEY SEEL: Yeah. CHARLES KITT: Are those things your mother typed to you? HAILEY SEEL: Yes. HAILEY SEEL (recording to Dana Chandler): Nobody can say that they — that you were in Colorado that weekend? Also played in court, were those conservations Hailey secretly recorded with her mom as she tried to learn more about Chandler's possible involvement in the murders. Jim Axelrod: In all the conversations you had with her over the days, weeks, months, even years after this happened, she never told you something … that made you think, well, at least my mom didn't do it? Hailey Seel: No. Every time I talked to her, I felt more and more confident that she definitely had something to do with it. And perhaps most telling to Hailey was a conversation, played in court, where Chandler said she had thought about killing Mike Sisco. DANA CHANDLER (recording): …. you ever think about killing him? HAILEY SEEL: No, but — DANA CHANDLER: I did. In one of those discussions, Hailey asked her mother about why she bought those two gas cans — which authorities thought could have been used to help drive roundtrip from Denver to Topeka without stopping in Kansas for fuel. Chandler, who'd been a problem drinker, explained she bought them for someone else—a woman she met at AA. DANA CHANDLER (recording, played in court): … She asked me for money and we don't give people money at AA. I said, 'I'll go buy you some gas …' The prosecutor asked Hailey if she was able to learn anything more about that woman from Chandler. CHARLES KITT (in court): She wouldn't tell you who that person was? HAILEY SEEL: No. She didn't. But Chandler's defense team argued those recorded conversations proved nothing about the murders. And regarding the two gas cans, it maintained that the 10 extra gallons the cans could hold would not have been enough for Chandler to drive roundtrip from Denver to Topeka without still needing to stop for fuel. The defense accused authorities of tunnel vision — including not looking more thoroughly at other suspects. And her lawyers said Chandler never owned a .9mm gun — the type of weapon used in the murders, which was never found. What was found, were unusual bullets made in Israel. AMY COODY (in court): Israel Military Industries, that's the manufacturer. Chandler's attorney questioned a firearms examiner who had worked for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation about those bullets. TOM BATH (in court): Is that a bullet, ammunition you typically see? AMY COODY: Actually, we had not seen that before. And so it was a little bit unusual to us. The prosecution, though, explained there were places one could buy those bullets. CHARLES KITT (in court): Could that ammo have been brought into Kansas and sold at a gun show? AMY COODY: Yes, sir. CHARLES KITT: Could have been exchanged by individuals? AMY COODY: Yes, sir. There were other parts of the investigation that the defense argued supported its case. There was forensic work it said eliminated Chandler. Unidentified fingerprints found at the house did not match Chandler. None of Chandler's DNA was found at the murder scene, nor were any fibers found from her clothing, or any of her hair. KAREN THIESSEN (in court): I did not find any … hairs that were consistent with the sample coming from Ms. Chandler. TOM BATH (in court): In 20 years, the state had no evidence, no evidence whatsoever that placed Dana Chandler in Karen Harkness' home, in the city of Topeka, or in the state of Kansas. After three weeks of testimony, that lack of physical evidence would be the defense's theme in its closing argument. TOM BATH (in court): Each and every time they tested something, it excluded Dana. CHARLES KITT (in court): From the beginning, I told you this case is about obsession, jealousy, rage. The state focused on Chandler's behavior — her calls, emails, and her own family's testimony against her. CHARLES KITT (in court): The defendant clearly hated Karen and Mike, words from her own mouth and her own fingers typing those messages. TOM BATH (in court): A lot of evidence about Dana's bad behavior. That's true. … That's not evidence. … They have not proven this case beyond a reasonable doubt. On Aug. 25, 2022, the case went to the jury, and Hailey was waiting for a verdict. Hailey Seel: I've really tried to trust the process … cause I knew I didn't have any control over it. So it was gonna be what it was gonna be. But the wait to find out what that verdict would be was a long one. JURORS DEADLOCK IN DANA CHANDLER'S SECOND MURDER TRIAL The case in the second trial of Dana Chandler for the murders of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness went to the jury on Aug. 25, 2022. That day came and went, as did several more. Hailey Seel: After about four days … I started to get nervous and think, wow, this actually could not come back in a guilty verdict and I started to think of that possibility. … And so … I prayed and I just trusted that, if she did get away with this that … life would have to go on, right? After six days of deliberating, Chandler would learn her fate. JUDGE CHERYL RIOS (in court): I understand that the jury is unable to reach a unanimous verdict at this time, is that correct? FOREPERSON: That's correct. The jury informed the judge they were deadlocked. There were seven votes to convict and five to acquit. Ben Alford: We did what we could with what we had. Ben Alford and Carrie Kimes were two members of the jury who voted to find Chandler not guilty. Carrie Kimes: I never saw actual evidence that — Dana Chandler was ever in the Harkness home. … I can't send somebody to spend the rest of their life in prison if you can't even prove she left Colorado that weekend. Ben Alford: Everything that was tested for DNA proved inconclusive. … And that's pretty remarkable. But for juror Randy Edwards, the state's depiction of Chandler's behavior was persuasive evidence. Randy Edwards: She was beyond upset. She was obsessed. He also found those conversations Seel recorded with her mother to be convincing and voted to convict. Randy Edwards: When I was able to comprehend that Dana said that she had thought of killing Mike, that was probably the — the piece that pushed me beyond any question of reasonable doubt anymore. Mike Kagay: There was a split verdict, but the majority of the jury was in favor of a conviction and that was meaningful. DA Mike Kagay decided to retry Dana Chandler. Her lawyers convinced the court to reduce her bond, which allowed her to be released with supervision as she awaited the next trial. JUDGE CHERYL RIOS (in court): The court is going to direct that … she have GPS monitoring. After spending more than a decade incarcerated, Chandler celebrated her freedom with Darryl Burton and Miracle of Innocence. Darryl Burton: Anybody who's getting outta prison after you've been in prison for any length of time, it is, it's a joyous occasion. … You're happy that someone's been released and, you know, also feel like, well, maybe it's a good chance that, you know, we can, you know, mount a defense, and get her totally acquitted. As a condition of her release, Chandler was not allowed to contact her children. Still, Hailey worried about her safety. She is married to Chris Seel, her high school boyfriend, and is a mother of three. Hailey Seel: I'm scared to death that she's going to hurt me, or she's going to affect my kids in some way. Hailey's fear only grew when Chandler made a post to her Facebook page. Chandler complained about her treatment at trial, calling it a kangaroo court. And in the background, she showed images of Hailey's children. Hailey says Chandler somehow learned which church she attended and downloaded a livestream of a service to create the photos. Hailey Seel: It was chilling and it was disturbing. … I feel like it was a direct message to me. Jim Axelrod: And what was the message? Hailey Seel: Intimidation. … I don't care about your boundaries. Her belief that her mother committed the murders remains unwavering, and she says, disturbing. Hailey Seel: She's my mom but … if you're my mom, why would you do that to my dad? … For your kids' sake, maybe that would be a reason not to do it. … Being a mother now, I have a new perspective. … It becomes even more unreal now. Also unreal to Hailey — thoughts of a third trial. Jim Axelrod: What are your expectations for yet again another trial Hailey Seel: This time, I am not as confident. For trial number three, jurors would be from Pottawatomie County, Kansas. The defense requested a change of venue, and the judge agreed, citing excessive media coverage. It would take place in Westmoreland, a smaller, more rural area, 60 miles away from the last setting in Topeka. CHARLES KITT (in court): July 7th, 2002 was going to be a good day. Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness had been in a relationship for a few years. The trial got underway with opening statements on Feb. 7, 2025. CHARLES KITT (in court): One name just kept coming up, Dana Chandler. Charles Kitt was back retrying the case, joined by prosecutor Dan Dunbar. Judge Cheryl Rios again presided. And in a last-minute change, on the morning of opening statements, Chandler dismissed her defense attorneys. And Chandler decided the best person to represent her was herself. DANA CHANDLER (In court): I am innocent. I did not kill Mike and Karen. DANA CHANDLER REPRESENTS HERSELF AT THIRD MURDER TRIAL DANA CHANDLER (in court): I think this case is a character assassination. In February 2025, Dana Chandler was on trial for the third time for the murders of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness. But this time, she was representing herself. Mike Kagay: She was exercising her constitutional right. … It was an unknown. It was certainly unexpected. One thing that was the same as in the previous trials: Hailey Seel testifying. Hailey was asked again by the prosecution about her mother's inappropriate behavior. DAN DUNBAR (in court): What sort of things would she say about Karen? HAILEY SEEL: She called her a homewrecker. Um, a slut, very bad names. Prosecutors were also interested in an incident when Chandler drove Hailey and her brother to drop them off at Harkness' house. HAILEY SEEL (in court): We waited there for a really long time in the car… And then my dad and Karen got there, and my mom got out and yelled at them and just was very angry with my dad. … DAN DUNBAR: Hailey, I don't have any further questions, thank you. When it was time to be cross-examined, Hailey knew it would now be her mother doing the questioning. Nt sd Dana ' Hello Ms. Seel.' Hailey Seel: I really went up there — with like my game face on, you know. I — I knew it was war. I knew it wasn't going to be a — a nice, a cordial, a thoughtful — you're the victim, this was your dad and I'm so sorry place that she'd be coming from. Chandler challenged Hailey about her description of that drop-off at Harkness' home. Chandler said it was Hailey's father, Mike Sisco, who was behaving badly, not her. DANA CHANDLER (in court): When your dad and Karen drove up, your dad stormed over to the car. HAILEY SEEL: Oh, no. No, he did not. DANA CHANDLER: And he started banging on the window. HAILEY SEEL: Wha? No. No, he did not. I was inside that car and my dad absolutely did not bang on the windows. DANA CHANDLER: And I didn't get out — I never got out of the car. HAILEY SEEL: You were the first one out of the car. Hailey Seel: I was just in disbelief because I knew she just made that up because it never happened, and he never did that. … But … I didn't get concerned. I just said 'no, you know. I'm glad you asked so I can straighten this out. That never happened.' And then it comes down to who's believable. And I wasn't worried about that. As another way to seemingly explain some of her past behaviors, Chandler brought up that she used to have a drinking problem. DANA CHANDLER (in court): And I did tell you that I was — I realized that I had a problem with alcohol. HAILEY SEEL: You did tell me you had a problem with alcohol. Something Chandler said she stopped by 1999, three years before the murders. DANA CHANDLER (in court): I told you I was going to three AA meetings a day, trying to get well. True? HAILEY SEEL: I knew you were trying to get well, yes. The state questioned though, if becoming sober changed Chandler's behavior. DAN DUNBAR (in court): When she came back clean and sober, did that change how she treated you? HAILEY SEEL: No. DAN DUNBAR: Did it — did it change how she talked about your dad? HAILEY SEEL: No. DAN DUNBAR: Did it change how she talked about Karen? HAILEY SEEL: No. Chandler not only thought she was the best person to represent herself, but when it was time to put on her defense, she decided she would be her own main witness. DANA CHANDLER (in court): I feel like that I need to kind of tell my story to kind of put things in perspective. She testified over seven days, speaking for about 20 hours. DANA CHANDLER (in court): You have not seen evidence that I was in Topeka, Kansas, on July 7th, 2002. Darryl Burton: There was times when she would take so long to try to get her point across. Dana Chandler's supporter, Darryl Burton, was concerned when she put herself on the stand. Darry Burton: Sometimes it seemed as though she was just rambling, you know, and that was just unfortunate. … She may have known — probably knew where she was trying to go, but she'd get lost. She again addressed issues such as her drinking and inappropriate conversations with Hailey. DANA CHANDLER (in court): I was writing emails, drinking to blackout. I'd get up the next morning and not even aware of those emails. I had a serious problem. … And horrible things I said about Karen spreading her legs. I mean, seriously, Hailey was 14 years old. (cries) I'm just so ashamed and embarrassed about that and I hated that Hailey — that I put Hailey through that. And Chandler, in her own testimony, addressed again that incident when she waited outside Karen Harkness' house to drop off Hailey and Dustin with the couple. She said it was done out of necessity. DANA CHANDLER (in court): I yelled through the window, I could not afford to feed Hailey and Dustin. And that I needed to leave them with him. Chandler contrasted those times to when she stopped drinking, showing videos of her spending time outdoors with Hailey and Dustin. DANA CHANDLER (in court): This video was taken about 9 months into my recovery. Chandler also disputed making frequent harassing calls to Harkness and Sisco, saying when she called, there was a reason. DANA CHANDLER: I was … calling to speak with my children, Hailey, and Dustin. As to her having disagreements with Karen Harkness, she testified there were none. DANA CHANDLER: I never, ever, had any confrontations with Karen Harkness, at all. Chandler also pointed out what she said was sloppiness in the police investigation. When Chandler questioned lead detective Richard Volle, she asked about whether police were too focused on her and should have been looking more thoroughly at other possible suspects. DANA CHANDLER (In court, questioning Volle): Did you or did you not receive any leads for other suspects besides me? DET. RICHARD VOLLE: Uh, early on in the investigation, there were several other people that were looked at as possible leads. … So it's a matter of checking people off, to dismissing people that couldn't have done it. … Uh, when we can't dismiss them, we keep focusing on them, like we did with you. Chandler, though, said there was an area she felt law enforcement thoroughly investigated — whether she bought a .9 mm gun, like the one used in the murders and they came up empty handed. DANA CHANDLER (in court): I've never