Topline: A North Carolina man accused of murdering his wife with eyedrops is now asking to move his trial, arguing six years of intense publicity have poisoned the local jury pool.
Published: April 14, 2026 10:00 am ET
Randy Shaw
I cut my teeth in journalism when I began looking into what I saw as abuses of power in my local government. From then on, I was hooked on the dopamine rush of uncovering information.
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Joshua Hunsucker. Gaston County Sheriff’s Office.
GASTONIA, NC — A former paramedic accused of killing his wife with eyedrops and later trying to derail the case with a string of new alleged crimes is now asking a judge to move his murder trial out of Gaston County.
Court TV reported that Joshua Hunsucker, 41, filed a new motion this week seeking a change of venue after his indictment in the death of his wife, Stacy Hunsucker, 32, arguing that years of sustained and inflammatory coverage have made it impossible for him to receive a fair trial locally.
Hunsucker is charged with first-degree murder, insurance fraud, and obtaining property in Stacy Hunsucker’s death. He is also separately charged with setting fire to a medical helicopter while he was on board, an act authorities say was meant to distract from the murder allegations. In addition, he faces charges accusing him of stalking Stacy Hunsucker’s parents, falsely accusing them of assault, and attempting to poison his own child with eyedrops. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The new request marks Hunsucker’s second effort to move the case. His first motion for a venue change, filed in December 2021, was denied. In the latest filing, his attorneys argue that the circumstances have changed significantly since then and that the level of publicity surrounding the case has only intensified.
According to the filing, the defense pointed to a wave of media attention that included what it described as a major exclusive by People magazine and a scholarly feature published in February 2026 that framed Hunsucker within a national pattern of alleged spousal poisoners. The motion also cited recent television reporting that followed the superseding indictment in the case within days of its filing.
Defense attorneys wrote that coverage of the case has been continuous, inflammatory, and deeply prejudicial for more than six years. They argued that even though a gag order is in place, it has done little to limit the amount of media, podcast, and social media discussion surrounding the prosecution.
The motion says the gag order has been wholly ineffective as a remedy for jury pool contamination and argues that moving the case is now the appropriate solution. The filing also acknowledges that a venue change can be denied when publicity is factual and non-inflammatory, but Hunsucker’s attorneys contend the coverage in his case has gone far beyond that threshold.
As one example, the defense cited at least two public Facebook video posts that referred to Hunsucker as “The Eye Drop Killer,” a nickname his attorneys say presupposes guilt and has entered local community discourse.
If the court declines to move the case out of Gaston County, the defense is asking in the alternative for a special venire of jurors to be brought in from outside the Charlotte-Gastonia television market. That would exclude not only Gaston County, where the charges are pending, but the wider area served by Charlotte television stations WCNC, WSOC, and WBTV.
No hearing has yet been scheduled on the motion.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Former Paramedic Accused of Killing Wife With Eyedrops Wants Trial Moved
A North Carolina man accused of murdering his wife with eyedrops is now asking to move his trial, arguing six years of intense publicity have poisoned the local jury pool.
By Randy Shaw
Published: April 14, 2026 10:00 am ET
Joshua Hunsucker. Gaston County Sheriff’s Office.
GASTONIA, NC — A former paramedic accused of killing his wife with eyedrops and later trying to derail the case with a string of new alleged crimes is now asking a judge to move his murder trial out of Gaston County.
Court TV reported that Joshua Hunsucker, 41, filed a new motion this week seeking a change of venue after his indictment in the death of his wife, Stacy Hunsucker, 32, arguing that years of sustained and inflammatory coverage have made it impossible for him to receive a fair trial locally.
Hunsucker is charged with first-degree murder, insurance fraud, and obtaining property in Stacy Hunsucker’s death. He is also separately charged with setting fire to a medical helicopter while he was on board, an act authorities say was meant to distract from the murder allegations. In addition, he faces charges accusing him of stalking Stacy Hunsucker’s parents, falsely accusing them of assault, and attempting to poison his own child with eyedrops. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The new request marks Hunsucker’s second effort to move the case. His first motion for a venue change, filed in December 2021, was denied. In the latest filing, his attorneys argue that the circumstances have changed significantly since then and that the level of publicity surrounding the case has only intensified.
