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Man charged in wife’s murder was on helicopter forced to land due to arson, officials say

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A man accused of murdering his wife with eye drops was on a medical helicopter that had to make an emergency landing, officials said.

Now, Channel 9 has learned that helicopter was forced to land because of arson.

Police are still investigating, but Josh Hunsucker was one of three people on that helicopter.

Hunsucker is the man at the center of a different investigation, a murder investigation.

Prosecutors said Hunsucker poured a deadly dose of eye drops in his wife Stacy’s drink.

They said he gave four different accounts of how he found the mother of their two children dead in their Mount Holly home in 2018.

According to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Stacy Hunsucker’s parents, Josh Hunsucker spent his wife’s life insurance money on lavish trips with a woman who moved into their home soon after his wife’s death. The lawsuit says he purchased an expensive pleasure boat, all while investigators were still asking more questions.

Last November, a month before his arrest, Josh Hunsucker was aboard the helicopter that was forced to land in east Charlotte.

He worked as a paramedic on Atrium’s Health’s helicopters for six years.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police determined "a piece of medical equipment was intentionally set on fire" inside of the helicopter.

Josh Hunsucker was on the helicopter with two other Atrium Health employees at the time of the incident, and police have not said anything else about their investigation.

Weeks after that forced landing when Josh Hunsucker was arrested for murder, Channel 9 learned in court that he was also being investigated by his employers.

"He is under administrative leave and under investigation for misconduct,” State Attorney Jordan Green said.

Atrium Health officials would not comment on the details of their investigation but said he no longer worked for them as of that day.

Josh Hunsucker’s attorney would not comment Friday about the fire that now seems to be part of a criminal investigation.

Josh Hunsucker is out of jail on bond right now.

He has not been charged with a crime in connection with the arson case.

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