owned, purchased, or possessed a .9mm firearm. And throughout her defense, Chandler was adamant that at the time of the murders, she was in Colorado, and no one could place her in Harkness' house, or even in Kansas. It seemed like a simple question Chandler was asking Detective Volle. DANA CHANDLER (in court, questioning Volle): Did you ever develop any information that I was in Topeka, Kansas, on July 6th or 7th of 2002? In answering that question, Volle said there was a woman named Patty Williams who may have spotted Chandler in the state of Kansas around the time of the murders. DANA CHANDLER (in court, questioning Volle): What do you know about Patty? DET. RICHARD VOLLE: She was a clerk at a convenience store in WaKeeney, Kansas. The gas station/convenience store in WaKeeney, where Williams worked, was nearly halfway between Denver and Topeka. It had been visited by an investigator, searching for locations where someone may have spotted Chandler around the time of the murders. There, the investigator showed Williams the photo of Chandler seen below. DET. RICHARD VOLLE (in court): She was seven out of 10 that it was you. According to Volle, the clerk was 70 percent sure she had seen Dana Chandler and described some distinguishing features. DET. RICHARD VOLLE (in court): She had, or said that she had gray near the hairline … Chandler though, told the jury, she did not have gray hair back then. By the time of the trials, Williams had died and could not be questioned again. Chandler also expressed concern that the investigator only showed a single photo of her initially, instead of an array of photos, including different people—something Volle did do when he went to the gas station about two weeks later. DET. RICHARD VOLLE (in court): We later — later went out with a — what we call a six-pack photo, it's uh six photographs of people that looked very similar and amongst those photos was Ms. Chandler. Volle said Williams immediately picked out Chandler, and again was 70 percent sure she saw her there. But Volle acknowledged using an array initially would have been better. There was still, for law enforcement, the issue regarding Dana Chandler's alibi. Remember, Volle said Chandler told him she was home in her Denver apartment the night of the murders. But she told others, including an acquaintance, Jeff Bailey, she slept in her car in the Colorado mountains that night. DANA CHANDLER (in court): I was confused … Chandler told the jury she had been confused when she spoke with Volle, but Prosecutor Kitt was not accepting that explanation. CHARLES KITT (in court): So what you told Detective Volle is not consistent with what you told Jeff Bailey, is it? DANA CHANDLER: Uh, as far as my trip to – CHARLES KITT: Ms. Chandler, it's not consistent – DANA CHANDLER: Oh, that part. OK. Yeah. I would agree with that. Um, I would — that's true … Once again, those secret recordings Hailey made with her mother were played in court: DANA CHANDLER: … you ever think about killin' him? HAILEY SEEL: No, but — DANA CHANDLER: I did. This time, Kitt questioned Chandler herself about its authenticity. CHARLES KITT (in court): Was that your voice saying, 'Did you ever think about killing him?' 'I did'? DANA CHANDLER: It sounds like it yes. When it was time for the final witness, Chandler decided it should be Dana Chandler. She knew the jury heard witnesses testify about her parenting and past behavior. Chandler explained if she was a less than an attentive mother, it was because of her drinking and a lack of money, not a lack of love. DANA CHANDLER (in court): I absolutely did want to have a relationship with my children. You know I think the financial, substance abuse combination, um it just wasn't feasible. So, that's all I have, thank you. Oh, cross. CHARLES KITT (in court): Ms. Chandler, during this time that you couldn't afford to feed your children, you were buying booze, correct? DANA CHANDLER: I was. CHARLES KITT: Buying enough alcohol to get blackout drunk? DANA CHANDLER: I was. CHARLES KITT: OK, thank you. I have no further questions. And with that, after 18 days of testimony, Kitt and Chandler presented their closing arguments. CHARLES KITT (in court): Why are Mike and Karen dead? And the evidence shows one simple answer, control. Hailey Seel: I think Kitt nailed it when he said it was about control. The state described Chandler losing control of Mike Sisco, as he planned his future with Karen Harkness, and the rage that followed. CHARLES KITT (in court): And that's what led to the defendant traveling to Topeka, Kansas, on July 6th and murdering them on July 7th. Kitt spoke about Chandler's depiction of events not lining up with the testimony of others. CHARLES KITT (in court): It's the defendant versus everyone. … You can believe the defendant's testimony, or you can believe everybody else that you heard from in this case. In Chandler's closing, she used a scale to make her point that prosecutors, whom she called her accusers, did not have enough evidence to tip it in their favor. DANA CHANDLER (in court): The, uh, accusers must, uh, tip the scale. Here. I'm innocent. (pointing to scale) DANA CHANDLER (in court): I had my infirmities, and I have my shortcomings, but I do stand here before you all today and proclaim that I am an innocent woman. She acknowledged the life she led was not perfect but said that doesn't make her a murderer. DANA CHANDLER (in court): The state has woefully failed to meet its burden, to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that I killed Mike Sisco or Karen Harkness. THE VERDICT About four hours later, the jury delivered its verdict: guilty of the murders of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness. After hearing the verdict, Chandler turned away. And while it was the verdict Seel hoped for, the end result is nothing she ever wanted. Hailey Seel: It is so much worse that my mom is the one behind these murders because we lost my dad and Karen, but then through all this, now we've lost our mom. … I really wish it was someone else. Darryl Burton: I don't believe that they have proved this case beyond a reasonable doubt. Chandler's supporter, Darryl Burton, remains undeterred. He still believes she is innocent. Darryl Burton: The evidence just doesn't, you know, prove that she's guilty of anything Chandler is filing motions for an appeal. '48 Hours' reached out to Chandler again for this episode, but did not receive a response. Mike Kagay: I am very confident in this verdict. District Attorney Mike Kagay is certain the jury convicted the right person. Mike Kagay: I have every confidence in my prosecutors and how they handled this case. Hailey Seel: The focus of this case has gone almost completely to Dana Chandler and that the victims … has really been lost … which is really sad. More than 20 years have passed since Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness were murdered —-and Hailey wants to make sure the lives lost are not forgotten. Hailey Seel: I was trying to tell my daughter about who my dad is. (cries) … and I said … he was a really fun, supportive, encouraging guy who believed in me and my brother. …And Karen … was so kind, so accepting. … I miss them a lot. Dana Chandler is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, 2025. Produced by Ruth Chenetz and Dena Goldstein. Chelsea Narvaez and Hannah Vair are the field producers. Mead Stone is the producer editor. Atticus Brady, Marcus Balsam, George Baluzy, Wini Dini, Gary Winter and Grayce Arlotta-Berner are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer, Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. Jim Axelrod Jim Axelrod is the chief correspondent and executive editor for CBS News' 'Eye on America' franchise, part of the 'CBS Evening News.' He also reports for 'CBS Mornings,' 'CBS News Sunday Morning,' and CBS News 24/7.
