♪♪
Narrator: This is the story of two happy families...
[ Laughter ]
...that act as one.
They were around each other constantly.
They felt like she was their daughter.
Narrator: But an unimaginable betrayal...
This was the last straw.
Narrator: ...Will tear them apart.
[ Siren wails ]
Lunsford: It's one of the most horrific scenes
I had ever been on.
It's burned in my memory thinking about it.
♪♪
Narrator: It's 1996 in Mandeville, Louisiana,
and the local athletic club has been turned into a ballroom
for the party of the year.
Man: ...Present to you our sweet 16...
Narrator: 20 young women from Mandeville high school
are celebrating their sweet 16 in style.
[ Crowd cheers ]
One of the birthday girls
is high school sophomore Julie Marange.
There she is.
That's my Juju right there.
And that's a happy night for her and for all of us.
She looks beautiful.
Narrator: It's a magical night for mom Cindy,
who helped to plan the event.
We invited a lot of people,
so we had our own table and everything.
Everybody had such a great time.
Narrator: With Julie is a special man in her life, Bobby.
I was very proud to take Julie on the stage
the night of her sweet 16.
She was beautiful as always.
The thing I remember the most is how happy she was
and how much she enjoyed it.
My dad has way more hair in this video than now for sure.
But she's, I mean, the smile on her face,
you can just see how proud she is to be walking with my dad.
Narrator: For older sister Jill,
the event is more than just a party.
It was something that started after me turning 16,
so I had never experienced it, so it was so fun to watch
and to see the girls just really enjoy it.
It's like a rite of passage to kind of going into womanhood
and moving into your future as an adult.
Narrator: And with her poise and beauty,
Julie seems well on her way.
Even while still in high school,
Julie has started to land gigs as a model.
Honestly, I just don't think she knew how beautiful she was.
She truly was just a natural.
She was a tall, statuesque, thin blond,
just a stunning human being
and then on top of it, she's nice.
Narrator: It's time for the daddy-daughter dance,
giving fathers and their daughters a chance to connect.
But that's never been a problem for Julie and Bobby.
In fact, Julie has always been close with her whole family.
Zeringue: And we have a very close-knit family.
We're all super, super close.
She is 4 years younger than I
so we've kind of always been best friends.
You know, growing up, there wasn't a day
that didn't go by that we didn't speak.
We share everything.
I mean, there's not much that we don't all know about each other.
Narrator: Though she has an official date
with her this evening,
Julie is more excited to dance with her best friend,
Kristen Dargis.
Zeringue: Kristen and Julie have literally been friends
since they were in grade school.
They are pretty much as close as you can get to sisters.
Any time anything social was going on,
you always knew that Julie and Kristen would be there together.
Narrator: Once the band gets going,
Julie and Kristen get lost in the crowd.
[ Upbeat music plays ]
Most classmates quickly pair up with their partners.
But Julie's dream date isn't here tonight.
Julie was crazy about Kristen's brother, George.
Even when she was 10 years old,
she just thought he was wonderful.
Zeringue: Being that Julie was at Kristen's family's so much,
they were around each other constantly.
They never really dated or anything at that young age,
but there was kind of this chemistry that they shared.
Narrator: Despite Julie's interest, the two drift apart.
The reason they didn't end up together as teenagers
is because he started going out with this girl,
so that kind of ended it for Julie.
She and Kristen were still friends, though, best friends.
And she would hear about him through Kristen.
Narrator: By 2008, it's been 12 years since that sweet 16 ball.
But Julie and Kristen, now both 28 years old,
are still just as close.
[ Laughs ]
Here they're on a double date playing board games.
Kristen's boyfriend, Carey, is on the couch.
Behind the camera is Julie's boyfriend, David Olson.
Olson: Julie was so funny and spontaneous,
you never knew what was gonna come out of her mouth next,
and I was kind of the same way.
And so, you know, you put that together,
and it's like I had to get some type of documentation,
some type of video.
Narrator: The two met back in 2001
after being set up on a blind date.
My stepsisters had kind of played matchmaker
and set the two of us up.
And I went to her work at the mall and kind of,
you know, recon the situation before we went on the date.
