Why was Carl Kearney Jr. arrested? High school football coach accused of strangling 38 Y/O girlfriend

Carl Kearney Jr., a well-known high school football coach, has been charged with first and second-degree murder in Maryland.

Kearney, 43, reportedly walked into a police station on Saturday morning and confessed to strangling his girlfriend inside her home following an argument over the weekend, cops said, according to Fox5DC.

Police officers went to Patricia Best's house and found her unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Prince George's County police department said in a statement on Sunday:

“During an interview with homicide unit detectives, Kearney confessed to strangling the victim during an argument.”

Patricia Best's death

Patricia Best, 38, was reportedly murdered by strangulation by her boyfriend, Carl Kearney Jr., over the weekend at her home on St. James Court in Accokeek, Maryland.

Kearney, a resident of Griffin, remains in the custody of the Department of Corrections after he was charged with first and second-degree murder.

The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 301-516-2512.

Carl Kearney Jr.'s coaching career

Carl Kearney was named the head coach for Spalding High School's football team in 2020. Last year, he led the team to its first regional title in 20 years.

Before Kearney took over, Spalding High went 1-9, but as head coach, the team made the playoffs in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Kearney won Georgia High School Football Daily’s Class 4A coaches award for Most Improved Team in AAAA following the 2023 season. Last season, the school went 13-1, reaching the AAAA quarterfinals.

Before becoming the head coach of Spalding, Kearney had coached at Griffin High (Georgia), his alma mater, and Apopka (Alabama).

Kearney also played football, as he was a wide receiver at Georgia Southern University. He went on to sign with the New York Jets as he was a member of their training camp roster in 2004 and 2005. In both years, he appeared in preseason games but never made the active roster.