See - Sada Elbalad
24-05-2025
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Wakala News
11-05-2025
- Wakala News
Survivor's testimony key to helping convict violent ex-boyfriend charged with murder
C.C. Opanowski was just 18 years old when she was brutally attacked by someone she once loved — her ex-boyfriend Shawn Doyle. C.C. tried to put the traumatic incident behind her until she learned years later that Doyle murdered a mother of two young boys. For the first time, C.C. is speaking out publicly to' 48 Hours' and correspondent Anne-Marie Green about her story and how she was able to find the strength to testify against her attacker in court. It was Jan. 27, 1996 and C.C. Opanowski has just finished her first semester of college in upstate New York. She and her ex-boyfriend, Shawn Doyle had been broken up for about four months. C.C. Opanowski: My mother was going away for the weekend. … so I had this whole big house to myself. …And my friend Shannon and I … we were very close … I said, 'well, let's stay at my house 'cause there's no one around.' Shannon McCauliffe: it was just a girls' night. We just wanted to chill out. C.C. and McCauliffe were roommates at Sage Junior College of Albany. Shannon McCauliffe: I'm really introverted (laughs) and she was very bubbly and happy and chipper … And she just — she brought me outta my shell. Anne-Marie Green: When you were first meeting her, was Shawn Doyle around at the time? Shannon McCauliffe: Yes. He was obnoxious. … she would argue with him a lot on the phone. Anne-Marie Green: And then … in January is when this incident happens at her house? Shannon McCauliffe: Mm-hmm. … we were having a good time. It was just the two of us. Anne-Marie Green: But he keeps calling. Shannon McCauliffe: Mm-hmm. … Wanting to know what we're doing, wanting to know if he can come over. … She had a cellphone and I was like,' just turn it off.' Like she's like, no, 'cause if I turn it off, he's gonna come here. Shannon McCauliffe: We finally wake up and all we wanted was coffee. … I had the — of the mindset of I'm like, 'oh, I can't go out in public looking like I'm a mess. Let me go home and get dressed.' After McCauliffe left to go home, C.C. says there was a knock at her door. C.C. Opanowski: And I open it. And it's him. C.C. Opanowski: And he said … I just wanna talk to you. … And once he was inside, things got much different. … He pushed me onto the couch … started, you know, holding me down and restraining me. You know, yelling at me … And he picked me up and pushed me against the French doors and kept banging me against the French doors. McCauliffe called C.C., but there was no answer C.C. Opanowski: My hair was in a ponytail … And … he picked me up, held me up and cut my hair off … it was gone, just all of it. … he had already been choking me and … I thought he was gonna stab me. Shannon McCauliffe: I called her back a half an hour later, she still didn't answer. … and that's when my eyebrows kind of went up. C.C. Opanowski: I'm in complete shock. I can't believe it's happening and I have to figure out how to get out of it. …But during this time, the phone continues to ring. Shannon McCauliffe: I waited a couple minutes and I called her back. C.C. Opanowski: I explained to him … if I don't answer this phone, my mother will call the police. … So I do pick up the phone and it's Shannon. Shannon McCauliffe: I said, 'hey, are you OK?' C.C. Opanowski: And I don't know why I did this, but I started unloading the dishwasher. …And I'm saying to her, no, no, yeah, everything's fine. No, no. And no kept coming out of my mouth. And he didn't pick up on it, but she sure did. And that's when she said,' is he there?' And I said, 'yes.' A SURVIVOR SHARES HER STORY It has taken almost 30 years for C.C. to talk publicly about the day her former high school boyfriend, Shawn Doyle, attacked her in her family's home in Hudson Falls, New York, and then used scissors to cut off her ponytail. Anne-Marie Green: What was it like to have your hair cut off in this way? C.C. Opanowski: Demeaning. Anne-Marie Green: Demeaning. You think that's why he did it? C.C. Opanowski: Probably. Just to make sure he could knock me down somewhere. On that day, as Doyle went in and out of violent rages — at one point holding the scissors to her throat — C.C. says she wasn't sure she would make it out alive. Until, she says, McCauliffe called. Anne-Marie Green: When she finally picks up the phone … what did you hear in her voice? Shannon McCauliffe: Fear. McCauliffe says she knew that Doyle had been harassing C.C., so when C.C. told her Doyle was there, Shannon notified police and then rushed over to C.C.'s house. Shannon McCauliffe: I pulled onto her street and I parked and then I saw the – the — the police officers and everything. … so I kinda went in after the fact. … She looked terrified and angry and sad. C.C. says she thought when police arrived, they would make her feel safe. But that's not exactly what happened. C.C. Opanowski: They do not put him in handcuffs. … And they put us in the back of the same police car. C.C. Opanowski: Mind you, all of this time … I clearly look like I've been assaulted. My hair is completely cut off. And when they arrived at the police station — C.C. Opanowski: I was like, why — why are we here? Why is he not — why are we in the same room? C.C. says instead of separating them, police questioned them together. C.C. Opanowski: And they made it seem like it was some fight between two young kids, that turned, you know, slightly dark. When '48 Hours' reached out to the Hudson Falls Police Department, they acknowledged that law enforcement's response to domestic violence has evolved over the past several decades to better work with and support victims. Police arrested Doyle and charged him with menacing, harassment and trespassing. C.C. Opanowski: Looking at it … And you're saying, 'did this really happen to me?' You know, 'how could this happen to me?' JEALOUSY, A TATTOO AND OTHER RED FLAGS C.C. Opanowski and Shawn Doyle grew up in the small town of Hudson Falls located in upstate New York. C.C. Opanowski: He was nice to me. He was really nice. When C.C. started dating Shawn Doyle, she was just 15 years old — a sophomore in high school. Doyle was one year older. C.C. Opanowski: You know, we would go out and do lots of things together. We just hung out all the time. C.C. says Doyle had troubles at home. During his junior year, Doyle told her his parents kicked him out. So, C.C. begged her parents to let him move in with them. Anne Marie Green: Did you feel sorry for him? C.C. Opanowski: Def — oh definitely. Soon after he moved into C.C.'s family home, she says she saw a change in Doyle's behavior. C.C. says he became jealous and would secretly follow her around — something she says she didn't think at the time was a big deal. C.C. Opanowski: When you're a 16-, 17-year-old girl and you know you're looking at, oh, jealousy, you know, he must love me so much and that's why he's doing this. Or he followed me home, he's so worried about me, but is that really what the case is? When you look back as an adult, someone with experience, you know, you think. That's probably not — not OK. And Doyle showed even