Caught In The Crossfire

A Wife And Judge Get Caught In The Crossfire Of An Explosive Divorce

(CBS)  On June 12, 2006, the people of Reno, Nev., were glued to their televisions following the brazen shooting of Family Court Judge Chuck Weller.

"My thoughts immediately turned towards Charla and her whereabouts," remembers Ann Mudd who, along with Christine Libert, desperately tried to reach her friend Charla Mack.

The two women were convinced Charla was in danger; their fears were confirmed when they later heard on the news she had been murdered.

What led to the shooting of Judge Weller and Charla's murder? Was there a connection between the two cases? Troy Roberts reports.

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Successful Reno businessman Darren Mack married Charla in 1995. From the beginning, everyone says they had a chemistry that was undeniable.

"I think when you saw the two of them walk into a room, they were explosive together. Charla just fired him up. She was fire," explains writer Amanda Robb, who reported on the Mack case for Marie Claire magazine.

Darren is the oldest son of a wealthy Reno family; his parents owned one of the largest pawn shops in the city. When his father was killed in a 1986 plane crash, Darren became half owner of the business and, according to court records, was said to be worth almost $10 million.

But Darren had been married before. Darren and his ex-wife had two children together but the marriage collapsed. "He would not stop fighting with Debbie. She spent more than a quarter of a million dollars in legal fees just responding to him," Robb says. "And Charla was on his side at the time."

Darren had joint custody and for a while at least, he, Charla, and his kids seemed to be one big happy family. But Darren and Charla's clean-cut family image was a far cry from their private lives. "They became sort of a fixture on the strip club circuit in and around Reno," Robb explains. "It moved up into swinging."

Things changed after daughter Erika was born in 1997. Charla told Darren she was no longer interested in swinging.

And as the marriage began to crumble, letters and e-mails 48 Hours obtained document an increasingly abusive relationship.

But it wasn't Charla who claimed to be the victim-it was Darren. "He kept a diary, in which he said she kicked him in the testicles, but missed, she scratched his car, she yelled at him on the phone. Oh, yes. She belittled him in front of his friends, went on, and on and on for six pages like this," Robb explains.

Darren's friend Michael Small says that despite his imposing stature, Darren lived in fear. He says a big part of Darren's desire to end the marriage was the alleged abuse. "It's a known fact that he carried a gun because he was worried she was gonna come kill him," he says.

But Charla was apparently looking over her shoulder, too. "He showed up at the house where she and Erika were and they had some kind of confrontation. And he had her by the neck and was trying to strangle her," Ann says.

In the end, it was Charla who filed for divorce, and Darren moved out. The couple fought constantly over Erika but fought even more over money, which Darren claimed was running out.

Judge Weller ordered Darren to pay Charla $10,000 a month until the divorce was settled. But Darren thought the ruling, and the judge, were unfair.

Just after 11 a.m. on June 12, 2006, bystanders in downtown Reno heard a loud bang echo off the buildings. Police shut down the city, while SWAT teams fanned out searching for what they believed was a sniper.

It turned out only one bullet was fired that morning, exploding through the window of Weller's office and spraying him and his assistant with shrapnel.

It was just minutes after the shooting when police got a break from a phone call. The caller, Darren's childhood friend Dan Osborne, had a disturbing story to tell: he had been at Darren's home that morning when Charla dropped off their daughter. He and Erika stayed upstairs while Darren spoke to Charla privately.

"Downstairs somehow Darren lured Charla into the garage," says Robb. "The daughter upstairs heard a dog yelping and told Darren's friend 'I think your dog is yelping.'"

After the frantic barking continued, Osborne told police he went to check on his dog. That's when he ran into Darren coming out of the garage. Osborne said Darren brushed past him with a weird look, his hand wrapped in a towel, and that he didn't say a word.

"Few moments later, the dog came in, covered in blood," says Detective Ron Chalmers.

Osborne put Erika in his car and started driving; minutes later, his cell phone rang. It was Darren. "And Darren says 'Meet me at Starbucks.' The friend, who is completely flipped out at this point, meets him at Starbucks with the little girl," Robb says.

