No defense witnesses called in Wisconsin dismemberment trial
Defense attorneys for a Wisconsin man accused of killing and dismembering his parents have rested their case without calling witnesses or testimony from the defendant
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Defense attorneys for a Wisconsin man accused of killing and dismembering his parents rested their case Thursday without calling witnesses or testimony from the defendant.
Over seven days, prosecutors laid out their case that Chandler Halderson killed his parents, 50-year-old Bart Halderson and 53-year-old Krista Halderson on July 1 in their home in Windsor about 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of Milwaukee
They contend Halderson first tried to dispose of the bodies by burning them in the family fireplace, then he scattered their dismembered body parts across Dane County.
Investigators said Halderson killed his parents after his father discovered his son had been lying about attending Madison Area Technical College. It was one in a web of lies the 27-year-old told about work, school and being on a police scuba dive team, according to prosecutors.
Halderson was arrested on July 8 after telling police the day before that his parents had gone missing after a Fourth of July trip to northern Wisconsin. Investigators said they quickly discovered his story didn't add up.
Halderson is charged with two counts each of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and falsifying information about a missing person.
On Tuesday, Hyland dismissed one of the 18 jurors after they tested positive for COVID-19. Twelve jurors will ultimately be selected to deliberate the case.
Closing arguments were expected to take place later Thursday.