News4 is learning more about a woman who was killed over the weekend in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and her boyfriend, who police say confessed to her murder.
Patrina Best, 38, was found dead inside her parents' home in the 800 block of St. James Court in Accokeek, authorities said. Her boyfriend, Carl Kearney, Jr., 43, turned himself in to police after strangling her that morning, police said.
Best's family remembered her as a “fun-loving, warm-hearted person [who] made friends easily everywhere she went.”
They said as the daughter of a U.S. Navy chief petty officer, Best lived all over the world before she graduated from high school in Georgia and then earned her nursing degree.
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.
“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,” the Best family said in a statement to News4. “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.”
Best leaves behind her parents, her “best friend” and older sister Gianina Best, her brother-in-law, and a niece and nephew “who consider her the greatest ‘Tita’ in the entire world. She also leaves behind her beloved dog, Luke, who traveled with her to every location she worked as a travel nurse,” her family said.
Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland, news updates, events and information
Police said Kearney told detectives he strangled Best during an argument.
He is a well-liked football and track coach at Spalding High School in Georgia. His students and football players say they're shocked at his arrest, as many consider him a father figure.
News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.
He played football at Georgia Southern University and was a practice squad player for the New York Jets in the 2000s.
A judge ordered Kearney held without bond Tuesday on charges of first- and second-degree murder charges. His next court appearance is March 18.
"As you know, a few years ago we went to Annapolis to ask that strangulation become a first-degree felony offense,” Prince George's County State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy said. "We were successful in doing so. That type of offense now carries up to 25 years. What that does is it gives us an opportunity to really hold offenders accountable.”