According to the filing, the defense pointed to a wave of media attention that included what it described as a major exclusive by People magazine and a scholarly feature published in February 2026 that framed Hunsucker within a national pattern of alleged spousal poisoners. The motion also cited recent television reporting that followed the superseding indictment in the case within days of its filing.
Defense attorneys wrote that coverage of the case has been continuous, inflammatory, and deeply prejudicial for more than six years. They argued that even though a gag order is in place, it has done little to limit the amount of media, podcast, and social media discussion surrounding the prosecution.
The motion says the gag order has been wholly ineffective as a remedy for jury pool contamination and argues that moving the case is now the appropriate solution. The filing also acknowledges that a venue change can be denied when publicity is factual and non-inflammatory, but Hunsucker’s attorneys contend the coverage in his case has gone far beyond that threshold.
As one example, the defense cited at least two public Facebook video posts that referred to Hunsucker as “The Eye Drop Killer,” a nickname his attorneys say presupposes guilt and has entered local community discourse.
If the court declines to move the case out of Gaston County, the defense is asking in the alternative for a special venire of jurors to be brought in from outside the Charlotte-Gastonia television market. That would exclude not only Gaston County, where the charges are pending, but the wider area served by Charlotte television stations WCNC, WSOC, and WBTV.
No hearing has yet been scheduled on the motion.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Former Paramedic Accused of Killing Wife With Eyedrops Wants Trial Moved
A North Carolina man accused of murdering his wife with eyedrops is now asking to move his trial, arguing six years of intense publicity have poisoned the local jury pool.
By Randy Shaw
Published: April 14, 2026 10:00 am ET
Joshua Hunsucker. Gaston County Sheriff’s Office.
GASTONIA, NC — A former paramedic accused of killing his wife with eyedrops and later trying to derail the case with a string of new alleged crimes is now asking a judge to move his murder trial out of Gaston County.
Court TV reported that Joshua Hunsucker, 41, filed a new motion this week seeking a change of venue after his indictment in the death of his wife, Stacy Hunsucker, 32, arguing that years of sustained and inflammatory coverage have made it impossible for him to receive a fair trial locally.
Hunsucker is charged with first-degree murder, insurance fraud, and obtaining property in Stacy Hunsucker’s death. He is also separately charged with setting fire to a medical helicopter while he was on board, an act authorities say was meant to distract from the murder allegations. In addition, he faces charges accusing him of stalking Stacy Hunsucker’s parents, falsely accusing them of assault, and attempting to poison his own child with eyedrops. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The new request marks Hunsucker’s second effort to move the case. His first motion for a venue change, filed in December 2021, was denied. In the latest filing, his attorneys argue that the circumstances have changed significantly since then and that the level of publicity surrounding the case has only intensified.
According to the filing, the defense pointed to a wave of media attention that included what it described as a major exclusive by People magazine and a scholarly feature published in February 2026 that framed Hunsucker within a national pattern of alleged spousal poisoners. The motion also cited recent television reporting that followed the superseding indictment in the case within days of its filing.
Defense attorneys wrote that coverage of the case has been continuous, inflammatory, and deeply prejudicial for more than six years. They argued that even though a gag order is in place, it has done little to limit the amount of media, podcast, and social media discussion surrounding the prosecution.
The motion says the gag order has been wholly ineffective as a remedy for jury pool contamination and argues that moving the case is now the appropriate solution. The filing also acknowledges that a venue change can be denied when publicity is factual and non-inflammatory, but Hunsucker’s attorneys contend the coverage in his case has gone far beyond that threshold.
As one example, the defense cited at least two public Facebook video posts that referred to Hunsucker as “The Eye Drop Killer,” a nickname his attorneys say presupposes guilt and has entered local community discourse.
If the court declines to move the case out of Gaston County, the defense is asking in the alternative for a special venire of jurors to be brought in from outside the Charlotte-Gastonia television market. That would exclude not only Gaston County, where the charges are pending, but the wider area served by Charlotte television stations WCNC, WSOC, and WBTV.
No hearing has yet been scheduled on the motion.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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