Home From Texas | Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings

Summary

Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings – Episode: Home From Texas

Hosted by Peter Van Sant for CBS News’ 48 Hours

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Introduction

In the gripping first episode of the six-part series "Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings," 48 Hours correspondent Peter Van Sant delves into the tragic and mysterious deaths of Pamela and Helen Hargan in McLean, Virginia. This episode, titled "Home From Texas," unravels the complex family dynamics, the eerie circumstances surrounding the killings, and the intricate investigation that followed.

The Hargan Family: A Portrait of Success and Strife

The Hargan family, residing in an affluent neighborhood of McLean, Virginia, appeared outwardly successful and close-knit. Pamela Hargan, a formidable career woman, had risen to executive positions at prominent companies like Lockheed Martin and a notable tech firm. She was dedicated to her daughters, Megan (34) and Ashley (32), and granddaughter Molly, whom Megan raised with her spouse.

Megan Hargan, living with Pamela, balanced her life between caring for Molly and managing her career as an event planner. Ashley, originally from Pennsylvania, maintained strong family ties despite their parents' divorce. Their youngest sister, Helen (24), had recently returned home after completing her degrees in math and management science from Southern Methodist University.

Notable Quote:

Megan Hargan [00:00]: "From the outside looking in, we were blessed. My mom was amazing."
[MM:SS: 05:56]

The Incident: A House Shaken by Gunshots

On the evening of July 14, 2017, gunshots echoed from the Hargan household. Steve Hargan, Pamela’s ex-husband, was comforting Megan when they received the horrifying news. Immediately, family members, including Ashley from Pennsylvania, gathered at Steve’s residence, desperately seeking information about the whereabouts of Pamela and Helen.

Notable Quote:

Megan Hargan [01:11]: "I can't believe this is happening, dad."
[MM:SS: 01:11]

The Discovery: Two Lives Lost

Upon arriving at the scene, Detective Brian Byerson and forensic expert Julia Elliott entered the immaculate Hargan home. Contrary to expectations of chaos in such a crime scene, the house remained eerily organized.

• Pamela Hargan was found in the mudroom, shot twice in the head. Her body was partially concealed by a quilt and a dog bed placed over her head, suggesting an attempt to cover her face.

• Helen Hargan was discovered in her bathroom, also shot, with a rifle placed between her legs. This positioning initially led authorities to consider a murder-suicide scenario.

Notable Quote:

Ashley Hargan [08:09]: "It was immaculate. I've never seen a more organized home in my life."
[MM:SS: 08:09]

The Investigation: Beyond Initial Assumptions

Detectives Vickery and Byerson quickly grew skeptical of the murder-suicide theory. Several inconsistencies and peculiar clues pointed towards foul play:

1. Cell Phone Placement: Pamela’s cell phone was found atop a quilt and a pool of blood, indicating it was placed there post-mortem. Attempts to retrieve fingerprints and DNA yielded nothing, suggesting the phone was wiped clean.

2. Family Dynamics: While the family appeared close, underlying tensions and recent arguments hinted at potential motives. Helen had been in a tumultuous relationship with Carlos Gutierrez from Texas, whom her mother disapproved of. Helen had also exhibited signs of depression and had made distressing statements about self-harm.

3. Behavioral Red Flags: Both Megan and Ashley revealed that Helen had a history of depression, with previous suicide attempts in her teenage years. On the day of the incident, Helen and Pamela had argued over Helen’s boyfriend moving into a new house Pamela intended to buy for Helen.

Notable Quote:

Megan Hargan [12:16]: "I believe someone came up either to her side or from the back and shot her."
[MM:SS: 12:16]

Family Turmoil: Potential Motives Explored

The investigation uncovered layers of familial stress:

• Helen’s Relationship: Helen’s relationship with Carlos was strained by Pamela’s disapproval. Megan suggested that Pamela’s decision to withdraw her support for Helen’s new house might have triggered a drastic reaction from Helen.

• Parental Support: While Pamela had been generous, offering to buy houses and support her daughters, there were signs that her support came with expectations. Megan declined purchasing a house from her mother, emphasizing a desire for independence.

• Mental Health: Both Helen and Ashley had past struggles with mental health, with feelings of depression and thoughts of self-harm resurfacing in their adult lives.

