Sarah Hartsfield found guilty of murder in husband's death
Chambers County: Woman found guilty in husband's insulin-related death
Sarah Hartsfield has been convicted for the death of her fifth husband, Joseph. FOX 26's Jillian Hartmann reports.
HOUSTON - A jury has found Sarah Jean Hartsfield guilty of murder in the death of her husband in Chambers County.
Joseph Hartsfield, Sarah's fifth husband, died in January 2023, days after being taken to the hospital. The sheriff's office said they were called in to investigate a "suspicious" illness, and believed his death days later was the result of foul play.
On Wednesday morning, the state and the defense rested. Sarah did not testify in her trial. The jury heard closing arguments and then began deliberating at 1:30 p.m. About an hour later, the jury returned a guilty verdict.
Sarah Hartsfield trial: Found Guilty in Husband's Murder
Sarah Hartsfield has been convicted of murdering her husband in a trial that has captured national attention.
What's next:
The punishment phase is next.
How to get updates:
The court is not allowing the trial to be livestreamed. However, FOX 26 is at the trial and will bring you updates throughout the day in this story and on the free FOX LOCAL app.
Closing arguments
Sarah Hartsfield trial: Full closing arguments
The defense and prosecution give closing arguments in the murder trial for Sarah Jean Hartsfield. She is accused of killing her husband in Chambers County.
The jury heard closing arguments Wednesday, on Day 8 of the trial.
Prosecution
In closing arguments, the prosecution described Sarah as a convincing performer who tells half-truths and compared her manipulations to a spider web: "Another fly caught in her web." They told jurors they have the opportunity to right a wrong.
Evidence, Behavior & Medical:
The prosecution claimed that:
- There was no evidence Joseph’s mismanagement of his diabetes caused his death.
- Argued Sarah intentionally gave Joseph insulin to cause his death: "The defendant made sure he got enough insulin so he couldn’t recover."
- Sarah waited and watched him die over hours — didn’t call 911 until an hour after finding him unresponsive.
- She was on narcotics, but still alert to send text messages, be on Facebook and record Joseph while he was deteriorating before calling 911.
- Alerts from Joseph’s glucose monitor went off over 100 times — she got alerts on her phone.
Witnesses for the State:
The state called multiple witnesses, including law enforcement, doctors and medical staff, family members, and friends of both Sarah and Joseph. Prosecutors say they all testified about Sarah’s concerning behavior, Joseph’s medical condition, her troubling past, and signs that pointed to possible foul play.
Final words:
The prosecution:
- Acknowledged some puzzle pieces are missing, but said in a slideshow: "You get the picture."
- Claimed Joseph feared low blood sugar, typically ran high, and wouldn’t have done this to himself.
- Said there was no evidence Joseph administered the insulin.
Defense
In their closing arguments, the defense framed the prosecution's case as a narrative without proof, and repeated that Joseph's death was ruled of "undetermined manner," which is not homicide.
Medical context:
The defense said Joseph had diabetes, sleep apnea and heart issues, and had been hospitalized at least two times in the year before his death for diabetes-related complications.
They said that his doctors increased his insulin dosage and monitored him weekly. They also claimed that if someone resumed insulin after not taking it, hypoglycemia could occur.
Insulin:
The defense claimed that:
- There’s no physical evidence that Sarah administered insulin.
- Investigators didn’t test the insulin pens or collect them as evidence.
- If Sarah had injected Joseph: "How would he not react?"
- Failure to act isn’t a crime: Sarah had no legal duty to render aid. Sarah’s failure to react or render aid is not a crime.
- Said Sarah cooperated fully, allowing law enforcement into their home and gave statements to authorities.
Reputation doesn't equal guilt:
The defense claimed that the prosecution focused on her character, not the evidence: "She’s not on trial for being a bad person."
They argued that past accusations never led to charges.
The defense said of the state’s case: "The state is like a magician, magic is cool, but it’s not real."
Questioning motives:
The defense accused Joseph’s family of hating Sarah and making assumptions, claimed the state is "throwing the kitchen sink" and hoping something sticks, and suggested Joseph may have accidentally administered too much insulin himself.
Trial recap
A jury was selected on Monday, Sept. 29. The 12-person jury consisted of eight men and four women, along with two alternates, a man and a woman.
The next day, the jury heard opening arguments.
The prosecution claimed that Sarah hated everything about Joseph, and he planned to leave her. Joseph is diabetic. They claimed that Joseph’s blood sugar dropped dangerously low for hours, and Sarah delayed calling 911 by at least an hour. The prosecution claimed that Joseph didn’t die of natural causes, and that Sarah intentionally caused his death.
The defense argued that the medical examiner ruled Joseph’s manner of death as undermined, and that Joseph neglected to manage his diabetes. They claimed that Sarah’s delay in calling 911 was due to shock. The defense argued that Sarah denied administering his insulin that day, and while she could have done a better job at responding, she can’t be criminally liable for failing to act.
Those who have testified include Sarah and Joseph's families, investigators, medical experts and other people tied to incidents from Sarah's past. Find full recaps below:
Click here for a recap of Day 1.
Click here for a recap of Day 2.
Click here for a recap of Day 3.
Click here for a recap of Day 4.
Click here for a recap of Day 5.
Click here for a recap of Day 6.
Click here for a recap of Day 7.
Sarah Hartsfield charged with murder
The backstory:
Joseph Hartsfield died in January 2023.
The Chambers County Sheriff’s Office says they were called to a Baytown hospital on the evening of Jan. 7, 2023, about the suspicious illness of an emergency room patient – Joseph. He had been brought in by ambulance from Beach City, where he lived.
According to the sheriff’s office, inconsistencies and other factors discovered during the investigation "made the illness appear more suspicious in nature."
Joseph later died. The sheriff’s office said they believed his death was the result of "foul play."
Sarah Hartsfield murder trial: Day 3 for woman accused in husband's death
The trial continues for a Liberty County woman accused of playing a role in her husband's insulin-related death. FOX 26's Jillian Hartmann gives a recap of Day 3.
The district attorney was contacted, and the case was later presented to a grand jury. On Feb. 3, 2023, the grand jury indicted Sarah on a felony murder charge.
According to the sheriff’s office, Joseph was diabetic, and they believe his insulin level was suspiciously high hours before his death and before Sarah called 911.
Sarah pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
The Source: The information in this article comes from the Chambers County Sheriff's Office, court records and court proceedings. Information about David Bragg's death comes from previous reporting by FOX 9 in Minneapolis and the Douglas County Attorney's Office.