Megan Hargan Sentenced To Life For 2017 Killing Of Her Mother, Sister

MCLEAN, VA — Megan Hargan was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in a Fairfax County courtroom on Friday for the 2017 killing of her mother and sister at her mother’s house in McLean.

Hargan, 41, was convicted in September of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of using a firearm in commission of a felony. An initial jury found Hargan guilty in November 2022, but that conviction was vacated due to juror misconduct.

For the firearms charges, Hargan was sentenced to an additional six years.

“Megan Hargan’s actions in July 2017 go beyond what most of us can imagine,” Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said in a statement Friday. “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.”

READ ALSO: Woman Convicted Of Killing Mother, Sister At McLean Home In 2nd Trial

On July 14, 2017, Hargan shot her mother Pamela, 63, and her sister Helen, 24, in Pamela Hargan's McLean home where the three were living at the time, along with Megan Hargan’s then-8-year-old daughter, prosecutors argued. Hargan then staged the house as a murder-suicide and claimed her younger Helen had killed their mom before killing herself, according to prosecutors.

Megan Hargan maintained her innocence through the two trials.

On July 13, 2017, the day before the killings, Megan Hargan attempted to transfer about $400,000 from her mother’s bank account to pay for her new house, which was closing that day, according to evidence. The transaction was flagged as fraud, and the next day, Megan Hargan shot her mother before attempting to make the same wire transfer again from her mother’s account, according to prosecutors. She then shot her sister Helen, who was upstairs, prosecutors said.

The two women were killed by a .22 rifle, which belonged to Megan Hargan’s husband and was being stored in the McLean house temporarily, according to prosecutors.

Megan Hargan was arrested near her home in Monongalia County, West Virginia on Nov. 9, 2018 in connection with the killings.

"This was a complicated case to prosecute, and we would not be here today without the detectives, witnesses, and family members who persisted through two lengthy, emotional trials," Descano said. "I want to express my gratitude for their resolve in bringing this case to justice."

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