A chilling case of quiet murder has finally closed in Knox County, Illinois. The verdict is a lengthy one. A judge sentenced Marcy Oglesby, 53, to 50 years in state prison.
The Crime and the Sentence
Oglesby was found guilty of first-degree murder. She also faced convictions for attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery. The victim was her longtime boyfriend, Richard “Rick” Young, a retired Maquon Police Chief.
Knox County Circuit Judge Andrew Doyle handed down the five-decade sentence on October 27. The prosecution confirmed the ruling on June 26.
A Slow and Cruel Poison
Oglesby poisoned the 71-year-old Young over several months. She used over-the-counter eye drops. The toxic ingredient, tetrahydrozoline, was mixed into his food and drinks. The slow poisoning began in the summer of 2021. Young died in November of that year.
“She poisoned him and watched him suffer,” Knox County State’s Attorney Ashley Worby told the court during the sentencing hearing. It was a calculated, cruel act.
Hiding the Body
The horror did not end with Young’s death. Oglesby hid his body. She placed his remains in a storage unit. This unit was located just across the street from the home they shared in Maquon.
Young’s decomposing body was only discovered almost a year later, on October 7, 2022. The subsequent toxicology report confirmed the shocking truth: a deadly amount of the eye drop chemical was in his system.
Oglesby initially spun a bizarre tale. She claimed Young died of COVID-19. She said she stored his body because he wanted a burial in an “Indian burial mound.”
Eyewitness Testimony
Crucially, the couple’s roommate provided key evidence. Karen Doubet admitted to buying multiple bottles of the eye drops. She told investigators that Oglesby would then add the drops, along with crushed pills, to Young’s meals and drinks.
The State’s Attorney’s office reminded the public that Rick Young was a “devoted public servant.” Now, his killer faces decades behind bars for the calculated crime.