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Nurse Arrested for Alleged Murder of Patient Over Life Insurance Scheme
A nurse in Utah faces serious allegations of aggravated murder after reportedly convincing a patient she had terminal cancer and subsequently injecting her with a lethal dose of insulin, allegedly to benefit from the victim’s $1.5 million life insurance policy.
Meggan Randall Sundwall, aged 47, was taken into custody on Thursday in relation to the death of 38-year-old Kacee Lyn Terry. The incident came to light following an investigation into Terry’s demise after she was found unresponsive during a medical emergency call in Highland, Utah, on August 12, 2024.
According to court documents acquired by Fox 13 News, Terry’s uncle, Mark Farnsworth, reported that he discovered his niece unconscious and showing symptoms akin to drowning, which he described as a serious health crisis.
Emergency responders arrived to find Sundwall alone with Terry in her bedroom, where she claimed Terry had been unwell for “a couple of hours.” Sundwall further asserted that Terry had been diagnosed with terminal cancer for four to five years and had executed a do-not-resuscitate order, indicating she did not want to be taken to the hospital.
Investigators discovered a diabetic needle at the scene, raising suspicions since Terry was not known to be diabetic. Upon her transport to Mountain Point Hospital in Lehi, medical staff recorded Terry’s blood sugar level at a dangerously low 14, well below the threshold of 40, which is recognized as life-threatening.
While receiving intensive care, Terry’s family informed doctors about her supposed cancer diagnosis; however, her primary care physician refuted these claims, stating she had never had cancer. An autopsy later corroborated this, indicating that Terry did not suffer from cancer or any significant health issues.
Terry was declared brain-dead and passed away on August 15, 2024, a few days after the initial emergency call.
Further scrutiny into the case revealed that no do-not-resuscitate order was on file for Terry, and there was no designated power of attorney paperwork naming Sundwall. Family members expressed their belief that Sundwall had been plotting against Terry for an extended period. This suspicion was bolstered by findings on Terry’s phone, which contained text messages dating back to December 2019 that discussed methods for suicide and suggested that Terry’s death could alleviate Sundwall’s financial hardships.
Investigators reported that more than 28,000 text messages exchanged between the two women exhibited Sundwall’s contemplation of various means to cause harm to herself if she were in Terry’s position, and she allegedly offered assistance in ending Terry’s life.
After Terry’s passing, Sundwall reportedly deleted over 900 texts from her own phone and conducted inquiries into Terry’s life insurance policy. Authorities suspect that Sundwall believed she stood to gain from the rumored policy amount.
Sundwall has since been charged with first-degree aggravated murder and third-degree obstruction of justice and is currently held without bail at the Utah County Jail.
Efforts to reach the Lone Peak Police Department for additional comments were unsuccessful.
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