[carolcape]

This man is so guilty, and no regrets of what he did. I am so happy this judge survived. I worked for judges for years in every court, supreme, provincial, family and civil. This was so bizzare it is not even funny. This man is where he should be, Thank God. He is what you said, a spoiled brat and thinking everyone would believe this stupid story of his ex being abusive towards him, rest in peace, he is where he should be.

[voodookid-2009]

I just don''t like the reporter from the show who tried to judge the people he was interviewing.

[paulsielski]

Andrea Yates and Mary Winkler should have received the death penalty. The children and preacher husband they slaughtered, never had a fighting chance. Yet the radical feminists defended the murderous women in their premeditated slaughter of the innocent. Judges in family court are not infallible, in fact more of them are pedophiles as a percentage of their occupation than are priests. The proper expression of a grievance is through the force of the political process in the public square. The fact is that Children are growing up with out two parents, because the STATE in the form of the Judicial Branch Family Destruction Division makes money when money changes hands, especially in lawyer and judge inspired contention of win/loose american adversarial legal system. The Police State massive invasion into the family affairs must end. The Federal and State incentives to pit Mother against Father must end. Family Court literally kills families!

[roscoezzz]

No matter what happens in family court or divorce court or how evil you think the judges are. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO KILL ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.
Darren Mack deserves everything he gets. His friends and current girlfriend, sat there in those interviews and defended Darren after HE MURDERED HIS WIFE.
He played the "victim" against his ex-wife, the judge, his divorce, his money, his lawyers, his friends, his family. NOBODY PUT THAT GUN IN HIS HAND. NOBODY PUT THAT KNIFE IN HIS HAND EITHER. HE DID THAT ALL BY HIMSELF.
No matter how much you hate a family court judge. He didn''t deserve to be gunned down. His ex-wife didn''t deserve to be knifed to death either.
All Darren had to do was pay alimony and child support. That''s all. Prosecutors were right. Darren was a spoiled brat who threw a hissy fit because he couldn''t get what he wanted.

[sheril911]

Who sang and what is the name of the song that was played at the end?

[steve0426]

Darren Mack should have put hidden cameras in the house to record his wife''s physical abuse. It is hard for a big man to convince others that a small woman can be abusive.In the Bible, (small) David killed Goliath( giant).
There is a big DISCRIMINATION, when it comes to Family court. I am amazed NOT ONE LAWYER in AMERICA
will pick up the task to help eliminate this DISCRIMINATION. If so, this entire story would be different. With the way the laws are now, there will other stories like this in the years to come.
Think about it- How many stories can you recall where a couple is getting a divorce and one person ends up dead?

[namesnames]

He knew what he was doing when he killed her and attempted to kill the judge. He should not get parole no matter how old he is. I do believe, from personal experience, that there are judges in the family court system that automatically side with the mother unless the mother has been deemed unfit. That''s gender discrimination.

[crazywoman]

Landmark Education was mentioned but I did not get the connection. Would you please let me know?

[kar791]

I totally agree with roscoezzz. Darren Mack is a disgusting human being who should never have the possibility of parole. His girlfriend is a total idiot to stand beside this lying murderer. The story about Charla threatening him with a gun is so rediculous. He obviously thought of that twist when he was on the run in Mexico. The thought of a petite woman overpowering this muscular man in a "fight for their lives" on the floor of the garage is obsurd. No matter how unfair a family court judge is, it does not give Darren a free pass to go around killing people and attempting to kill the judge. That''s life. Sometimes it isn''t fair. His acts were not justified. He is an evil person who should rot in jail. He took away so much from so many people. This is a very sad and disturbing story.

[drdavedmd]

Although there is guilt beyond a reasonable doubt that Darren deliberately killed Charla, and that afterwards he went out to take out the judge, Darren should have nevertheless been granted a new trial because his rights as an American citizen was violated. He testified that he was coerced into pleading guilty. No matter what, even if it is going to be a waste of taxpayers'' money, every individual has a right to a fair trial. He did NOT. The judge was so biased it was not funny.

In the event of a new trial, Darren will be convicted and sent to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The argument against his belief that he acted in self-defense is the fact that he went out to go after the judge.... how in the worl and for what reason would a person who acted in self-defense all of a sudden go after the judge? There is NONE. Case dissmissed. Darren Mack is a brutal killer. He needs to pay for his heinous crime for the rest of his life. However, I believe that the justice system needs to give him a new trial.

