Darren Mack
Encyclopedia
Darren Roy Mack became the subject of an international manhunt in June 2006 after being charged with the stabbing death of his 39-year-old estranged wife, Charla Mack, in the garage of their Reno, Nevada
home. Mack was also suspected of, and later charged with, the sniper
shooting of Family Court Judge Chuck Weller, who was handling the couple’s acrimonious divorce
. Charla Mack was murdered after 9:00 a.m. on June 12, 2006, and Judge Weller was shot around 11:05 a.m. the same day. Judge Weller spent time recovering, and returned to his courtroom on August 16.
According to a close friend, Mack was angry over a divorce settlement issued by Judge Weller. In addition to child support capped by state law at $849 per month, Darren Mack was ordered to pay $10,000 per month for spousal support plus household expenses. Darren Mack's gross monthly income was approximately $44,000, while his wife had no income.
Mack evaded police for 10 days, during which time he was featured on the Fox
show America's Most Wanted
and the FBI’s Most Wanted website. Mack was a hunter and sportsman and records show he owned a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson
handgun
and a Bushmaster
.223 semi-automatic rifle
. Police said he possessed a federal firearms license and permit to carry a concealed weapon. A search of his apartment found ammunition and bomb materials. Mack surrendered to Mexican authorities in Puerto Vallarta
on June 22, 2006. The following day he was flown to Dallas, Texas
for booking, and returned to Reno. Authorities located Mack’s rented silver Ford Explorer
in Ensenada
.
On February 24, 2007, CBS
featured Mack's crimes in a 48 Hours Mystery story entitled, "The Darren Mack Case".
On November 5, 2007, Mack pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and entered an Alford plea
on the charge of attempted murder.
and graduated from Reno High School
. He attended the University of Nevada
on a baseball
scholarship
. Mack had been involved in the family-owned Palace Jewelry and Loan pawn shop since the age of seven, and at the time of his arrest was a part-owner and eBay
merchant. In 2003 his income was estimated at $500,000 annually, and his net worth at $9.4 million. According to his brother Landon, Mack was active politically and founded the Nevada Pawnbroker AssociationNationalpawnbrokers.org
s Scott Freeman of Reno and David Chesnoff
of Las Vegas
. Chesnoff has built a national reputation by representing celebrities including Martha Stewart
and Britney Spears
. The Washoe County
District Attorney
recused his office from the case because of a longstanding personal relationship with Darren Mack, and because he could be a witness
. Chief Deputy DA Robert Daskas and Assistant DA Christopher Lalli of the Clark County
District Attorney
’s office handled the prosecution.
At a preliminary hearing
on August 30, 2006, Mack was held over for trial
. His defense
attorneys sought a court-ordered mental competency evaluation
. On September 11, prosecutors announced they would not seek the death penalty. Mack pleaded not guilty to the charges at an arraignment
on September 13, and his trial
was set for October 1, 2007. As of October 4, 2006, attorney Scott Freeman tried to get Mack's attempted murder
charge dropped.
Following his earlier decision in the criminal cases, on October 13 Senior Judge
J. Charles Thompson disqualified the entire Washoe County bench from all civil cases against Mack. The trial was moved to Las Vegas, and Clark County District Judge Douglas Herndon was appointed to the case.
On November 5, 2007, Mack pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and entered an Alford plea
to the attempted murder charge, just as the trial was to begin, in exchange for a recommendation by the prosecutor for life in prison with parole available after 20 years. The judge was not bound by the sentencing recommendation. Mack said during the plea, "I do understand right now in my state of mind that shooting at the judiciary is not a proper form of political redress".
Mack attempted to withdraw his pleas, saying he was coerced by Chesnoff and Freeman and that his signature was forged. Judge Douglas Herndon denied Mack's motion to withdraw, filed by his new defense attorney William Routsis. During sentencing, Routsis continued to renew his requests for Herndon to grant Mack a new trial.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Herndon sentenced Mack to life in prison for murdering his wife. He also gave Mack the maximum sentence of 40 years, with parole eligibility after 16 years, for the attempted murder of Judge Weller and a deadly weapon enhancement. The sentences run consecutively, rendering Mack ineligible for parole for at least 36 years. Another hearing on his arguments was scheduled for April 2008.
