Louisville, KY – A woman who pleaded guilty to the gruesome 2021 killings of two men — including one who was decapitated and hidden in a crawl space — has been sentenced to 20 years in prison under a negotiated plea deal.
Sara McQuilling Pleads Guilty in Shocking Double Homicide
Sara McQuilling, 44, admitted guilt last week in connection to the deaths of Douglas Brooks, 39, and Jerry Cardin, 64. The victims were discovered just days apart, both found dead in crawl spaces beneath their homes in Louisville. Brooks had been stabbed and decapitated — his head has never been recovered.
McQuilling entered an Alford plea, which allows her to maintain her innocence while acknowledging that the state had sufficient evidence to likely convict her.
Timeline of the Grisly Crimes
The violence unfolded in September 2021. On September 23, Louisville police conducted a welfare check at Cardin’s home on Roosevelt Avenue. Officers discovered his body shot and concealed in a crawl space. He is believed to have been killed around September 20.
Then, on September 27, McQuilling was caught driving Cardin’s truck, which contained key evidence linking her to the scene — including surveillance footage and items allegedly stolen from the home. That same day, police found Douglas Brooks’ remains at his home on Woodbourne Avenue in the Highlands Douglass neighborhood. He had been stabbed to death and decapitated.
Chilling Details Revealed in Court
According to the plea agreement, McQuilling either acted alone or with another individual in stabbing and decapitating Brooks between September 17–24. His body was hidden in his cellar’s crawl space. Despite the horrific nature of the crime, no additional suspects have been charged, and authorities say no motive has been identified.
During her arrest, McQuilling allegedly confessed to shooting Cardin with a revolver, which was later found in her possession along with her health care ID cards. Police also say she admitted to stuffing his body into the crawl space.
Criminal History and Family Reactions
McQuilling, a mother of six, had a prior run-in with law enforcement — she was accused of stealing a police cruiser in 2016, and had also been reported missing for a week in 2021, just months before the murders.
While her husband offered limited public comments, her longtime landlord expressed disbelief at the revelations, saying:
“It shows you never truly know about an individual… You got to be careful, man, anymore.”
Sentencing and Parole Possibility
The case was mediated and resolved without trial. McQuilling pleaded guilty to complicity to murder, complicity to manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and theft. She will serve 20 years in prison and be eligible for parole after serving 85% of her sentence.
Jefferson County court administrator McKay Chauvin confirmed that victims’ families were present during the resolution and were satisfied with the outcome.
How do you think justice was served in this disturbing case? Share your thoughts in the comments.
