Search teams seen on pond near Halderson home

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Dane Co. Sheriff’s Office dive teams and a cadaver dog searched a pond near the home of Bart and Krista Halderson, as the search continues for the latter. The remains of Bart Halderson were located earlier this month and his son, Chandler, has been charged with homicide in his death.

Dane Co. Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson Elise Schaffer said they began draining the pond to gain better access in the afternoon. She said a cadaver dog alerted them to certain areas in the pond, but crews had not found anything significant. Search efforts wrapped up around 6:30 p.m. Thursday, with plans to keep going Friday.

“In the deepest areas its about 12 feet deep, so we are trying to lower that,” Schaffer said. “That will give us a better view of the shoreline and it will make things easier for our divers.”

The search is not the result of any specific tips, she explained, and searchers went there because of its proximity to the Halderson’s home.

“It’s just an obvious location that we would want to search for evidence or anything that might be related to this crime,” she said.

The Sheriff’s Office and Dane Co. Medical Examiner is still working to identify other remains that were found along the Wisconsin River, near the town of Roxbury.

Earlier this week, the Sheriff’s Office reported deputies and a Madison Police Dept. K-9 were combing through a Waste Management landfill, near Johnson Creek. That search is still ongoing. Since making that announcement, authorities have not said if anything was located there.

The remains of Krista Halderson’s husband, Bart, were found on July 8, in rural Cottage Grove. Krista is still considered a missing person in the investigation.

The couple’s son, Chandler Halderson, has been arrested in connection with his father’s death and faces a first-degree homicide charge, as well as charges of hiding and mutilating a corpse and giving false information on a kidnapped or missing person.

In a court appearance last Thursday, court commissioner Brian Ausmus set the younger Halderson’s bail at $1 million. Prosecutors noted during the hearing that they expect to file more charges against him at a later date.

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