'Her sleep was more precious': Woman stabbed man to death because he woke her up while looking for his shoe

Left: Meghan Macklin. Right: Richard Scott MacFarland (Bucks County District Attorney's Office).

A Pennsylvania woman will spend decades behind bars for stabbing a 72-year-old man to death because he woke her up to ask her for help looking for his shoe.

Meghan Macklin, 48, was sentenced on Wednesday to 21 1/2 years to 50 years in prison for the stabbing death of Richard Scott MacFarland, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office. In February, she pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, theft by unlawful taking, possession of an instrument of crime, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. She also pleaded no contest to abuse of a corpse.

The investigation began on Oct. 7, 2023, when a man peering into a window saw a man on the ground at a home on Apple Hill Road in Wrightstown Township. Cops went inside, where they found MacFarland suffering from fatal stab wounds. They also found a rug, clothing and bedding that were all bloodied.

Someone had rifled through the jewelry boxes in the home. Cops also discovered prescription bottles with Macklin's name on them. Police and prosecutors did not describe Macklin and MacFarland's exact relationship but said it was volatile with a history of domestic disturbances. She would sometimes stay at his house.

Macklin's former cellmate testified at her sentencing hearing. The cellmate said Macklin admitted to killing MacFarland after she flew into a rage when he woke her up from sleeping to ask her for help looking for his shoe.

"All she wanted to do is sleep, but he wouldn't let her sleep," the cellmate testified, according to prosecutors.

Macklin began stabbing the victim and continued to do so after he fell, her cellmate said. After MacFarland's death, Macklin cleaned his body, dressed him in other clothing and moved him to a different part of the house. She then stole MacFarland's checkbook, jewelry and other items of value from his home and drove off in his Mercedes in hopes of fleeing to Mexico.

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But her plans fell apart a couple of days after the murder when cops in White Pine, Tennessee, spotted the Mercedes that had been reported stolen. When police made contact with her, she pretended to be MacFarland's dead wife. She was taken into custody.

Common Pleas Judge Wallace H. Bateman Jr. said MacFarland "died a very violent death."

Deputy District Attorney Christine Sassane told Bateman that Macklin took advantage of MacFarland when all he wanted to do was help her out and give her a place to live.

"Her sleep was more precious, more important, than the victim's life that day," Sassane said.