The Eye Drop Murder of Stacy Hunsucker

Stacey Hunsucker was a young mother whose life seemed wrapped in warmth, creativity, and gentle routine. In her Mount Holly home, she filled the space with love—her laughter drifting through sunlit rooms as her daughters, Piper and Willow, played nearby. Stacey found joy in crafting, turning ordinary moments into memories. Yet behind her smile lay years of unexplained health struggles. After Piper’s birth, she faced a series of debilitating symptoms, eventually leading to a pacemaker implant. Though fragile, she fought daily to be present for her family.

Her husband, Joshua Hunsucker—a flight paramedic—appeared supportive on the surface. But quietly, subtle fractures ran through their relationship. Stacey sensed distant shadows behind his steady gaze, small hints of a man wrestling with private thoughts. The façade shattered on September 23, 2018, when Stacey was found unresponsive on the couch. Joshua’s demeanor shifted unnervingly fast. He refused an autopsy, rushed her cremation, and filed for more than $250,000 in life insurance days later. His swift pivot into luxury spending, a new girlfriend, and an extravagant lifestyle raised alarms among those who loved Stacey.

Her mother, Susie Robinson, followed her instincts. The pieces didn’t fit—Joshua’s evasive answers, the sudden cremation, the emotional detachment. She filed fraud claims, igniting an investigation that would peel back a horrifying truth. Detectives uncovered a pattern of financial desperation, inconsistent statements, and preserved blood samples revealing lethal levels of tetrahydrozoline—the active chemical in eye drops. Hidden poisoning had caused Stacey’s decline.

As Joshua maintained a calm, calculated exterior, investigators intensified their focus. A search warrant uncovered eye drop bottles and receipts. Witness accounts further tied him to suspicious behavior. The case’s emotional core rested with Susie, who relived her daughter’s life through memories—the crafts, the laughter, the small moments with her grandchildren—while confronting the betrayal that ended it.

The trial became the battlefield where truth finally surfaced. Susie’s testimony painted the picture of Stacey’s love and innocence. The prosecution detailed Joshua’s motive: insurance money, lifestyle upgrades, and a path to start over. A key witness placed eye drops in Joshua’s possession near the time of Stacey’s death. After tense deliberations, the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder.

In the aftermath, Susie stepped into the role Stacey once held—nurturing Piper and Willow, guiding them through grief, and keeping their mother’s memory alive through stories and crafts. Her fight for justice brought closure, but the loss remained profound. Through resilience, love, and the truth finally revealed, Stacey’s legacy lived on in the family she adored.