Police say woman murdered Newtown man, posed as his dead wife in his stolen car
A Philadelphia woman was charged on March 6, 2024, with the murder of a 72-year-old man in Wrightstown Township in October.
Meghan Macklin, 45, has been in custody in Tennessee after fleeing the area shortly after the murder of Richard Scott MacFarland in his home at 55 Apple Hill Road.
On March 6, Macklin was charged with 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.
She remains in custody in Tennessee pending extradition to Pennsylvania. She was arrested in October for operating MacFarland’s stolen car while the murder was being investigated.
This investigation by Detectives with the Newtown Township Police Department and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office began on Oct. 7, 2023.
At around 4 p.m. that day, Newtown Township police were dispatched to 55 Apple Hill Road after a witness went to the home, peered inside the open door, and saw a male lying on his back in the living room/kitchen area. The witness, who also believed he smelled an odor of gas, called 911.
After the Lingohocken Fire Department determined it was safe, police entered the home and located a deceased male inside. The male was identified as Richard Scott MacFarland, the homeowner.
Detectives initially observed a small amount of dried blood on the victim’s nose, two slashingtype injuries on his left forearm and a possible puncture wound to his right forearm. During a closer examination of the victim, detectives located a large laceration to the victim’s abdomen and a stab wound to his upper left chest.
It appeared as if the victim had been cleaned and dressed after he was murdered because his clothing had a minuscule amount of blood visible, and there were no tears consistent with stab or slash wounds on the outer clothing. It also appeared the victim was stabbed and killed in one of the bedrooms and then moved to the location where he was found.
An autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Ian Hood determined MacFarland’s cause of death to be multiple stab and slash wounds and the manner of death was homicide.
During the investigation, police located jewelry boxes that appeared to have been rummaged and a checkbook missing checks. Police also recovered a bloody rug from the home, and bloody bedding and clothing in suitcases. Next to one of the suitcases, police located a black backpack, which contained various articles of clothing and prescription pill bottles with the name of Meghan Macklin. Detectives also learned that a black 2013 Mercedes vehicle that belonged to the victim was missing. After the Mercedes could not be located, it was entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database as a stolen vehicle at 7:45 p.m. Oct. 7.