Notable Quote:

Ashley Hargan [21:16]: "She says she's concerned about Helen maybe using some other type of narcotic or whatever."
[MM:SS: 21:16]

Theories and Clues: Piecing the Puzzle Together

Detectives focused on the anomalies at the crime scene and the conflicting narratives:

• Cell Phone Evidence: The absence of fingerprints on Pamela’s phone suggested external tampering. It was unlikely that Pamela had placed her own phone there, hinting at another party’s involvement.

• Behavior of the Perpetrator: The act of covering Pamela’s face and placing Helen’s rifle suggested a perpetrator trying to obscure their identity and stage the scene.

• Relationship with Carlos Gutierrez: Further investigation revealed that Carlos had been attempting to contact Ashley about the incident, indicating his distress over Helen’s state.

Notable Quote:

Detective John Vickery [25:25]: "It's unfortunate. It certainly didn't come from the investigators who were actually doing the work on the ground."
[MM:SS: 25:25]

Conclusion: A Case Steeped in Mystery

As the episode concludes, the Hargan family killings remain shrouded in mystery. Initial theories of a murder-suicide are challenged by conflicting evidence and subtle clues pointing towards a more complex scenario. The detectives’ pursuit of the truth is hindered by the intricacies of family relationships and the elusive nature of definitive evidence.

The episode sets the stage for deeper exploration in subsequent installments, promising to uncover more about the motives, suspects, and hidden facets of the Hargan family’s tragic story.

Notable Quote:

Detective John Vickery [05:44]: "Who would want to kill their mother and their little sister?"
[MM:SS: 05:44]

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Production Notes

"Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings" is produced by Sony Music Entertainment and features original reporting by 48 Hours producers Josh Yeager, Sarah Ely Hulse, Michelle Sigona, and Lauren White. The episode intertwines firsthand accounts, police investigations, and emotional narratives to present a comprehensive look into one of the most perplexing family murders in recent history.

Credits Include:

• Executive Producer: Judy Tygard
• Senior Producer: Jamie Benson
• Sound Design and Mixing: Honsdale Sheeh
• Written and Produced by: Alex Schumann

For those seeking more information, subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts or the Wondry app offers early and ad-free access to the series.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Megan Hargan]

The missing child is Lucia Blix, 9 years old. Please let her come back home safely tonight. The kidnappers plumbed it meticulously. If money is what it takes to get her back, we're gonna pay it. The secrets they hide. You can't talk about this. You can't write about it are the clues. The mother's hiding something.

[Ashley Hargan]

I know it.

[Megan Hargan]

To find her, tell me where she is. The stolen girl. Tonight at 10 on Freeform and stream on Hulu.

[Detective John Vickery]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying Big Wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying. No judgments. But that's weird. Okay, one judgment anyway. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[Megan Hargan]

Of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month. Required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra.

[Detective John Vickery]

See full [e-mail] this episode contains graphic audio and references to family violence. Please listen with care.

[Megan Hargan]

I can't believe this is happening, dad.

[Detective John Vickery]

Well, honey, we don't know what's happening, okay? In the early Evening hours of July 14, 2017, Steve Hargan is trying to comfort his oldest daughter, Megan.

[Megan Hargan]

This is not real. I am just praying to God this is a sick joke. Like the sickest joke ever.

[Detective John Vickery]

They've received terrifying news. Gunshots have been fired at the house Megan shares with her mother, Pamela Hargan, in McLean, Virginia. No one yet knows what has happened inside.

[Megan Hargan]

I just need to see them, dad.

[Ashley Hargan]

Please, first of all.

[Detective John Vickery]

And now to make matters worse, no one can reach her mom or Megan's youngest sister, Helen.

[Megan Hargan]

I just want to hear their voice. I just like I know.

[Detective John Vickery]

Steve and Pamela Hargan divorced years ago. Everyone is meeting up at his house while they wait for news. Ashley, the middle sister, is racing there from her home in Pennsylvania.

[Megan Hargan]

Ashley and I have been calling my mom and the house and again, Helen, no one's answering.

[Detective John Vickery]

The tape you're hearing was recorded by Detective John Vickery who arrived at Steve Hargan's house.

[Ashley Hargan]

I'm gonna record this because there's a lot going on.

[Detective John Vickery]

The detective is staying with the family and updating them.

[Ashley Hargan]

I'm gonna get information from you and as things start coming in, I'll be able to tell you a little bit more.

