A California fire captain will spend the rest of his life in prison after authorities said he shot and killed his fiancée and her 7-year-old son last summer after they all had been watching a movie together.
Darin McFarlin was sentenced on April 13 to two consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole, as well as another life prison sentence plus 50 years to life and an additional 15 years, all over the “brutal murders” of Marissa Divodi-Lessa Herzog and her son, according to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office.
At his sentencing hearing, seven people read victim impact statements, including Divodi-Lessa’s daughter, a 9-year-old who survived the shooting on August 21, 2025, when she “begged for her life,” the district attorney’s office said in a Thursday, April 16, news release.
“Ever since Darin killed my mother and brother JoJo, I have been really sad and in shock,” the girl, Serafina, said in the courtroom, according to The Sacramento Bee. “I miss them every single day.”
McFarlin, a former Cal Fire captain, had previously pleaded guilty to murder charges and attempted murder in connection with a threat to shoot Serafina at the Cameron Park home, where he lived with Divodi-Lessa and her children, the newspaper reported.
His court-appointed defense attorney did not immediately return a request for comment from Us Weekly on April 16.
McFarlin was described as someone “highly focused on his image” by the district attorney’s office.
On August 21, he joined Divodi-Lessa and her two children “to watch a movie about a distinguished, well-respected firefighter who was struggling in his personal life,” prosecutors said.
At a certain point, though, the portrayal of the firefighter angered him and he “stormed off to his room,” according to prosecutors.
Divodi-Lessa then went to his room, where an argument ensued and escalated to McFarlin grabbing her around the neck, the district attorney’s office said.
Afterward, Divodi-Lessa left the room and said she was going to make a domestic violence report to police, according to prosecutors.
“Knowing his career would be over if the incident were reported, McFarlin retrieved a loaded firearm and followed her into the dining area, where he found her on the phone with a family member,” the district attorney’s office said.
McFarlin hit Divodi-Lessa in the head with the gun and fatally shot her in her head, in front of her son and daughter, according to prosecutors. After shooting her, McFarlin aimed the gun at her son and fatally shot him, the district attorney’s office said.
Then, he turned the weapon toward Divodi-Lessa’s daughter, according to prosecutors.
“The young girl begged for her life as McFarlin pointed the gun at her,” the district attorney’s office said. “She was able to run around a kitchen wall, preventing him from getting a clear view. He eventually told her to exit through a dog door.”
Following the killings, McFarlin left the home and fled California for Nevada, where he was ultimately caught by authorities, prosecutors said.
In the courtroom, McFarlin apologized after Divodi-Lessa’s loved ones spoke, according to The Sacramento Bee.
“I’m truly very sorry for what I did … especially to Serafina,” McFarlin said. “And I will be held accountable for this.”
District Attorney Vern Pierson said in a statement that McFarlin’s sentence “ensures that the defendant will never again have the opportunity to harm another person.”
“Our hearts remain with the surviving child and all those who loved Marissa and her son,” Pierson added.
