Utah Nurse Arrested, Accused of Killing Friend for Life Insurance Payout
A Utah nurse has been arrested and charged with the murder of her friend, allegedly to collect on a life insurance policy. The case involves a years-long deception where the nurse reportedly convinced her friend she had cancer.
Kacee Lyn Terry, 38, died on August 15, three days after emergency responders were called to her home in Highland, Utah. According to a probable cause affidavit, Terry was found “unconscious and struggling to breathe.”
Meggan Randall Sundwall, 47, was arrested on Thursday on charges of aggravated murder and obstruction of justice in Terry’s death. The medical examiner determined that Terry died from an overdose of insulin and the sedative promethazine. Investigators noted that Terry was not diabetic, and her blood-sugar level was dangerously low.
Sundwall, a licensed registered nurse, allegedly knew that administering insulin to a non-diabetic person would be fatal, the affidavit states. The document further alleges that Sundwall had been fabricating Terry’s cancer diagnosis for years to enable her to administer medications.
Police said evidence suggests Sundwall was experiencing financial difficulties and sought to collect on a “rumored $1.5 million life insurance policy” for Terry. The affidavit cites over 28,000 text messages between Terry and Sundwall, starting from December 2019, that indicated Terry believed she was “very sick.” The texts reportedly included discussions of how Sundwall could “help” Terry die and Sundwall’s plans for using Terry’s death to solve her “money problems.”
On the day responders were called to Terry’s home, police said Sundwall texted her at 9:47 a.m., asking, “Do you want to take some promethazine when I get there so that you are asleep when this is happening?” Surveillance shows the two women were alone together from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Terry’s uncle, Mark Farnsworth, called emergency services after finding his niece and Sundwall at her home on August 12. According to the affidavit, Sundwall told him “that Kacee had a DNR and she did not want to go to the hospital.” The uncle told police Terry had “major, major health issues.” Terry’s sisters told hospital staff that Terry “had terminal cancer for 4-5 years but had been doing better.” The investigation revealed that Terry was in good health with “no cancer and no health problems.”
Sundwall is currently being held at the Utah County Jail. It is not yet known if she has legal representation. The affidavit noted there was no record of a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate order) or power of attorney designating Sundwall. Highland is about 30 miles south of Salt Lake City.
