Woman Poisoned Police Chief Husband’s Food for Months. Then His Decomposed Body Was Found in Storage Unit

An Illinois woman has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for killing her longtime boyfriend, a retired small-town police chief, and concealing his body in a storage unit.

Marcy Oglesby, 53, received the sentence on Monday, Oct. 27, for the 2021 death of retired Maquon Police Chief Richard “Rick” Young, according to local outlets KWQC, WMBD and WQAD.

In June, a jury found Oglesby guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder and aggravated battery by administering a dangerous substance, Knox County State’s Attorney Ashley Worby said in a statement.

Prosecutors alleged that Oglesby secretly poisoned Young by putting eye drops into his food and drinks over several months beginning in the summer of 2021, KWQC reported.

The poisoning allegedly continued until Young died on Nov. 1, 2021, Worby said. After his death, Oglesby hid his body in a storage unit located across the street from the home they shared.

Nearly a year passed before Young’s remains were found on Oct. 7, 2022, in an advanced state of decomposition, according to Worby’s statement.

Worby said Young, known in the community as “Rick the Cop,” was remembered as a devoted public servant who often stepped in to help others.

“Whether it was a neighbor in need, a family member, or a stray animal, Rick was always willing to lend a hand,” she said, adding that he was skilled at repairing and building things and approached his work with “precision and pride.”

During her trial, Oglesby insisted she did not kill Young. She claimed their relationship, which she said lasted about two decades, was one she had been forced to remain in.

Young’s friend Natalie Mason said in a victim impact statement, as reported by WQAD, that the verdict brought some measure of comfort to those who loved him. “It gives us peace knowing that justice was served, and that even though Rick couldn’t be here himself, that we were able to be his voice, and his voice was heard,” she said.

According to his obituary, Young was 71 at the time of his death and is survived by three sons and five grandchildren.