Naman Shrestha
Fate had brought Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness together quite late in their lives, only to tear them apart eventually. In the summer of 2002, the community of Topeka was rocked to its core when the couple’s remains were discovered. The entire case and the investigation that followed are covered in detail in the episode titled ‘Deadly Obsession’ in NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ which also features insightful interviews with the loved ones of the deceased. It also sheds light on the years-long pursuit of justice as the perpetrator managed to avoid punishment on several occasions.
Mike Sisco Doted on the Two Children He Shared With His Ex-Wife
On December 16, 1954, Roger and Carol Fricke Sisco were blessed with Michael “Mike” Ray Sisco in the capital of Kansas — Topeka. Raised on a farm outside of Carbondale in the company of his loving parents and siblings — Cathy Boots and Timothy Sisco — Mike attended Carbondale Grade School. In 1972, he graduated from Santa Fe Trail High School and went on to become a wildlife biology student at Kansas State University but did not finish his degree. He reportedly also attended Washburn University at some point. The member of Carbondale Congregational Church was employed as a district sales manager for National Standard Welding Products.
Apart from having a compassionate and kind nature, he was also known to have a good sense of humor, making him a likable personality. In 1982, he tied the knot with Dana Chandler in Littleton, Colorado, with whom he shared a son named Dustin and a daughter named Hailey. Although the couple got divorced in the 1990s, he ensured that he would remain active in his kids’ lives. In 1993, the avid fisherman and hunter returned to Kansas before relocating to Topeka around 2000. After his divorce, he started seeing another woman, Karen K. Worswick Harkness, the daughter of Harold and Betty Miller Worswick.
A Mutual Passion For Adventure Led Mike to Karen Harkness, a Single Mother of Two
Born on May 18, 1949, in Topeka, Kansas, Karen had also spent most of her life living in Topeka alongside her brother, Michael Lee Worswick. After completing her schooling at Randolph Elementary School, Boswell Junior High School, and Topeka High School in 1967, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in physical education at The University of Kansas, where she was a part of the Alpha Phi sorority. Given her passion for tennis, she was a board member of the Topeka Tennis Association and a member of the US Tennis Association. Moreover, Karen was associated with the Ambassadors Club at the Topeka Chamber of Commerce.
Before getting together with Mike, she was married to Dewitt Harkness Jr. and they shared two children — Chad J. Harkness and Erin E. Sutton. After getting divorced from him in 1996, she began focusing on her professional career. After gaining some experience working at the Capitol Plaza Hotel as a sales manager, she served as a convention sales representative at the Topeka Convention and Visitors Bureau. Being a doting mother, she engrained her love for tennis in her children and made sure to be present in their lives. Despite having previous partners and kids, both Mike and Karen formed a deep and loving connection by golfing, fishing, cooking, and camping together.
Mike and Karen’s Remains Were Discovered in Their House by the Latter’s Father
On the evening of July 6, 2002, 47-year-old Mike and 53-year-old Karen went to the Sac and Fox Casino to gamble and grab some dinner. While returning home late at night, they were seen buying coffee at a gas station around 1 am. This turned out to be the last time anyone would see them alive. When Karen’s parents drove down to the couple’s home at 2231 Southwest Westport Square in Topeka on the afternoon of July 7, they were greeted by the remains of his daughter and her boyfriend. Immediately, the police were informed about the situation. Upon arriving at the scene of the crime, the authorities determined that Mike and Karen were shot at least five times with a 9 mm weapon. The double homicide led to the launch of an investigation that would go on for several years.
Mike Sisco’s Past Came Back to Haunt Him and His Girlfriend
During the investigation, the police questioned Mike and Karen’s loved ones in order to paint a clearer picture of the life they led. Upon digging into Mike’s history, they found out about his ex-wife and the mother of his children, Dana Chandler. The detectives learned that their relationship had started deteriorating in the 1990s, which was followed by a four-year divorce proceeding. In the end, he was awarded full custody of their two kids while she was ordered to pay child support. Even after parting ways legally and moving out of the state, Dana reportedly remained obsessed with Mike. In the spring of 2002, she allegedly broke into the Topeka house, which he shared with Karen. Not only that, she reportedly called him and his girlfriend on a regular basis.
In light of these suspicious claims against her, the investigators brought the 62-year-old woman in for questioning. However, due to a lack of evidence against her, she was let go. For the next few years, the case went cold altogether until law enforcement listed Dana as the primary suspect in the murders in 2007. Finally, after gathering enough circumstantial evidence, the police arrested her in 2011 and charged her with two counts of intentional first-degree murder. Pleading not guilty to the charges, she stood trial for the killings of Mike and Karen in 2012. After her children testified against her, Dana was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for the same. Six years later, in 2018, both her convictions were overturned when the court learned that the evidence used by the prosecution during the trial was misleading.
The Killer Was Brought to Justice in Her Third Trial
Thanks to the efforts of Karen’s daughter, Erin E. Sutton, Dana was tried again for the crime in August 2022. While the prosecution claimed that the defendant stalked Mike for years and had a strong motive to commit the murders, the defense focused on the lack of physical evidence against her. The four-week trial involved 60 witnesses, including several experts and relatives of Mike and Karen. One of them was the former neighbor of the couple who testified seeing Dana near their property on the fateful night. However, even after six days of deliberation, the jury failed to reach a unanimous decision, resulting in a mistrial.
In February 2025, a third trial of Dana Chandler in connection with the murders of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness commenced. During the trial, she took the stand and answered the questions asked by the prosecutors. After the closing arguments made by the defense and the prosecution, the jury deliberated for about four and a half hours and returned with a guilty verdict. On March 7, 2025, Dana was convicted of two counts of murder. Her sentencing is scheduled for June 3, 2025, in Topeka, Kansas.
Read More: Dana Chandler: Where is the Killer Now?