[Detective John Vickery]

Megan explains that she had moved in with her mother a few years back with with her 8 year old daughter, Molly. Pamela was helping Raise her granddaughter.

[Megan Hargan]

They go to the nail salon together. She does all the gardening with my mom. They're best friends.

[Detective John Vickery]

Megan's youngest sister, Helen, who is 24, had just moved back in, too. She recently graduated from Southern Methodist University with degrees in math and management science. Here's Megan again.

[Megan Hargan]

She was actually in the regular master's program in Dallas before she moved. And then she quitted.

[Detective John Vickery]

Detective Vickery asked to speak to Steve alone.

[Ashley Hargan]

I wanted to get a little bit more information from your dad if I could do that in private.

[Detective John Vickery]

Detective Vickery whispers to Steve, hoping that his daughters don't hear him. He says I can love good news. I don't have good news, the detective says, and keeps speaking under his breath, trying to convince Steve that he's probably the strongest one to tell the rest of the family. What happened about my daughter.

[Megan Hargan]

They're both deceased.

[Detective John Vickery]

They were both found shot to death.

[Megan Hargan]

I'm really sorry.

[Detective John Vickery]

Steve absorbs the information.

[Megan Hargan]

Thank you for.

[Ashley Hargan]

Thank you for letting me be the.

[Detective John Vickery]

One to tell my daughters. He waits until both his daughters are together before he shares the devastating news. Twenty minutes later, Ashley arrives and she's distraught.

[Megan Hargan]

From there. This has been the longest ride of my life.

[Ashley Hargan]

I understand.

[Megan Hargan]

I just want to hear my mom and my sister's voice. I want to see them. I want to make sure they're okay.

[Detective John Vickery]

Steve decides this is the moment to tell them what he knows.

[Megan Hargan]

I'm sorry to tell you girls. Oh, my God. What's happening?

[Detective John Vickery]

Then Detective Vickery finds his voice and shares some of the gruesome details.

[Megan Hargan]

Someone matching the description.

[Ashley Hargan]

Your mother was found deceased on the main level. She did have a gunshot. When the officers that located your sister in the bathroom. The rifle was still in the bathroom.

[Detective John Vickery]

He's saying the rifle was in the bathroom with Helen. What could that mean?

[Megan Hargan]

Oh, God.

[Detective John Vickery]

What are we gonna do?

[Megan Hargan]

Jesus. What are we gonna do? I don't know. I need to. No, stop.

[Detective John Vickery]

Relax.

[Megan Hargan]

I really need to save him. It took him to the man. There's an investigation going on, honey.

[Detective John Vickery]

Who would want to kill their mother and their little sister? Before this tragedy, the Hargan women seemed to have it all.

[Megan Hargan]

From the outside looking in, we were blessed. My mom was amazing.

[Detective John Vickery]

They were close and had everything to look forward to, but. But as detectives would soon learn, there was a lot going on inside the Hargan household. In my 25 years reporting stories like this, the Hargan case is one of the few that sounds like something made up by a Hollywood screenwriter. A story of betrayal. You would struggle to believe if it wasn't true. I'm Peter Vansatt from 48 Hours. This is Blood is Thicker. The Hargan family killings.

[Megan Hargan]

My sister was not my sister for many months.

[Detective John Vickery]

Episode 1 Home from Texas.

[Ashley Hargan]

There were several aspects of this case that were extremely unique that I have not seen before.

[Detective John Vickery]

Earlier in the afternoon, Detective Brian Byerson gets a call to head to Pamela Hargan's house.

[Ashley Hargan]

There were two bodies in a house in McLean and I was to respond to Dean Drive.

[Detective John Vickery]

Now, on your way there, what have you been told about what's inside that house?

[Ashley Hargan]

Very little. We know that when we get up there, that patrol has been in the house, that they had to force entry through the front door so the house was locked and that inside the house there were the bodies of two women.

[Detective John Vickery]

He drives to Pamela Hargan's neighborhood, unsure of what he's about to encounter.

[Ashley Hargan]

Where this took place was an affluent section. McLean, Virginia.

[Detective John Vickery]

It's the kind of place where political power players have large homes and a yard without too long of a commute to D.C. presidents, senators, CIA agents have all called McLean home. The Hargans live on a tree lined street. Their home is a nearly 5,000 square foot colonial with a covered porch and six bedrooms.

[Ashley Hargan]

It's a million dollar home.