more possessive behavior that C.C. found troubling. C.C. Opanowski: He at one point did get a tattoo. … It was a heart on his arm. … And it had my name in the middle. Anne-Marie Green: What did you say? C.C. Opanowski: Why would you do that? Anne-Marie Green: And his response? C.C. Opanowski: I love you. Anne-Marie Green: Was it a red flag? C.C. Opanowski: Definitely. During his senior year, C.C. says Doyle dropped out of high school and was working odd jobs that he couldn't keep. C.C. Opanowski: And this is where things start to get … darker. You know, he — he doesn't have any prospects. He knows that I'm getting ready to go away to school. And to him, his whole life is — is about to completely change. But C.C. says she stuck by him, writing in her senior yearbook, 'I love you Shawn!' And in the summer of 1995, when she left to attend what is now Russell Sage College in Albany, they agreed to stay together and see each other on weekends. But at the end of September, things took a scary turn when C.C. told Doyle she would not be coming home every weekend to see him. Doyle showed up at her dorm. C.C. Opanowski: He stood outside, basically threatening that he was going to kill me. Anne-Marie Green: And now he's threatening not just you, but anyone around you. C.C. Opanowski: Basically anyone around me … so he was arrested. Doyle was charged with harassment and trespassing. It was the final straw for C.C., who says she broke it off with Doyle for good and he moved out of her parent's house. Later that winter, that's when Doyle showed up and viciously attacked her at her home. Anne Marie Green: I know he threatened a lot, but did you ever believe that Shawn Doyle would have physically hurt you? C.C. Opanowski: Not until that day, not in that way. After the attack, C.C. returned to college and finished up her freshman year. But McCauliffe says her friend had changed. Shannon McCauliffe: I think it had a profound impact on her life. C.C. Opanowski: You know, I was always looking over my shoulder … I bought myself a Swiss Army knife. … I'm having night terrors. … You know, waking up crying, waking up screaming, not being able to sleep. … awful, awful. So eight months after the attack, when it was time to take the case to trial, C.C. — who was still just a teenager at 19 years old — told prosecutors she couldn't go through with it. She says she was too traumatized and scared. C.C. Opanowski: I didn't wanna have to face him in court. I didn't wanna be going over this over and over and over again. I really wanted it to go away. Doyle was offered a deal. He pleaded guilty to menacing in the second degree and was sentenced to just three years' probation. C.C. transferred colleges and moved hours away from Hudson Falls. C.C. Opanowski: I needed peace and I didn't know how to get it. C.C. tried to forget her past, but she says she was haunted by a conversation she had with the prosecutor. C.C. Opanowski: She said, you know … based on what I see here, he is going to do this again to another person. And that has for the past 28 years stuck in my head. LORI LEONARD DISAPPEARS Nine years after C.C. Opanowski left upstate New York for a new life far away from Shawn Doyle, 33-year-old Lori Leonard disappeared. Lori was a single mom who lived with her two sons, Austin, who was 9 at the time, and Zackary 5, in Chittenango, a small town outside Syracuse, New York. Austin Feltrinelli: She was a — a very caring mother. The memories of her — just us always being happy together, spending time … kind of always … the three of us. Zackary Wicklund: It was just a lot of love and affection. Jennifer Leonard: Her dream was to have a home, a father figure for her kids, and for them to be happy. … She wanted the white picket fence. Jennifer Leonard was Lori's older sister. Jennifer Leonard: We were good friends. But I was a little bit of a bossy mother to her. … I had been through a lot of things already in my life and my relationships, and I was very, I would say, overprotective. In 2003, Lori met a man on the dating website His name? Shawn Doyle. Online dating was new back then, so Jennifer was skeptical about him. Jennifer Leonard: He was not charismatic. He was not social. … He was like a piece of furniture that you just walked around. But she says Lori didn't agree; she only saw the good in people. Jennifer Leonard: She would say, you know, he's misunderstood or he's shy. Jennifer says Lori told her very little about Doyle, except that he lived three hours away in Hudson Falls and worked at an ice cream factory. She also mentioned that Doyle was on probation. Jennifer Leonard: She told me that he was a boxer, that he was protecting a woman at a bar and was arrested because he used some of his professional boxing moves. Jennifer Leonard: No. Anne-Marie Green: I mean, did he — do you think he was even a boxer, ever? Jennifer Leonard: No. … I didn't buy the stories that he was selling her. … It sounded like he was trying to be something that he was not. Jennifer says after her sister met Doyle, Lori became distant. Jennifer Leonard: I would talk to Lori three times a day. Anne-Marie Green: And then when Shawn came into the picture? Jennifer Leonard: It was — it was a little quiet. And things only got worse. Jennifer Leonard: I had called her one night and he was over there and all I could hear in the background was him yelling at her. And that — that was like, 'what is this?' And she's like, you know I'll call you back. It's not a big deal. Jennifer Leonard: But I think what scared me more than anything was when he was caught yelling at her … it stopped. Like the kind of guys that you know don't want anyone else to see what happens behind closed doors. … He was sneaky. Soon after this incident, Lori ended her romantic relationship with Doyle. Lori told Jennifer they agreed to be just friends and that he was fine with it. Jennifer Leonard: And I was like, no, he's not. Nope. People like that aren't just OK with being friends. Despite the breakup, Doyle would still drive three hours from Hudson Falls to visit Lori. Oftentimes hanging out at the bar where she waitressed late at night. Dorothy Tucker: Shawn, always called me and he — he'd call me to get advice. Dorothy Tucker lived down the street from Doyle in Hudson Falls and considered him a close friend. Dorothy Tucker: I saw a sweet guy who would bend over backwards if I asked him to. However, after the relationship with Lori ended, she says Doyle told her he had followed Lori and watched her as she went out on a date. Dorothy Tucker: I was like, 'Shawn, you can't do that. … She does not wanna be with you.' Anne-Marie Green: Were you starting to get concerned about him and his behavior at that point? Dorothy Tucker: No. No. Because he agreed with me. … I didn't see the monster that he really was … He hid it quite well. On Friday, April 29, 2005, Lori, who was living with Jennifer, moved to a new rental apartment. Dustin Delatore: Usually people are miserable when they're moving. She was just happy. Lori's nephew Dustin Delatore, who was 15 at the time, helped with the move. Dustin Delatore: She wanted her own place. … She saw her future in that day. Also helping with the move was Shawn Doyle, who offered