Nurse Accused of Poisoning Friend for Life Insurance Payout

HIGHLAND, Utah — A registered nurse has been charged with the aggravated murder of her friend, Kacee Lyn Terry, whom she allegedly poisoned with insulin and sedatives to claim a life insurance payout.

Meggan Randall Sundwall, 47, was arrested on Thursday following the death of 38-year-old Terry, who was found unresponsive at her home on August 12. Despite being told by Sundwall that Terry had a ‘do not resuscitate’ (DNR) order, first responders discovered no such documentation when they arrived, according to the police affidavit.

The document states that Sundwall’s actions were premeditated, claiming that she had long been attempting to convince Terry that she was suffering from terminal cancer. However, an autopsy later revealed that Terry was perfectly healthy, with no evidence of cancer.

Sundwall is now facing charges of aggravated murder and obstruction of justice. She remains in the Utah County Jail, with no bail set. A judge ruled that she should be held without bail due to the severity of the allegations.

On the day of Terry’s collapse, police arrived at her Highland home shortly after a call from Terry’s uncle, Mark Farnsworth, who found her struggling to breathe. Initial investigations indicated that Sundwall had failed to seek medical assistance for hours. Once at the hospital, doctors found Terry’s blood sugar level had dropped dangerously low to 14, a critical condition for non-diabetics.

Evidence suggests that Sundwall was under financial stress and believed she stood to gain from a rumored $1.5 million life insurance policy on Terry’s life. Detectives noted that messages exchanged between the two women indicated Sundwall had been manipulating Terry’s perception of her health for years. More than 28,000 text messages, dating back to December 2019, were found on Terry’s phone, detailing Sundwall’s attempts to persuade her friend to accept lethal doses of medication.

In one message sent before her arrival at Terry’s home, Sundwall asked, ‘Do you want to take some promethazine when I get there so that you are asleep when this is happening?’ The circumstances surrounding Terry’s final moments, including spending many hours alone with Sundwall, raise serious questions about the nurse’s intentions.

The investigation has revealed a troubling trend, as friends and family have indicated that Sundwall had been attempting to harm Terry for years. A forensic pathologist has stated that the only way to achieve such a low blood-sugar level would be through external administration of insulin.

With more investigations underway and the nature of Sundwall’s employment as a nurse raising further concerns over her intentions, the case continues to develop. Attorneys for Sundwall and further evidence are still being pursued as authorities seek to uncover the full extent of this tragic incident.