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Dateline NBC

Talking Dateline: The Trouble with Sarah

Dateline NBC

NBC News

Social, Society & Culture, Culture, News, True Crime

4.438K Ratings

🗓️ 21 January 2026

⏱️ 19 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Lester Holt sits down with Keith Morrison to discuss his episode, “The Trouble with Sarah.” In January 2023, Joe Hartsfield was found unresponsive at his home and rushed to a hospital in Baytown, Texas. He was taken off life support 11 days later. What initially appeared to be a medical emergency, soon revealed a much darker story involving his widow. The investigation into Sarah Hartsfield uncovered a checkered past full of spurned lovers and wild allegations. Lester and Keith break down the evidence that ultimately led to her conviction and discuss how prosecutors were able to introduce her prior conduct at trial. Keith also shares a podcast-exclusive clip from a private investigator who describes a request Sarah made after her conviction. Plus, Lester and Keith answer questions from social media. Have a question for Talking Dateline? DM us @DatelineNBC or leave a voicemail at (212) 413-5252 — your question could be featured in an upcoming episode. Listen to the full episode of “The Trouble with Sarah” on Apple: https://apple.co/4qqj4Yc Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3mffPBCHCnvmvE5yjwfBva

Transcript

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0:00.0

It's still relatively rare that we see women as perpetrators in cases like this.

0:06.2

You've covered a few.

0:07.2

Is this your specialty?

0:09.0

Is this something you're able to look?

0:12.9

It seems like it's becoming one.

0:14.3

It seems a little blunt.

0:19.3

Hi, everyone.

0:20.1

I'm Lester Holt, and this is Talking Dateline.

0:23.1

I'm joined today by Keith Morrison and Keith.

0:25.4

This is a case I know you have been covering for years, and it brings us back to Baytown, Texas,

0:30.3

where the death of Sarah Hartsfield's husband, Joe, ultimately exposed a much darker story.

0:37.3

Multiple marriages, volatile relationships,

0:40.0

and allegations of violence that stretch back for decades. The episode is called The Trouble

0:45.4

with Sarah, and folks, if you haven't listened to the episode, you can find it in the

0:51.2

Dateline podcast feed or stream it on Peacock.

0:55.1

So go there and listen to that.

0:56.9

When you come back, Keith has some extra sound for us from private investigator Lynn Marie

1:02.3

Garcy, who describes a surprising request, she says, that Sarah made after her conviction.

1:09.0

And later, Keith will answer your question some social media. So, okay, let's

1:13.2

start talking Dateline. Keith, just give us the overview, your view of this story. Well, this was a case

1:23.5

that might not ever have seen the light of day, if a member of the medical staff in the

1:31.3

emergency department of the hospital in Baytown, Texas, saw something that didn't look right

...

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