A girl charged in Texas with killing her husband was beforehand concerned within the 2018 capturing dying of her former associate, prosecutors in Minnesota mentioned this week whereas asserting that the older case has been reopened.
Sarah Jean Hartsfield, who glided by the final title Donahue, was indicted Feb. 3 in Chambers County, Texas, on a felony homicide cost, court docket paperwork present. She is being held on a $5 million bond.
The cost is related to the Jan. 15 dying of her husband Joseph Hartsfield, who died at Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital sfter a “suspicious sickness,” Sheriff Brian Hawthorne mentioned in a Facebook post. Deputies had been referred to as to the hospital that day and launched an investigation after they got inconsistent info.
Hawthorne mentioned that the inconsistencies coupled with “different figuring out components made the sickness seem extra suspicious in nature.”
Authorities haven’t mentioned what led as much as Joseph Hartsfield’s dying, however Hawthorne mentioned foul play is suspected. A reason for dying was not been launched.
“That is an energetic case and solely restricted particulars might be launched at the moment,” Hawthorne mentioned in a press release. “I recognize the onerous work of the deputies and detectives who adopted their instincts and recognized the suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr. Hartfield’s dying that would have been labeled as ‘dying as a result of sickness’ as a substitute of homicide.”
The sheriff informed NBC affiliate KPRC of Houston that throughout the investigation, detectives discovered that Sarah Hartsfield had been married 5 occasions and that a few of her former spouses had died. Detectives have been in a position to converse with three of her ex-husbands.
“Each relationship that it seems that she’s been in, all people needs out of it as a result of they worry for his or her life,” Hawthorne informed the information station. “Various them have both made the assertion, ‘I wanted out as a result of I felt like my life was in peril,’ and a few have discovered the place their life was clearly in peril.”
Following the arrest, prosecutors in Douglas County, Minnesota, mentioned they have been reopening a case into the dying of David Bragg, who was fatally shot by Sarah Hartsfield at their house on Might 9, 2018.
She was by no means charged within the case after Douglas County Legal professional Chad Larson mentioned it was self-defense. In a 2019 letter, Larson mentioned that Hartsfield and Bragg had gotten right into a bodily altercation.
Hartsfield informed responding deputies that Bragg had fired a gun at her and he or she instantly shot him, the letter said. Bragg was discovered useless on the primary ground of the house by the point deputies arrived, in accordance with Larson’s letter.
The county lawyer wrote {that a} crime scene workforce discovered a bullet gap “in a location per Mr. Bragg discharging his firearm at Ms. Donahue as she was ascending the steps.” DNA, fingerprints and witness statements have been additionally “per Ms. Donahue’s model of occasions,” he mentioned on the time.
Larson mentioned in his 2019 letter that Hartsfield was “justified” in capturing Bragg as a result of it was self-defense, however mentioned Thursday that new info had been obtained by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Workplace which prompted the case to be thought of energetic once more.
The sheriff’s workplace directed inquiries to the county lawyer, who didn’t present additional particulars.
Bragg’s household informed KPRC that they all the time thought the circumstances surrounding his dying appeared “farfetched, and nearly made up.”
“We’re extremely saddened to listen to of the tragic lack of Mr. Joseph Hartsfield. As horrible because it was to listen to, it didn’t come as a lot of a shock to our household, as we too misplaced a treasured member of our household to the arms of Sarah Donahue (now Hartsfield). We’re relieved to listen to that Douglas County is keen to reopen David’s case,” the household mentioned.
