Sarah Hartsfield’s insulin murder trial enters its second week
The second week of testimony in Sarah Hartsfield’s insulin murder trial begans today.
The second week of testimony in Sarah Hartsfield’s insulin murder trial began Monday with a rare look inside her Beach City home, captured on body camera footage taken the night investigators say her husband, Joseph Hartsfield, was dying from a fatal insulin overdose.
Nearly two dozen witnesses have taken the stand so far, but prosecutors say they’re not done yet. The state may not rest until mid-week, as jurors continue hearing new evidence and emotional testimony about what investigators call a “pattern” of suspicious behavior dating back decades.
For the first time, jurors watched body camera video from inside the couple’s home, showing Sarah Hartsfield calmly speaking with deputies as they began investigating her husband’s medical emergency in January 2023.
A sergeant testified that her demeanor “seemed odd,” describing her as quiet and calm, even laughing at one point. Hartsfield told investigators she had recently taken down her interior cameras to install a new one.
Inside the bedroom, investigators found prescription pill bottles and insulin pens scattered around, but the sergeant admitted to jurors that they made a critical mistake: those insulin pens and a glass of juice Hartsfield claimed she kept filling for her husband were never collected as evidence.
Prosecutors say Joseph Hartsfield’s blood sugar was dangerously low for hours before Sarah finally called 911.
Jurors also heard from a realtor who shared text messages from Sarah Hartsfield sent just days before her husband’s death. In those messages, she allegedly discussed selling their home and planning her “exit strategy,” complaining that her husband had “buried her in debt.”
Hartsfield’s defense team has repeatedly fought to keep her past out of this trial, but last week, the judge began allowing the jury to hear about some of her so-called “extraneous offenses.”
Those allegations included testimony from an FBI agent who said Hartsfield once tried to orchestrate a murder-for-hire plot against an ex’s new wife, as well as accounts of three separate house fires connected to former partners and even her brother.
One of the most emotional moments came when Doris Swart, the mother of Hartsfield’s ex-boyfriend, David Bragg, took the stand. Swart’s son was shot and killed by Hartsfield in Minnesota in 2018, a case initially ruled self-defense. Swart told jurors that at the funeral home, Sarah put her hand on Bragg’s body and asked, “Why did you make me do that?” before quickly moving on with a new man.
That Minnesota shooting case has now been reopened, according to testimony from the lead investigator. A charging decision is pending the outcome of this Texas murder trial.
Sarah Hartsfield’s defense reminded jurors that she has never been arrested or charged in connection with any of those past allegations.
Still expected to testify this week are Hartsfield’s children and the lead detective on the Chambers County insulin case that led to her arrest.
9:30 a.m. - Nancy excused from the witness stand. State calls their 24th witness to the stand, Angela Knoernschild, Sarah’s first husband’s new wife.
9:05 a.m. - The 23rd state’s witness, Nancy Casteneda, Joe’s aunt, was called to the stand
Joseph Hartsfield’s aunt, Nancy Casteneda, took the stand Monday morning, describing her nephew as a “good kid” who was funny and loved to pull pranks. She said the two were close and that she first learned about Sarah Hartsfield when Sarah visited the family for Thanksgiving. Nancy testified that she initially liked Sarah, saying she “seemed really sweet,” but that changed when she started noticing tension between Sarah and Joseph. “Sarah and Joseph did not appear to have a good relationship,” Nancy said, adding that Sarah would aggravate Joseph and post things on Facebook that “downgraded Joe.”
Nancy testified that Sarah would often message her about Joseph’s health, complaining about his blood sugar being high and how he didn’t eat well. Prosecutors showed text messages Sarah sent Nancy, messages Nancy said she never responded to.
The last time Nancy spoke to Joseph was on December 28, 2022, when he called her, sounding frustrated. “He was aggravated because of him and Sarah,” she said. Joseph told her he was going to Huntsville to open a bank account in his own name because his payroll was going into a joint account with Sarah. “He was planning to leave Sarah,” Nancy said, also adding that Joseph “sounded relieved” about his decision.
Nancy said she learned on January 7, 2023 that Joseph was being rushed to the hospital after her sister Helen called her “hysterical.” When she arrived, Nancy said Sarah gave her three different stories about what had happened that night. In one version, Sarah told her Joseph worked, went to a job interview, came home, made a rice casserole, ate a bowl, and drank a glass of water before going to bed. Sarah allegedly said his glucose monitor alarm went off throughout the night, but she didn’t check on him because he was walking around. Later, when she went to wake him, he was unresponsive. Nancy told jurors she was shocked that Sarah made rice casserole for Joseph because it was “too high in carbs,” though it was one of Joseph’s favorite foods.
Nancy testified that on November 7, 2022, Sarah texted her saying she had glucose tablets for Joseph. She said Joseph was fearful of low blood sugar and was very cautious with insulin.
On cross-examination, Nancy said Sarah told her that she had made Joseph chicken and rice and that she had given him water that “didn’t taste right.” She confirmed she stated to Chambers County Sheriff’s detectives at Baytown Methodist Hospital on January 7, but did not mention the casserole or water at that time. Nancy told jurors the first time she shared that detail about the water not tasting right was with the state, explaining, “I was focused on Joseph and not the details.”
She was excused from the stand around 9:30 a.m.
9 a.m. - Court back in session
