Megan Hargan sentenced to life in prison for killing mom, sister in 2017

Jury finds Megan Hargan guilty of killing her mom and sister

A Fairfax County jury has found Megan Hargan, the woman accused of murdering her mother and sister in 2017, guilty on all counts. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 26.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - Megan Hargan received two consecutive life sentences on Friday for killing her mother and sister in July 2017.

Hargan was convicted in September 2023 for the first degree murder of her mother, Pamela, 63, and her sister, Helen, 24. She was first found guilty in March 2022, and in November 2022 was granted a new trial due to alleged juror misconduct.

Along with the two life sentences, Hargan also received an additional six years on two weapons charges.

Officials say Hargan shot Pamela and Helen in Pamela's home in McLean. She then staged the house as a murder-suicide, claiming that Helen had killed their mom before killing herself.

Evidence at trial showed that Megan, who was buying a house in West Virginia, resented that her mother wasn't helping her financially but was helping her sister to buy a house.

The day before the murders, Megan attempted to transfer upwards of $400,000 from her mother’s bank account to pay for Megan’s new house. The transaction was flagged as fraud.

"Megan Hargan’s actions in July 2017 go beyond what most of us can imagine. On a quiet Friday morning in her mother’s home, she made an irreversible decision – one that would devastate her family and tear the community apart," said Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano. "First-degree murder is the most serious offense you can be convicted of in Virginia, and today’s sentence reflects the gravity of the defendant’s crimes."