Shock waves continue to tremble through the community as former Spalding County varsity football coach, Carl Kearney Jr., is set for a court appearance in Maryland on murder charges. The 43-year-old ex-coach is accused of strangling his girlfriend, sparking disarray and disbelief among students and parents in the Spalding High School community. According to Atlanta News First, Kearney turned himself in last month, admitting to police that an argument led him to take the life of 38-year-old Patrina Best.
The incident, which occurred inside the victim's home in Accokeek, has left many who knew Kearney in shock, struggling to align the image of a mentor with the serious allegations he now faces. "At first, I didn’t believe it," revealed Camri Johnson, a former football manager for three years at Spalding County High, in an interview obtained by 11Alive. "I couldn’t see him in that situation," she added, expressing conflicted emotions over the incongruence between Kearney's past role and the crime.
Kearney's admission to the strangling was confirmed by the Prince George's County Police Department following a welfare check at Best's home, where she was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. The home, belonging to Best's parents, became the grim stage of a personal tragedy, with public records revealing that Best worked as a traveling nurse and had attended Georgia Southern University.
Among the voices of the Spalding community grappling with the news, Lariquia McCord, whose son played under Kearney for three years, remained struck by the sudden turn of events. She described how Kearney was a father figure to his players in a statement obtained by 11Alive: “It hurt," she said, pausing, "It hit like a ton of bricks, like ... I’m still in shock." However, despite the staggering nature of the accusation, McCord conceded that the coach's decision to surrender himself to authorities reflected his character.
The case continues to evolve as details emerge, and authorities have urged anyone with information related to the investigation to contact the Prince George's County Police Department's homicide unit. Meanwhile, as the Spalding County school district remains on winter break, officials have yet to release a statement on Kearney's former employment or the allegations he now faces.
