North Carolina man who allegedly killed wife with eye drops now accused of poisoning daughter

A North Carolina man, already accused of fatally poisoning his wife, is facing new charges after allegedly poisoning his 11-year-old daughter.

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. (WJZY) — A North Carolina man already accused of fatally poisoning his wife is now facing new charges.

Joshua Lee Hunsucker, 39, was arrested on Tuesday by Gaston County Police and is charged with four counts of felony intimidate witness and four counts of misdemeanor obstruct justice. According to court filings, Hunsucker is accused of repeatedly intimidating his now-former in-laws and poisoning his 11-year-old daughter.

A motion to revoke his bond for the 2018 murder case of his wife was also filed.

Hunsucker, a former Gaston County paramedic, was previously accused of poisoning his wife, Stacy, with eyedrops that she reportedly ingested without her knowledge.

Stacy Hunsucker's death was originally reported to be a heart attack. She had a history of heart issues, and her husband was supposed to be caring for her, authorities said.

Blood from Stacy Hunsucker's autopsy later revealed the presence of tetrahydrozoline, the active ingredient found in eye drops, in her body. She reportedly had "very high levels" of the chemical — considered harmful and potentially fatal if ingested — in her body at the time of her death, according to authorities.

In December 2019, Hunsucker was charged in connection with Stacy Hunsucker’s death. He was also given a $1.5 million bond at that time, which he later posted.

Prosecutors previously said they believed Stacy Hunsucker's life insurance money — her husband collected $250,000 after her death — was the motive for the crime.

Later, in March 2021, Joshua Hunsucker was charged with intentionally starting a fire inside an Atrium Health helicopter during a flight, forcing it to land in the middle of the night in November 2019, according to a police report. Hunsucker had been a paramedic for Atrium Health's MedCenter Air. In early February 2023, Hunsucker entered a not guilty plea in the case.

Now, Stacy Hunsucker's parents, John and Susie Robinson, are calling for Joshua Hunsucker's bond to be revoked.

According to the motion, Joshua Hunsucker is accused of filing a false report of a kidnapping and assault in February 2023 and pinpointing John Robinson as the suspect.

"He reported that he stopped to change a flat tire and was pistol-whipped in the head multiple times. His hands were then zip tied and he was injected with an unknown substance," according to the report.

"The defendant reported that Mr. Robinson was the person who attacked him. An investigation by the Mount Holly Police Department found no evidence to support this claim and that this was done to shift responsibility from the defendant to the Robinsons for his wife's death," the report stated.

The motion also states that in February 2023, Hunsucker allegedly poisoned a drink for his daughter "by putting the same substance that killed his wife, tetrahydrozoline, into a beverage bottle which was consumed by (his daughter)."

The motion said that a urine sample revealed traces of the chemical in the 11-year-old girl's system and that she had to be treated for symptoms associated with tetrahydrozoline poisoning at two local hospitals.

"The poisoning of (Hunsucker's daughter) was once again done with an attempt (to) implicate Mr. and Mrs. Robinson in the death of his wife and remove the Robinsons from the lives of his daughters," the motion said.

The motion also goes on to detail several incidents where Hunsucker would routinely take video or pictures of the Robinsons, in some cases with Hunsucker's daughter; making obscene gestures at them in public places; sending them mail demanding that the case be dismissed; following them in his vehicle; and routinely driving by the Robinson residence.

The case involving the death of Stacy Hunsucker still has yet to go to trial. 

Prosecutors said Hunsucker will likely face a hearing on the new charges within the next few days, which could include having his bond for the 2019 charges revoked.