[Detective John Vickery]

Detective Byerson and Julia Elliott, a crime scene detective and forensics expert, arrive at the house.

[Megan Hargan]

It certainly didn't look like someplace where two homicides potentially had occurred.

[Detective John Vickery]

They enter through the front door into a foyer. There's a wooden staircase with carpeted steps up to the second floor and a hallway with panel molding and black photo frames lining the cream colored wall. It seems idyllic.

[Ashley Hargan]

It was immaculate. I've never seen a more organized home in my life.

[Detective John Vickery]

As detectives, they're trained to notice the details. Every chair is perfectly spaced along their long dining room table. Each throw pillow has its own place on the couch. Nothing looks amiss until they get to the back half of the house. Here's Detective Byerson again.

[Ashley Hargan]

As you walk through the kitchen, you encounter a mudroom that connects the kitchen to the garage. So in that mudroom we discover Pamela Hansen Hargan. She is laying on the floor of the mudroom.

[Detective John Vickery]

Pamela Hargan has been shot twice in the head. The top half of her body is wrapped in a quilt with her legs sticking out and her head is covered.

[Ashley Hargan]

And she has a dog bed laying on her head, covering her.

[Detective John Vickery]

A dog bit on her head? What do you mean?

[Ashley Hargan]

Like a small dog bed that you would see in your house that maybe your dog would lay in was actually Covering a portion of her head.

[Detective John Vickery]

Detectives then make their way upstairs.

[Megan Hargan]

If you come up that staircase into the long hallway and make your second left, that that would be into Helen's bedroom. And once you get into Helen's bedroom is her bathroom, and that's where her body was found.

[Ashley Hargan]

She's leaning back and her head is laid back into the bathtub. So she's sort of laying on both the toilet seat and the bathtub. And then her legs are pointed straight out towards the door as you walk in.

[Detective John Vickery]

This is Helen, her 24 year old daughter.

[Ashley Hargan]

Yes. There was a rifle that was sort of laying between her legs.

[Megan Hargan]

Patrol when they arrived, finding two deceased persons, one with a gun on their body, Assumed or thought that there might have been a murder suicide.

[Detective John Vickery]

Detectives, though, aren't so sure.

[Ashley Hargan]

A lot of these cases are like huge jigsaw puzzles that you can never fully put together.

[Detective John Vickery]

What did you learn about the dynamic within this family? Were they a close group? I know that Megan and Helen, for instance, were about 10 years apart in age.

[Ashley Hargan]

It seemed like they were all relatively close.

[Detective John Vickery]

Pamela had worked hard to establish herself in a community of overachievers.

[Megan Hargan]

She'd been divorced for several years. She was very successful on her own.

[Detective John Vickery]

She got her start at 17 and worked her way up to the executive suite, holding big jobs at companies like Lockheed Martin and more recently, a tech firm. Pamela saw herself as a provider.

[Megan Hargan]

She loved her daughters. She had a granddaughter that she absolutely adored.

[Detective John Vickery]

People thought Helen, the youngest, took after her mom. She was smart, talented, and ambitious. What's your gut telling you as you, as you take a look at these two bodies?

[Ashley Hargan]

Wait, Wait and do the job.

[Detective John Vickery]

The clues investigators found, they'd mull over for years.

[Ashley Hargan]

We have two bodies, two different rooms, but it's one house.

[Detective John Vickery]

Some puzzles are hard to solve, others are hard to prove. Detective Elliott has worked in the crime scene department for about a decade.

[Megan Hargan]

I'm looking for anything that may have been left behind by the person that did the crime, Such as blood, fingerprints, trace DNA, like hairs or fibers.

[Detective John Vickery]

Detective Elliott notices how Pamela's body was positioned.

[Megan Hargan]

I believe where she was shot physically on her body and how she was laying in the mudroom. I believe someone came up either to her side or from the back and shot her.

[Detective John Vickery]

Then there's the odd fact that her face is partially covered.

[Ashley Hargan]

Generally that's done in cases that I've worked Because someone known to the victim may be the suspect in these cases, and they're either ashamed or they can't look at what they've done. So they choose to cover the bodies.

[Detective John Vickery]

So sometimes it's someone very close to the deceased has done this.

[Ashley Hargan]

That can be a clue to maybe where we should be going or what we should be looking at.

[Detective John Vickery]

And then there was Pamela's cell phone.

