HIGHLAND, Utah – A nurse has been arrested and charged with the murder of her friend and former roommate, allegedly motivated by a life insurance policy. Meggan Randall Sundwall, 47, stands accused of fatally poisoning 38-year-old Kacee Lyn Terry, according to law enforcement.
Authorities allege Sundwall administered a fatal dose of insulin to Terry, believing she was the beneficiary of a $1.5 million life insurance policy. The tragic events unfolded after Terry’s uncle discovered her unresponsive and struggling to breathe in August. He reported to a 911 operator that his niece was experiencing ‘major, major health issues’ and it ‘sounds like she’s drowning,’ according to reports.
Sundwall, who admitted to being with Terry throughout the day, reportedly told Terry’s uncle that she had been suffering for “several hours.” Police documents reveal a text message from Sundwall to Terry that morning, asking, “Do you want to take some promethazine when I get there so that you are asleep when this is happening?”
Sundwall claimed Terry had a do-not-resuscitate order and did not want to go to the hospital. A diabetic needle was found at the residence, despite Terry not having diabetes. At the hospital, Terry’s blood sugar level was recorded at a dangerously low 14; a blood sugar level of 40 is considered life-threatening.
Terry’s sister revealed to hospital staff that Terry had been diagnosed with leukemia several years prior, according to a search warrant. However, Terry’s family later consulted with her primary care physician, who stated that Terry had never had cancer, and the autopsy did not reveal any underlying health issues. A do-not-resuscitate order was also not found, and Sundwall was not the power of attorney, police reports state.
Investigators examined over 28,000 text messages exchanged between Sundwall and Terry dating back to December 2019. The messages, spanning four years, reportedly contained discussions of various ways Sundwall could end her own life if she were in Terry’s position. The text exchanges also included Sundwall offering to ‘help’ Terry die, according to law enforcement.
Additionally, police found text messages detailing Sundwall’s financial struggles and her plan to resolve them by obtaining Terry’s life insurance money. Sundwall was booked into the Utah County Jail on Thursday, charged with aggravated murder and obstruction of justice. The Office of the Medical Examiner confirmed Terry’s cause of death as an overdose of promethazine, probable exogenous insulin, and other drugs.
