How This Man Killed His Wife with Eyedrops and Set a Helicopter on Fire

A North Carolina paramedic accused of using eye drops to kill his wife has now also been accused of setting a medical helicopter on fire during a flight.

Joshua Hunsucker was charged with felony burning personal property for the in-flight incident that took place on Novemebr 26, 2019, about a month before his arrest for the 2018 death of his 32-year-old wife Stacy Hunsucker.

According to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department incident report, Hunsucker set fire to a syringe pump while inside the helicopter as it was flying over Charlotte. The helicopter had to make an emergency landing in a vehicle dealership parking lot.

Hunsucker’s employer, Atrium Health, which transports patients to hospitals, filed the complaint against him. 

“Nothing is more important for our emergency medical crews than safety — especially for those who are in flight,” Atrium Health said in a statement. “If what Mr. Hunsucker is charged with is true, it is unfathomable to us what may have possessed him to endanger himself and others in such a way. We are extremely thankful that our pilot was able to land safely and that no-one was injured and especially grateful that there were no patients on board.”

In December 2019, Hunsucker was charged with first-degree murder for the death of Stacy, who was his high school sweetheart.

The North Carolina Department of Insurance began investigating her death after Stacy’s mother, Suzie Robinson, accused Hunsucker of insurance fraud after she learned of a relationship he was having prior to his wife’s death.

Hunsucker collected $250,000 in life insurance after his wife’s death.

Hunsucker’s colleagues told investigators that he seemed “unaffected” by his wife’s death. He also quickly moved in with his new girlfriend to the home he shared with Stacy.

Hunsucker gave multiple versions of where he was before he found his wife slumped over the side of a couch at their home. He allegedly told a friend that he was out for a walk. But he told Stacy’s mother that was working on his computer in the kitchen when he noticed Stacy slumped on the couch.

Hunsucker also refused to have an autopsy performed on his wife, and she was cremated after her death. However, because she was an organ donor, a blood sample had been saved, which was taken to a lab for testing.

Stacy’s blood had extremely high levels of Tetrahydrozoline, an ingredient found in eye drops.

“Josh Hunsucker is a flight paramedic for Medcenter Air for which his training and experience would certainly provide a thorough understanding of various types of medication and how those medications could react in the body,” an affidavit states. “Additionally, his employment provides access to non-controlled substances which do not require logging or inventory control.”

“That medicine has a dramatic effect on your heart and would cause heart stoppage or heart failure,” state attorney Jordan Green said during a 2019 court appearance Hunsucker made.

“We have probable cause he poisoned Mrs. Hunsucker with Visine, which caused her death,” Green said.

Green also said that Hunsucker was on administrative leave and under investigation after being accused of misconduct at the time of his arrest.

According to a Gofundme page, Stacy had been experiencing medical problems since 2013 after she gave birth to her daughter, Piper. She was given a pacemaker in 2015. A friend had started the page to help Josh with mounting medical bills.

Hunsucker’s murder trial is still pending. He is currently out on bail.