Pasco County, Florida – A 69-year-old woman, Margaret A. Kearney, was taken into custody on Tuesday after admitting to smothering her live-in boyfriend, Gary Polony, who was terminally ill with rectal cancer.
Kearney allegedly committed the act out of disgust for having to care for Polony, who was defecating himself due to his illness. Charged with first-degree premeditated murder, Kearney is now being held without bond in Pasco County Jail.
The incident came to light when a home health care worker discovered the lifeless body of Polony inside the couple’s shared home. Deputies from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene but found no signs of injury on Polony’s body.
A close friend of Kearney, who had known her for over three decades, subsequently came forward to report Kearney’s suspicious behavior leading up to Polony’s death. The friend claimed that Kearney expressed her frustration with having to care for Polony, especially regarding his soiled condition. Kearney allegedly informed her friend that she smothered Polony with a pillow, later planning to cover his face with a blanket to make it appear that he passed away in his sleep.
Law enforcement officials arranged a phone call between the friend and Kearney, during which Kearney admitted to using a pillow to smother Polony and expressed a sense of relief. In an interview with investigators, Kearney confessed to over-medicating Polony and ultimately smothering him, claiming it was a decision she made to end his suffering.
Currently, Kearney is being held on a charge of premeditated first-degree murder at the Pasco County Jail. Further investigation into the case will continue to uncover more details surrounding this disturbing incident.