On March 18, 2008, a Washoe County jury delivered a $590 million settlement against Mack in the wrongful-death lawsuit of his wife, Charla. $560 million was awarded to the couple's young daughter, Erika, with the remainder to go to his wife's estate.
In an updated segment of 48 Hours Mystery on August 8, 2009, CBS reported that Mack continues to appeal his conviction (on grounds that he pled guilty under duress) and is also appealing the $590 million civil judgment. Judge Weller has filed a personal injury lawsuit against Mack, seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
Mack claims he has no money left.
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
home. Mack was also suspected of, and later charged with, the sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
shooting of Family Court Judge Chuck Weller, who was handling the couple’s acrimonious divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
. Charla Mack was murdered after 9:00 a.m. on June 12, 2006, and Judge Weller was shot around 11:05 a.m. the same day. Judge Weller spent time recovering, and returned to his courtroom on August 16.
According to a close friend, Mack was angry over a divorce settlement issued by Judge Weller. In addition to child support capped by state law at $849 per month, Darren Mack was ordered to pay $10,000 per month for spousal support plus household expenses. Darren Mack's gross monthly income was approximately $44,000, while his wife had no income.
Mack evaded police for 10 days, during which time he was featured on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
show America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
and the FBI’s Most Wanted website. Mack was a hunter and sportsman and records show he owned a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...
handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
and a Bushmaster
Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC
Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC is a manufacturer and distributor of guns which is based in Madison, North Carolina in the United States. Bushmaster's product line revolves around semi-automatic pistol and rifle variants of the AR-15 design...
.223 semi-automatic rifle
Semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
. Police said he possessed a federal firearms license and permit to carry a concealed weapon. A search of his apartment found ammunition and bomb materials. Mack surrendered to Mexican authorities in Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican balneario resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas.The 2010 census reported Puerto Vallarta's population as 255,725 making it the sixth-largest city in the state of Jalisco...
on June 22, 2006. The following day he was flown to Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
for booking, and returned to Reno. Authorities located Mack’s rented silver Ford Explorer
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a sport-utility vehicle sold in North America and built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990, as a replacement for the smaller but related Ford Bronco II. It is manufactured in Chicago, Illinois...
in Ensenada
Ensenada, Baja California
Ensenada is a coastal city in Mexico and the third-largest city in Baja California. It is located south of San Diego on the Baja California Peninsula. The city is locally referred to as La Cenicienta del Pacífico, or, The Cinderella of the Pacific...
.
On February 24, 2007, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
featured Mack's crimes in a 48 Hours Mystery story entitled, "The Darren Mack Case".
On November 5, 2007, Mack pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and entered an Alford plea
Alford plea
An Alford plea in United States law is a guilty plea in criminal court, where the defendant does not admit the act and asserts innocence...
on the charge of attempted murder.
Early life
Darren Mack grew up in northern NevadaNevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and graduated from Reno High School
Reno High School
Reno High School is a public secondary school in Reno, Nevada that is a part of the Washoe County School District. The school mascot is the Husky, and the school's colors are red and blue. Their teams are known as the "Reno Huskies."-History:...
. He attended the University of Nevada
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
on a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
. Mack had been involved in the family-owned Palace Jewelry and Loan pawn shop since the age of seven, and at the time of his arrest was a part-owner and eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
merchant. In 2003 his income was estimated at $500,000 annually, and his net worth at $9.4 million. According to his brother Landon, Mack was active politically and founded the Nevada Pawnbroker AssociationNationalpawnbrokers.org
Marriages
From 1986 to 1991, Mack had been married to Debra Ashlock. The couple had a son and daughter, 17 and 19. According to The Union, this was Mack’s second marriage. He and Charla were married on May 13, 1995, and she filed for divorce on February 7, 2005. The couple had a 7-year-old daughter. Charla warned a family friend, "He's out to get me and someday he will probably kill me." Ironically, in 1998 a Reno billboard had proclaimed "The Mack Family Presents: Darren Mack. 1998 Father/Husband of the Year. A unanimous decision by his wife, Charla, and his three wonderful children."Trial
Mack was originally defended by attorneyLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
s Scott Freeman of Reno and David Chesnoff
David Chesnoff
David Z. Chesnoff is a criminal defense attorney based out of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Chesnoff was a law partner with Las Vegas Mayor, Oscar B. Goodman. Chesnoff has represented celebrities as well as crime figures.The crossing of paths between Oscar B. Goodman and David Z...
