Sarah Jean Hartsfield, a 48-year-old woman from Texas, is now facing murder charges after her husband, Joeseph Hartsfield, passed away from a supposedly “suspicious illness.”
According to the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office, the 911 dispatch had been contacted by the Baytown Houston Methodist Hospital after a patient that had been transported via ambulance from Beach City appeared to have a suspicious illness.
Upon further investigation, there were discrepancies in the information given by the hospital staff, which raised suspicion for the Sheriff’s Office.
After examining the inconsistencies, as well as other factors, it was determined that Joseph Hartsfield had perished as a result of what is believed to be foul play.
Due to the probable cause, the Chambers County District Attorney’s Office called in a grand jury on Friday, leading to an indictment and arrest of Hartsfield with a $5 million bond.
Sheriff Brian Hawthorne praised the work of the deputies and detectives for uncovering the facts that could have easily been dismissed as a “death due to illness.” The case is still ongoing.
“This is an active case, and only limited details can be released at this time,” Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said in the statement. “I appreciate the hard work of the deputies and detectives who followed their instincts and identified the suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr. Hartfield’s death that could have been labeled as ‘death due to illness’ instead of murder.”