S11, Chapter 3: Cat Mellender

0:00 A quick note before this episode begins, our podcast host requires us to run pre roll ads on each episode. This also helps us earn a little bit of money, which in turn keeps the podcast going. Since we're an independent show, every dollar makes a huge difference. If you want to skip the ads, I encourage you just fast forward about thirty seconds, or we have all of our episodes add free on Patreon each time someone joins, I see your name and I'm truly grateful for you. If you do want to support the show, that's patreon dot com slash Tapes from the Dark Side. The episode will begin after this quick ad. Tapes from the Dark Side contains descriptions of violence and sexuality. Listener discretion is advised that just a couple quick followup questions for some verification. Okay, any fire pits at the house? Uh yeah, in the back yard. Okay, did you all use it it all? They used it before, not recently, Okay, Like they use it to like burn brushes though that they like cut off near the like you know, how they're on the water. There's like some bushes or like weeds that come there. They usually like rip them out, burn them, or like they burned the like stick stuff all down. Yeah, hm hmm,

1:38 have any updates? Oh, just trying to figure it out. So you said he had a did he try to make a dump run on Saturday? Do you know what he was gonna throw away? There's like a turp of like you know, a layer of dirt and like grass on it because his parents just planted a tree before they left at the front yard. Where's the heart bat driveway? Okay? So it was still? It was there yesterday, I know there were today. Yeah. So did he actually go to the dump? No, it was close, he knew it was. I don't know if he went there or like googled it that it was closed, But it's been in the same squad, so just assume he googled it.

2:29 Did Liz not call my mom yet? I gave her the number last night, so I talked already. Oh that's a good question. I gave her my mom and her fiance's number. Okay, so she's got both. Crescent Lassai is my mom's fiance. I'll call it Cres for short, Okay. Crescent Lassai aka Cress will come to play an important role in this case, specifically a key interaction that she has with chain in the pool at her farm, which we'll later hear her testify about in court. And you go by cat, but it's actually I c ad h r Yan. Has he been So he's been in your car, but he never actually drove it this weekend since Thursday. My mom and dad laughed and tall, not that I recall him driving it, No, but he's been in it, okay, usually already shocked. Then he does yeah, like if I'm tired one night, like he'll drive, or like I just don't feel like driving. But that's before the fall. You might have missed it if you weren't paying close attention.

3:51 Kat said that sometimes Chandler would drive her car, but that was quote before the fall. Soon enough we'll learn all about Chandler Small that text message that you said, so sunny, he gets a text message from his mom? Did you hear it? Ding? How do you know he got like? How do you know he got a text message from her? He told me he just told you. Was it just kind of out of the blue or did he go and look at his phone and say, oh my mom send me a text? Or up in conversation like, oh I got to text my mom earlier do you remember. Yeah, just then he mentioned that he got a text from his mom, my mom, watch here. Yeah, she wanted to make sure that if we were around chand lerning to let him know that she's thinking of him too, because this is probably just one big misunderstanding. Oh, Mitch called me. Can I call Mitch back?

4:39 That's his brother. Okay, So any of the chores or anytime that you saw went over to the house, did you see any like storage bins? Was anyone doing anything moving anything? They have a lot of storagements in the basement, like Miss Hollerson labels them all, what are we organized? It's like she's of all three of the boys Eagle Scouts and Boy Scouts stuff okay, like a box of their legos, Okay, like bionicles, like memory stuff. Okay, if you guys go with the basement, you'll see it. Okay. If you didn't see, did you see Shandler with any storage bins? No? Okay, I didn't go out the basement for the weekend.

5:23 But is that an area you're not? Like, I'm a lot of the basement. Okay, I just didn't know. They have like a little fridge down there that they keep soda and like since their house gets so hot, sometimes Chandler will like put his uh college like apartment mattress down and like set up a table and like, you know, be on his computer down there because it's colder. Okay, and the dogs will hang out with him, the floristmen. Okay, Kay. When he sat your farm this weekend, was he were you guys at pulled the whole time? Or is he walking around property at all? Mm hmm. I mean we went on walks together, but walking's hard for him. Sure, It's not like he could run away and I wouldn't see him. But we were on each other the whole time. What the furtherest you guys walk? You think it's a big property out here? Yeah? Probably the furthest we went was like pool.

