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Defense requests blood be retested from victim allegedly poisoned by husband

By Ken Lemon, wsoctv.com
By Ken Lemon, wsoctv.com

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A Mount Holly man charged with using eyedrops to poison his wife was back in court Friday. Prosecutors allege without an overlooked blood sample, Joshua Hunsucker might have gotten away with murder.

Hunsucker is accused of killing his wife, Stacy Hunsucker, by poisoning her with lethal doses of eyedrops in her drinks. Court documents say he refused to get an autopsy and had her cremated right after her death in 2018.

But investigators discovered a vial of Stacy Hunsucker’s blood at an organ donor center, and according to warrants, tests revealed tetrahydrozoline in her blood.

Josh Hunsucker was arrested for her death, which was originally ruled a heart attack, in December 2019.

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The hearing Friday focused on that blood Stacy Hunsucker donated before her death. Channel 9′s Ken Lemon learned the defense wants to test it again. The defense attorney said he will have it independently tested in the next 60 days. It will be the most important test related to this trial, which has already drawn so much attention.

Lemon learned the prosecution filed several documents claiming that Josh Hunsucker, a helicopter medic, asked friends at work about poisoning with eyedrops, claiming he had the expertise to pull off that kind of murder. Prosecutors say he had Stacy Hunsucker quickly cremated in 2018, ignoring family claims that she was an organ donor.

But according to the prosecution, the blood drawn before her death and discovered after her death revealed chemicals used in eyedrops were at a level 30% to 40% higher than normal.

Any independent test conducted by the defense could support the main evidence against Josh Hunsucker, or leave room to dispute it.

Lemon spoke with a defense attorney about the importance of independent testing in a case like this. He said these tests are not just key for the trial, but what’s found and how much is left over can be vital if an appeal is necessary.

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Some former prosecutors say the case against Josh Hunsucker appears solid. Attorney Ed Bogle is not on this case but he has worked cases like it. He said it is necessary for the defense to get an independent test.

“The blood is absolutely germane to this case at all levels,” Bogle said.

Bogle said results from blood tests make a huge impression on jurors.

“You want to know if the levels that have been alleged by the state have been verified, and if in fact there is any kind of discrepancy there,” he said.

Bogle said independent tests can reveal if something else led to results that suggest poisoning. If there’s a credible reason to question the state’s blood test, then the rest of the evidence can be considered circumstantial.

Other cases

One month prior to his murder arrest, Hunsucker allegedly started a fire onboard a medical helicopter mid-flight. He was working as a paramedic aboard one of Atrium’s helicopters in November 2019 when, according to police reports, a syringe pump was set on fire, forcing the helicopter to land off of Independence Boulevard.

He was arrested in March 2021 and charged with arson in Mecklenburg County.

More recently, Hunsucker claimed he was a victim of a kidnapping, sources say. A police report says Hunsucker was allegedly kidnapped and assaulted on Feb. 4 near Mount Holly. Sources told Lemon he told police was kidnapped and his hands were tied with zip ties. They also told Lemon that Hunsucker said he was injected with an unknown substance.

(WATCH BELOW: Man charged in wife’s murder was on helicopter forced to land due to arson, officials say)

Man charged in wife's murder was on helicopter forced to land due to arson, officials say Man charged in wife's murder was on helicopter forced to land due to arson, officials say


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