And she's really has got the most beautiful blue eyes,
and that was it, I was hooked.
Julie and David were just fun together.
They were the couple that you wanted to be around,
because you were always laughing.
Narrator: Before the couple met, David was a Navy ensign
stationed in Mississippi and was married.
When I was in the Navy, I married a girl.
We were driving from north Chicago to Biloxi,
and we were in an accident
where we somehow had crossed the median into oncoming traffic
and hit a mack truck coming in the opposite direction.
And my wife was killed immediately.
Narrator: Though David survived the accident,
he wasn't unscathed.
When the wreck happened,
I was actually sleeping in the back seat.
I think I had something like 50 facial fractures.
My jaw was completely smashed
and so I have, you know, lots of plates and screws
holding this beautiful masterpiece together.
[ Chuckles ]
Narrator: David's severe injuries mean
he has to carefully manage his pain with medication.
Julie takes David's trauma in her stride.
Olson: What some people might see as a deterrent,
Julie just completely accepted the fact,
you know, that I was 21, 22 years old and a widower.
Narrator: David and Julie start a brand-new chapter as a couple.
They move in together
knowing they have their whole lives ahead of them.
Back in Mandeville high school,
Julie Marange dreamed of a career in fashion.
[ Camera shutter clicks ]
But once grown up, she finds a far more rewarding career path.
Not long after Julie left the makeup industry,
she actually went to work for a hospice.
Julie was a loving kid,
and she took these people's problems into her heart.
I didn't think she could do it, but she proved us wrong.
She was such a giving person,
it was just a job that she was made for.
[ Indistinct chatter ]
Narrator: In her spare time, Julie unwinds by hanging out
with her best friend, Kristen Dargis.
David is once again behind the camera
as he and Julie enjoy a double date
with Kristen and her boyfriend, Carey.
Things are going well for Julie David,
apart from one thing.
Julie and David really wanted children.
They did a lot of things to try,
and it just wasn't happening for them.
She was trying to go to the clinic.
She was even talking about
maybe doing something in vitro, you know, so.
Narrator: Despite the setbacks, the couple continue to try.
Julie being who she was,
she could always find the positive.
She said, you know, "there's a reason.
It's not my time."
I think they just understood
that that was god's will for them,
and, you know, everything happens as it should.
Woman: Still good.
Narrator: It's February of 2008,
super bowl Sunday,
and the Dargises are hosting a grilling and drinking party.
That's Kristen's mom, Nikki Dargis,
cooking up a storm.
And Kristen's dad, George Sr..
Julie had a great, great relationship
with the Dargis family,
and she loved them so much, and they loved her.
They felt like she was their daughter.
Kristen's older brother, George Jr.,
the guy Julie had a crush on back in high school, isn't here.
His life took a much darker path than Julie's.
George was always a little bit,
you know, on the mischievous side,
kind of pushing the limits.
George, at a young age, had gotten into some trouble.
Narrator: George, now a father,
went to prison in 2004 on narcotics charges.
He's been there ever since.
As per usual, David's keen to capture everyone on video.
But later in the evening,
it's David's turn to be in front of the camera.
Woman: I've got it going.
Narrator: Behind the laughs, David is still struggling
with the aftermath of the accident
that killed his first wife.
I had moments where I would have serious bouts of depression,
and those days were filled with liquor and pills.
That's how I took care of the pain.
♪♪
Narrator: One day, like Kristen's brother,
David finds himself on the wrong side of the law.
When I got my DUI, in your mind you just feel
like everyone's gonna just dump you,
and they don't want to have anything to do with you.
It was shocking because it was out of his character.
Julie felt like, "how did I not realize
this was going on in our home," and she felt some guilt
that he was suffering through this addiction.
Narrator: But instead of stepping away, Julie steps up.
Julie was there for me 110%, you know?
Of course, I mean, she didn't condone my behavior.
She wasn't gonna leave me high and dry.
[ Laughs ]
She decided to help.
So Julie started doing all of the research
into rehab programs in the area,
and she was very involved in making sure
I got a handle on my problem.
Narrator: With Julie's support, David manages to get clean
and back to his usual self.
Julie would just drop everything to take care
of whatever you needed done.
