Kansas couple Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness are found dead by their parents before a family fish fry in 2002. A years-long search for evidence and three criminal trials over two decades reveal strained dynamics within one victim’s family. Andrea Canning reports.Keith Morrison and Andrea Canning go behind the scenes of the making of this episode in ‘Talking Dateline’ Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/4lolXXvListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2wiUTqrU61T5FQXvyMVgfy
Chapter 1: What happened to Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness?
Tonight on Dateline. There was tape all around the property. My grandma told me that my dad and Karen's been shot and killed.
It was violent. They called it a crime of passion.
Someone with a lot of rage in them had to do that.
We didn't have DNA, fingerprints, anything like that.
The family felt like you weren't doing enough because there's no arrest.
Yeah, I know it's incredibly frustrating for them.
You put your detective hat on.
I did. I had a digital recorder.
I was able to record both sides of the conversation.
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Chapter 2: How did the investigation into their deaths begin?
Soon the police would show up. There'd be plenty of theories.
When he told me what had happened, I knew who did it. This is that crazy psychopath.
But would there be enough evidence? You've got all these receipts and gas and you're doing all the math, but... Nothing physical, no. The only thing certain in that moment, two people in love were gone. Their celebration over. It was the end of a long Fourth of July weekend. Mike Sisko and Karen Harkness had planned a small cookout for that Sunday afternoon, July 7, 2002.
Just the two of them and their parents on the back deck of Karen's house in Topeka, Kansas. Carol Sisko is Mike's mother.
They had invited us for a fish fry, and so the Wurzwicks and I had got there about the same time. So this is Karen's parents? Yes. And so we all got out of the car, knocked on the door. No one answered. So we went around to the back.
they saw the sliding glass door was slightly open. They stepped inside, into the kitchen, took a bottle of wine out of the fridge, and made themselves comfortable.
We were on the main floor, and they had a brochure of Jamaica on the table, too. A fun trip plant. And we looked around. I mean, we could tell that they hadn't planned dinner. Yeah, they should have been starting to cook and have the food out. Yeah, you know, we hollered for the kids and started looking around.
Karen's dad headed downstairs to her bedroom. Within minutes, he was back, his face pale.
He says they've been shot.
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Chapter 3: What evidence was found during the investigation?
Oh, my goodness.
Emptied, shot it dry.
That sounds like rage.
Yes, exactly. And that's what it looked like, was rage.
Someone's sending a message with this killing, these killings. Yes.
Definitely.
A message for sure. But from whom? The police are looking at everyone initially as a possible suspect.
Oh, of course.
Including you.
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