CHAMBERS COUNTY, Texas – The Chambers County woman, Sarah Hartsfield, accused of killing her husband, Joseph Hartsfield, did not appear in court in person on Friday, but her case was discussed amongst attorneys and the judge.
Attorneys said that they are ready to move forward with the trial, but they are waiting for unspecified records that are still needed.
Witness subpoenas are expected to be sent out soon for the trial, with jury selection scheduled to start on Sept. 29. It’s not clear yet how long jury selection could take, but prosecutors said it usually only takes a day or less.
No decision has been made yet if Sarah will take the stand in her own trial, according to her defense attorney, Case Darwin. He said he is not worried about finding an impartial jury in Chambers County.
The courtroom in the main courthouse in Chambers County is reserved for three weeks as the trial venue, but it’s not clear yet how long it will last.
Judge Chap B. Cain III has not yet made a decision about allowing cameras in the courtroom for the trial.
Sarah, 50, has been in jail since Feb. 2023 after being indicted by a Chambers County grand jury for murder. Joseph died at the hospital in January 2023 due to complications of the toxic effects of insulin, according to the autopsy report.
Prosecutors allege that Hartsfield ignored a phone app sending alerts about Joseph’s dangerously low sugar level and waited at least an hour to call 911 after finding the diabetic unresponsive. Detectives found up to 10 insulin pens on his side of the bed.
Joseph’s family said he was making plans to leave Sarah in the weeks leading up to his death.
After her arrest for murder in Texas, Minnesota prosecutors reopened a 2018 shooting investigation in which Sarah’s fiancé at the time was killed. So far, prosecutors haven’t provided an update on that case.
Sarah’s murder trial has been scheduled for late September.
Prosecutors have filed a list of 19 extraneous offenses they intend to bring up at some point during the trial, including the Minnesota shooting, abuse of her children, and allegations of a murder plot involving one of her exes and the new wife of a different ex.
READ/WATCH MORE:
Check out KPRC 2’s investigative documentary, which reveals that Hartsfield was indicted for murder, is awaiting trial in Chambers County, and is being held on a $2 million bond.