6:17 Like on Monday, he said he walked off by himself, but he was going to cry. So on Monday he walked off by himself. I will cry, Yeah, he'll cry. I was you upset about it? If mom had texted him on Sunday saying that the job things still the job thing? Yeah? And when did you find out about the job Is that Monday? Yes? Because it was right after his appointment because they like called him a chardon. Okay, Chandler's so called job thing is another recent happening that I'll fill you in on the mom text. No embarrassing baby photos. No, she's that type of mom. Your mom seems very nice. She used to sew my dance costumes. Oh really, brats weally loures me sweets are candy and Spanish? Are you bilingual? No? Oh? My, like my dad wanted to be as American as possible. You know, when my mom was here, a lot of Mexicans faced a lot of problems, and they still do so. Sadly, it was in the best interest of my life that I didn't learn Spanish. Okay, sorry to go deep like that, You're good. I honestly ask him many questions. Sometimes I think that's your job, though some would say some might say it's also my job to go deep, at least my self appointed job, to ask questions, to try to find answers or at least context. But in the realm of true crime, there's an ethical line that is sometimes thin, sometimes so thin you're

7:54 not sure when you've crossed it. And that's why I've debated whether to include the following information about Cat's father in this episode. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that it helps to tell a more complete version of Kat's story, and to be frank, I think she's gotten a little bit of a raw deal on this podcast up until this point. What I mean by that is I've played for you her prison phone calls with Chandler, which by the way, all occurred pre trial, before Chandler was decided to be innocent or guilty, and I've played those for you without much context. In doing so, I realized that I've put her in an awkward position, not quite guilt by association, but maybe something adjacent to that. I will say in my defense that if this story was only going to be one or two episodes along, I would not have presented it that way. And so now I'll stop rambling and share with you what I found about Kat's father. I'll also quickly note that all the information that I'm about to tell you is publicly available. Clayton Melnder died at the age of thirty nine in July two thousand and seven.

9:03 Kat was only six years old at the time. The cause of death was listed as a ruptured artery. According to his obituary. Clayton was kind hearted, compassionate, and hard working, but unfortunately, like all of us, he also had a dark side, unseen by most but documented nonetheless. Clayton's first felony was in nineteen eighty nine, when he was found guilty of forgery and burglary. He served one year in the local jail in Dane County and was ordered to five years probation. Around one year later, he was again found guilty of burglary, and likely because he was already on probation, the sentence was more harsh five years in state prison. Three years later, in nineteen ninety three, he was again found guilty of burglary and sentenced to eight years probation. Fast forward to two thousand and two, Kat would have just been one, maybe two years old, Clayton was found guilty attempted robbery with threat of force. He served a year and a half in prison and six year supervision with random drug testing and a parole officer. In two thousand and four, when his sentence was up, his supervision period was revoked and he served an additional one year in eight months. In March of two thousand and four, Deulce Catherine's mother and Clayton's wife filed for divorce. Three months later.

10:22 In June of two thousand and four, Clayton was found guilty of retail theft. He served thirty days in jail. One month later, in July of the same year, he was found guilty of retail theft and worthless checks. He served one year in jail in six months probation. The soul of Clayton Melender left this earth in two thousand and seven, but the consequences of his actions didn't disappear so quickly. There's no point in speculating how the future might have turned out for Cat had he not been in and out of prison throughout her very early childhood. We simply don't know. But to pretend that it didn't play any role at all, I think would be ignorant. Everyone does good and bad things in their life, and the last thing I would want when I pass away is for somebody on a podcast to mention my name and then rattle off a list of every wrong thing I've done. I say that to remind you that two realities can exist at the same time. The fact show us that Clayton likely struggled with a drug addiction throughout his entire life, and that this addiction possibly took his life in two thousand and seven.

11:30 This is corroborated not only by Clayton's extensive rap sheet, but also by the fact that we know he had a methodone prescription, which is a medication used to treat opiate addiction. More rarely, methodone is sometimes also used to treat infetamine abuse. Infetamines are also known to put a strain on the circulatory system and the arteries in the body, and so it's possible that infetamine use was at least partly to blame for his death in two thousand and seven. It's also undeniable that he had a long criminal history, but that doesn't mean that it might not also be true what was written in his obituary, that he was kind hearted, that he was compassionate, and that he was hardworking.

12:13 In all of the interviews I have watched and listened with Kat Melender, she never once talks bad about her deceased father. In twenty fifteen, Dulce made a public Facebook post on the eight year anniversary of Clayton's death. It's a long post and so I won't read the whole thing, but one passage specifically says, quote Clay, he took all my heart, honey, and you never give it back to me. Now. I don't expect no one to understand me or respect how I feel. But I miss you. You will be my one, immortal, my life. I wish I could see you just once again, aging and tell you so many things good and bad.