[Ashley Hargan]

That phone was sitting on top of the quilt that was covering her, and it was also sitting on top of a pool of blood.

[Detective John Vickery]

That seems very strange, doesn't it?

[Ashley Hargan]

It is strange. We know that it means that that phone was placed there sometime after she died.

[Megan Hargan]

Well, I want to know what fingerprints are on that cell phone, if anything at all. And I want to find out who put that cell phone there in that particular place.

[Detective John Vickery]

So you want to check for fingerprints and DNA?

[Megan Hargan]

Yes.

[Detective John Vickery]

What do you find on this phone?

[Megan Hargan]

Nothing.

[Detective John Vickery]

Nothing. Detective Elliott isn't sure if that meant the phone had been wiped clean.

[Megan Hargan]

Not everything holds fingerprints very well.

[Detective John Vickery]

But Pamela couldn't have put her own cell phone on top of her body. It seemed to suggest the killer had placed the phone on her. But could it have been Helen? Megan would later tell police their little sister had been in crisis.

[Megan Hargan]

I love Helen, but something has really changed in her over the last few months. And my mom was concerned. Foreign this episode is brought to you by Lifelock. It's tax season, and we're all a bit tired of numbers. But here's one you need to hear. $16.5 billion. That's how much the IRS flagged for possible identity fraud last year. Now, here's a good number. 100 million. That's how many data points Lifelock monitors and every second. If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it, guaranteed. Save up to 40% your first [e-mail] podcast terms apply.

[Detective John Vickery]

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[Megan Hargan]

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[Detective John Vickery]

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[Megan Hargan]

N.

[Detective John Vickery]

As the family would later tell detectives, Pamela seemed willing to spend on whatever her daughters needed. Cars, houses, and even office furniture.

[Megan Hargan]

Ashley just called her last week and said she needed file cabinets, and my.

[Detective John Vickery]

Mom ordered file cabinets here. Megan was on the phone with Detective Byerson.

[Megan Hargan]

They're supposed to be delivered this week. I mean, anything we needed, she gave it to us.

[Detective John Vickery]

The girls were little when their parents divorced, and Pamela had raised her daughters on her own.

[Megan Hargan]

We always made the joke that that's why they got divorced. Because my dad couldn't handle, you know, four women at the same time.

[Detective John Vickery]

And even when Pamela's children became adults, they still relied on her. Megan, for one, was 34 and had been living with her mother for years. Even though she was married, her husband served in the military.

[Megan Hargan]

My husband deploys often, so I've always stayed with my mom.

[Detective John Vickery]

At the time of the shootings, Megan wasn't working.

[Ashley Hargan]

Where are you working now?

[Megan Hargan]

I'm not right now. I have to. I'm an event planner. Okay. But I have to finish my clients up here and I'm moving everything out to Morgantown.

[Ashley Hargan]

Okay.

[Detective John Vickery]

Megan told the police that she and her husband were buying a new house in West Virginia and were about to finally move in together. While there was love in the Hargan household, the daughters also said there was arguing. They'd air their grievances and move on.

[Megan Hargan]

That's how it is.

[Detective John Vickery]

Ashley agreed. She told Detective Byerson as much.

[Megan Hargan]

My mom and dad had a horrible divorce. Okay. Coming from a family of females, we fought a lot. Okay. Argued a lot. Okay. It's just how it was. What may seem really bad to other people was normal to us. Like we would have our screaming matches. Five minutes later, we were fine.

[Detective John Vickery]

But according to Megan, her little sister Helen had been furious lately. Then Megan revealed that the morning of the shootings, Helen and their mom had been arguing yet again.

[Megan Hargan]

Helen has been so angry. Like just so angry all the time over everything.

[Detective John Vickery]

It's unclear when Ashley and Megan put two and two together, but at some point, they started contemplating the macabre possibility that Helen might have killed their mother and then herself. Detective Vickery told their dad her wound appeared self inflicted. But all Megan and Ashley had been told was that the rifle was found in the bathroom with Helen. They tried putting pieces of this part of the puzzle together. Why Helen might have done something like this. You can hear Megan's daughter playing in the other room.

[Megan Hargan]

Why the fuck was Helen. Megan, I'm so angry right now. I just Told her about the house this morning. She told her. Told her what? She was breaking the contract with the Aldi house.