[winnywinny1]

I''m just amazed that the "replacement" trophy girlfriend (Alicia) can be so dumb. She seems to be attracted to trouble. Hope for the sake of her own child she gets wise and makes the child her only priority.

Darren''s other friends/hangers-on seemed very sketchy, as well. I wondered what they thought they were going to "get" from standing up for him.

[winnywinny1]

I''m just amazed that the "replacement" trophy girlfriend (Alicia) can be so dumb. She seems to be attracted to trouble. Hope for the sake of her own child she gets wise and makes the child her only priority.

Darren''s other friends/hangers-on seemed very sketchy, as well. I wondered what they thought they were going to "get" from standing up for him.

[grosventres]

Darren''''s other friends/hangers-on seemed very sketchy, as well. I wondered what they thought they were going to "get" from standing up for him.

You got that right. I''ve known Michael Small for years and he is a con man extraordinaire. He took several of my friends and relatives to the cleaners in an "acting school" scam in Binghamton, NY back in 1996. At that time he was married to an acquaintence of mine, Darlanne Fleugle, an up and coming acress who co-starred in several major movies with Sly Stallone and William Peterson, among others. He ruined her career and took her for all she was worth. The custody battle referred to in this story was apparently with her.

I''m sure the reason that Mack was Michael''s "best friend" was because Mack had millions and Michael wanted some of it. It wasn''t surprising to see him turn up in the midle of this sordid tale.

[cacomistle]

sheril911,
I''m not sure of the name of the song, but the singer was Charla Mack. Her mother had the song played at Mack''s sentencing hearing, saying that it was a song Charla wanted Darren to hear - it was literally her voice from the grave. ::goosebumps::

[roma52]

How can anyone have a happy relationship when you are swinging with others?

After the baby was born, Charla was then Mrs. Mom, and Darren wasn''t getting all the attention.

It would have been interesting to know if the first Mrs. Mack went through the same thing with Darren.

Mrs. Mack #1 was obviously the wiser of the two, she is still here.

Money was the factor here.

Darren Mack typifies the modern culture, of the shallow, vain, rich, Hollywood lifestyle even now, he still doesn''t get it?

Once again, you can''t judge a book by its cover.

[aldicicco]

All Family Courts must be abolished and replaced by mediation centers that will uphold our rights of equal protection under the law and assist in reducing animosity between parets divorcing. I spent over a decade in Nevada trying to help reform the system and failed. Several Nevada Family Court judges lobbied against a bill that would have given all parents equal rights to their children. The governement wants control over all of us. Listen to Alex Jones www.infowars.com

[franchize44]

I agree that family courts are wrong- but the fact of the matter is that Darren Mack murdered his wife, and then tried to murder the judge. The self defense things doesn''t add up because of the attempted killing of the judge. It''s WRONG and there''s something evil about a man who can do that. He''s right where he should be.

[djwelsh2]

All Darren had to do was pay alimony and split the marital assets which is what you are supposed to do in a divorce. He would rather ruin his daughter''s life than give Charla was was rightfully hers. That was a selfish act from a sociopath and narcicist, obsessed with *** and money who only loves himself.
So now he will rot in jail for cold blooded murder.
Nobody wins here including tax payers.

[celestialsmo]

I was very disturbed while watching this show. I dont understand why in the world someone would go to such lengths to kill someone just because they have to have there own way! I see that Daryn was a VERY manipulative man that plotted this musrder because he wasnt getting what he wanted! In my opinion Daryn got wind of his wife wanting to leave him so he fabricated stories of her abuse towards him to make himself look better and to play the victim. To me Daryn is a spoiled little brat that acts like a 2 year old when he doesnt get what he wants in life! If he was the victim and killing her was self defense then why would he throw away the gun if it at all had her finger prints on it again all set up by Daryn himself to look like a victim that hes not, and to manipulate his son into thinking his story was true WAKE up and face reality!What is really scary is the new girlfriend standing by his side. why would you be that dumb and not protect yourself and your own children, bot she must have some issues with herself to believe that man! and of course his creepy best friend hes just as crazy and maybe we should start making sure he doesnt do the same to his ex-wife as Daryn did to his wife because he surely believes that Daryns crazy actions were justifid. At least we can say that justice has been served and hopefully he will never get out of his cell!!!