12:54 I love you. Our son, James's girlfriend is making a wonderful video and I smile for them, but deep inside I hold pain. God. I love you, Clay since the moment I saw your beautiful eyes and your bud. You took my heart with your kind heart and soul. I do tell our story, our arguments, mostly the funny ones. I couldn't be mad at you for long. I missed the flowers you bring me. I remember the day you came home with your first Spanish sentence, dolce te almo contoo, micalzone. Thank you for trying. I have a voice recording of you on my phone. I've listened to so many times, but for some reason, when he spoke Spanish, it sounded more cute. In two thousand and seven, you died, and I miss you so much. Please help me.

13:46 I know you're the only one who can understand me always. I can't write anymore. Thanks for loving me, and you know what, I love you right back. So were you on the phone with Chandler and heard him yelling about being treated like a prisoner at his house? I think so. Yeah, Okay, tell me more about that. When he wasn't allowed to leave and that was after the fall, right when he was recovery slash payback two weeks for the money that he owns them. Yeah, that sounds familiar.

14:33 Okay, was that but he still talking about being a prisoner. I don't know, like recently, just sounds familiar. That's something that he normally complained about. Yeah, like he's only allowed to leave when his parents let him leave, like their house, their rules, Like if they didn't, if they wanted him home, they'd be like no, you can't done, you know. But kind of more dramatic type thing. Okay, I know when like this is a it's a fragile situation where because they're missing, you know, we want to talk good things. Mmm. But was there was there some tension between his Chandler and his parents the money thing? I mean, if he feels like he's a prisoner, he's upset, or they will really strict. You think, Mmmm, it's like like I said, whenever we're together, his parents would text them, Like I think it's more of just like involved parent type thing, like they want to know what he's doing, where he's at. What's our plan is usually what they text, like what's your plan? Like if they want him home, like they won't let him leave, like, you know, are they like they're having dinner, are they really strict? I mean, as are a conversation going on at the dinner table, talk about our days. His mom's like this is I can recreate his mom's like Chandler has news and like like I have news, you know, and she's like your job, you know, like joking over

16:03 the dinner table, you know. And his is his dad a strict father and a lot of dads are really strict, Like he's strict, but like he still makes jokes, laughs with them, like I said, fishes with them. The prisoner thing. I think he was just being dramatic, Like who what kid wouldn't call their parents a prisoner if they're like not allowed to leave often or like they want to go do something and their parents are like, no, you know, like that's just my perspective. I'm not trying to be like oh no, no, no, no, no chance. Remember, it's like just sounds like a normal kid thing to say to me, Like, I mean his parents, like, because if it was up to us, we would hang out with each other every day. Seems claggy, but like we're each other's best friends, Like I want to hang out with my best friends every day. But like his parents, you know, obviously want to spend family time with him. So like he wasn't allow so we'd be like they won't let me leave. Sorry, you know, and like those two weeks were like a long time. Okay, so you think that probably happened in the last two weeks. So you said that person common.

17:12 Maybe it was a comment like I'm not gonna have a time stand for that. I don't know. Maybe it was I don't know if it was over FaceTime or something. Okay, sure, but you didn't think much of it. You're just like, Oh, he's just complaining that he's not able to leave. Yeah, okay, I mean he's allowed to vent to me for his girlfriend, so I just thought he was venting, okay, And like when you're frustrated. It's better to get it out there instead of bottle it in. Like we've all said things that we don't mean when we're bad. Let's be real, m Okay, I agree with you. Do you guys think it's Chandler or something. We're just making sure that we're okay because you're asking a lot of questions about it. But that's what my friends that are. We're like, Okay, he's like the only one who lives with them, so and like he's the only when I have a relationship with Like I'm not you know, Caitlin, I'm not. I can't answer questions about Mitch right. But it's still like because like the shock I will feel and like I think I would just be so mentally fucked up if, like I found out he did that, Like it just seems not Chandler at all.

18:22 Yeah, I'm not gonna cry yet, sweaty day. Who's the what's the Chandler like that? You know? What is Chandler? Like the person Chandler is too? What is he like? Chandler? My boyfriend loves Star Wars fishing, Like I'll pretend to be man. I'd be like Ohn, what I do this time old man pretty much did I just get locked in? No, he got left, Okay, I was like I don't definitely not locked in. Probably loves fishing gaming. So when he came over to the house today, what was the conversation like between Mitch and and Chadler? Ah, just hey, how are you like? Showing him the keys that he found, like taking him upstairs, like hey, please look around and see if I missed anything. So Chandler's telling Mitchell to look around the house if I missed anything. Yeah, Like do you know, like do you know what these keys go to? Like do you think they're the stairs for the cabin? Like Mitch took them with them to see like they he said Mitch was being short with him today, you know, but they're out in his dress, so it makes sense. And like they're like, did they leave you any notes? And like he showed them the note, They're like do they usually leave this? Like is this a normal thing? He's like no,

