Sarah Jean Hartsfield, Texas woman indicted in murder of fifth husband, Joseph Anthony Hartsfield following man’s suspicious death as authorities consider re opening probe into shooting death of fourth husband.
A Chambers County, Texas woman has been accused of killing her fifth husband following the man’s suspicious death. The wife who now faces first degree murder is being held on a $5 million bond.
A report via ABC13 cites the sheriffs office saying it believed that Joseph Anthony Hartsfield, 46, died of foul play. The murder indictment follows Sarah Jean Hartsfield, 48, in 2018 not being linked to the shooting death of her then fourth husband in Minnesota- a case that might now be re-opened.
On Jan. 7, Sarah Jean Hartsfield made a 911 call regarding a medical emergency regarding her ‘incoherent’ husband. Medics responded to the home in a gated community in Beach City and began administering aid. Joseph was transported to Houston Methodist in Baytown.
At about 6:30 p.m. that day, the sheriff’s office received a call from the hospital about what medics decried as the patient’s ‘suspicious illness.’
Officials said Joseph Hartsfield had diabetes. They said his insulin levels were extremely high four to six hours before Sarah called 911. They said that his glucose monitor had sounded an alarm for quite some time before action was taken.
‘Theatrics…’
Authorities arrived at the hospital and began investigating due to what they described as inconsistencies in the information provided by the hospital staff.
‘The story that the wife gave the hospital, the deputies, the detectives do not match up to the forensic evidence,’ Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said.
According to authorities, Joseph was in a coma for a week before death KPRC reported.
Videos shared from Joseph’s Facebook page to a group on the social media show his wife, Sarah, hunched over his body, crying as he was wheeled away in the hospital bed to have his organs harvested.
‘I think all of that adds up to some of the theatrics we are dealing with in this case,’ Sheriff Hawthorne said.
Nearly a month after Joseph’s death, his wife, Sarah Jean has been charged with his murder.
Sarah Jean Hartsfield was arrested and handed a $5 million bond.
Shooting death of 4th husband
In a statement, Hawthorne said, ‘I appreciate the hard work of the deputies and detectives who followed their instincts and identified the suspicious circumstances surrounding Hartfield’s death that could have been labeled as ‘death due to illness’ instead of murder” and investigators believes it to be foul play. As per the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office statement, Judge Chap Cain of the 253rd District Court has issued an arrest warrant and has also set a bond of $5,000,000 dollars. ‘
The district attorney and the sheriff said she was a flight risk, so they moved quickly with an emergency Grand Jury hearing to charge her and requested a high bond.
The indictment follows a 2018 incident in which Sarah was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota after her previous husband was shot and killed. Ultimately, the woman was not charged in that case.
Sheriff Hawthorne said they are aware of that case and have been in contact with the agency.
It remained unclear if Douglas County now planned to re-open their case in light of recent charges.
‘Their case was investigated,’ Sheriff Hawthorne told ABC13. ‘I’ll definitely support the findings, and it was a grand jury that made the decision up there. Now that’s not to say new information may come to light where they may re-open the case, but obviously, that would be up to the Douglas County Sheriff.’
Aside from the outcome of death, Sheriff Hawthorne said there are no similarities between the case in Minnesota and Houston.
The medical examiner’s office has not given an official cause of death.
A GoFundme fundraiser following her fifth husband’s death organized by Sarah Jean Hartsfield had to date raised $595 of a $10K goal.
