A former CAL FIRE captain has been sentenced to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole in connection with the fatal shootings of his fiancée, Marissa Divodi-Lessa Herzog, and her 7-year-old son last year.
McFarlin was living with Herzog and her two children, including a 9-year-old daughter, at the time of the murders. Prosecutors said the family had been watching a movie about a firefighter who was struggling in his personal life when McFarlin became upset over the portrayal and "stormed off to his room."
The district attorney's office said the couple began arguing after Herzog followed McFarlin into the bedroom, where he strangled her. Herzog then fled the room, telling him she was going to call police.
"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," officials said. "He struck her over the head with the firearm, checked the phone, and then shot her in the head, while her 7-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter were in the room."
Prosecutors said McFarlin then fatally shot Herzog's son, while her daughter managed to escape. He subsequently fled the state and was later apprehended in Nevada.
Several victim impact statements were read during McFarlin's sentencing hearing, including a letter from Herzog's daughter, which prosecutors said offered "a small glimpse into her new reality" without her mother and brother. A slideshow honoring Herzog and her son was also shown in court.
District Attorney Vern Pierson said in a statement that McFarlin's consecutive life sentences would prevent him from harming others in the future.
"This was a horrific and senseless act of violence that stole two innocent lives and forever changed a family," Pierson said. "Our hearts remain with the surviving child and all those who loved Marissa and her son."