up use of his truck. Jennifer Leonard: She had asked a couple people before that. So he was a last resort. … He was still playing the 'I'm your friend.' Anne Marie Green: What was Shawn like that day? Dustin Delatore: Standoffish. Just, I mean, quiet. Jennifer says the move went smoothly until Doyle decided to hang around— and stayed with Lori in her new place for days. Jennifer Leonard: It was starting to get on her nerves now. Five days after the move, Jennifer says Lori told her Doyle was finally leaving because Lori had plans to go to Albany for the afternoon. Jennifer Leonard: She was supposed to go pick up the tickets. Tickets to a Yankees game — a gift from someone she had met at work. Anne-Marie Green: Were you concerned at all about her going to pick up tickets from a stranger? Jennifer Leonard: Yes, yes. But that was how she was. … She was very trusting. On Wednesday, May 4, Jennifer called Lori in the afternoon, hoping to catch her while she was heading to Albany. Jennifer Leonard: And it kept going straight to voicemail. Anne-Marie Green: Was that weird? Jennifer Leonard: Oh … Her phone never went straight to voicemail. It was never off. At first Jennifer thought she may have gotten lost on the drive or that her phone battery had died. Jennifer Leonard: It wasn't a thought at the time, that, that something bad happened, just that, you know, where is she? Twenty-four hours later, when Lori never called or returned home, Jennifer notified Chittenango police. Wade Irwin: Patrol started looking into her whereabouts at that time. Lead investigator Wade Irwin searched Lori's rental apartment. Wade Irwin: She had just moved into the home. … There were still lots of boxes, items being unpacked. Didn't appear that there were any signs of a break-in, or a crime that occurred at the home. … But her car was there. And he said there was something else unsettling about the scene. Wade Irwin: There was one shoe in the center of the bed. It was odd. Investigator Irwin says he was determined to speak to one person. Wade Irwin: The last person that — that we were able to determine that saw her, was Shawn Doyle. But before investigators could reach out to Doyle, Jennifer says she tracked down Doyle's number and called him herself. Jennifer Leonard: 'Shawn, have you talked to Lori?' And, uh, he goes, 'no I haven't talked to her in a couple of days. Um, wasn't she supposed to get tickets the other night?' And I'm like, 'yeah, she was, we haven't heard from her since. I'm like, you know, if she calls you let us know because the phone's off' … and he's like, 'oh yeah, definitely let you know …' …When I hung up, I was like I had chills and I'm like, he's full of it. He knows something. A KEY CLUE IN THE CASE As days went by, Chittenango investigators reached out to everyone who had contact with Lori Leonard prior her to her disappearance— including the man she was supposed to get Yankees tickets from in Albany. Wade Irwin: He was an executive for a company. … We were able to track him down. He was interviewed. Detective Wade Irwin says the executive waited for Lori in Albany and when she never showed up, he called her and even left a message. Wade Irwin: He was … calling with concern of … where she was. 'We're supposed to meet up. I got the tickets. I'm here, are you OK? I hope an accident didn't happen.' His alibi checked out, but Lori's phone records would reveal a lot more about another person who hadn't called. Wade Irwin: What became concerning for myself is … the person that cared about her, supposedly. Anne-Marie Green: Shawn Doyle. Wade Irwin: Shawn Doyle. Never called, never left a message. When Chittenango police went to interview Lori's former boyfriend, he told them that on the day she disappeared, he left her apartment 'about 3 p.m.' and then drove three hours home to Hudson Falls. Wade Irwin: He just always, had said all along… that he left her and she was alive at the apartment. When they checked out his alibi, Irwin says they couldn't clear him. Yet, Doyle was cooperative and even allowed investigators to search his truck and take photos. When they searched Doyle's glove compartment, they found something curious. Wade Irwin: There was a key with a serial number on it. As investigators kept an eye out on Doyle and continued to search for Lori, Jennifer says her family struggled to explain Lori's disappearance to her two young sons. Austin Feltrinelli: After several days to several weeks you know something's up. Your mother's not home. … The question is, you know, where is she? What's — what's she doing? Jennifer Leonard: We would say things like she got lost … you know, we'll get her. We'll find her. To make matters worse, Austin and Zackary were now separated, staying with their fathers, and only seeing each other on weekends. Austin Feltrinelli: We'd lived together our whole lives. … That was obviously different, you know, waking up every day with one — your mom's not there, uh, but two — now your brother isn't. Jennifer Leonard: We were suffering and every day our family was doing something to find her. … We were looking for her. We were a well-oiled machine. Jennifer suspected Shawn Doyle had something to do with her sister's disappearance. So, weeks after Lori vanished, she headed to Hudson Falls and held a demonstration, hoping someone there would know something about Doyle that could help investigators. Jennifer Leonard: We had posters. We had signs, we had Shawn's name up on signs, if anybody will speak to us. Dorothy Tucker says when she heard Lori's family was in town, she immediately called Doyle. Dorothy Tucker: I was like, 'Shawn, what's going on?' You know, 'did you do something?' (mimics his voice) 'I didn't do anything to her. She's probably off on a beach somewhere with some guy.' Anne-Marie Green: But you believe Shawn at the time? Dorothy Tucker: Oh, definitely. Later that day when Dorothy passed Lori's family rallying on the streets, she says she did something she has come to deeply regret. Dorothy Tucker: Like an idiot, I yelled out the window. … telling them to go home. Shawn didn't do anything and they needed to leave. As months passed with no sign of Lori, the family's hopes began to dwindle. Wade Irwin: I made a promise … to find a resolution to this for them and give them the closure and answers that they needed. … It was disheartening because every night … I'd call them and give them an update regardless of whether there was positive or negative information. (tears in his eyes) And then, on July 24, 2005, three months after Lori went missing — Capt. Tony LeClaire: We had a report that a fisherman had been going by in this area here. Captain Tony LeClaire is with the Washington County Sheriff's Office. Capt. Tony LeClaire: He saw, uh, what he thought to be a toolbox that goes in the back of a pickup truck floating. Thought it may be useful for him. So he grabbed onto it … towed it with his boat about a mile-and-a-half (points) … And then they dragged it outta the water there. The box was locked and emitting a foul odor, So police were called, and when they broke open the lock, authorities discovered a body inside. Wade Irwin: And there was contents, pillows, bedding, purse, but right on top was Lori's ID. (emotional) Also in the box was a photo of Lori's two sons. Wade Irwin: She was handcuffed behind her back. … There was duct tape around the handcuffs. Her feet were bound together and duct taped. .. Her face, from chin to forehead, um, had duct tape. And then once that duct tape was removed there was a bandana tied in her mouth. The Medical Examiner would rule that Lori died of asphyxiation. Jennifer Leonard: I couldn't wrap my head around what they were saying. 