19:55 And Mitchell's like, because he had your appointment one day, right, because like yeah, and he was like yeah, that's exactly why. And like they went like I think to the garage to look at the cars too, to see if like they noticed anything or in like the basement, but like I toltally is I just sat on the couch, gave them their time. Brother, Tim, who do you say is Chandler's closest friend Smith Smith? And Smith's back in Kansas? In Kansas, he was there for like a day, stepped and had was a breakfast or dinner or something, breakfast, hung out all day, like we went swimming in the Wisconsin River, showed him around, took them the Culver's never had before. Smith from here, Kansas? No, I know what I'm saying? Is he from up here? Where do they meet at? Video games? Oh? Okay, video games? Friends? So Smith came up to visit because they met video gaming, hung out a day and then pretty much all right, sorry, my friends are like where are you? So you don't think there's any way that Chandler's involved in the disappearance. No, I told Liz that, like, if it's Chandler, I'm gonna be severely mentally fucked up after this, Like I just I just can't see it being him, Like if it was,

21:26 would you would you help him? Fuck? No, I'm sorry, excuse my French, Like that's fucking crazy, Like I could no, Like, I'm sorry, Like I can't stay in blood, Like blood scares me, like dead bodies, Like I was good at dissections, but like that's animals. But like killing people, especially like mister or missus Holderson. I'm sorry. That's like different levels are fucked up. Okay, Like I'm sorry that I'm freaking out now, but like like mm hmm, but no, but you had nothing to do with their disappearance. No, you don't think Chandler dead. Do you think anybody Mitchell? Do you think he would have anything to do with it? No? I just can't see people wanting to hurt them. Like that's the thing. That's why we're so warried, like we don't know who would do this to them. Like okay, parts of us are like wishing like that they're just at a scene of blowing all their money and they're gonna be in debt or something like but I got gambling before, not that I'm aware of. It's just just a wishful thought. Yeah, okay, So a couple of questions. One, what would the possibility be for us to take your cell phone and analyze it. We're trying to verify some things that all the time stamps same, right, So I mean

22:59 you have all the pictures, so we have a guy that could download it while you're here, like you wouldn't have to leave it with us, and he can limit what he mm hmmm looks at not gonna, lie, I don't. We don't have We don't care about those, Okay, we don't. All we care about is the sex messages from you Chandler, snapchat history, any social media stuff, and we're really just looking for probably would you say this first until the first until today July first, insult today locations on what she said. But yeah, if there's any like inappropriate photos, I totally don't care about those. I just care some. Nope, No, we're not gonna. We don't even want to look at it. They've been sent through text stands there. I don't want to look at it. So I don't think animal's got to look at it. He's gonna just so the way that he can do it, just do it from us certain parameters.

24:00 So July first or second until today, totally go just from that. Everything else. We don't go through all of your stuff. It's just a very specific time and the only reason that we're doing is just to make sure that we have all the time stamps. Don't care about anybody wills promise I care about my butte. I don't want to see it, so promise we're not gonna be trying to grab it an It sounds pretty much Chandler, so oh that's fun. Can't send it to anyone else. Out of all the police interrogations I've watched, Kat is one of the most cooperative interviewees that I've ever seen. She agrees to let the police scan her phone, and she also lets them take a DNA swab of the inside of her cheek. This is called a buckle cell sample. Her only stipulation is that they must first pinky promise not to plant evidence in an attempt to frame her. Well, I find out you guys planted evidence and you broke a pinky promise, I'm gonna be very disappointed. Can be disappointed. I don't whiz. I do a lot of things, but line is not one of them. Goodness, the tranceler for you guys is oh, you guys don't know, but not you.

25:11 Yeah, you get to ride back to them, and at least Chandler, I have nothing to hide. So I was like talking to them. I was like, oh, it just makes zero sense everything, Like there's just too many different things thrown in there, and it's like you just can't find how they all connect, you know. And I'm like, my phone helps. My phone helps, you know, right, it does help, cause you take pictures of everything. M my eyes burned. I'm sure I cry so much, like I'm a huge baby. I'm not gonna lie al right, better that you get it out than ballowed in and pretend everything is fine. I see those people. I just can't keep stuff in like that.

