A Knox County woman convicted of poisoning her longtime boyfriend with eye drops and hiding his body in a Maquon storage unit has been sentenced to 50 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Marcy L. Oglesby, 53, will get credit for 326 days served in the Knox County jail.
At her sentencing hearing on Monday morning, Oglesby delivered a rambling, more than 30-minute statement of allocution in which she maintained her innocence, claimed she was a victim of abuse, called a Maquon a “craphole town,” and purported to be a "soft-hearted, God-fearing woman."
Judge Andrew Doyle said he was troubled by Oglesby’s statement of allocution. He said it wasn’t the appropriate time to convey her grievances or disparage Young or the Maquon community.
“You’ve spun a web of lies that have been so consistent that you’re having trouble determining what is real and what is fantasy,” Doyle said. “That’s disturbing to me.”
The decomposing remains of Richard Young were found more than three years ago in a storage unit across the street from where the couple lived. Oglesby initially was charged with concealment of a death, but charges were upgraded to murder as the investigation progressed — and as a forensic pathologist found that Young died of tetrahydrozoline intoxication. Tetrahydrozoline is the active ingredient in over-the-counter eye drops.
During a bench trial in June, Knox County State’s Attorney Ashley Worby presented evidence that Oglesby put eye drops and antidepressants in Young’s food and drink. Oglesby also drained Young’s bank accounts with the promise of them buying a home in the country together. When Young died around Nov. 1, 2021, Oglesby put his body in a cardboard box and scooted his body across the street to the storage unit. His remains were found with a ratchet strap around his body and a pillowcase over his head.
Worby also presented evidence that Oglesby had stolen tens of thousands of dollars from Young. She was in an online, romantic relationship with a man from Nigeria named Sunny, which the state presented as evidence of motive. Worby called it a tale of olden times: a financially motivated murder with a love triangle.
Following the bench trial, Doyle found Oglesby guilty of murder, attempted murder, and aggravated battery with a toxic substance.
At the sentencing hearing, Oglesby said prosecutors and the media have portrayed her as a monster and that her conviction was a “political travesty of justice.”
“Now I can only put my faith back in the Lord and the appellate (court),” Oglesby said, noting that she plans to appeal “as soon as possible.”
Public defenders David Hansen and Chris Kanthak had asked for a 20-year sentence, the minimum for first-degree murder. They said Oglesby was unlikely to commit another crime of this nature, had been a law-abiding citizen for most of her life, and that she has complied with all pretrial release conditions and appeared at all of her court hearings.
“I think that shows a respect for this court, a respect for the law,” Kanthak said.
Oglesby also told the court she helped the homeless, taught bible school, and volunteered as an EMT and firefighter in Maquon.
But Worby asked for a 58-year sentence, saying Oglesby was diabolical and pathological. Worby laid out how Oglesby pretended to have cancer, how she claimed to be starting an art gallery, and how she told people she was a jewelry and bridal gown designer — all to defraud others of their money. She also noted Oglesby was convicted of forgery in 2020.
“She has not lived a law-abiding life. She’s gotten away with a lot,” Worby said. “Her word means nothing and you should not believe her.”
Worby also read three victim impact statements from Maquon residents.
Judge Doyle denied a motion filed by Oglesby herself to grant her new, private counsel, saying her public defenders fulfilled their professional obligations. Doyle granted a defense motion for summary judgement, meaning she was only sentenced on the murder charges, with no objection from the state.
Hansen and Kanthak have filed an amended motion for a new trial. A hearing on that motion is set for Nov. 6.
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