Chambers County woman charged with murdering her 5th husband has bond lowered

ANAHUAC, Texas - A Chambers County woman charged with murdering her fifth husband appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday. 

Sarah Hartsfield, 48, appeared via Zoom at her first court hearing and pleaded not guilty to murdering her fifth husband, Joseph Hartsfield, in January.  She is currently being held in a Chambers County jail.

The Chambers County Sheriff’s Office said Hartsfield’s ex-husband was diabetic and believe his insulin level was suspiciously high hours before his death and before Hartsfield called 911.

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Hartsfield's attorney, Keaton Kirkwood, believes the state is unfairly treating his client. He requested a Chambers County Judge lower her $5 million bond on the grounds that she had no prior convictions and has never failed to appear in court.  

The judge ultimately agreed to lower Hartsfield’s bond to $4.5 million. If Hartsfield posts bond, the judge said she must wear an ankle monitor.

Kirkwood said Hartsfield won’t be able to afford that bond either.  

"The State of Texas and Chambers County is doing a witchcraft job of trying to do their investigations after the indictment. The discovery is lacking in this case; there’s no medical examiner report, there’s no police report, and so we’re just working with what we have right now," Kirkwood said. 

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The indictment prompted investigators in Minnesota to reopen an old case involving another one of her partner’s deaths.

According to a determination letter from the Douglas County Attorney, Hartsfield shot and killed her fiancé David Bragg five years ago during an argument that turned physical in Garfield, Minnesota. The Douglas County Attorney found that Hartsfield, whose last name was Donahue at the time, shot Bragg in self-defense because he fired a gun at her. Authorities declined to file charges against Hartsfield in Bragg's death, but investigators have now re-opened the case.

Kirkwood told reporters he was unaware the case had been reopened. He said Hartsfield emphatically maintains her innocence.

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In court Wednesday, state prosecutors dove into details of Hartsfield's past, including her constant moving around to dozens of cities across the U.S., as well as her past relationships.

Investigators say she was married five times and two of her partners died while in her presence. There’s currently a protective order against one of her ex-partners and two daughters.  

"The things that they’re bringing up have already been investigated. There’s no open cases come back towards my client at this time. You heard her testify that she hasn’t been visited by any police entities at this time -- the FBI or any of the other counties she’s had any dealings with. The murder they tried to claim as murder, she was exonerated for self-defense; it was justifiable homicide. Part of it was caught on 911. These are things the state knows or should know, yet they are still trying to bring it up knowing it has no dealings in this case," Kirkwood said.