John Glatt - Love Her to Death: The True Story of a Millionaire Businessman, His Gorgeous Wife, and the Divorce That Ended in Murder

Dear Reader:

The book you are about to read is the latest bestseller from the St. Martins True Crime Library, the imprint The New York Times calls the leader in true crime! Each month, we offer you a fascinating account of the latest, most sensational crime that has captured the national attention. St. Martins is the publisher of New York Times bestselling author John Glatts riveting and horrifying SECRETS IN THE CELLAR, which shines a light on the man who shocked the world when it was revealed that he had kept his daughter locked in his hidden basement for 24 years. In the Edgar-nominated WRITTEN IN BLOOD , Diane Fanning looks at Michael Petersen, a Marine-turned-novelist found guilty of beating his wife to death and pushing her down the stairs of their homeonly to reveal another similar death from his past. In the book you now hold, LOVE HER TO DEATH, John Glatt returns to examine the details of a brutal murder, an international manhunt, and a startling trial.

St. Martins True Crime Library gives you the stories behind the headlines. Our authors take you right to the scene of the crime and into the minds of the most notorious murderers to show you what really makes them tick. St. Martins True Crime Library paperbacks are better than the most terrifying thriller, because its all true! The next time you want a crackling good read, make sure its got the St. Martins True Crime Library logo on the spineyoull be up all night!

Charles E. Spicer, Jr.

Executive Editor, St. Martins True Crime Library

Dedicated to Keith Clarke,

who taught me to love English.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Just after 9:00 a.m on Monday, June 12, 2006, Darren Mack exploded, changing the town of Reno forever. After months of not getting his own way during his divorce from his second wife Charla, the frustrated multi-millionaire took the law into his own hands.

First he murdered Charla, while their seven-year-old daughter Erica sat upstairs watching television. The avid hunting enthusiast then headed downtown, snipering Washoe County Family Court Judge Chuck Weller and critically wounding him, before fleeing to Mexico.

After eleven days on the run and the target of an international manhunt, Mack surrendered to the FBI and was brought back to Reno to face the music.

For the next several years the wealthy pawnbrokers dream team of criminal attorneys fought a valiant battle on his behalf. But in the middle of his murder trial Mack took a plea on his lawyers advice, after the State presented an impenetrable case against him. But within days he had changed his mind, firing his two attorneys and hiring a new one, seeking a new trial.

This labyrinthine murder case would go on for many more months, until the Nevada Supreme Court finally ruled that Mack would have to face his just punishment.

This is my seventeenth True Crime book and by far the most challenging. I spent almost four years researching and writing it, securing the cooperation of most of the main players, some of whom wished to remain anonymous.

I would like to particularly thank Detectives Ron Chalmers and John Ferguson, who both lead the Reno Police Department investigation. Much gratitude is also due to Charlas mother Soorya Townley, who prepared a chronology of her daughters life, helped me throughout and kindly gave me her blessing to include Charlas moving song lyrics in the book. Sadly, she preferred not to be interviewed. I am also indebted to Landon Mack, who met me at Palace Jewelry and Loan to tell his familys side of the tragedy, and the terrible toll it had taken.

While in Reno I also met with Judge Chuck Weller and his assistant Annie Allison, who bravely told me their stories of the attack. I also spent many hours interviewing Charlas close circle of friends, including Ann and Tony Mudd as well as several others, who did not want their names in the book.

Thanks is also due to journalist Amanda Robb, who wrote the original story in Marie Claire , which first led me to this book. She was very generous with her time, pointing me in the direction of many who would help. Another huge asset for the book was Dean Tong, who was personally hired by Darren Mack, during his divorce. Dean was very helpful, giving me access to his expertise and some of the hundreds of e-mails Darren and Charla wrote each other in the year leading up to the murder.

I would also like to thank Alecia Biddison, Garret Idle, Corey Schmidt, Phil Pape and Rick Ross.

As always, I would also like to thank my editors at St. Martins Paperbacks, Charles Spicer and Yaniv Soha, for everything that they do and my new agent Jane Dystel of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management, for her advice and guidance.

Gratitude also to my wife Gail, Jerome and Emily Freund, Debbie, Douglas and Taylor Baldwin, Trudy Gerstner, Gurch, Danny and Allie Tractenberg, Cari Pokrassa, Virginia Randall, Roger Hitts, Ena Bissell, Chris Vlasak and Annette Witheridge.

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

Monday, June 12, 2006

It was moving day for Dan Osborne, who was all packed and ready to go. For the last few weeks, he had been relying on the generosity of his old friend Darren Mack for a roof over his head and some casual work. Now, to his relief, he had found a place of his own.

The friendship dated back thirty years to Reno High School, although they had lost touch soon after graduating. But recently they had reconnected over a business idea that had never quite got off the ground.

A hugely successful multimillionaire pawnbroker and real estate magnate, Mack, forty-five, was now in the midst of a bitter divorce battle with his beautiful thirty-nine-year-old wife, Charla, a former actress who had once dated Arnold Schwarzenegger. During their tumultuous ten-year marriage, the Macks had lived a glamorous but sexually adventurous life.

When their daughter, Erika, entered preschool, Charla informed her husband that she wanted to stop swinging to become a stay-at-home mom. Darren was furious, giving her an ultimatum to either continue or their marriage was over.

Charla had then filed for divorce, and now, eighteen months later, they only communicated through high-priced lawyers.

After Washoe County Family Court judge Charles Chuck Weller ordered Darren to give Charla $10,000 a month in interim spousal support, based on his stated income of $44,000 a month, Darrens assets began to mysteriously disappear. The successful businessman, who had once claimed to be worth $9.4 million, finally declared bankruptcy, saying there was no money left for Charla.

The increasingly acrimonious divorce had left Darren Mack consumed with anger, likening Judge Wellers courtroom to a Nazi concentration camp. He became a radical fathers rights activist, publicly declaring that he was not going to take it anymore. Charla began telling close friends she feared for her life

Since moving into the Macks condominium in the luxurious Fleur de Lis gated community, Dan Osborne had often witnessed his friends angry tirades.

It was heavy on his mind, Osborne recalled. He had said at one point, Id just like to get rid of them all.

* * *

That Monday morning, Charla Mack was bringing Erika over to Darrens condo, as he was assuming custody for the first three weeks of the summer vacation. Up to now, the family court-ordered weekly handovers had always taken place at school, so Darren and Charla could avoid each other. One parent would drop Erika off at school in the morning, with the other collecting her in the afternoon.