HIGHLAND, Utah (Court TV) — A Utah nurse accused of murder in the poisoning death of her friend has been denied bail.
Judge Sean Peterson rendered his ruling on Thursday, one week after Meggan Sundwall’s attorneys argued for her release while awaiting trial for the murder of Kacee Terry.
Meggan Sundwall appears in court via video conference for a bond hearing Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (Court TV)
Sundwall was arrested in March on charges of aggravated murder and obstruction of justice in the death of 38-year-old Terry. Prosecutors accuse Sundwall of conning her friend into believing she was terminally ill and poisoning her with a fatal dose of insulin so that she could collect on Terry’s $1.5 million insurance policy, which she believed she was the beneficiary of.
At last week’s hearing, prosecutor Lauren Hunt painted Sundwall as a manipulative, conniving, she-devil and master at deception, who continues to be a threat to the community and a flight risk if she were to be released. Hunt noted that the defendant was under financial pressure, and the severity of the potential punishment would be an incentive for her to flee.
Defense attorney Scott Williams told the judge that Sundwall’s freedom is supported by her family and friends, as evidenced by the hundreds of letters that people submitted voicing their support. Williams noted that Sundwall has no criminal history, and the circumstances surrounding the allegations are isolated to one individual—the victim.
Investigators say evidence located on Terry’s phone showed a thread of texts beginning in December 2019. Over the four years of text messages, detectives say Sundwall detailed different ways she would kill herself if she were Terry. Sundwall also allegedly offered to “help” Terry die and discussed how Terry’s death would solve money problems for Sundwall.
Police also found that on the day Terry was discovered unresponsive in her room, Sundwall sent her a text reading, “Do you want to take some promethazine when I get there so that you are asleep when this is happening?”
Five hours after the morning text from Sundwall to Terry, Sundwall texted her mother saying that she couldn’t get Terry to wake up. Despite this and being a nurse, Sundwall didn’t call for medical help until Terry’s uncle discovered her seven hours later.
The Medical Examiner later confirmed the cause of death for Terry as an overdose of Promethazine, probable exogenous insulin, and other drugs.
Scripps News Salt Lake City, an E.W. Scripps Company, contributed to this report.