I wish I could have a heart that big sometimes,
you know?
[ Imitating vomiting ]
Narrator: The final whistle goes.
Everyone takes a time out.
This is the Dargises really are Julie's second family,
but that's about to change.
In 2012, four years after that super bowl party
at the Dargises',
Julie and David are still having
just as much fun with the camera.
Lucky charms, they so delicious. [ Laughs ]
Narrator: But they still haven't been able to conceive.
[ Indistinct chatter ]
So when Julie's sister, Jill, surprises the family at Easter
in 2012...
Man: Something's in it? Uh-huh.
We were all thrilled to have,
you know, a new baby in the family for sure.
Narrator: The news is bittersweet for Julie.
She and David have recently learned
why they're having trouble conceiving.
[ Laughs ]
Zeringue: She had endometriosis.
Her and the doctor had discussed
that it would be a small percentage chance
that she could have a viable pregnancy.
That's when they decided to do fertility,
and she did several rounds of it,
and it wasn't successful, unfortunately.
Cindy: It was very heartbreaking,
because I wanted Julie to have children.
Julie wanted children so badly.
It, you know, it just... It is what it is.
It was just unfortunate, but.
Narrator: For their anniversary,
David gives Julie this white Persian, boodan.
[ Cat meows ]
It's a sweet moment for the couple,
but Julie is getting restless about their life together.
A cat isn't a ring.
[ Chuckles ]
From the start of the relationship [clears throat]
I told Julie that I really wasn't interested
in getting married,
and that was important to her.
And we were getting older,
you know, we were in our late 30s.
Things got complicated, you know.
♪♪
Narrator: After over 10 years together,
Julie and David, part ways in early 2013.
I'm sorry.
I could not believe it.
I was devastated,
because I loved David,
and I thought that they could make a go of it.
♪♪
Narrator: Kristen Dargis helps Julie adjust
back to the single life.
That summer of 2013, she brings Julie along
to her parents' annual 4th of July party.
Woman: It's so good to see your dad.
Woman: Hey, George.
Julie spots a familiar face...
Kristen's brother, George Dargis Jr..
He finished his jail time a few months ago.
The two catch up long into the evening.
You're gonna be busy.
Prison has changed George.
He really had turned his life around.
He was raising his kids, he was working,
he was running his dad's company.
He was doing very well.
It's clear that the flirty spark between the two
never really extinguished.
After years of crushing on him as a teenager,
Julie and George finally start dating.
I was very surprised when Julie told me that
considering his background.
I said, "Julie, the boy's been in prison,"
and she told me that George changed changed,
that she really believed in him.
Zeringue: You don't want to judge anyone on their past,
but you're protective of your sister.
And knowing what a giving person she is,
you don't want someone to take advantage of her.
Narrator: Seeing how happy Julie is, they give him a chance.
I mean, I had known him since Julie was 10 years old.
He seemed very sorry for everything that he had done.
Everybody deserves a second chance.
Narrator: Dating her high school crush isn't the only dream come true
for Julie,
she also has a chance to be a mom.
Zeringue: When George came into her life
and she was blessed with stepkids,
it was kind of one of those moments where,
"oh, well, here's the children she wanted,"
you know?
All these years that she couldn't have.
It was just like god placed them there with her.
Julie took care of these kids as if they were her own.
She'd do anything in the world for them.
My pleasure.
Thank you.
Narrator: Just six months after that 4th of July party
in January of 2014, George proposes.
[ Chuckles ]
♪♪
That October, the pair exchanged vows.
Cindy: It was wonderful getting her ready
and seeing the joy and love that Julie had for him,
and I was real happy for Julie.
Narrator: The Dargises, who always felt like family to her,
are now Julie's actual family.
Zeringue: His parents were elated.
She was just kind of like another family member already,
even before her and George started dating.
Narrator: By Christmas 2014,
George is a part of Julie's family, too.
Cindy: He fit in really well.
George and Julie would have barbecues,
invite us over, and they just seemed so in love.
Narrator: Julie finally has the family unit
she's always dreamed of.
It's Christmas 2016...
...and Julie is watching over her niece and nephew
as they open their gifts.
[ Child babbles ]
But aunt Julie doesn't seem her usual cheerful self.
