Dana Chandler murder case revisited in new HBO documentary

A new three-part HBO documentary series, ‘A Killer Story’, revisits the 2002 double murder of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness in Topeka, Kansas. The victims were found shot to death in their home, though the murder weapon and forensic evidence, such as DNA or fingerprints, were never recovered.

Dana Chandler, the ex-wife of Sisco, was arrested in 2011 and convicted of premeditated first-degree murder in 2012. Her legal battles have spanned decades, including an overturned conviction in 2018 due to prosecutorial misconduct, a hung jury in 2022, and a final conviction in early 2025 that resulted in a life sentence.

The documentary follows journalist Joe Sexton as he investigates the case, prompted by the persistent efforts of Eileen and Keen Umbehr. The Umbehrs, amateur sleuths with no direct connection to the victims or Chandler, have dedicated years to attempting to prove Chandler’s innocence, driven by skepticism regarding the circumstantial evidence used by prosecutors.