Marissa N. Divodi-Lessa, 29, a Hispanic/Latina woman from Shingle Springs, California, was killed on August 21, 2025. Deputies responded that night to a home in nearby Cameron Park after reports of gunfire and found Marissa N. Divodi-Lessa, 29, dead from gunshot wounds; her young son was gravely injured and later died at a hospital. The El Dorado County Coroner publicly identified Marissa N. Divodi-Lessa, 29, as the adult victim, confirming her residence as Shingle Springs and the date of her death.
Investigators quickly focused on Darin McFarlin, 47, a CAL FIRE captain and the intimate partner of Marissa N. Divodi-Lessa, 29. He was arrested without incident and booked into jail. According to charging documents and local reporting, prosecutors alleged he shot Marissa N. Divodi-Lessa, 29, inside his Cameron Park home; the child, identified by family as Josiah, was a second-grade student at Blue Oak Elementary School.
Within days, the El Dorado County District Attorney filed a criminal complaint charging McFarlin with two counts of first-degree murder and additional felonies, including attempted murder and child abuse. He entered a not-guilty plea as the case moved into early hearings, with officials signaling further status updates ahead. The filings also listed Marissa N. Divodi-Lessa, 29, as the deceased adult victim and noted her connection to Shingle Springs.
The killings reverberated across the community. Memorial pages and fundraisers in the names of Marissa N. Divodi-Lessa, 29, and her son shared tributes, while local outlets chronicled the school community’s grief and the provision of counseling resources. These public remembrances preserved details of Marissa N. Divodi-Lessa, 29, and her life, even as the criminal case against the accused continued through the courts.