Child: You spelled my name wrong.
Cracks have already started to appear
in her new marriage.
George was getting more irritable each and every day.
It seemed to be getting worse.
Narrator: It's not long before Julie finds out why.
George has slipped back into using codeine
and other narcotics.
What are you doing?
When I found out that George was using drugs,
I was sad for Julie.
I really was, just because she's such a great person,
and I felt like "here we are again."
Sometimes I feel like she's taking care of everyone else
but herself.
Narrator: As always, Julie isn't ready
to give up on someone who needs help.
I can get you a place.
Cindy: Julie was trying to help George to get off drugs
and to try to make a family, you know, with the children,
and she wanted them to make it together.
Narrator: Julie and the Dargis family worked together to help George,
but after two years, he still isn't getting better.
Zeringue: Julie had put him through rehab,
and he would come out and relapse.
And then she put him through again,
and he would come out and relapse.
George: Hey.
No need to ask how your day's been.
Julie told George,
"why don't you try to do better for your kids,
if you don't want to do it for me and you?"
She told him he needed to move out
and so he moved back in with his parents,
but the kids stayed with Julie.
Narrator: Julie hopes it'll be the wake-up call George needs
to save their family.
[ Siren wails ]
On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving 2017,
a high-speed police chase in Slidell, Louisiana,
has ended in a crash.
[ Police radio chatter ] [ Car door opens ]
The driver has fled the scene.
Deputies inspect the car and find liquid codeine inside,
and they quickly catch up with the driver of the vehicle...
[ Camera shutter clicks ]
...George Dargis.
Julie knew this was the last straw.
George didn't want to help himself,
and I think Julie finally realized
that she could not change George.
Narrator: When George called Julie from jail
to ask her to post bail, Julie stands her ground.
She wanted him to stay in jail, that's where he needed to be.
Julie said, "dad, I see what you mean,
you cannot help him.
He's just been in so much trouble,
he doesn't want to be helped."
She said, "I just can't do it," and she was crying.
I said, "we'll go to file,
go ahead and get your divorce proceedings going."
She was excited about the next chapter of her life.
She told me this was gonna be her year.
Everything was gonna be about Julie.
She was gonna start taking care of Julie.
♪♪
[ Police radio chatter ]
Narrator: Saturday, December 2nd, 5:30 A.M...
[ Camera shutter clicks ] ...Police received a call
about a burglary at Eddie's grocery on U.S. 190.
[ Camera shutter clicking ]
[ Siren wails ]
Narrator: 15 minutes later, another call about a burglary
on U.S. 190 at a dollar general.
[ Clicking continues ]
[ Siren wails ]
Just minutes later, yet another burglary on U.S. 190.
[ Clicking continues ]
In each case, someone smashed their vehicle
through the building's front glass
and then robbed the place.
Lunsford: It is very unusual for a series of burglaries
to happen like that in such a short time in a confined area.
[ Camera shutter clicks ]
Narrator: Then, at 7:30 A.M...
The caller is Nikki Dargis,
and she's talking about George.
St. Tammany sheriff's deputies race to George and Julie's home.
♪♪
Lunsford: As the deputies entered the residence
and moved down the hallway,
they discovered a female lying face down in the kitchen.
♪♪
Narrator: The female is identified as Julie Dargis.
I pick up the phone [sniffles] and it's Jill.
She was crying and I said, "Jill, what's wrong?"
And she said, "George beat up Julie."
And I said, "where is she? Where is she?
What hospital? Is she in the hospital?
What hospital?"
[ Sobbing ] And Jill said, "no, mom, she's dead."
And I started screaming.
I said, "no, she can't be dead. Don't tell me that,"
I said, "don't tell me that. It can't be true."
♪♪
Narrator: Detective Lunsford arrives on the scene.
She's in the kitchen.
As I made entry into the house, it was a horrific scene.
There was evidence of a struggle throughout the house.
There was items knocked over, there was blood evidence
throughout the residence.
Narrator: From her wounds,
it looks like Julie suffered a ferocious, prolonged attack.
Julie had blunt-force trauma to her head,
multiple stab wounds,
her throat was cut, her nose was broken,
she had defensive wounds on her hands
when she attempted to fight back.
