ACCOKEEK, Md. — A 43-year-old ex-NFL player is under arrest after he admitted to strangling his girlfriend inside her parent's Maryland home early Sunday morning.
The Prince George's County Police Department charged Carl Kearney, Jr., of Griffin, Georgia, with first and second-degree murder as well as other related charges for his alleged involvement in the death of 38-year-old Patrina Best.
On Saturday, Feb. 17, at 9:20 a.m., investigators say Kearney walked into a police station and told officers he strangled his girlfriend inside of her Accokeek home in the 800 block of St. James Court earlier that morning.
Officers responded to the home to conduct a welfare check. Once inside, officers found Best unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
During an interview with Homicide Unit detectives, Kearney confessed to strangling Best during an argument.
Kearney is charged with first and second-degree murder and other related charges. He is in the custody of the Department of Corrections.
The Best family provided a statement to WUSA Monday evening, saying in part:
"Patrina was a constant source of joy and laughter in our lives. She was guaranteed to be present for every birthday, holiday, and special occasion. She was also deeply compassionate and caring. A few years ago, she put her career on pause for several months to care for her ailing grandmother after she suffered a stroke. She was a wonderful person in every regard. She was the light of our lives, and we will miss her dearly for the rest of our days. It is with great sadness that we acknowledge her tragic death, but we are thankful for the positive impact she had on the world during her life."
Police say public records show Best was a licensed nurse in several states – and social profiles say she is a travelling operating room nurse who went to Georgia Southern University, where Kearney also played football.
Shocked neighbors who declined to be interviewed on camera said Best's parents are not in the area, and the younger couple were visiting the home while here parents were away.
According to a 2021 Tweet from Spaulding High School in Griffin Georgia outside Atlanta Kearney is an award winning High School football coach, known in his community for inspirational support of struggling students
Anyone with information on this case who would like to speak to a Homicide Unit detective may call 301-516-2512.
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