[Detective John Vickery]

According to Megan, their mother had been planning to buy Helen a house in Aldi, a small town in Virginia. But then, the morning of the shootings, Pamela told Helen she decided against it. Megan suggested that it might have had something to do with Helen's new boyfriend, an older man she'd been dating in Texas, Someone her mother did not approve of. His name was Carlos Gutierrez. Helen had unexpectedly dropped out of graduate school, and Pamela thought her boyfriend was a bad influence. Megan said her mother didn't want Helen's boyfriend to move into any house she was going to buy. Pamela seemed willing to go above and beyond for her girls. But that morning, she had apparently gone back on her promise to one of.

[Megan Hargan]

Them because she truly believed that Helen was going to try to move Carlos into the house. And my mom didn't want him being there.

[Detective John Vickery]

And now both sisters seem to be suggesting that maybe Helen, frustrated by her mother, somehow broke, turning to violence to settle a score and end her own life.

[Megan Hargan]

She was so excited about this house that my mom was getting for her. So your mom was buying her a house? Mm.

[Detective John Vickery]

In the days after the shootings, Ashley spoke with Detective Brian Byerson. He'd been assigned the lead on this case, and you'll recall he'd searched her mother's house.

[Ashley Hargan]

Why was your mom buying her house?

[Megan Hargan]

That's what my mom did. Had she done it for everybody? Not for me. My mom offered to buy my house, and my husband, and I said no.

[Detective John Vickery]

Ashley said her mom did buy her a Jeep, but that she didn't want to live in a house that was owned by her mother.

[Megan Hargan]

My husband and I talked about it, and I said, I don't want to do that. I want to try to. Even though we live paycheck to paycheck, I want to try to do this on our own.

[Detective John Vickery]

But Helen had accepted her mother's offer of help. Ashley thought the offer for Helen's house in Virginia came with strings attached.

[Megan Hargan]

But you need to get a job. You need to continue to get your master's degree, yada, yada, yada.

[Detective John Vickery]

Ashley also said the family was worried about Helen's well being, that maybe she was using drugs.

[Megan Hargan]

She says she's concerned about Helen maybe.

[Ashley Hargan]

Using some other type of narcotic or whatever.

[Megan Hargan]

And what did you. How did that conversation end with my mom and I? Yeah. She said that she wanted to take all of us to the Outer Banks for two weeks, and she wanted all of us to be together.

[Detective John Vickery]

She told him that Helen had a history of depression and thoughts of self harm.

[Megan Hargan]

When was the last time that Helen had ever talked about hurting herself? With me, it was probably last year, I want to say.

[Detective John Vickery]

Ashley described a call she got from her sister while Helen was still attending university in Dallas about a year before the shooting.

[Megan Hargan]

Helen gave me a call and she was clearly drunk. And she said, I just don't want to do it anymore. And I said, what do you mean? Knowing full well immediately what she meant by that. And. And she's like, ashley, I'm just sick of it all. And I said, helen, I'm right here. There's no reason for you to say that. I'm like, I will fly out to Dallas right now if you need me to.

[Detective John Vickery]

The detective asked if Helen gave her any reasons.

[Megan Hargan]

She was just sad. She's like, I have no friends. She was just sick of everything and nothing going right again. When you have depression, no matter what you have in life, especially you, you know, cars and house, it doesn't mean shit to you. You're just sad. I said, you have all your dogs to look after. They love you. I said, I love you.

[Detective John Vickery]

Ashley said she kept calling to check in on Helen every 10 minutes until her sister sobered up.

[Megan Hargan]

I was the only one who was able to calm her down. And that's why it's killing me she did not call me on Friday. I would have been able to calm her down.

[Detective John Vickery]

Ashley was racing through all the water, what ifs, all the things that might have happened differently that day if she'd been able to speak to Helen, to calm her down, to stop her before she did anything rash. Detective Byerson asked if Helen had ever attempted suicide.

[Megan Hargan]

I think when she was a teenager, she tried to take pills. Was it reported? I don't think so. Now how do you know about that? She had told, she had said, mentioned something like that because I have been talking about it because I tried to commit suicide by taking a bottle of pills when I was about 15.

[Detective John Vickery]

Both Helen and Ashley had thoughts of ending their lives when they were teenagers. But Ashley was now 32 and beside herself.

[Megan Hargan]

Every single emotion right now, hearing about this, finding out about this from Helen's piece of shit boyfriend.

