Jury continues deliberations Monday in Dana Chandler murder trial after some testimony read again

Sitting at the defendant’s table, Dana Chandler shook her head back and forth slightly as she listened again to testimony from Hailey Seel, her daughter who for years has believed Chandler responsible for the 2002 killings of her father Mike Sisco and his fiancée Karen Harkness.

Chandler occasionally glanced back at Seel, who sat by her husband Chris in the court gallery and only stared forward at the court reporter.

The jury in Chandler’s trial continued a third day of deliberations Monday morning after the two sides made closing arguments Thursday. Late Friday afternoon, the jury had requested a readback of testimony from Seel and Ann Hammer, a former friend of Chandler’s who had discussed the killings with her in 2002.

More: 12 hours of deliberation not enough as Dana Chandler jury continues to Monday

Since the jury could only be read back the testimony from earlier in the trial, the court reporter had to spend several hours preparing the testimony to read back in its entirety in open court Monday morning, prompting the weekend break.

The court reporter began with testimony from Hammer, who had used the last name Carrender at the time of the killings, as she recalled the phone conversations she had with Chandler.

Hammer, who had been interviewed by police who were investigating Chandler as a suspect, said that Chandler had told her not to worry, as police could not prove she had committed the pair of 2002 killings.

Later Monday morning, the court reporter read back testimony from Seel, who testified to Chandler’s stalkerish and harassing behavior following her and Sisco’s contentious divorce during Seel’s early teenage years. Seel had been 17 at the time of the killings but had moved into her boyfriend’s house earlier that summer.

More: Prosecution says Dana Chandler murdered in fit of jealousy. Defense suggests conspiracy.

Throughout the two hours of testimony readback Monday morning, members of the six-man, six woman jury took several pages of notes.

About a dozen members of the Sisco and Harkness families sat on the right side of the gallery, while about a dozen supporters of Chandler — including representatives from the Miracle of Innocence organization, which is funding Chandler’s defense — sat on the left.

The jury was still deliberating as of noon Monday.

Rafael Garcia is an education reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at rgarcia@cjonline.com or by phone at ‪785-289-5325‬. Follow him on Twitter at @byRafaelGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Dana Chandler jury trial continues third day of deliberations