HIGHLAND, Utah — Highland police officers say they have arrested a Utah nurse after she allegedly killed a patient in an effort to collect life insurance money. Meggan Randall Sundwall, 47, was arrested Thursday and faces aggravated murder and obstruction of justice charges.
According to court documents obtained by FOX 13 News, the investigation started on August 12, 2024, when Lone Peak police officers were called to a home in the 6600 block of W. Stevens Lane. When they arrived they found 38-year-old Kacee Lyn Terry unresponsive.
Kacee's uncle, Mark Farnsworth told officers that he had found Kacee unconscious and struggling to breathe. When Kacee was found she was alone in her bedroom with Sundwall who is a licensed registered nurse.
Meggan told officers that Kacee had been in that condition for "a couple of hours" and claimed that Kacee had a do not resuscitate order and didn't want to go to the hospital.
While paramedics were on the scene they discovered a diabetic needle. Kacee according to investigators was not a diabetic. When she was transported to Mountain Point Hospital in Lehi they found her blood sugar level was at 14. Detectives say any blood sugar level below 40 is considered life-threatening.
While Kacee was in the ICU, her sister informed doctors that Kacee had terminal cancer for 4-5 years. However, when Kacee's medical history from her primary care physician was reviewed they found that she never had cancer. A later autopsy would confirm she didn't have cancer or major health problems.
Kacee Terry was declared brain dead by doctors and died on August 15, 2024, about 3 days after the initial 9-1-1 call. Investigators say a DNR was never located for Kacee and there was no paperwork designating Meggan Randall Sundwall as her power of attorney.
When investigators spoke to Kacee's family and friends they shared that they believed Meggan had been trying to kill Kacee for years. Detectives say evidence located on the victim's phone showed a thread of texts beginning in December of 2019.
Over the four years of text messages, detectives say Meggan detailed different ways she would killed herself if she was Kacee. Meggan also allegedly offered to "help" Kacee die and discussed how Kacee's death would solve money problems for Meggan.
According to investigators, Meggan Sundwall believed she was the beneficiary of a rumored $1.5 million life insurance policy held by Kacee.
A forensic pathologist told police the only way for Kacee's blood sugar level to drop to 14 is through exogenous insulin. That means the insulin would have had to have been administered from outside the body.
When a blood glucose monitor found on the scene was reviewed, the stored history showed 19 readings in 10 hours on August 12. The readings on the monitor continually drop and at 4:23 p.m. Meggan allegedly searched how low the specific monitor would read.
Court documents say that the monitor's final three readings were marked "Lo," meaning below 19. Police believe Kacee at that point was unconscious and unable to test her own blood sugar.
Police also found that at 9:47 a.m. the day that Kacee was discovered, Meggan sent Kacee a text reading, "Do you want to take some promethazine when I get there so that you are asleep when this is happening?"
The Medical Examiner later confirmed the cause of death for Kacee as an overdose of Promethazine, probable exogenous insulin, and other drugs. The official manner of death was left undetermined by the office.
Five hours after the morning text from Meggan to Kacee, Meggan texted her mother saying that she couldn't get Kacee to wake up. Despite this and being a nurse, Meggan didn't call for medical help until Kacee's uncle discovered her seven hours later.
Investigators say that after Kacee's death, Meggan continuously searched for Kacee's life insurance policy through calls and emails. During that time she is also accused of deleting 900 texts from her phone.
Meggan Randall Sundwall was arrested on Thursday and is being held without bail by the Utah County Sheriff's Office.
