A North Carolina man accused of fatally poisoning his wife with eye drops in 2018 appeared in court Monday to enter a not guilty plea on new charges, including claims that he staged his own kidnapping while out on bond.
According to Fox News, Joshua Hunsucker, 41, a former paramedic from Mount Holly, is accused of systematically poisoning his wife, Stacy Robinson Hunsucker, with tetrahydrozoline-laced eye drops.
Prosecutors say he falsified her cause of death to collect a $250,000 life insurance payout.
In Gaston County court, Hunsucker stood silently as his defense attorney entered not guilty pleas on his behalf for first-degree murder, insurance fraud, and obtaining property by false pretense, per WBTV.
According to prosecutors, Hunsucker added the eye drops to his wife’s drinks over time, ultimately causing her death in their home.
At the time, he reportedly told friends and family that Stacy had died of a heart attack, and he filed paperwork with the insurance company reflecting that claim.
Stacy was cremated within two days of her death, but authorities say suspicion grew after her mother reported that Hunsucker appeared unusually unconcerned about the loss and had moved in with a girlfriend shortly after.
Investigators were able to detect the poison using a single blood sample collected by the hospital, thanks to Stacy’s status as an organ donor.
Hunsucker was first arrested in December 2019 and released on a $1.5 million bond while awaiting trial. While free in 2023, prosecutors allege he staged his own kidnapping, claiming his in-laws had injected him with an unknown substance, and used zip ties in the scheme to intimidate his late wife’s family.
Authorities also say Hunsucker attempted to poison his then-10-year-old daughter using the same method. These allegations led to the revocation of his bail.
Hunsucker has requested a change of venue due to intense media coverage, and a trial date for the murder case is still being finalized.
Prosecutors continue to build a case against the former paramedic, describing the alleged crimes as both calculated and shocking.