'What do you mean she was found in the toolbox in the water?' I — I couldn't, I couldn't, I couldn't accept it. Irwin says that's when Shawn Doyle went from a person of interest to a suspect in the case. Wade Irwin: Everything started to come together real quickly. We got a search warrant within hours to go to his residence. During their search, police found sand tubes in his garage that matched the sand tubes inside the toolbox used to weigh it down. Wade Irwin: We were able to track down in the home, similar handcuffs, bandanas, duct tape other means that he used that matched what was used on Lori. Remember that key investigators had discovered in Doyle's truck? It matched the lock of the toolbox, tying Doyle directly to the crime. When investigators checked the bridge near the canal where the toolbox was found, they discovered scratches on the bridge railing that matched scratches found on the bottom of the toolbox. Anne Marie Green: Just tell me about what investigators think happened? What was the theory? Capt. Tony LeClaire: The theory is that he came here with his pickup truck, came to the bridge, um, somewhere in the center of the canal and took the toolbox and basically just pushed it over the edge … and as he did, it scraped across. Just one day after the discovery of Lori's body in the toolbox, investigators arrested Shawn Doyle. Anne Marie Green: What was that moment like for you? Det. Wade Irwin: Overwhelming. Jennifer says it was time to break the news to Lori's two young sons. Zackary remembers the moment even though he was only 5 years old. Zackary Wicklund: I felt it as soon as I walked into the room. And I think my dad was the one that said that she's not coming home and I just kind of fell into him and just didn't know how to react. Jennifer Leonard: I watched a little boy break. He said not a word. Then it was time to tell 9-year-old Austin. Austin Feltrinelli: You know I let out kind of like a shriek and, and kind of just collapsed, uh, in my dad. And I can still kind of feel it. Jennifer Leonard: And he wailed. It wasn't a cry. It was, it was a pained guttural wail. … I'll always have that sound in my head. Jennifer says she couldn't truly mourn her sister because she had to prepare for Doyle's upcoming trial. Jennifer Leonard: I was gonna make sure that he got what he deserved. A SURVIVOR'S BREAKING POINT In late summer of 2005, C.C. Opanowski received a phone call from her father: her ex-boyfriend Shawn Doyle had been arrested for murder. C.C. Opanowski: I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I couldn't believe it. … You don't want it to be true … and it's terrible. When C.C. learned that the victim was 33-year-old Lori Leonard, a single mom of two young boys, she says she was overwhelmed with extreme guilt. C.C. Opanowski: That was a breaking point for me. I felt for her whole entire family and her two young children. C.C. says she was haunted by the choice she made as a traumatized and scared teenager. C.C. Opanowski: And all I can think about is … If I could go back, I would have done it differently. … I would have pressed my charges much further. So just weeks later, when investigators reached out to C.C. and asked if she would testify at Doyle's trial, she was determined to help. C.C. Opanowski: I need to make sure that he is put away for — for murdering Lori. … At this point now, I'm angry. I'm not fearful. But C.C. was not Doyle's only ex-girlfriend who investigators hoped would testify against him. Five years after Doyle attacked C.C., he allegedly tried to kill 23-year-old Sarah Volmar. '48 Hours' reached out to Volmar and received no response, but she did speak with the CBS affiliate in Albany about the attack in 2005. SARAH VOLMAR/ CBS6 ALBANY NEWS REPORT: He had tied me up with shoelaces and, um, put the duct tape back over my mouth and then just began strangling me until I passed out. And then my mother walked in on it. Doyle was charged with unlawful imprisonment in the second degree and assault in the third degree. But again, a deal was made. Doyle pleaded guilty only to the charge of unlawful imprisonment. A judge sentenced him to three years' probation. On Jan. 23, 2006 Shawn Doyle's trial began. It was a day that Lori's sister Jennifer Leonard had waited for. Jennifer Leonard: I was gonna be her advocate. I was gonna speak for her. I was gonna speak for the boys. When Doyle entered the courtroom, Jennifer Leonard says she was caught off guard because his appearance had changed. Anne-Marie Green: What'd he look like? Jennifer Leonard: Choir boy. He'd grown his hair. He had a sweater on. Kevin Kortright, now retired, had only been district attorney for less than a month. He says key to his case was making sure Doyle's other victims – C.C. and Sarah — would be allowed to testify. Oftentimes, judges do not allow a defendant's prior bad acts to be brought into trial. Anne-Marie Green: Why were the women so crucial? Kevin Kortright: He'd done it almost exactly the same in the past. … It's his modus operandi. It's strong proof. Despite the defense's objections, the judge ruled that C.C. and Sarah could testify. But first, Kortright presented the jury with all the pieces of physical evidence that pointed to Shawn Doyle — like the items they found in Doyle's garage and home: the sandbags and handcuffs. Anne Marie Green: And what about that bandana? Kevin Kortright: He wore a bandana 24 hours a day … He had bandanas in his bedroom. He had bandanas in his truck. The bandana in Lori's mouth was the one that I believe he was wearing that day. And then there was that toolbox. Kortright called to the stand a clerk from a local AutoZone store who says she sold Doyle the toolbox just one week before Lori disappeared. Kevin Kortright: She identified him perfectly. … She even identified his shirt he was wearing. And the most important piece of evidence: that key found in his glove compartment that tied Doyle directly to the box. Don Lehman: That was as strong as evidence as you could get. Retired journalist Don Lehman covered the trial for the Post Star newspaper. Don Lehman: The key to the toolbox was … there was no way around that … Then Kortright called Dorothy Tucker, Shawn's once close friend, to the stand. He says she was a major witness because she provided information as to how they believe Doyle transported Lori's body from Chittenango — three hours over to Hudson Falls — after he murdered her. Dorothy Tucker: He just kept calling me. Tucker told the jury that the day that Lori disappeared, Doyle stopped by her house. In the back of his truck, she says, was a very large cardboard box. Dorothy Tucker: I said, 'Shawn, what do you got there?' … Oh just garbage. Junk I had at Lori's. … and take it to the