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 NBC’s ‘Dateline: Deadly Obsession’ and HBO’s ‘A Killer Story,’ which also feature several insightful interviews. They also shed 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 his compassionate and kind nature, he was also known to have a good sense of humor, making him a likable individual. In 1982, he tied the knot with Dana Chandler in Littleton, Colorado, with whom he went on to have a son named Dustin Sisco and a daughter named Hailey Sisco. Although the couple got divorced in the 1990s, he remained active in his kids’ lives as their willing primary guardian. 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 Sisco to Karen Harkness, a Single Mother of Two
Born on May 18, 1949, in Topeka, Kansas, Karen Harkness 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. Harkness Sutton. After divorcing him in 1996, she began focusing on her professional career. She gained experience as a sales manager at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and as a convention sales representative at the Topeka Convention & Visitors Bureau. Being a doting mother, she ingrained 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 Sisco and Karen Harkness’ 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 bought coffee at a gas station around 1 am. This turned out to be the last time anyone would see them alive. Karen’s parents drove down to her home at 2231 Southwest Westport Square in Topeka on the afternoon of July 7 as planned, but no one opened the door. Her father decided to go in to see if everything was okay through an open glass sliding door, only to find the remains of his daughter and her boyfriend. Immediately, the police were informed about the situation. Upon arriving at the scene, authorities determined that while Mike was shot seven times, Karen was shot at least five or six 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 Played a Pivotal Role in the Investigation Into the Double Homicide
During the investigation, the police questioned Mike and Karen’s loved ones in order to paint a clear picture of the lives they led. That’s when they learned about his ex-wife and the mother of his children, Dana Chandler, with whom he had a contentious relationship. The detectives learned that their union 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 couple’s former neighbor, who testified that they saw 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, and she was sentenced to 2 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole for 50 years on June 3, 2025.
Read More: Dana Chandler: Where is the Killer Now?