[Detective John Vickery]

It turns out Carlos had been the one to call Ashley and tell her shots had been fired at her mother's house. Again and again, the sisters blamed Helen's spiral on the boyfriend they'd never met. The family seemed to accept that Helen's depression could have pushed her over the edge. The day of the shooting, local reporters set up to go live not far from the caution tape.

[Megan Hargan]

Police broke down the door of a.

[Detective John Vickery]

Home there and found two women dead.

[Megan Hargan]

This happened on Dean Drive, that is not too far from McLean High School.

[Detective John Vickery]

Reporters asked the police if they thought a killer could still be on the loose. We asked police a short time ago, is there a danger to this community? Is there a suspect that is still.

[Megan Hargan]

At large out there?

[Detective John Vickery]

The answer to that question a resounding no.

[Megan Hargan]

The working theory here is a murder.

[Detective John Vickery]

Followed by a suicide. In Fairfax tonight, the Fairfax county police told the family and the community that initially this looked like a murder suicide.

[Megan Hargan]

We're learning more tonight about the mom and daughter found dead inside a McLean, Virginia home on Friday. Police say Helen Hargan shot her mom, Pamela Hargan, before turning the gun on herself.

[Detective John Vickery]

But those were first responding officers at the scene, not Detective Byerson.

[Ashley Hargan]

It's unfortunate. It certainly didn't come from the investigators who were actually doing the work on the ground.

[Detective John Vickery]

Right from the start, they had a major clue that something very different had happened to Pamela and Helen Hargan. That's because Helen's boyfriend Carlos, who was more than 1,000 miles away, had been talking to her on the phone right before she died. It turned out not everything the police had been told about Carlos was true. He had been trying to get his girlfriend help for hours, trying to save her, in fact. Fairfax county police on fire. How may I assist you?

[Megan Hargan]

Yes, I have an emergency.

[Detective John Vickery]

My girlfriend lives in McClain. Her sister is acting really weird. Coming up on Blood is Thicker.

[Ashley Hargan]

This particular case, there were things about the scene itself that were concerning to us on day one.

[Megan Hargan]

The new KFC Dunk It Bucket with juicy original recipe tenders, new mashed potato poppers, crispy fries, plus three sauces that fit right on top of the lid. So you can dunk anywhere. You can dunk at the game.

[Detective John Vickery]

Dunk.

[Megan Hargan]

While security points to the no outside food sign and dunk has 20,000 people watch you and your Dunk It Bucket get removed from the stadium. Dunk almost anywhere with the new $7 KFC dunk it bucket or get the double Dunk it bucket for 25. Prices and participation vary while supplies last. Taxes, tips and fees extra. This episode is brought to you by Selectquote. Life insurance can have a huge impact on our family's future with Selectquote. Getting covered with the right policy for you is simple and affordable. Selectquote's licensed insurance agents will tailor your experience to find a life insurance policy for your needs and as little as 15 minutes. And selectquote partners with carriers that provide policies for many conditions. Selectquote they shop, you save. Go to selectquote.com Spotify Pod today to get started.

[Detective John Vickery]

If you are in crisis and need to talk to someone, call the suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or you can simply dial three digits nine eight eight to talk to a trained counselor from 48 hours. This is Blood is the Hargan family killings. Judy Tygard is the executive producer of 48 Hours, original reporting by 48 Hours producers Josh Yeager, Sarah Ely Hulse, Michelle Sigona and Lauren White. Jamie Benson is the senior producer for Paramount Audio, and Maura Walls is the senior story editor. Recording assistance from Alan Pang and Marlon Polycarp. Special thanks to Paramount Podcast Vice President Megan Marcus and 48 Hours senior producer Peter Schweitzer. Blood is Thicker is produced by Sony Music Entertainment. It was written and produced by Alex Schumann. Our executive producers are Katharine St. Louis and Jonathan Hirsch. Our associate producer is Zoe Culkin. Theme and original music composed by Honsdale Sheeh. He also sound, designed and mixed the episodes. We also use music by Blue Dot Sessions. Kathryn Newhan is our fact checker. Our production managers are Tamika Balance Kolasny and Samantha Allison. I'm Peter Van Sant. If you're enjoying the show, be sure to rate and review. It helps more people find it and hear our reporting. For early and ad free access to Blood Is thicker. Subscribe to 48 Hours plus on Apple Podcasts or Wondry plus on the Wondry app. Start your free trial today. Thanks for listening.