Maquon, IL – A 53-year-old Illinois woman, Marcy L. Oglesby, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison after being found guilty of murdering her longtime boyfriend, former Maquon Police Chief Richard “Rick” Young, by poisoning him with a “copious amount of eye drops” before hiding his body in a storage unit. The case has shocked the state for both its calculated nature and the unusual method of killing.
The Incident: Poisoning and Concealment of the Body
According to court documents, the murder occurred in late 2021, when Oglesby began secretly poisoning Young’s food and drinks with eye drops containing tetrahydrozoline, a chemical commonly found in over-the-counter eye solutions.
Prosecutors said the poisoning continued over several months, slowly weakening Young until his death in November 2021.
“She killed a man who loved her and who cared for her for nearly 30 years,” said Knox County State’s Attorney Ashley Worby during sentencing. “She poisoned him and watched him suffer.”
On October 7, 2022, nearly a year after the murder, Young’s decomposing remains were discovered inside a storage unit rented by Oglesby at Roberts Self-Storage in Maquon, a small town about 60 miles south of the Quad Cities. The chilling discovery came after authorities received a tip regarding a suspicious odor.
Investigation and Evidence: The Eye Drop Murders Unfold
The initial investigation began when Oglesby was taken into custody in October 2022, though she was first charged only with concealment of a non-homicidal death. However, evidence soon surfaced that pointed to deliberate poisoning.
Knox County Sheriff’s Detective Gregory Jennings testified that a woman living with the couple, Karen Doubet, initially misled investigators but later confessed that Oglesby had poisoned Young’s food and beverages using eye drops and crushed medication.
“Prior to interviewing Doubet, Jennings was unaware someone could be poisoned by eye drops,” the court record stated.
Detectives later found a large number of discarded eye drop bottles, a pill crusher, and receipts from Dollar General stores showing the purchase of eye drops. A December 2022 toxicology report confirmed tetrahydrozoline in Young’s body, proving the poisoning.
Oglesby initially claimed Young died of COVID-19 and said she kept his body because he allegedly wanted to be buried in an “Indian burial mound.” This explanation was quickly dismissed as false.
Court Proceedings: A Complicated Legal Battle
The case took numerous twists before reaching trial.
After Oglesby’s initial arrest, prosecutors dropped and later refiled murder and attempted murder charges in November 2023, citing the emergence of new evidence.
Her defense filed multiple motions to dismiss under Illinois’ speedy trial law, arguing that the state had missed deadlines. Although a lower court briefly sided with Oglesby, the Fourth District Appellate Court reinstated the charges, ruling that concealing a death and committing murder are separate criminal acts.
“This is substantively different from the crimes charged here, which require the administration of a poisonous or controlled substance, physical harm, and death,” the appellate order read.
Oglesby waived her right to a jury trial, opting instead for a bench trial presided over by Knox County Circuit Judge Andrew Doyle. After a four-day trial, the judge took only five minutes of deliberation before finding her guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and aggravated battery.
Sentencing and Final Statements
On Monday, Judge Doyle sentenced Oglesby to 50 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, giving her credit for 326 days already served in pretrial detention.
Prosecutors said the sentence reflects the premeditation and cruelty of the crime.
“She didn’t just kill him,” prosecutor Worby told the court. “She poisoned him and watched him suffer.”
Despite the verdict, Oglesby maintained her innocence, insisting that Young’s death was not murder.
“I respectfully disagree with the court’s findings,” she said during sentencing. “He didn’t go into that box immediately. I put him back to bed and continued to talk to him for three days.”
Her comments drew strong reactions from the courtroom, with prosecutors and observers calling her testimony “chillingly detached.”
Background and Context: The Eye Drop Poisoning Trend
The use of tetrahydrozoline as a poisoning agent has gained attention in several criminal cases nationwide. Ingesting large amounts of the chemical can cause cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, or coma. Experts say Oglesby’s method was slow and deliberate, allowing her to poison her partner over time without immediate detection.
Young, a retired Maquon police chief, was widely respected in his community and had reportedly been in a relationship with Oglesby for nearly three decades. Friends described him as “kind, loyal, and dedicated to public service.”
Ongoing Developments and Aftermath
While Oglesby is expected to serve most of her 50-year sentence, her defense team has signaled plans to appeal the conviction, claiming procedural errors and misinterpretation of evidence.
Meanwhile, local authorities have closed the investigation, confirming that no other suspects were involved in Young’s death. The case has renewed attention on domestic violence and covert poisoning methods, leading to discussions about toxicology awareness training for law enforcement officers.
Conclusion
With her conviction finalized, Marcy Oglesby will likely spend the rest of her life in prison for poisoning and killing her longtime boyfriend, Richard “Rick” Young. The court’s decision brings closure to a case that blended betrayal, manipulation, and premeditated murder, leaving a small Illinois town forever scarred.
What are your thoughts on this shocking case? Share your opinions in the comments below.