26:07 You know, it's just too hard. I would just like explode or something. We all processing's in our own way. In mine, it's just like, please hell be it's very healthy. Do they know when Chandler is gonna be done? Yeah? I mean I think they're done. Yeah. They sounds like he's not quite as cooperative as you fair any reason why. It's probably where you guys are gonna be like, Chandler did it okay? Do you know? I think that's everyone's fear. Yeah, Like no one wants to be accused of killing their parents. I'm also, I think just a very understanding personal I look for the best and everything, but well, right now, because he's not being so quietative or forthcoming, his parents are missing, it looks like they're gonna take him into custody. I'm serious.

27:06 I don't know what the charges are yet, but right now it's just going to be because of the missing person's investigation in him lying, lying to the detectives. Why he's lying? I mean, I you know we're all wondering. Can I you probably know him best? Why do you? Why do you think he's not being truthful? Doesn't want to depend on him? I guess can I talk to him before he goes? Right now? I think they've already walked him down. Why did you ask? Why? Sorry? I just depended on him. Do you think do you think he could have had anything to do with this? And if he did, do you think there's any help in him to disappearance? Did anybody help him? Could anybody have helped him? Okay, so we're just trying to find where his parents are. I mean the same thing is when you have someone that lives in the house with them and they're lying and not cooperating. What is he lying about? I don't know, Okay, I don't know, just because we we were in with you. We have other detectives that we're talking to him.

28:26 That's great. I mean, you've been super cooperative and trying to get your phone back. If it's not gonna be done anytime soon, we can get you a ride somewhere. Has someone picked you up? Can I get a ride back to Chandlers? That's where my car is? And I'm that's gonna be something else. I quietly said that. So they're probably going to want to leave the They're gonna leave your car there? No, at the house cause he was in it all weekend. Mmm, No, I'm sorry, and I have places to be. That's my car. Like, if I'm being cooperative, why do you have to take my car because Chandler's not and he was in your car. So there's chance that there's DNA in there that we need to get. But don't I have to consent to that or you need like a court order or something because it's that his house they're looking at. They're looking at writing a warrant at the house. So if they write a warran at the house, your cars in the driveway they're gonna want because he was in there. They're worried about him. The detectives really think that he probably had something, you know, maybe to do with with the disappearance. So right now we had to investigate all all avenues. And I know, I want to know where they are. You want to know where they are? Can I at least throw my clothes from inside of there?

29:48 Yeah? What do you? What do you have in there? Bags of clothes? Your dirty laundry? Yeah? So there's like no way I can tell to him at all. Right, I know it's downstairs. Is that where they like jail is? I'll favor mm say, have you heard this way? Okay? Sort, So there's no way you could talk to him.

30:29 Oh, I guess he'll be able to probably use someone at some point. Right now? How long are they gonna hold time? Yesterday? Thursday? We all depends on when he sees the judge. I had to see the judge you get out. Could be tomorrow, it could be after that. I think I can go. I can't just see him. I'm sorry to they tell you anything else? I can? I not know. No, I'm actually want to do something else real quick? That much? That much does anyone told his brother? Don't know? Are these expecting us?

31:18 Let me find out the detectives leave the room and Kat is left alone with only her thoughts and a cream soda flavored lollipop to keep her company. And although it's clear through Kat's jailhouse phone calls with Chandler that she's nowhere near to coming to terms with the facts that Chandler murdered his parents for the first time, the gravity of the situation sets in. Bart and Krista Halderson are likely dead, and her boyfriend is the lead suspect. The room is empty except for Kat, but the camera continues to record her movements. She sinks into the beige couch and quietly cries to herself. Thank you to our producers who make the show possible. Jessica Cooper, Fiona Gibson, Jody c Sundin Ray,

32:52 They'll Say, Katalan, Malorie Bitterman, Santana Savine, Noah Schultz, Vanessa Miller, Gina White, Bunk, Go Tyler Ernster, Sherry Sly, Shelley Jones, Alexis, Kathleen and Greg b. Thank you to our new five Dollars members, Margaret Ray, Jason, Irvin Nicola Chesterman, Laura Hart, Jacqueline O'Brien, Robin Ryder, and Linda Evans. If you'd like to chip in and help support the show, you can do so at patreon dot com. Slash tapes from the dark Side Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight. We can try. I don't know like what he's so, we have different areas, so I don't know where he is in the booking process. I don't know what he's on Suicide Watch, I don't know.

33:46 I don't know any of that. We just have different premers. So if he's cool, then we can give him your number. Yeah, super hardy h. Don't think you did that. I just want to talk too much. The Dugs are a dark Side dark stage. I'm glad you're home. Get the hell out of my house. In Jesus' name, I pray, m hm