GUILTY VA - Helen Hargan, 23, Pamela Hargan, 63, Staged Murder-Suicide, McLean, 14 July 2017 *Guilty again in 2023*

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Legally Bland

Legally Bland

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McLEAN, Va. -- Police have arrested a woman and charged her with the 2017 deaths of her sister and mother and staging the crime scene to look like a murder-suicide. When 23-year-old Helen Hargan and her mother, 63-year-old Pamela Hargan, were found dead in a McLean home in July 2017, police initially reported the deaths as a murder-suicide.

But at a press conference Friday, Fairfax County Police said detectives quickly realized the crime scene had been staged. Megan Hargan was arrested Friday morning in Monongalia County, West Virginia.

Fairfax County Police Maj. Ed O'Carroll said the 35-year-old Hargan tried to obtain money from her mother's bank account fraudulently on both the day of the slayings and the day prior.

Tammy North, Pamela Hagan's sister, told CBS affiliate WUSA-TV that she was not surprised by the arrest. "I've known that it was coming, and now it's here. It was like it all blew up in your face," North said.
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Woman staged 2017 deaths of mom and sister to look like murder-suicide, police say


Victims:

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WzIxMTExMTIwMTgsImN4by5hIiwiaHR0cHM6Ly9pLmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay8xcy8yMDE4LzExLzExLzIxLzYwNTk3OTgtNjM3ODA0NS1pbWFnZS1hLTYzXzE1NDE5NzMzODQyOTUuanBnIiwicm5kNzg1NyIsImYwNWE4MjIiXQ==



Suspect:

WzIxMTExMTIwMTgsImN4by5hIiwiaHR0cHM6Ly9pLmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay8xcy8yMDE4LzExLzExLzIxLzYwNTg4NTItNjM3ODA0NS1pbWFnZS1hLTUxXzE1NDE5NzMyODkwNTkuanBnIiwicm5kNzg1NyIsImYwNWE4MjIiXQ==


Authorities were first alerted to the shooting after Helen's boyfriend, Carlos, called from Dallas.

Carlos told police that his girlfriend had called to tell him that her sister had killed her mother, according to WUSA9.

When authorities arrived on the scene, Pamela's body was found in the laundry room. There were shell casings strewn about her body.

Helen's body was found in the bedroom, a gun by her side. Both women had died of rifle wounds to the head.

Pamela's death was immediately ruled a homicide, but Helen's cause of death was undetermined.

Authorities initially believed Helen (right) had shot her mother dead and then committed suicide. But now it is Megan Hargan who is the prime suspect.

Police said they realized early on that the crime scene was staged.

'It was made to look one way,' Maj Ed O'Carroll said during a press conference on Friday.

'Our detectives are smart and we realized that that necessarily wasn't the case, and we followed up on every lead.'

O'Carroll said it was 'not very long at all' before detectives realized there was more to the story, but they kept quiet about their suspicions so as not to alert Hargan.
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Woman, 35, arrested after she allegedly killed her mother and sister, staged crime scene | Daily Mail Online
 
How it was reported back in 2017:

Two women whose bodies were found in a house in McLean on Friday died in an apparent murder-suicide, police said Saturday.

The women were identified as Helen Lorena Hargan, 23, and her mother, Pamela Denise Hansen Hargan, 63. Hargan shot her mother and then herself, police said.
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Apparent murder-suicide leaves 2 women dead in McLean
 
Fairfax County PD press conference:

A 35-year-old woman is facing charges in the murder of her mom and sister. On July 14, 2017, 23-year-old Helen Lorena Hargan and her mother, 63-year-old Pamela Denise Hansen Hargan were found dead in a home in the 6700 block of Dean Drive in McLean. They had both been shot. This morning, detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau arrested Megan Hargan near her home in Monongalia County, West Virginia for their murders. Watch as Major Ed O’Carroll, commander of our Major Crimes Bureau, updates the community on the investigation.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1969759719780201
 
Woman charged with killing mom, sister — FAIRFAX, Va. -- Double murder suspect Megan Hargan has waived extradition from West Virginia and is expected to be brought to Fairfax County soon to face charges.

Fairfax County Police say Hargan, charged with killing her mother and sister, could be extradited to Fairfax next week.

