The heartbreaking betrayal of Kacee Lyn Terry, a 38-year-old woman from Highland, Utah, has left her family, friends, and community in a state of disbelief and grief. Terry, described in her obituary as a compassionate soul who longed to be a mother and who lovingly stepped into that role for many children despite never having her own, died on August 15, 2024. Her death, initially shrouded in mystery, has now been revealed as the culmination of a sinister, yearslong plot orchestrated by someone she trusted: Meggan Randall Sundwall, a 47-year-old registered nurse from Santaquin, Utah. Sundwall, arrested on March 20, 2025, faces charges of aggravated murder and obstruction of justice after allegedly poisoning Terry with a fatal dose of insulin and promethazine, all in pursuit of a rumored $1.5 million life insurance payout.
The story began unraveling on August 12, 2024, when Terry’s uncle, Mark Farnsworth, arrived at her home on Stevens Lane in Highland and found her unconscious, struggling to breathe. Sundwall was there, alone with Terry, and told Farnsworth that her niece had been in that dire condition for hours. She claimed Terry had a do-not-resuscitate order and did not want to be taken to the hospital, citing a supposed battle with terminal cancer. Farnsworth, alarmed and unconvinced, called 911. First responders arrived to a troubling scene: a diabetic needle was found near Terry, who was not diabetic, and her blood sugar had plummeted to a life-threatening 14—well below the critical threshold of 40. She was rushed to a hospital in Lehi, where she was placed in intensive care, but she never regained consciousness. Three days later, Terry was declared brain dead, leaving her loved ones grappling with confusion and sorrow.
What emerged in the weeks and months that followed was a chilling tale of deception and greed. Investigators discovered that Terry had no history of cancer, a fact confirmed by her primary care physician and an autopsy that revealed no underlying health issues. Yet, for nearly five years, Sundwall had convinced Terry, her family, and her friends that she was terminally ill, possibly with leukemia—a lie so pervasive that Terry’s own sister recounted moving her out of a shared apartment with Sundwall years earlier due to concerns about the nurse’s behavior, including bringing insulin home and pushing Terry toward treatments to “end her suffering.” The motive, authorities allege, was financial. Sundwall, who was reportedly struggling with money problems alongside her husband after losing her job, believed she was the beneficiary of a substantial life insurance policy in Terry’s name. Whether such a policy truly existed remains uncertain, but Sundwall’s actions suggest she was convinced it did—and that it was worth killing for.
The evidence against Sundwall is staggering. Police uncovered more than 28,000 text messages exchanged between her and Terry, dating back to December 2019. These messages paint a disturbing picture: Sundwall repeatedly suggested ways she would end her own life if she were in Terry’s shoes, while offering to “help” Terry die. One message, sent at 9:47 a.m. on the day Terry was found unresponsive, asked, “Do you want to take some promethazine when I get there so that you are asleep when this is happening?” That day, Sundwall admitted to being alone with Terry from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m., a window during which the fatal overdose occurred. After Terry’s death, Sundwall’s desperation intensified—she made numerous calls and sent emails searching for details about the insurance policy and deleted over 900 texts from her phone, actions police interpret as an attempt to cover her tracks.
Sundwall’s arrest has brought a measure of relief to Terry’s family, who had long suspected her intentions. Friends, too, recalled Sundwall’s controlling behavior, with one noting how she often showed up uninvited, prompting Terry to lock her doors to keep her out. Now held without bail in Utah County Jail, Sundwall faces a first-degree felony charge of aggravated murder, which could carry a sentence of 25 years to life—or even the death penalty, though prosecutors have not yet indicated if they will pursue it. The Utah Division of Professional Licensing has also launched an investigation into her nursing credentials, which she has held since at least 2007.
For those who knew Kacee Terry, the loss is profound. Her obituary speaks of her love for the outdoors, hunting, and camping, and her unwavering devotion to the children she cared for. The revelation that her death was not the result of illness but of a calculated betrayal has only deepened the pain. As Sundwall awaits a pretrial hearing, the case serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of trust—and the devastating consequences when it is shattered by greed. The community now watches closely, seeking justice for a woman whose life was cut short by the very person she believed was helping her through her darkest days.