👋 Welcome back, Case Crackers.

This week we’re tackling a case that rips at two competing truths: the person sworn to protect a community, and the person accused of destroying a family. Read close, there are legal twists, witness-silencing allegations, and questions about how someone in a position of authority is investigated when suspicion falls on them. So grab your notebook and your skepticism. This one is complicated, and every detail matters.

Full Case Story

It was just after 9 p.m. on August 21, 2025, when deputies in El Dorado County responded to a shooting report at a home on Oakwood Road in Cameron Park, a quiet suburb about 30 miles east of Sacramento. Inside, they found 29-year-old Marissa Divodi-Lessa fatally shot. Her son, Josiah “Jojo” Divodi-Lessa, a second grader, was critically wounded and later died at the hospital. A second child was found alive in the home, identified in court filings only as “J. Doe.”

Within hours, investigators turned their focus to 47-year-old Darin McFarlin, a veteran CAL FIRE captain with more than 25 years of service. He was located in nearby Mono County just after midnight and booked into the El Dorado County Jail without bail.

McFarlin has since pleaded not guilty to five serious felony counts: two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances (including firearm use and multiple victims), attempted murder of the surviving child, child abuse, and domestic violence.

Prosecutors argue the murders were premeditated. Court filings allege McFarlin killed Marissa and Josiah to prevent them from testifying against him in another criminal matter, a special circumstance under California law that could carry life without parole or even the death penalty.

According to investigators, the crime unfolded with chilling escalation: McFarlin first inflicted corporal injury on Marissa in their bedroom. When she tried to flee and call for help, he retrieved a firearm and fatally shot her in the dining room. He then allegedly turned the weapon on Josiah, who also lost his life.

CAL FIRE has placed McFarlin on unpaid administrative leave while fully cooperating with law enforcement. His colleagues reportedly expressed shock and disbelief at the accusations. Meanwhile, the community has been shaken, with support pouring in for Marissa’s surviving child. A fundraising campaign has been launched to assist the family with both emotional recovery and legal needs.

McFarlin’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 29, 2025, with preliminary hearings to follow in mid-October. The case is expected to draw intense public and legal scrutiny in the weeks ahead.

🎥 You Need to See This: The Story of Patrick Lyoya’s Death

Some stories demand more than just words, they require you to witness the moment. This week, our featured video does exactly that. It’s raw, sobering, and impossible to ignore.

Why this matters (and why you need to watch):

• A stop gone deadly 
  On April 4, 2022, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya was pulled over for a minor registration issue. What unfolded next—a struggle captured on bodycam, dashcam, cellphone, and doorbell footage—led to him being shot in the back of the head while face down on the ground. None of the video angles leave the moment open to ambiguity.

• Confirmed by independent autopsy

  One of the most respected forensic experts, Dr. Werner Spitz, conducted an independent autopsy on behalf of Lyoya’s family. The findings were clear: Lyoya was shot at point-blank range in the back of his skull—a description his attorney called “execution-style.”

• Legal and public fallout

  Officer Christopher Schurr was charged with second-degree murder in June 2022—one of the rare cases where an on-duty police officer faced a murder charge in recent years. Despite overwhelming public outcry, including protests and calls for reform, the trial in April 2025 ended in a mistrial. Prosecutors later declined to retry him.

• A profound human tragedy 
  Lyoya wasn’t just a tragic footnote. A refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, he came to America for a better life. His death—and its visual documentation—sparked protests, demands for police reform, and became a national flashpoint in the fight for accountability.

If you haven’t watched it yet, this is the one to click.

👉 Watch The Story of Patrick Lyoya’s Death now on the Solved Files YouTube channel and see how every viewer confronts the truth slightly differently—but it all starts right here.

🕵 Truth Check — Myths vs. Facts

🩺 Tip of the Week — If someone is a witness, take it seriously

When people are targeted because they are witnesses, there are practical steps that can save lives. If someone tells you they fear retaliation for speaking to police:

• Encourage immediate documentation. Save texts, voicemails, photos, names, dates and times. Evidence matters.

