A North Carolina man from Gaston County, facing accusations of using eye drops to poison his wife in 2018, has pleaded not guilty to new charges amid allegations that he staged his own abduction.

The prosecution claims that Joshua Hunsucker, a 41-year-old former paramedic, deliberately poisoned his wife, Stacy Robinson Hunsucker, with eye drops containing the chemical tetrahydrozoline. They argue that he falsely reported her cause of death in order to collect a $250,000 life insurance payout following her death in September 2018.

On Monday, Hunsucker appeared in court as his attorney officially submitted a not guilty plea on his behalf. He faces charges of first-degree murder, insurance fraud, and obtaining property by false pretenses.

Authorities claim that Hunsucker not only poisoned his wife through her drinks but also attempted to implicate his in-laws by allegedly lacing his daughter’s drinks with the same substance. This accusation adds another layer to the already complex case.

Prosecutors assert that Hunsucker administered the eye drops to Stacy over an extended period, which ultimately resulted in her death at their residence in Mount Holly.

As reported by WBTV, investigators have found that Hunsucker initially informed others that his wife had suffered a heart attack in September 2018, a claim he supported with documentation submitted to the insurance company.

Stacy’s body was cremated within two days of her death, but suspicion arose when Stacy’s mother reported that Hunsucker seemed unusually unfazed by the death and had moved in with a girlfriend shortly after.

Prosecutors say they were able to build their case on a single blood sample taken by the hospital due to the North Carolina woman’s status as an organ donor.

Joshua Hunsucker is accused of killing his wife, Stacy Hunsucker, to collect a $250,000 insurance policy. (Facebook)

Hunsucker was arrested in December 2019 and was released on $1.5 million bond while awaiting trial on first-degree murder charges.

While out on bond in 2023, authorities allege that Hunsucker staged his own kidnapping and intimidated and harassed his late wife’s parents. He is accused of using zip ties in a staged kidnapping and claiming his in-laws injected him with an unknown substance.

Joshua Hunsucker is accused of killing his wife Stacy Hunsucker with eyedrops and poisoning their daughter with the same concoction. (Facebook)

But he was hauled back into court in August 2024 to answer to new allegations that also attempted to poison his daughter, who was then 10, using the same method.

Prosecutors demanded the revocation of his bail package, which a judge granted.

Hunsucker has requested that his trial be moved out of Gaston County due to the intense media coverage. A trial date for the murder case is still being finalized.

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