Slaying suspect told to pay

RENO -- Accused killer Darren Mack has been ordered to pay more than $1 million to the estate of his late wife, whom he is charged with murdering the same day he is accused of shooting the family court judge who had approved the couple's pending divorce settlement.

Darren and Charla Mack were embroiled in a bitter divorce and met with Judge Chuck Weller in January 2006 to discuss a possible settlement. A tentative agreement disintegrated in a May 2006 meeting when Darren Mack balked, but Weller instructed Charla Mack's lawyer to draw up the settlement order based on the earlier agreement.

The following month, Charla Mack was stabbed to death and Weller was shot.

In a court hearing last April, Charla Mack's attorney, Egan Walker, said Darren Mack should be held to the verbal agreement the settlement was based upon.

Mark Wray, Darren Mack's civil attorney, countered that the settlement was never signed and therefore was not legally binding.

In an order issued Tuesday -- one year to the day after the slaying and shooting -- Judge David Huff ruled in favor of Charla Mack's estate, ordering Darren Mack to "pay to Mrs. Charla Mack the sum of $480,000" in cash.

Huff also ruled that Mack, a former Reno pawnshop owner, should pay $500,000 over five years, $15,500 for arrears and support, and $6,500 from a brokerage account.

Huff, of Clark County, was assigned the divorce case after all Washoe County judges were removed because of Weller's involvement.

Wray, who said Thursday that he was unfamiliar with Huff's order, reiterated his courtroom argument that it was rewriting history.

"This is back to the future," he said. "They made up an order to say 'this is what Judge Weller would have done.'"

He said he would talk with Mack to determine their next move.

"If I don't like the decision, it's my job to do something about it -- seek review if that's what my client wants to do," he said.

Charla Mack was stabbed to death the morning of June 12. Within hours, a sniper shot Weller through a window of his third-floor chambers of the Washoe District Family Court. Weller, who was hit in the chest, has recovered.

Darren Mack fled and spent 11 days as a fugitive before surrendering June 23 in Mexico.

He has entered two pleas -- not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity -- to charges of murder and attempted murder. Trial is set for Oct. 1.