Chandler Halderson charged with murder of father, bail set at $1 million

MADISON, Wis. — Chandler Halderson, the son of a Windsor couple who went missing over Fourth of July weekend, is facing multiple charges in the death of his father.

According to online court records, Halderson is facing charges of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and providing false information about a missing persons investigation.

“The defendant has taken steps to both destroy and conceal evidence, including human remains that were dismembered,” prosecutor Andrea Raymond said during a Thursday afternoon court hearing. “Because of the vast steps that this defendant has undertaken to hide his crimes and the broad spectrum of lies police have uncovered, there is substantial concerns about his willingness to come to court.”

Halderson’s bond was changed from $10,000 to $1 million as a result of the charges.

A criminal complaint filed Thursday includes multiple witness statements saying Chandler Halderson’s explanation of Bart and Krista’s whereabouts would have been out of character for them, while other people interviewed noted odd behavior from Chandler in the days after he reported them missing.

Halderson’s father, 50-year-old Bart Halderson, was found dead in the Town of Cottage Grove last week. Authorities with the Dane County Sheriff’s Office said his remains were found dismembered. The medical examiner determined he had been murdered.

Reports in the criminal complaint indicate Bart Halderson’s remains were found under a pile of brush and branches with what appeared to be a gunshot. A saw was also found nearby. Witnesses say they saw Chandler Halderson driving his Subaru SUV in the same area where Bart Halderson’s remains were found.

Just hours after Chandler Halderson spoke with News 3 Now about his parents’ reported disappearance, law enforcement took him into custody for lying to police about their investigation.