On January 2, 2024, 69-year-old Margaret Kearney of Florida was arrested by the Pasco County Sheriff's Office for the first-degree murder of her terminally ill boyfriend in the home the couple shared in New Port Richey.
The Florida woman admitted to suffocating her boyfriend of 15 years, Gary Poloni, to death with a pillow on Dec. 20, 2023, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
An arrest affidavit from the sheriff's office said Gary was under hospice care at home for rectal cancer.
Margaret Kearney has been charged with first-degree murder and remains in the Pasco County Jail in Land O' Lakes, where her bail has been set at $250,000, WFTV reported.
A Florida woman allegedly expressed disgust at having to take care of her boyfriend
On Dec. 20, 2023, a home health nurse who visited the couple's Florida home to treat Gary Poloni was found dead there, WFLA reported. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office arrived on scene to investigate the death, with Margaret Kearney attending.
Upon arrival, Pasco County Sheriff's Office deputies noted that Gary Polone had not suffered any serious injuries, the New York Post reported.
According to a WFLA report, on December 21, 2023, Margaret's friend of more than 30 years told authorities that she had made numerous phone calls to Margaret regarding her boyfriend's health condition.
The friend reported that the 69-year-old expressed disgust at having to care for Gary Poloni, who was defecating due to his condition, and did not want to clean him up. The friend mentioned that Margaret would be waiting for the hospice nurse to clean him up on her next visit.
WFTV reported that according to the arrest affidavit, the girlfriend allegedly told investigators that she received a phone call from Margaret Kearney on December 20, 2023, at approximately 10:36 p.m., in which she allegedly told her that she had suffocated her terminally ill condition. Her boyfriend was beaten to death and they covered him with a sheet.
She also stated that she planned to sleep on the couch, and when the nurse visited in the morning, she would assume that Gary Poloni had died in his sleep.
A Florida woman claimed she killed her terminally ill boyfriend to save him from more pain
WFLA reported that on December 21, 2023, at approximately 10:07 a.m., a controlled phone call was made in which Margaret Kearney stated she felt better about the situation and admitted to using a pillow to suffocate Gary Polone.
According to a WFLA report, during an interview with authorities, Margaret stated that her boyfriend asked her to come into the bedroom while she was complaining of pain.
After that, she lay down on the bed next to him and put a pillow on his face for about five minutes. It also stated that Gary Poloni was “alive and alert” before the suffocation.
The woman in Florida claimed she killed her boyfriend to prevent him from going through more pain, WFLA reported. She also admitted to intentionally overmedication with liquid morphine to help relieve the pain.
According to court records, Margaret Kearney has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and a trial date has not yet been set, WFTV reported.