And she did everything she could to try to defend herself,
it was very obvious.
[ Camera shutter clicks ]
It was one of the most horrific scenes I had ever been on.
It's burned in my memory thinking about it,
but I had to suppress that
and get the job done that needed to be done.
I was working for Julie at that time.
I needed to do what I could to make it right for her.
Narrator: A quick check reveals George had been bonded out of jail
by his parents just two days earlier,
because they were worried he was suicidal,
and there's no sign of his two kids.
Investigators need to find him immediately.
We didn't know what was going to happen next,
where he was going, what his plans were.
Narrator: They quickly realized he's not in his usual vehicle.
George's truck was left at the residence,
parked on the side street next to the house,
and Julie's car was missing.
Narrator: With no time to lose,
detectives put a bolo on Julie's black Chevy impala.
It could lead them to George and more importantly, to his kids.
Lunsford: Finding the children was a priority at that time,
we assign several deputies to solely concentrate on that.
We didn't know what to expect,
that they could be victims somewhere else.
They could be victims of kidnapping.
Narrator: Reports start to come in.
Okay. I'm on my way.
Lunsford: We quickly identified that the vehicle
that was identified in the earlier burglaries
matched the description of the vehicle
missing from Julie's house.
Narrator: George Dargis is behind the robberies,
but he's long gone.
There's no sign of him or the car.
[ Siren wails ]
Then they get the news they all been hoping for.
Lunsford: When we found the children at friends' houses...
They're safe.
...we were greatly relieved that they were well
and that they weren't part of this crime.
Narrator: They're reeling from the shock
of what their dad has done.
A daughter already knew, and she just ran down the driveway
and just buried her head in my chest crying.
I said, "you're not like your dad.
Miss Julie loved you so much.
And we're gonna get through this.
And we're still family."
The children were safe and fine, but George was still missing.
There's nothing more dangerous to others or to themselves
than a person who has nothing to lose,
and at that point, George had nothing to lose.
♪♪
Narrator: George's parents are in disbelief
over what their son has done.
Detectives asked George's mother, Nikki,
to tell them everything she can about George's last movements.
Okay. So you called 911.
Narrator: St. Tammany detectives get a call
from New Orleans P.D. 30 miles away.
We gained information that George Dargis had been involved
in a car crash
on the i-10 twin span to New Orleans.
[ Clattering ]
Narrator: He's in custody,
and detective Lunsford wants answers.
My goal in the interview when speaking with George
was to find out what happened.
It was so crazy, the scene.
What would cause someone to do that to your wife?
I didn't understand it, and I needed to,
and I needed to find answers for the family.
I tried to minimize his actions and tried to give him a platform
where he could be the victim in it
and tell us his side of the story on what happened.
[ Cries ]
It's okay.
Narrator: George's tears don't convince investigators.
Things going the wrong way.
Lunsford: There was no way that the death of Julie
could have been an accident.
He honestly... He butchered Julie.
For George to say that he was remorseful
at the end was immaterial.
George had done one of the worst things
I have ever seen during my career.
Narrator: Based on the evidence, investigators pieced together
what they believe happened that night.
Lunsford: My belief is that George went to the house
to speak with her about their marital issues.
[ Knocking ]
My impression's that Julie was not going to go back
with George, that she was going to file for divorce
and that George couldn't handle it,
George couldn't not be in control,
and that it just drove him over the edge to do what he did.
♪♪
After George brutally murdered Julie,
he stole her car and went on a rampage
to get money for his flight from law.
Narrator: In April 2019,
George pleads guilty to second-degree murder
and several other burglary-related charges.
He is sentenced to life in prison.
[ Crowd cheers ]
Losing Julie has changed the Maranges forever.
Zeringue: It's a daily struggle.
You never think that can happen to you or your family.
You know, someone like my sister who was so good and so kind
and did so much for this person
and for everyone she met.
If I had another chance, and I had that feeling,
I would just take over and not let her do it her way,
be done my way.
If I would have dealt with him, she would still be here.
Just broke my heart.
♪♪
There's nothing worse than losing a child.
And people may say, oh, they understand,
no, they don't.