• Call law enforcement (or have them connect with the prosecutor’s witness protection/victim-witness unit). DA offices have resources to protect people and coordinate safety planning.

• Seek emergency protective orders — those are an immediate legal barrier and can trigger enforcement resources.

• Work through official channels — do not try to “handle it yourself”; people who take matters into their own hands can escalate danger.

• Reach out to victim-services — many counties have victim/witness assistance programs that help with relocation, counseling, and navigating court.

If you are a friend or neighbor and you notice a pattern of abuse, reporting can be the first safest step toward stopping escalation. (For more on federal and local victim protections, see the Office on Violence Against Women and local DA victim services.)

🧩 Case Crackers — The Fire Captain Cipher

How to play: solve three clues using numbers in the case, convert each number to its alphabetical letter (1 = A, 2 = B… 26 = Z), then arrange letters to reveal the secret word.

Clue 1: Victim count — how many people were killed? (A: 2)

Clue 2: Last digit of the arrest county name’s number? — Take the day (21) of the incident and use its single-digit sum (2 + 1 = 3). (A: 3)

Clue 3: Last digit of the suspect’s age (McFarlin is reported as 47 — use 7). (A: 7)

Convert: 2 → B, 3 → C, 7 → G. Arrange in order of clues to reveal the three-letter code. What does BCG make you think about the case?

📊 Crime Stat of the Week — Witnesses & Domestic Homicide

— Firearms increase lethality. Research cited by the Department of Justice and victim-services organizations indicates the presence of a firearm in a domestic violence situation dramatically increases the risk of homicide, some analyses cite an increase of around 500% in risk. That’s why prosecutors treat firearm involvement and witness-silencing allegations as especially serious.

— Intimate-partner homicides remain a major portion of female homicide victims. CDC reporting shows a large share of female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner; homicide remains a leading cause of death for pregnant and postpartum women in some studies. These trends explain why domestic violence cases are prioritized for victim protection and why killing a witness can be prosecuted as an especially aggravating factor.

What this means for the McFarlin case: If prosecutors prove the allegation that the victims were killed to prevent testimony, it not only supports a special-circumstance enhancement but also speaks to the broader public-safety rationale for seeking the harshest penalties.

❓ Q&A — Community Corner

Question: Why hold a defendant without bail in cases like this?
Answer: Judges weigh dangerousness, flight risk, and public safety. In cases alleging premeditated murder and potential witness tampering, courts often find public safety outweighs release. (Local reporting shows McFarlin was booked and held without bond early in the process.)

Question: Will the alleged “witness” claim change how prosecutors build their case?
Answer: Yes — witness-silencing allegations push prosecutors to lock down any statements the alleged victims made before they died, and to present motive, planning, and timeline evidence clearly and early.

Have a question you want answered in next week’s newsletter? Hit reply.

🔦 This Week’s Must-Watch Moment

True crime doesn’t stop at the newsletter — it lives, breathes, and unravels across the Solved Files Network.

🎥 On YouTube, we just released The Story of Patrick Lyoya’s Death — one of the most controversial police encounters in recent memory, reconstructed through bodycam, cellphone, and doorbell footage. If you missed it, watch the full breakdown now.

📲 On TikTok (@solved_files), sharpen your instincts with crime polls, fast-paced case drops, and chilling “what would you do” scenarios.

📸 On Instagram (@unsolvedfiles01), we reveal behind-the-scenes notes, courtroom sketches, and visual clues that tie this week’s story into the larger true crime landscape.

One story may grab headlines, but the real picture comes together when you follow across platforms. 👉 Join us — because the case files don’t close here.

Thanks for staying with us through this week’s case. These stories are tough, but every read, every question, and every perspective sharpens the way we see justice. Remember, you’re not just reading, you’re part of a community that refuses to look away. Until next time, stay sharp, stay curious, and never stop asking the questions that matter.