A Utah jury has found nurse Meggan Sundwall guilty of manslaughter and obstruction of justice in the insulin overdose death of her close friend, Kacee Lyn Terry. She was acquitted of the most serious charge, aggravated murder.
Jurors began deliberating Monday afternoon and spent the entire day Tuesday weighing the evidence before delivering their verdict around 5 p.m.
Terry, 38, was discovered unresponsive on Aug. 12, 2024, by her uncle. Sundwall and Sundwall’s parents were in the bedroom when he arrived. Terry was rushed to a hospital in a diabetic coma and later removed from life support.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors highlighted a long history of messages between the two women discussing Terry’s intentions to die by suicide using insulin. Those communications became central to closing arguments.
Defense attorney Scott Williams told jurors the state had failed to meet its burden of proof, saying the case should not be treated like a mystery novel or reality TV plot.
He argued prosecutors ignored the possibility of a suicide attempt gone wrong and questioned why Sundwall would have invited her parents over if she intended to kill her friend.
But Deputy Utah County Attorney Lauren Hunt countered that Sundwall exerted control over Terry and escalated an already fragile situation. Hunt argued that Terry was not suicidal, pointing to evidence that she had made future medical plans and was online shopping shortly before her collapse.
Hunt said Terry sought attention from Sundwall, who, as a nurse, understood her friend’s vulnerabilities yet “didn’t treat this as a mental illness.” Instead, she said, Sundwall allowed Terry’s condition to worsen and “deliberately blocked her rescue.”
Sundwall is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4.
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