A Philadelphia woman was ordered to stand trial Thursday for the killing of a Wrightstown Township man last October.
Meghan Macklin, 46, was charged in March with the murder of 72-year-old Richard Scott MacFarland in his home at 55 Apple Hill Road.
Macklin was apprehended in Tennessee after fleeing the area in the victim’s car and was recently returned to Bucks County custody.
During a preliminary hearing at the Bucks County Criminal Justice Center in Doylestown Borough, District Judge Mick Petrucci forwarded several charges against Macklin to trial.
The charges include first-degree murder, second-degree murder, robbery, theft by unlawful taking, possession of an instrument of crime, abuse of a corpse, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and simple assault.
The investigation began on October 7, 2023, when Newtown Township police, who patrol Wrightstown Township, found MacFarland deceased inside his home. His body was discovered around 4 p.m. by a potential buyer of his home who called 9-1-1 after seeing him lying on his back.
According to police, MacFarland had been repeatedly stabbed and slashed. It appeared that he had been cleaned and dressed after he died.
Investigators determined that MacFarland was killed in a bedroom and then moved to the location where he was found, police said.
An autopsy confirmed that his cause of death was multiple stab and slash wounds, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
The investigation revealed that several jewelry boxes had been rummaged through, a checkbook was missing checks, and a bloody rug, bedding, clothing, and items belonging to Macklin were found at the scene, police said.
A black 2013 Mercedes belonging to the victim was missing from his home, and investigators entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database as stolen.
Macklin was arrested later that day in White Pine, Tennessee, after the vehicle was spotted, police said.
During the preliminary hearing, body cam footage of Macklin’s interaction with a Tennessee police officer was presented as evidence.
In the video, Macklin identified herself as Janet MacFarland, the victim’s deceased wife, and provided a social security card and blank personal check in Janet MacFarland’s name as proof of identity.
Inside the vehicle, detectives recovered jewelry, jewelry boxes, and coins similar to those found in MacFarland’s home. Bank checks and deposit slips in Janet MacFarland’s name, along with various identifications for Macklin and Richard Scott MacFarland, were also found, police said.
Forensic tests on items recovered, including a pair of Crocs from the vehicle and latex gloves from the home, matched MacFarland’s DNA, police said.
According to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, testimony at the hearing showed that Macklin and MacFarland had a friendly but sometimes volatile relationship, and she occasionally stayed at his home.
In court documents, it was revealed police responded to two domestic incidents involving Macklin and MacFarland on October 4, 2023.
In March, Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn stated that Macklin and MacFarland had known each other for two years and were described as friends. However, Bucks County Detectives and Newtown Township police believe Macklin may have taken advantage of the older man.
Macklin remained in Bucks County custody awaiting trial.
