Nurse Allegedly Killed Her Healthy Friend With Insulin for Insurance Money, Now on Trial

A Utah registered nurse is currently standing trial in a case prosecutors say involved manipulation, deception, and a fatal insulin overdose.

Meggan Sundwall, 48, is charged with aggravated murder and obstruction of justice in connection with the 2024 death of her friend, Kacee Lyn Terry, 38, in Highland, Utah.

The case has some disturbing twists and turns, as prosecutors allege that the nurse convinced her friend she was deeply ill and suffering from serious and terminal illnesses, despite the fact that Terry had no real physical medical problems. 

Sundwall mistakenly thought that she was a beneficiary of Terry's life insurance, and prosecutors say she was on a mission to kill Terry to get the insurance money. 

A Fatal Injection

Sundwall allegedly convinced Terry over a period of several years that she was desperately sick and needed to end her life to "end her suffering."

The affidavit says that before Sundwall got to Terry's house, the nurse sent her friend the following incriminating text:

 "Do you want to take some promethazine when I get there so that you are asleep when this is happening?"

After Terry's uncle found her, the report says that when he asked Sundwall how long Terry had been near-unconscious, she responded, "A couple of hours."

 A diabetic needle was discovered at the scene, which alerted personnel that something may have been wrong, because she did not have a history of diabetes. Later investigations revealed that Terry had 19 blood glucose readings on her monitor, with the last three readings showing "Lo," a measurement that only occurs at levels under 19, according to the police. 

Terry died several days later after being transported to the hospital with a dangerously low blood sugar of only 14. 

An autopsy later found no evidence of cancer or other serious illness, including diabetes, contradicting claims that Terry had been terminally ill. According to the Office of the Medical Examiner, Terry's official cause of death is undeclared, but she did have promethazine (a prescription allergy medicine with sedative effects), insulin, and other drugs in her system.

Prosecutors: A Years-Long Plot Fueled by Insurance Motive

Investigators say the alleged plot to kill Terry for insurance money stretched back years.

Court documents show that authorities recovered more than 28,000 text messages between Sundwall and Terry dating back to 2019, which included texts discussing suicide and Sundwall offering advice on methods that could end Terry’s life.

In one such text, Sundwall urged Terry to "end her suffering" through a fatal dose of insulin. 

Terry had also been hospitalized early in her friendship with Sundwall. She told her sister that she had been diagnosed with leukemia during a time period when she was roommates with Sundwall. A friend later told a news outlet that Terry knew Sundwall was a "bad influence" and tried to distance herself from her. 

The sister eventually moved Terry out of her living quarters with Sundwall after Terry complained about Sundwall bringing insulin home from the hospital where she worked, and encouraging her to take action to end her life. Sundwall's father would even later come to Terry's home to perform "LDS release blessings" on her to help her pass on, according to a search warrant. 

Prosecutors allege Sundwall believed she was the beneficiary of a rumored $1.5 million life insurance policy held by Terry, and her recent financial struggles may have been a motivating factor.

Investigators also say Sundwall allegedly attempted to delete hundreds of messages after Terry’s death and searched online for information about the insurance policy. Text evidence also shows Sundwall texting her husband that their problems would soon be solved after getting Terry's life insurance money after she died. 

Defense Argues Death Was Suicide

Sundwall’s defense team does not dispute that she was present at Terry’s home the day of the medical emergency.

However, attorneys argue that Terry took her own life, and they are expected to challenge the prosecution’s narrative of murder. 

If convicted of aggravated murder in Utah, Sundwall could face 25 years to life in prison, and prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty, depending on the case outcome.

The case has also drawn attention from nursing regulators, with the Utah Division of Professional Licensing reportedly launching an investigation into Sundwall’s nursing license.

A summary from the police report says: 

"Meggan Randall Sundwall is a licensed registered nurse who intentionally administered insulin to a nondiabetic. Meggan knew this would kill Kacee. Evidence shows that Meggan was having money problems and that this was done to improve her financial situation."

🤔Nurses, what do you think about this case? Share your thoughts below.