MCLEAN, Va. — A Virginia woman convicted twice in the 2017 deaths of her mother and sister was sentenced Friday to two consecutive life sentences.
In July 2017, Fairfax County Police found the bodies of 23-year-old Helen Hargan and 63-year-old Pamela Hargan inside Pamela Hargan's McLean home. Detectives initially believed that Helen Hargan had killed her mother with a rifle before killing herself.
However, in November 2018, police would make an arrest in the case that would change the investigation completely, charging Megan Hargan, from West Virginia, in both killings.
Megan Hargan was first found guilty in March 2022 when a jury convicted her on two counts of first-degree murder, and two counts of using a firearm in committing a felony. The jury recommended a life sentence for the murders.
In November 2022, however, Judge Brett Kassabian overturned the conviction after he learned a jury member re-enacted the defense’s claim that Helen Hargan shot herself, which is considered misconduct.
After a second trial, she was convicted again, in September 2023, on all charges.
"At the end of the day, real justice would be for these people to be back with us," In many ways, the justice system getting a guilty verdict doesn't feel whole but at least we can give the surviving family members a sense of accountability and provide a path to healing," Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano said Friday.
The Commonwealth argued Megan Hargan was plotting to defraud her mother of more than $400,000 to close on a new home when she shot her execution-style, before killing Helen Hargan out of jealousy and fear of being caught.
On Friday, Defense attorney Andy Elders asked the judge for 33 years and 11 months to "show an act of mercy," saying he wanted the judge to consider Megan Hargan's tumultuous and abusive upbringing and lack of violent crime history.
Throughout all trials, Megan Hargan maintained her innocence, with the defense claiming Helen Hargan killed their mother and then used her toe to pull the trigger on the rifle to kill herself.
Kassbian called Megan Hargan's actions "sinister, chilling and cold-bloodily premeditated" for trying to frame her dead sister.
"You victimized her and her family again and maintained it until the jury recognized the deceit for what it was," the judge told Megan Hargan Friday when handing down her sentence.
He sentenced her to two consecutive life sentences for the two first-degree murder charges and eight additional years for the firearms charges.
Helen Hargan's sister and boyfriend were in the courtroom Friday, and while they didn't testify they provided a statement to the judge. Megan Hargan did not make any comments.
The defense said they plan to appeal.
"She didn't commit these offenses," Elders told the judge. "She's not responsible for these offenses."
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