of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Chesnoff has built a national reputation by representing celebrities including Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
and Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
. The Washoe County
Washoe County, Nevada
Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...
District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
recused his office from the case because of a longstanding personal relationship with Darren Mack, and because he could be a witness
Witness
A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about an event, or in the criminal justice systems usually a crime, through his or her senses and can help certify important considerations about the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event first hand is known as an eyewitness...
. Chief Deputy DA Robert Daskas and Assistant DA Christopher Lalli of the Clark County
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
’s office handled the prosecution.
At a preliminary hearing
Preliminary hearing
Within some criminal justice systems, a preliminary hearing is a proceeding, after a criminal complaint has been filed by the prosecutor, to determine whether there is enough evidence to require a trial...
on August 30, 2006, Mack was held over for trial
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
. His defense
Defense (legal)
In civil proceedings and criminal prosecutions under the common law, a defendant may raise a defense in an attempt to avoid criminal or civil liability...
attorneys sought a court-ordered mental competency evaluation
Competency evaluation (law)
In the United States criminal justice system, a competency evaluation is an assessment of the ability of a defendant to understand and rationally participate in a court process....
. On September 11, prosecutors announced they would not seek the death penalty. Mack pleaded not guilty to the charges at an arraignment
Arraignment
Arraignment is a formal reading of a criminal complaint in the presence of the defendant to inform the defendant of the charges against him or her. In response to arraignment, the accused is expected to enter a plea...
on September 13, and his trial
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
was set for October 1, 2007. As of October 4, 2006, attorney Scott Freeman tried to get Mack's attempted murder
Attempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-Today:In English criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit unlawful killing and at the same time having a specific intention to cause the death of human being under the Queen's Peace...
charge dropped.
Following his earlier decision in the criminal cases, on October 13 Senior Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
J. Charles Thompson disqualified the entire Washoe County bench from all civil cases against Mack. The trial was moved to Las Vegas, and Clark County District Judge Douglas Herndon was appointed to the case.
On November 5, 2007, Mack pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and entered an Alford plea
Alford plea
An Alford plea in United States law is a guilty plea in criminal court, where the defendant does not admit the act and asserts innocence...
to the attempted murder charge, just as the trial was to begin, in exchange for a recommendation by the prosecutor for life in prison with parole available after 20 years. The judge was not bound by the sentencing recommendation. Mack said during the plea, "I do understand right now in my state of mind that shooting at the judiciary is not a proper form of political redress".
Mack attempted to withdraw his pleas, saying he was coerced by Chesnoff and Freeman and that his signature was forged. Judge Douglas Herndon denied Mack's motion to withdraw, filed by his new defense attorney William Routsis. During sentencing, Routsis continued to renew his requests for Herndon to grant Mack a new trial.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Herndon sentenced Mack to life in prison for murdering his wife. He also gave Mack the maximum sentence of 40 years, with parole eligibility after 16 years, for the attempted murder of Judge Weller and a deadly weapon enhancement. The sentences run consecutively, rendering Mack ineligible for parole for at least 36 years. Another hearing on his arguments was scheduled for April 2008.
On March 18, 2008, a Washoe County jury delivered a $590 million settlement against Mack in the wrongful-death lawsuit of his wife, Charla. $560 million was awarded to the couple's young daughter, Erika, with the remainder to go to his wife's estate.
In an updated segment of 48 Hours Mystery on August 8, 2009, CBS reported that Mack continues to appeal his conviction (on grounds that he pled guilty under duress) and is also appealing the $590 million civil judgment. Judge Weller has filed a personal injury lawsuit against Mack, seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
Mack claims he has no money left.