Eye Drops and Lies: The Richard Young Story

What this episode covers

Hey y’all, it’s Julie Mattson, and in this week’s episode of Pushing Up Lilies, we’re diving into a heartbreaking case of betrayal that shocked the small town of Maquon, Illinois. This is the story of 71-year-old Police Chief Richard Young, a man who served his community with integrity and compassion. Even after retirement, he remained a mentor and protector to those around him. But behind closed doors, the person he trusted most, his longtime partner of 30 years, Marcy Oglesby, was slowly poisoning him. As Richard’s health began to fail in 2021, friends noticed the changes: dizziness, fatigue, erratic heart rhythms. But Richard dismissed it, leaning on the woman he loved, who was cooking his meals and preparing his drinks... with a hidden ingredient. It turns out, Marcy was slipping tetrahydrozoline, found in over-the-counter eye drops, into his food over a period of months. In today’s episode, I’ll walk you through the chilling details of this case, the toxicology behind the poison, and the shocking discovery made in a nearby storage unit that finally revealed the horrifying truth. * Listener discretion is advised.

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