Shivangi Sinha
In October 2025, as Sarah Hartsfield’s trial was underway, some of the most significant testimony came from her four children, whom she shared with her former husband, Christopher Donohue. All four took the stand and spoke about their mother, detailing the alleged abuse they experienced and the person they believed Sarah to be. Their accounts played a key role in presenting a broader picture of the woman on trial. NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Trouble With Sarah’ explores these aspects of her life, including her relationship with her children.
Ashley Donohue Keeps Close to Her Siblings and Her Father’s Family
Ashley Donohue is the eldest daughter of Sarah Hartsfield and Christopher Donohue. Born after the couple married in 1999, she spent much of her childhood at Fort Hood, Texas. According to her brother, Ryan Donohue, both he and Ashley were allegedly subjected to physical and psychological abuse while growing up. He described their household as extremely strict, with rigid rules and consequences for disobedience. By 2017, when Sarah and Christopher separated, and Sarah moved to Minnesota, Ashley was already an adult and remained in Texas.
She later testified that her relationship with her mother was strained and often turbulent, and that they were not particularly close. Ashley stated that Sarah frequently complained about her marriage to Joseph Hartsfield and allegedly told her that she could not leave because of debt. Ashley had spent time at Sarah and Joseph’s home in Beach City, Texas, in December 2022, and described their relationship as tense. On January 7, Sarah exchanged text messages with Ashley, initially discussing her day and complaining about Joseph’s snoring before later informing her about his medical emergency.
Ashley also testified that Sarah left her a voicemail after Joseph’s death, asking her not to say anything if investigators contacted her. After Sarah’s arrest, she allegedly wrote Ashley from jail, requesting that she set up a GoFundMe for legal expenses and even provided a detailed, four-page outline of what to write. Ashley testified about these events during the October 2025 trial. She has made her life in Austin, Texas, after finishing her schooling at the University of Central Texas. She has remained close to her family, including her father and her stepmother, Heather Donohue. She is someone who looks after her younger sisters and prefers not to share much about her life otherwise.
Ryan Donohue is Working for a Law Firm Today
Ryan Donohue has alleged that he was subjected to physical abuse by his mother during his childhood. He spent much of his early life in Belton, Texas, but in 2016, he left the US with his father, Christopher Donohue, and moved to South Korea. After his parents’ divorce was finalized in 2017, Ryan returned to Texas and later relocated to Minnesota with his mother and two sisters, where they lived with her fiancé, David Bragg. Ryan has also alleged that he was physically assaulted by Bragg on multiple occasions. According to his testimony, his mother told him that on the day Bragg died, she had gone out to buy clothes for his sisters when Bragg allegedly shot at her, prompting her to shoot back in self-defense.
During testimony in October 2025, Ryan stated that he did not know Joseph Hartsfield well but recalled a fight between Joseph and his mother around Christmas 2022. He said Sarah told him their relationship was becoming increasingly difficult. Ryan further testified that he had cut off contact with his mother despite receiving letters from her while she was in jail. Following Sarah’s arrest, Ryan gave several interviews in which he suggested that his mother’s past behavior had finally caught up with her.
While he previously worked as a postal employee, his career has since shifted into the technology and defense sectors. Based in San Antonio, Texas, Ryan currently works as a System Administrator at the law firm Morrison Foerster, a role he has held since May 2025. In addition, Ryan has been contracted with the US Army since 2019 as a Signal Support Systems Specialist, where he supervises, installs, and maintains automation and telecommunications equipment. He previously worked remotely as a Help Desk Specialist for ASM Research from 2023 to 2025, supporting Department of State applications and troubleshooting complex system issues.
Hannah Donohue is Pursuing a Career in Nursing
As one of the youngest children, Hannah Donohue remained with her mother in Texas after her parents separated and later moved with her to Minneapolis, Minnesota, when Sarah was living with David Bragg. She only moved in with her father in 2021, after he filed for their custody. During her testimony in October 2025, Hannah stated that her mother had obtained two guns and asked her to hide one of them. She testified that Sarah told her Bragg had attacked her and instructed her to call 911 if anything happened. Hannah later said she saw that Bragg had been shot.
On the witness stand, Hannah also alleged that throughout her childhood, her mother regularly gave her various medications and pills. She further testified that her stepfather, David George, had told her that Sarah once asked him to kill her stepmother, Heather Donohue. Hannah began nursing school in August 2025 and currently lives in Sierra Vista, Arizona. Among her siblings, she appears to be the closest to her father and has a special place in her heart for her dog, Roman. Hannah has said that she was afraid of her mother for much of her life and continues to fear her.
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Emma Donohue is Deeply Adored by Her Older Siblings
Emma Donohue, the youngest of the siblings, lived with her mother until 2021, when Christopher Donohue sought custody of both her and Hannah, a request that was granted. In her testimony in October 2025, Emma stated that she did not know Joseph Hartsfield very well. However, she did testify about other troubling matters, saying she was aware that Sarah had asked David George to kill her stepmother and that she had overheard those conversations herself. Emma also alleged that she once saw David Bragg hit her mother with a shoe, though she said she was unsure whether the act was playful or aggressive. Emma has largely remained out of the public eye but is known to be close to her siblings.
