Spalding High football coach denied bond after confessing to Maryland nurse’s murder

GRIFFIN, Ga. - The Spalding County football coach who confessed to strangling a woman in Maryland has been denied bond. 

Officials arrested 43-year-old Carl Kearney, Jr. of Griffin, current head coach of the Spalding High varsity football team, on Saturday in Prince George's County, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. He is accused of killing Patrina Best.

Prosecutor reacts to arrest of Carl Kearney, Jr.

Aisha Braveboy is the state’s attorney for Prince George’s County. She considers it the right decision

"This was an intentional act, it was a very brutal act, and no one deserves it," Braveboy said. "Anyone who is willing to kill someone by strangulation is someone who is dangerous, someone who has a violent temper and who cannot be trusted to be around law-abiding citizens."

Prosecutors say that on Saturday, Kearney strangled Best inside a Prince George’s County home. "There was an argument, some type of dispute which led to her death," Braveboy said.

Braveboy says Kearney fled to Virginia, then called the police, who instructed him to return to Maryland and turn himself in. "He did come forward, he did admit the wrongdoing," Braveboy said.

Who is Patricia Best?

Best was a nurse. Previous reports referred to her as Kearney’s girlfriend. Braveboy says the two were well acquainted with each other. But the extent of the relationship is unclear.

Braveboy questions why anyone would commit such a grisly act. "His actions were egregious, deadly," Braveboy said. "This young woman was beautiful, she was nurse, she cared for others. Why anyone would want to take a life of someone who helps to preserve life is beyond me."

Who is Carl Kearney?

Kearney is the head coach of the Spalding High School football team. He was born and raised in Griffin and played in preseason games as a wide receiver for the New York Jets in 2004 and 2005.

He is charged with first- and second-degree murder and faces potential life imprisonment.