dump. DA Kortright believes Lori's body was in the box and that at some point, Doyle transferred her body to the toolbox. Tucker testified that just days after his first visit, Doyle showed up at her house again and the cardboard box had been replaced by a large toolbox. Dorothy Tucker: I walk out and I said 'hey Shawn … what do you need a toolbox for? You don't have any tools to put in it.' And he laughed and yeah, yeah, you know. So then he started saying about a friend … was going to meet him. They were gonna go fishing. Tucker said Doyle told her he was going to fish by the Champlain Lock canal area – a place he knew well and frequented often. Doyle had even taken C.C. there many times when they dated. Kevin Kortright: Lori was in the box that day. And he was taking her to dump her in the canal where she was later found. District Attorney Kortright called C.C. Opanowski as his last witness. Kevin Kortright: You always put the best for the last. C.C. Opanowski: I was very, very nervous. C.C. told the jury about the attack and the long-lasting mental anguish Shawn Doyle caused her. Anne-Marie Green: What did you want Shawn Doyle to see? C.C. Opanowski: That I wasn't afraid. That you're not my scary anything anymore. When it was the defense's turn, Lehman says they tried to poke holes in the prosecution's case. Don Lehman: There just was not – not a lot of holes to poke. '48 Hours' reached out to Shawn Doyle and members of Doyle's family, but they declined to be interviewed. After three long days of testimony, the case went to the jury. Lori Leonard's family members held their breath. Jennifer Leonard: I felt like I hadn't exhaled in months and that's what I needed. I needed to exhale. SHARING IMPORTANT LESSONS Despite the all the evidence against Shawn Doyle, retired journalist Don Lehman says no one knew which way the jury would rule. Don Lehman: There have been times that we've seen many cases where the jury does things that just kind of defy the evidence. On Jan. 26, 2006, after just two-and-a-half hours of deliberations, the jury came back with a verdict: guilty of second-degree murder. Anne-Marie Green: Guilty. Kevin Kortright: Um hmm. Anne-Marie Green: What went through your mind when you heard that word? Kevin Kortright: Thank God. Anne-Marie Green: Why does it still affect you? Kevin Kortright: Because bad things happen to good people. C.C. Opanowski: I was relieved and happy that he was going to be punished for what he did. For C.C., it was difficult to process the fact that a person she once loved was convicted of murder. C.C. Opanowski: To me, it almost felt like there wasn't a man left inside of him. But more like a monster. For your crimes to become worse as you go … to almost perfect them, to think about them in that serial fashion. One month later, before Doyle was sentenced, a judge listened to testimony and read over victim impact statements from Lori's friends and family. LORI LEONARD'S FAMILY MEMBER (in court) | CBS6 ALBANY: Prison isn't even the right place for someone like him. It's not punishment enough. Austin and Zackary, Lori's sons, were too young to attend trial, but both wrote letters to the judge. Zackary Wicklund (reading his statement): She let me sleep with her when I was scared. … And when I see something scary and hear something scary … we used to sing songs we liked the most together. Austin Feltrinelli (reading his statement): I think my mom was the greatest mom in the world. … My mom, my brother and I had really great times together. … I'm also sad because (pauses) I will never see my mom anymore now because of what happened … Shawn Doyle was sentenced to the maximum — 25 years to life, with the possibility of parole. Anne-Marie Green: Was that enough? Jennifer Leonard: I didn't think so. Anne-Marie Green: You don't want him getting out? Jennifer Leonard: No. There's no forgiveness. No way man. No. none. Dorothy Tucker: He's a danger to society. And I — I hope he never gets out. Dorothy Tucker, who initially stood by Doyle, says she feels betrayed by him. Dorothy Tucker: He lied straight to my face and here is someone that I trusted thought I knew, never saw that side of him. Tucker hopes Lori's family will forgive her for how she previously treated them when they came to rally against Doyle in Hudson Falls. Dorothy Tucker: I wanted to tell them how sorry I was and I still am. … that was totally uncalled for and it was unacceptable behavior on my part. Lehman, who has covered many domestic violence cases in his almost 30 years as a reporter, says there are important lessons that can be learned from C.C. and Sarah's attacks and Lori's murder. Don Lehman: Every case of domestic violence is a potential homicide. … They all have to be taken seriously. They all have to be handled in a way to protect these victims. Don Lehman: You know, as a young woman with two young kids … that's just mind-boggling that these kids lost their mom … to a guy like this … C.C., who bravely came forward to tell her story, hopes that others can learn from her. C.C. Opanowski: Be vigilant. Look at what's happening in front of you and make sure someone knows. Don't keep it quiet. … Pay attention and … when you have that feeling, that one that doesn't go way — you know, the one that you try to push down — that's the one you should listen to the most. She says she is ready to let go of the guilt she has felt for what happened to Lori. C.C. Opanowski: I've waited so long and I've had to live with it for all of these years. Jennifer Leonard: It's not her fault. It's the system that failed. … She did what she had to do. … I don't blame her. I feel sad that she's felt guilt all this time. Anne-Marie Green: How do you want your sister to be remembered? Jennifer Leonard: Lori Ann. She … so fun. So funny. So loving … For Jennifer Leonard, she longs for the life she always thought she would have with Lori. Jennifer Leonard: We were supposed to be … living in the same place and going out and raising our kids and having parties and that's what it was supposed to be. That's what we were supposed to have … And I'm it … just me and the kids trying to get along without her. Anne-Marie Green: What do you miss the most about Lori? Zackary Wicklund: In moments where I'm really sad, where I'm like I just need her to hold me and she hasn't been able to do that in 20 years. Shawn Doyle is eligible for parole in 2030. If you or someone you know needs help, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has counselors available around the clock at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE). Produced by Chris Young Ritzen. Elena DiFiore and David Dow are the development producers. Michael Loftus and Chelsea Narvaez are the associate producers. Anthony Venditti is the content research manager. Michael McHugh is the producer/editor. Ken Blum is an editor. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. Anne-Marie Green Anne-Marie Green is an accomplished journalist and correspondent for '48 Hours,' where she reports on the most gripping crime and investigative stories on is also the host of the '48 Hours' 'Post Mortem' podcast. Green brings over two decades of experience in broadcast journalism to her work at CBS News.
