Stacy Hunsucker loved being a mom. A former preschool teacher turned stay-at-home mother, she poured her creativity into crafting handmade signs and chasing after her two young daughters, Piper and Willow.
“She seemed happy — just living a normal life,” recalled her friend Shellie O’Day, who last visited Stacy’s Mount Holly, North Carolina, home in the summer of 2018 to pick up a hand-painted welcome sign.
But just six weeks later, that picture of suburban bliss would be violently shattered.
A Sudden, Suspicious Death
On September 23, 2018, Stacy’s husband, Joshua Hunsucker — a respected flight paramedic — called 911, claiming he found his 32-year-old wife “not breathing and blue” after stepping outside to check their cars. Stacy was pronounced dead at the scene, with what appeared to be a sudden heart attack.
Joshua seemed grief-stricken — at first. But behind closed doors, troubling behavior emerged. He refused an autopsy, despite Stacy being a registered organ donor. Within two days, her body was cremated. And soon after, Joshua filed a claim on Stacy’s $250,000 life insurance policy.
Cracks in the Story
Alarmed, Stacy’s mother, Suzie Robinson, tipped off authorities, mentioning Joshua’s suspiciously fast-moving new relationship with a coworker. Insurance investigators started digging — and inconsistencies piled up.
Joshua gave conflicting accounts about his whereabouts the night Stacy died: he told one friend he was chopping wood, another that he was working at his computer, and yet another that he had gone for a walk.
A search warrant led to a breakthrough: Stacy’s preserved blood sample — collected by the organ donor lab — revealed dangerously high levels of tetrahydrozoline, the active ingredient in over-the-counter eye drops. Ingesting it can trigger cardiac arrest.
Prosecutors believe Joshua had been secretly poisoning Stacy by slipping the substance into her drinks “over a period of time.”
In December 2019, Joshua was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and insurance fraud. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a staggering $1.5 million bond.
A Community in Shock
The arrest rocked Mount Holly. “If I wrote down 10 people I knew who might commit a crime, Joshua wouldn’t even make the list,” O’Day said. “I never saw them argue — they were the picture of a perfect couple.”
Married in 2010 after being high school sweethearts, Stacy and Joshua had built a seemingly solid life. Stacy worked as a preschool teacher and paralegal before devoting herself full-time to raising their daughters, while Joshua flew rescue missions aboard medical helicopters.
But behind the scenes, the couple endured hardships: medical problems following the births of their daughters, a devastating house fire, hospitalizations for Stacy’s heart issues, and the eventual implanting of a pacemaker.
After Stacy’s death, Joshua quickly introduced a new girlfriend into his home — a move that shocked friends and co-workers. Babysitter Kailyn Macdonald recalled that Joshua rarely spoke about his late wife, saying, “He never mentioned missing Stacy. It was like she never existed.”
Allegations of Harassment — and New Poisoning Claims
The legal battle over custody of Piper and Willow — and Stacy’s wrongful death — grew bitter between Joshua and Stacy’s grieving parents.
Authorities allege Joshua began harassing Suzie and John Robinson, following them to church, photographing them at Piper’s lacrosse games, and making crude gestures in public.
In February 2023, Joshua took things further, falsely claiming that Stacy’s father had “pistol-whipped” and “injected” him with a chemical during a roadside encounter. Police found no evidence to support the story.
Then came the most chilling allegation yet.
Twenty days after the faked kidnapping claim, prosecutors say Joshua attempted to poison his eldest daughter, Piper, using the same eye drop chemical that killed her mother — allegedly to frame the Robinsons once again and eliminate them from his daughters’ lives.
Piper’s system also tested positive for an antidepressant not prescribed to her — the same drug later discovered in Joshua’s vehicle.
In August 2024, Joshua was arrested again, this time for witness intimidation and obstruction of justice. He remains jailed awaiting trial.
Stacy’s Legacy
Even amid the ongoing legal chaos, those who loved Stacy remember her warmth, her resilience, and her spirit.
“Stacy was a kind, loving person who only brought goodness wherever she went,” said Philip Smith, a member of her church.
Her tragic death — and the dark betrayal behind it — has left an unhealable scar on the community she worked so hard to nurture.