Megan Hargan's retrial ends in guilty verdict
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - A jury has found a woman guilty of murdering her mother and sister, whose 2017 deaths were initially believed to be a murder-suicide.
The jury returned with a verdict Friday after deliberations began Thursday afternoon over Megan Hargan’s second trial for the murders. Megan was also found guilty of two counts of using a firearm in commission of a felony.
The 40-year-old was first found guilty in March 2022 for the 2017 murders of her mother Pamela Hargan and sister Helen Hargan. In November 2022, Megan was granted a new trial due to alleged juror misconduct.
The shooting deaths on July 14, 2017, were initially believed to be a murder-suicide. During the 2022 trial, prosecutors presented evidence suggesting Megan was angry because she believed her mother Pamela favored her younger sister, Helen, after Pamela did not make a $400,000 wire transfer to purchase a home for Megan.
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Police later announced the initially presumed murder-suicide scene had been staged and Megan had shot both women.
Closing arguments concluded Wednesday afternoon, with prosecutors suggesting Megan attempted fraudulent money transfers from her mother’s account on the day of the murders and the day before.
Evidence submitted in court also revealed Megan’s hands had gun residue on them hours after the shooting.
Retrial for woman accused of killing mom, sister underway
Jurors will begin deliberating Thursday the fate of a woman on trial for the second time for the murders of her mother and sister. Megan Hargan was first found guilty in March 2022 for the 2017 murders of her mother Pamela Hargan and sister Helen Hargan. FOX 5's Lili Zheng has the latest details on what went down in court today.
Megan’s defense team argued prosecutors did prove their theory and the entire case was circumstantial, dependent on "bad investigative work".
Instead, they suggested Helen Hargan killed the sisters’ mother Pamela over a dispute regarding Helen’s boyfriend before turning the gun on herself.
New trial for woman accused of killing mom, sister reaches crucial point
The fate of a woman accused of killing her mother and sister is now in the hands of jurors.
"Pamela and Helen were loved by many, and their deaths in 2017 tore this community apart, with the added shock and horror of being killed in their own home by a family member," Fairfax County's Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano said in a statement. "When the first conviction was vacated, I promised that my office would continue to fight for justice for the Hargan family and for the community, and today we have obtained that outcome. Today’s guilty verdict has been a long time coming, and I hope the Pam and Helen’s loved ones will be able to take one step closer to healing."