Who was Patrina Best? NFL hopeful and college football star boyfriend accused of killing Maryland nurse

Patrina Best was found dead inside her house in the 800 block of St. James Court in Accokeek on Sunday, February 18. Carl Kearney, Jr., her 43-year-old boyfriend, is said to have strangled her that morning before turning himself in to the police.

Kearney, a former NFL player from Gryphon, Georgia, is currently being held without bond after confessing to killing Best during a fight inside her parents' Maryland house, according to Wusa9.

According to her official Facebook account, Patrina Best was a traveling operating room nurse who attended Georgia Southern University, where Kearney also played football. As per Wusa9, police believed that public records indicate Best was a licensed nurse in several states.

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Patrina Best was a registered nurse

Patrina Best graduated from Georgia Southern University in 2008 with a degree in kinesiology and exercise science, according to her official obituary that was posted in Players' Bio. Best participated in the student-athlete association and the swimming and diving teams at Georgia Southern University.

She then started working at Satilla Regional Medical Centre as an exercise physiologist after receiving her degree. Before relocating to Washington, D.C., to pursue her career as an exercise physiologist, she worked there for two years.

To become a registered nurse, Patrina Best enrolled at ECPI University in 2014. Then, in 2016, Patrina started working at Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Centre after becoming a registered nurse.

Patrina later began working at Inova Health System in 2017 and has been a travel registered nurse since 2020. She also worked at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Centre, Kaiser Permanente, Wellstar Health System, and Winchester Hospital.

The Best family gave WUSA a statement on Monday night, stating that:

“Patrina was a constant source of joy and laughter in our lives. She was guaranteed to be present for every birthday, holiday, and special occasion. She was also deeply compassionate and caring.”

Her family also recalled her as a “fun-loving, warm-hearted person [who] made friends easily everywhere she went,” according to NBC Washington. They added that Best had traveled the globe before earning her nursing degree and high school diploma in Georgia.

According to Wusa9, they further recalled,

“A few years ago, she put her career on pause for several months to care for her ailing grandmother after she suffered a stroke. She was a wonderful person in every regard. She was the light of our lives.”

They then concluded,

“We will miss her dearly for the rest of our days. It is with great sadness that we acknowledge her tragic death, but we are thankful for the positive impact she had on the world during her life.”

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Carl Kearney, Jr., was charged by the Prince George's County Police Department with first- and second-degree murder in addition to other connected offenses because of his purported role in the death of Patrina Best.

Investigators said Kearney informed police that he had strangled his girlfriend inside her Accokeek house in the 800 block of St. James Court. Then, to check on the welfare of the residents, officers arrived at the house. They entered and discovered Best was not responding. She was then declared dead on the spot.

Detectives were purportedly informed by Kearny that he choked Best after a quarrel. He is scheduled to appear in court on February 20 in the afternoon.