Here’s how ex-girlfriend Cathryn Mellender’s Snapchat sealed the Chandler Halderson murder case

In 2021, Bart and Krista Halderson of Wisconsin were reported missing, and later found dead. Their son, Chandler Halderson, was convicted of murder, and a Snapchat update from his girlfriend’s phone helped solve the case.

Before he murdered and dismembered his parents, the future seemed bright for 23-year-old Chandler Halderson. According to CBS News, he was supposedly doing well in college, and had a job offer from SpaceX, Elon Musk’s company — two things any parent would be proud of. All that, however, was a lie, and when Chandler covered his tracks, there were deadly consequences.

In July, 2021, Chandler reported his parents missing. Purportedly, they left for the family cabin to celebrate Fourth of July. That was the last time anyone ever saw them. A short time later, Chandler’s mother Krista’s dismembered remains were recovered in a rural area near where the Haldersons lived. Meanwhile, fragments of Chandler’s father Bart’s body were found on nearby farmland.

No college, no job

The investigation into the deaths of Bart and Krista Halderson revealed that their son Chandler Halderson was not in school, like he said. He had lied about his job offer from SpaceX, too. According to NBC15.com, Chandler also lied about two other jobs he said he had, and said the SpaceX job didn’t work out because he suffered a concussion and other injuries in a fall, a story refuted by physician’s testimony.

Meanwhile, Chandler was linked to where his parents’ bodies were found. Witnesses spotted Chandler multiple times at the farm where his father was recovered, and as for Krista, Chandler’s girlfriend at the time, Cathryn “Cat” Mellender offered a crucial piece of evidence from around the same time his mother died, putting Chandler near that spot, too.

The Snapchat screenshot

Reportedly, Cat Mellender and Chandler Halderson had a troubled relationship, so Mellender snooped on her then-boyfriend via Snapchat, tracking his whereabouts. On the day he dumped his mother’s body in a remote area near his home, she opened the app and was alerted he was there. She took a screenshot of the update — unaware of exactly what was going on, but suspecting Chandler might be up to something — and once in police possession, that piece of evidence led police to Krista Halderson’s body.

As important as that Snapchat screenshot was, there were still further clues linking Chandler to his parents’ death, including blood samples and bone fragments found in the Halderson family fireplace. Reportedly, Chandler shot his father at least twice when he scheduled a meeting with the college where Chandler was supposedly enrolled. Krista’s cause of death was never determined.

With Mellender’s screenshot included, and all evidence was combined and presented at trial, Chandler was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, per CBS News. Two charges, however, were later vacated on a technicality. As of 2023, Chandler Halderson remains behind bars, with no chance of parole. He pleaded not guilty.