Megan Hargan in a 2018 booking photo.
Jurors convicted a Virginia woman on Monday of killing her mother and sister and then staging the scene to look like a murder-suicide.
Megan Hargan, 39, made it seem like younger sibling Helen Hargan, 23, shot Pamela Hargan, 63, according to prosecutors in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Defendant Hargan was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, and two counts of use of a firearm. She killed her mom Pamela and sister Helen on July 14, 2017 after Pamela did not give her $400,000 for her to buy a home, prosecutors said. Megan also allegedly believed her mother favored her sister over her.
“We in Fairfax County have no tolerance for such disregard for human life and I am committed to addressing crimes of this magnitude with the seriousness they merit,” Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano. “We will be asking or a substantial sentence that reflects the seriousness of the crime.”
Jurors later Monday recommended life in prison.
The killer tried to make fraudulent money transfers from her mother’s account the day before and the day of the murders, Fairfax County Police Major Ed O’Carroll said at the time of her 2018 arrest. Defendant Hargan shot both women using a .22 caliber rifle to make sure they didn’t stop her, prosecutors said, according to The Washington Post.
Helen’s fiancé Carlos Guitierrez testified that he was in Texas when she called him frightened and sobbing from the family home in Virginia in a series of calls to say that Megan killed their mother Pamela. He said he implored her to leave but she said she was worried for Megan’s daughter, who was also in the home.
Gutierrez said he eventually could no longer reach Helen. Prosecutors said Megan shot her sister. Gutierrez said he received strange texts from Helen’s phone, but he believed that Megan had sent them impersonating Helen.
“Everything is fine,” a message stated. “I’m not mad at Megan.”
[Screenshot via Fairfax County Police Department]