Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘The Snapchat Clue’ of CBS’ ’48 Hours’ and ABC’s ’20/20: Road Map To Murder’ delves deep into the sudden disappearance and tragic murder of Bart and Krista Halderson of Windsor, Wisconsin, in the summer of 2021. Circumstantial evidence led the detectives right to the killer, Chandler Halderson, one of the two sons of the deceased. The killer’s girlfriend, Cathryn “Cat” Mellender, provided a key piece of Snapchat clue that also allowed the prosecution to get a conviction for him in court. Thanks to her, her boyfriend, Chandler Halderson, was brought to justice and punished for his crimes.
Cathryn Mellender Wasn’t Aware That Her Boyfriend Had Killed His Parents
Daughter of Dulce Mellender, Cathryn “Cat” Mellender was in a relationship with Chandler Halderson at the time of the disappearance and murder of his parents, Bart and Krista Halderson. From the time she began dating him in 2019, she had a close bond with the rest of his family, especially his mother, Krista. At some point, Cat and Krista were also making plans for a girls’ trip. However, the bond between Cat and Chandler might appear perfect on the outside, but they went through a fair share of ups and downs, mainly due to Chandler’s affair with another girl. Following the incident, Cat began keeping tabs on him through Snapchat. When Bart and Krista went missing in July 2021 from their Windsor, Wisconsin, residence, Chandler told Cat that they had gone to their Langlade County family cabin for the 4th of July weekend.
Although she didn’t have any reason to doubt him, she admitted that she did find it a bit strange, as Krista had not sent her any photos or texts that weekend. On the afternoon of July 2, Chandler claimed that he had mistakenly stepped on glass in the house while playing with his dog and asked Cat to bring over a Swiffer mop and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Several days later, on July 7, when there was still no sign of Bart and Krista, Cat insisted that Chandler file a missing persons report and take the help of the police. Soon enough, she was brought in for questioning by the authorities after the couple was officially deemed missing. She was fully cooperative with the detectives who went through the messages between her and Chandler around the time Bart and Krista went missing.
With the help of a screenshot saved by Cat on July 3, when she noticed Chandler near the Wisconsin River through his Snapchat, the investigators were able to locate Krista’s remains and eventually arrest him for the murder of his parents. He hadn’t only kept his parents in the dark about his education, but he also lied about it to Cat. She told the detectives that she believed her boyfriend was just one class away from his graduation, had a paid internship at American Family Insurance, and had managed to get a job at SpaceX in Titusville, Florida. So, when these turned out to be lies and Chandler was charged with two counts of murder, she was shocked.
Cathryn Mellender’s Testimony Helped in the Prosecution of Chandler Halderson
During Chandler Halderson’s trial in January 2022, Cathryn Mellender took the stand as one of the key witnesses for the prosecution. When asked if she had ever seen any proof of his grades from college or pay slips from his internship, she testified that she hadn’t seen any proof of them but remembered him showing her some computer code that he claimed was for a college assignment. While she was recounting the night of her interview, she got emotional as she was interviewed for about a couple of hours, during which she said she felt anxious to the point of vomiting. Despite feeling sick, Cat said that she wanted to fully cooperate with the authorities and provide them with all the important details.
She testified, “I believed his parents were missing and I wanted them to be found.” During her testimony, she also talked about the bottle of hydrogen peroxide he asked her to bring over to his house. When asked if she had anything to do with the cleaning of anything at his house, she clearly denied her involvement. A majority of her long and intense testimony involved the jury taking a look at the screenshots of her text messages and Snapchat messages with the killer in the span of a few days around the time of the murders. In the end, her testimony proved vital as Chandler Halderson was convicted and sentenced for killing his parents, Bart and Krista Halderson. After the trial, Cat has preferred to keep her personal life swept under the carpet. From what we can tell, she has continued to live in Wisconsin with her furry little friend.
Read More: Bart and Krista Halderson Murder Details and Investigation Timeline
