Ohio community reacts to murderer's execution

Willshire, Ohio (WANE) - At 4:25 p.m. the man who raped and killed a mother and her two teenage daughters took his last breath, and many in the small town of Willshire, Ohio sighed in relief. It’s been a crime that has haunted the town of about 500 people for more than 20 years.

Chandler, 65, was executed by lethal injection at a Florida prison Tuesday.

Mayor Sharon Krall told NewsChannel 15, she would have to believe nearly everyone in Willshire knew what was happening today.

“In fact, on one of the news programs this morning it showed a picture of him and I thought, ‘Well he finally got what his due justice’,” she said.

She said it’s hard for a town to move on when an investigation lasts 3 years and then a killer is on death row for 17.

“You just hate that it happened, how it could have happened, you know? It’s just beyond anything you could imagine,” she said.

Joan, Michelle, and Christe’s graves sit just off the road in a small cemetery. Thursday they were decorated with white crosses and purple flowers. Three red roses lay on the markers and Krall said hopefully with Chandler’s death, the three women can now finally rest in peace.

“I think when you're in a rural community you have more of an awareness of it than if you're in a city and areas like that.”

Hal Rogers, the father and husband left behind has never once spoke to Indiana media about losing his family. Tuesday afternoon he sat directly across from their killer in the witness room, separated by glass.

“It's always more difficult on the family, but hopefully for the husband and the father of the girls, you know you hope he has some peace,” said Krall. “But I think it would be very hard to get over something like that.”