On trial for double homicide, Dana Chandler testifies about alcoholism recovery

Dana Chandler acknowledged Monday her alcoholism may have affected her behavior more than a quarter century ago when she sent her then-14-year-old daughter, Hailey Sisco, an email speculating about the sex life of Hailey’s father, Michael Sisco, and his girlfriend, Karen Harkness.

But Chandler then joined Alcoholics Anonymous in September 1999 and gave up alcohol for good, she said.

Chandler highlighted her recovery from alcoholism while testifying Monday at her third trial in the July 2002 shooting deaths of Sisco, her former husband, and Harkness, who by then was his fiancée.

Chandler on Monday showed jurors videos taken during the early months of her recovery showing her smiling, laughing and joking with fellow members of AA.

“I’ve come a long ways,” she said.

Chandler was only witness to speak Monday

Monday marked the ninth day of testimony in Chandler’s trial on two counts of first-degree murder, with the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office having rested its case Friday.

Chandler, who has acted as her own attorney since open arguments were made Feb. 7, took the stand as the first witness for the defense on Friday afternoon. Chandler was then the only person to take the witness stand Monday.

She spent about five hours showing videos and testifying until proceedings ended for the day about 5 p.m.

Chandler commented that she was “wearing a lot of hats,” acting as an attorney, witness and defendant.

During the early part of Monday’s testimony, Chandler alternated between speaking to jurors from the witness stand and speaking to them from the lectern where attorneys stand as they question witnesses.

During the afternoon, Chandler spent more time testifying from the witness stand.

Chandler will be cross-examined later

Witness testimony will resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday, said Shawnee County District Court Judge Cheryl Rios, who is presiding.

It wasn’t clear whether Chandler — who wasn’t cross-examined Monday — would return to the witness stand Tuesday morning.

Rios said Chief Deputy District Attorney Charles Kitt would get an opportunity to question Chandler but had chosen to defer that until later in the trial.

Judge says she hopes other jurors will ‘stick with us’

Rios on Feb. 7 impaneled 16 jurors and alternates to hear the case while planning for the four alternates to be picked from that group at random after testimony has been completed but before deliberations begin.

Those hearing the case include 11 men and five women.

Rios expressed concern last week that some jurors might be unable to continue if proceedings run past the scheduled completion date of Friday, Feb. 28.

Rios provided an update Monday, saying it was “possible” proceedings could be wrapped up by Friday but the trial might also need to continue until next week.

She told jurors she hoped they would “stick with us.”

Chandler says she never did anything to cause pain to Harkness

Chandler during her testimony Monday addressed various allegations previously made by prosecution witnesses.

Those included an assertion by Erin Sutton, Harkness’s daughter, that — not long before Harkness died — Chandler left numerous voice mail messages on her telephone answering machine, which left Harkness concerned and afraid.

Dana Chandler testified Monday she never did anything to cause pain to Harkness.

“Absolutely nothing,” she said.

Testimony began later than planned

Michael Sisco and Chandler were married in 1982 and divorced in 1998, as Chandler neared completion of a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Kansas.

They had two children — Hailey Sisco, who was 17 when her father died, and Dustin Sisco, who was 15 at that time. Both testified for the prosecution last week at Chandler’s trial.

Monday’s testimony didn’t begin until late morning after Chandler indicated she planned to show jurors various videos providing insight into her life. The videos appeared to have been taken mostly between 1998 and 2001.

Kitt objected, saying Chandler hadn’t first asked if those videos would be admissible in court.

Jurors waited while Kitt viewed the videos, then agreed to allow almost all of them to be shown.

Chandler also sought Monday to show the jurors a PowerPoint presentation she had prepared but was told by Rios that — as a witness — she wasn’t allowed to give that presentation.

Rios said Chandler needed to testify from memory but could refer — if needed — to notes she had on her laptop computer.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka murder defendant Dana Chandler highlights alcoholism recovery

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