Posted on 01/12/2022 9:57:51 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. — The homicide trial for Chandler Halderson will be put on hold until at least next week after Halderson tested positive for COVID-19, the judge in the case ruled Wednesday morning.
Judge John Hyland informed the jury of a positive test among someone integral to the case, but did not reveal it was Halderson himself after his defense team expressed concern that the diagnosis could possibly cause jurors to hold it against him in some way.
All attorneys for the defense and the prosecution left the courtroom and appeared via Zoom as the jury was informed, while Halderson listened in on the phone.
RELATED: Chandler Halderson tests positive for COVID-19, trial to be delayed
“I do not believe that you in any way would have been subject to exposure, but I do have to suspend our proceedings for a period of time because we cannot do any of our work through remote access, through Zoom or any other means,” Judge Hyland told the jury.
Attorneys on both sides agreed that the trial could not proceed via Zoom. Defense attorneys also said it was Chandler Halderson’s wish not to ask for a mistrial due to the pause in the case.
Due to CDC guidelines on quarantining and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday on Monday, Judge Hyland said the earliest the trial could resume is Tuesday, January 18. Jurors will be contacted on Friday with an updated timeline on when they will be asked to return. Jurors were also provided rapid at-home tests by the county if they wanted additional assurance they were not exposed.
MORE: Full coverage of the Chandler Halderson homicide investigation and trial — live stream, previous stories, timelines and interviews
Halderson’s test results came back positive after proceedings ended in day six of the trial on Tuesday evening. Just minutes before the result was discovered, prosecutors had told the judge they expected to wrap up their case by Friday.
The Dane County Jail is experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, officials announced separately on Monday, with higher numbers than they have seen at any point in the pandemic.
Jurors will be under a court order to continue not discussing or seeking out information on the case during the pause. Judge Hyland said as long as jurors follow the order, he is confident the trial can resume fairly.
Is this the jag-off that ran down all those innocent people in the Christmas parade in Waukesha?
I listened to the testimony yesterday up until the Judge announced that he was adjourning early for the day and that he expected only one more week before the case would be turned over to the jury. I guess that this development moves the goalpost for one more week.
So far, the evidence is overwhelming that the defendant is guilty. The only question is, “what was the role of the girlfriend”. The prosecutor told the jury that she had nothing to do with it, but they have not introduced any evidence absolving of such involvement. Her behavior is very odd: an uber controlling person who had issues with the parents. I think that, at the least, she knew that the parents had been killed by the defendant. I guess that the $1 million life insurance would go a long way to buying the $700K house that she liked in FL.
The Waukesha Christmas Parade Murder Trial is coming up later in the year.
This is the kid (23 yo) who killed both of his parents, chopped them up, partially burned them in the fireplace and then scattered the rest of their remains around a few Wisconsin counties.
Just a little Covid-related delay. He’ll never see freedom again.
Hey! Kind of like the REST of us these days! *SPIT*
He gonna be the stah of the show after the fair trial.
I have my doubts about her, too. I don’t think she partook in the murders, but she didn’t come forward all that fast, either.
Saw a murder show last night. Pregnant girlfriend (16!) decided she wanted Baby Daddy gone, so she found a killer through a girlfriend (who initially suggested it!) and the Baby Daddy was shot and bludgeoned.
When all was said and done, the guy that did the actual killing got a commuted sentence (CA Governor Jerry Brown, of course!) after serving 18 years. So, he’s free. The girl who found the hit man for her girlfriend got 15 years, so she’s now free. The girlfriend ended up with life in prison, no parole, for putting things in motion.
This took 8 years to figure out!
Interesting outcome. The two sets of Grandparents raised the little girl that she ended up having.
Naw, this is a white kid who chopped his parents up.
The defendant is an idiot, he is clearly guilty. However, his girlfriend is not an idiot. She knows what she is doing and what it takes to manipulate her boyfriend. When she spent the night with her boyfriend at his parent’s house after he killed and roasted his parents in the fireplace, should I believe that she never noticed the strange odor?
At least, she knew what he did and helped him to cover up the murders.
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