Suvechha Sarkar
In January 2023, the beautiful life of 46-year-old Joseph Anthony Hartsfield came to a sudden halt in Houston, Texas. Although the experts initially considered his cause of death to be a medical complication, it soon took a mysterious turn when it was attributed to toxic levels of insulin in his blood. NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Trouble With Sarah’ dives deeper into the investigation surrounding his death, which revealed that the person closest to him was responsible for his untimely demise. The episode also digs into the evidence, court proceedings, and the law enforcement officials who helped bring the killer to light.
Joseph Hartsfield Was in a Coma For Over a Week Before He Passed Away
Joseph Hartsfield was born on October 24, 1976, in Channelview, Texas. Growing up, he always received an abundance of love and support from his parents, Harry A. Sr. and Helen M. Hartsfield. Their household was filled with the laughter of Joseph and his siblings, Harry and Jeannie. According to Joseph’s family and friends, Joseph possessed a fun-loving personality and preferred living his life unapologetically on his own terms. In 1995, he completed his initial education at CE King High School in Sheldon, Texas, and subsequently earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. In his free time, Joseph enjoyed riding four-wheelers and going on hunting and fishing trips. He was also happiest during family gatherings or while working in his yard.
Sometime in his adulthood, Joseph crossed paths with Tracie L. Holler, and they began growing closer to one another. Shortly after, Joseph and Tracie tied the knot in the presence of their loved ones. Over the next few years, they welcomed their children, Kayloni Michelle and Kingston Hunter Hartsfield. Unfortunately, Joseph and Tracie’s marriage didn’t work out, and they went their separate ways. Joseph expected to find a second chance at love when he met Sarah Donohue on Facebook. She was previously married four times and had four children. Shortly after dating, Joseph and Sarah got married on February 2, 2022, and settled down in Beach City, Texas. Things took a turn on January 7, 2023, when Sarah called 911 around 2 pm after she found Joseph unresponsive due to a severe drop in his blood sugar, Hypoglycemia.
Joseph had reportedly been diabetic for a while, and hence, he was promptly rushed to the Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital. Around 6:30 pm, medical workers contacted the authorities, reporting Joseph’s suspicious illness. Reports state that the doctors noted that his insulin levels were high for an extended period before help arrived. They further stated that despite trying to stabilize his blood sugar, they failed to do so, raising questions about the amount of insulin that was in his system. Joseph was in a coma for over a week before he sadly passed away on January 15, 2023. Although his cause of death was initially determined to be complications of an ischemic stroke, the autopsy later revealed complications of the toxic effects of insulin. His manner of death was listed as undetermined, indicating uncertainty about how the excessive insulin entered his system.
Suspicions Arose as the Killer’s Statements Didn’t Match the Evidence
As per investigative reports, the doctors became suspicious since Joseph’s blood sugar kept crashing despite treatment after he was rushed to the hospital. Reports indicate that his insulin levels were extremely high for around 4 to 6 hours before the 911 call, which was inconsistent with a usual diabetic emergency. Additionally, police records state that Joseph’s glucose monitor had sounded an alarm for quite some time before Sarah called 911. In her statements, Sarah claimed that after finding an unresponsive Joseph, she had called 911 immediately, but that contradicted the evidence, revealing a discrepancy in the timeline. According to court records, detectives later searched Joseph and Sarah’s home, where they found up to 10 insulin pens on his side of the bed, raising questions about when those were administered.
When digital forensic experts inspected Sarah’s cellphone, they reportedly found messages that were sent from Joseph’s mobile to hers only hours before he was hospitalized. The messages reportedly contained bank account details that Joseph had recently opened, an Apple Legacy Contact key, his driver’s license, and one of their wedding photos. It reportedly allowed Sarah to access his cellphone even after his death. According to police reports, when Sarah was questioned, she claimed that she was sleeping in her room in the hours before Joseph’s hospitalization after allegedly taking pain medications. However, digital forensic reports show that Sarah had been using her mobile almost every hour leading up to the ordeal on January 7, 2023.
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A Pattern From Prior Marriages and Deleted Texts Led to the Killer’s Arrest
Experts reportedly uncovered erased search history and deleted messages from Sarah’s phone. According to official records, one of the deleted messages was sent to her daughter before Sarah called 911, which included a video of Joseph struggling to breathe. When officials questioned his family members, his sister, Jeannie, informed them that Joseph had allegedly told her that his and Sarah’s marriage had become tumultuous. Jeannie claimed that he had told her that he wanted to divorce Sarah because he allegedly felt “she would kill him in his sleep.” As investigators dug deeper, they reportedly learned about her turbulent history of relationships during Sarah’s previous four marriages.
Official reports state that she was arrested in March 1996 for an alleged assault on her second husband, Michael Traxler. However, the charges against her were later dropped. As per reports, Sarah’s first husband had said, “I’m very surprised I got out of the marriage alive,” and claimed that she had threatened him during their separation process. According to police records, in 2018, she had confessed to killing her fiancé, David Bragg, by shooting him at their residence in Minnesota. Court records indicate that the District Attorney’s office ultimately considered it to be an act of self-defense and cleared Sarah of any wrongdoing.
Additionally, another report suggested that her third husband, Christopher Donohue, was granted an order by the judge because he claimed that she was allegedly plotting to have her fourth husband, David George, kill his wife. Ultimately, based on the overwhelming amount of circumstantial evidence, Sarah was arrested and indicted on one count of felony murder on February 3, 2023. The jury trial of Sarah began in late September 2025, and she was convicted of first-degree murder on October 8, 2025. Just one day later, she was sentenced to life in prison with the eligibility for parole after 30 years and was also fined $10,000.