Megan Hargan waives extradition from West Virginia in McLean murder charges
 
Thanks for setting up this thread. When first posted the news identified Megan's boyfriend as being Carlos. With Facebook, I was able to determine that Carlos's girlfriend was Helen. He had a picture of Helen and himself as his cover photo and his friends were asking what happened to Helen. Helen had gone to SMU in Dallas and was working on her Master's Degree. It was obvious to me that it was Helen that called Carlos in fear after Meghan had shot her mother in the laundry room and soon after shot Helen who had locked herself in her bedroom. I did report Carlos's Facebook page to the police. So glad they finally arrested this evil sister.
 
Dang. What a smart young lady to have this much nothingness, assuming she did what she’s accused of. Humanity is suffering at the hands of our organic selves, it’s getting super old hoe cold, callous and manipulative these people are on the daily. It’s depressing. Sounds like everyone all but expected this entitled little **** to do exactly as she did bc she was fueled by some major drama at home. No excuse, but our children are product of their environmenuts. Such a shame all around.
 
NanZDrew said:
There was a hearing today, but I can't find news on it. Fsirfax County doesn't seem to have its criminal records publically accessible...or I can't find them.
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Post above says the hearing is on Dec. 7.

Helen sounded like she was an ambitious, intelligent young lady, and had a lot going for her. What kind of woman kills her own mother and sister? For one thing, a very jealous woman. All three of them living in the same house and likely the one eaten up with jealousy. Would the house for Helen be what set Megan off? I would think that if mom bought the house that Helen would probably buy it from her mom, or maybe mom was going to rent it to Helen, and keep ownership of the house as an investment for later rental, etc. Lots to wonder about here.

What will happen to Megan's little girl?

What a shame this is.
 
teedie2 said:
Post above says the hearing is on Dec. 7.

Helen sounded like she was an ambitious, intelligent young lady, and had a lot going for her. What kind of woman kills her own mother and sister? For one thing, a very jealous woman. All three of them living in the same house and likely the one eaten up with jealousy. Would the house for Helen be what set Megan off? I would think that if mom bought the house that Helen would probably buy it from her mom, or maybe mom was going to rent it to Helen, and keep ownership of the house as an investment for later rental, etc. Lots to wonder about here.

What will happen to Megan's little girl?

What a shame this is.
Click to expand...

Mom was a very intelligent, successful woman. Helen seemed to also show that promise. She had just gone to VA. I am not sure that she was actually living with her mom because they did not know Helen or her vehicle. She had just recently graduated from SMU in Dallas. She and her boyfriend from Dallas were planning to move to that area. Megan had lived with her mother for years. At one point Molly had a FB page after the murders and there was a picture, I think it was Thanksgiving, where Megan and Molly were visiting with Molly's father's family. I assume that her father's family will likely get Molly since Molly only has one aunt left alive on her mother's side of the family.

Very scary that it took them awhile to figure out that this was not a murder/suicide, and Megan was pretty close to getting away with this. Glad she is captured.
 
According to this article, LE realized quite early that it was not murder-suicide, but kept quiet while building their case:

Police said they realized early on that the crime scene was staged.

'It was made to look one way,' Maj Ed O'Carroll said during a press conference on Friday.

'Our detectives are smart and we realized that that necessarily wasn't the case, and we followed up on every lead.'

O'Carroll said it was 'not very long at all' before detectives realized there was more to the story, but they kept quiet about their suspicions so as not to alert Hargan.

'We always try to inform our community,' he said. 'But investigative strategy is of the utmost importance.'

Woman, 35, arrested after she allegedly killed her mother and sister, staged crime scene | Daily Mail Online
 
So now we know the motive. Megan tried to transfer large sums of money from her mother's account to buy a house in W Virginia. Pamela, the mother, discovered the attempt and called the bank to report fraud. Megan then shot her mother, and Helen ran to her bedroom and called her boyfriend telling him that Megan had killed her mother and was transferring money from her account. Boyfriend called police, but Megan had already killed Helen, staged the scene to look like a murder/suicide and fled.

ttps://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/woman-accused-of-killing-her-mother-and-sister-tried-to-take-large-amounts-from-mothers-bank-account-court-papers-say/2019/01/10/1131fe74-1437-11e9-90a8-136fa44b80ba_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.1c41e062e0f8
 
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