A California fire captain has been sentenced to life imprisonment following a harrowing incident that claimed the lives of his fiancée and her young son. The tragedy unfolded after an argument over a movie escalated to deadly violence.
Darin McFarlin, 47, received two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, in addition to another life term, for the murders of Marissa and Josiah Divodi-Lessa. The grim announcement came from the El Dorado County District Attorney’s office on Thursday.
McFarlin, who served as a fire captain with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, was at home in Cameron Park on August 21, 2025. He sat down with Marissa and her two children to watch “Fireproof,” a film about a firefighter grappling with marital issues. The evening took a dark turn, as reported by The Sacramento Bee.
According to the district attorney’s office, McFarlin became agitated by the movie’s portrayal of its lead character. This irritation led him to leave the room abruptly, setting the stage for what would become a tragic sequence of events.
Following this, McFarlin and Marissa engaged in a heated argument in their bedroom. The situation escalated when McFarlin attempted to strangle Marissa. However, she managed to break free and flee the room, seeking safety.
Driven by rage, McFarlin armed himself and pursued Marissa into the living room, where her two children were present. In a devastating turn, the seven-year-old boy and his nine-year-old sister witnessed their mother being fatally shot, a haunting moment that would mark their lives forever.
McFarlin shot his fiancée in the head in front of her children before turning the gun on little Josiah and fatally shooting him in the chest. He also threatened to kill the nine-year-old girl, Serafina, before she fled to get help.
The disgraced fire captain was charged with two counts of murder, as well as one count of attempted murder for threatening the little girl. He pleaded guilty to the crimes and received his multiple life sentences last Monday.
Darin McFarlin, 47, received multiple life sentences for murdering his fiancée and her seven-year-old son on August 21, 2025
McFarlin’s victims were Marissa Herzog and her son, Josiah Divodi-Lessa. He shot the mother while the little boy watched before turning the gun on him. Herzog’s daughter was also in the room and saw everything, but McFarlin spared her
The family of the victims said that Serafina suffered severe emotional trauma after witnessing the vicious murder of her mother and little brother.
McFarlin had worked for Cal Fire since 2000, but he was fired shortly after his arrest.
In court, El Dorado County Chief Assistant District Attorney Lisette Suder called the disgraced captain a ‘narcissist’ and said he cared more about his image as a firefighter than the lives of his fiancée and her children.
The prosecutor said that McFarlin was set off by a firefighter being portrayed negatively in the movie the family had been watching on the night of the shooting.
Suder said that during the argument in the bedroom, McFarlin demanded that Marissa admit the wife was responsible for the troubled marriage portrayed in the movie rather than the firefighter.
Suder laid out the timeline of the shooting and explained that after the mother fled the bedroom and went to the living room, she threatened to call 911 but called her father instead.
When McFarlin entered the room with the gun in his hand, Marissa asked if he was going to shoot her, all while the father listened on the other end of the phone. The murderous boyfriend said yes, and the call abruptly ended.
Prosecutors said that McFarlin pistol-whipped his fiancée in the head, which prompted her to cry out for her children.
Prosecutors said that McFarlin is a ‘narcissist’ who cared more about his image as a firefighter than the lives of his fiancée and her children. McFarlin and Herzog are pictured together
Josiah was shot in the chest but did not die immediately. When police found him, he was transported to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries
The little boy and girl came into the room holding hands before McFarlin callously fired his gun into their mother’s head while they watched.
He then shot the little boy in the chest, fatally wounding him but not killing him instantly. As he pointed the gun at Serafina, she begged him not to shoot her.
He eventually told her to leave the house through a doggy door, and she hid outside in fear that he would chase her. The murderer gathered his things and left as well.
Officers with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of the shooting around 9pm, where they found Marissa dead and Josiah fatally wounded. The little boy was transported to a hospital, where he later died.
McFarlin fled the county after his double homicide. He was arrested by deputies the next morning in nearby Mono County, about a four-hour drive from the murder scene.
In court on Monday, family members of the victims shared heartbreaking impact statements. A letter written by Serafina, who was in school that day, was read out loud.
Josiah (pictured) and his sister, Serafina, entered the room where they witnessed their mother get killed after she cried out for them when McFarlin pistol-whipped her
In court on Monday, a letter written by Serafina was read out loud. It said she misses her mother and brother ‘every single day.’ Marissa and Josiah’s grave is pictured
‘Ever since Darin killed my mother and brother JoJo, I have been really sad and in shock,’ the letter said. ‘I miss them every single day.’
McFarlin issued an apology during the proceedings and said: ‘I’m truly very sorry for what I did … especially to Serafina, and I will be held accountable for this.’
Moments after the apology, a family member of the victims shouted ‘Coward!’ from the gallery.
