Did an item found in many medicine cabinets lead to a homicide?

After a millionaire is poisoned with eye drops, his death is considered homicide. Did this inspire a copy crime? “48 Hours” is investigating “The Eye Drop Homicide” which airs Saturday, March 12 at 9 / 8c on CBS.

Lana and Steve Clayton were married for five years and lived on Lake Wylie, SC According to Steve’s family, they had a beloved marriage.

Replica Mount Vernon

Clayton’s lived on a seaside property in this house, modeled after President George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate.

A scary discovery

On Saturday, July 21, 2018, Lana Clayton says she went inside after mowing the lawn and discovered that her husband was not responding to the bottom of those stairs.

Driving until Steve’s death

Lana said Steve had been sick and bedridden for three days.

What killed Steve Clayton?

Lana wondered if Steve had fallen down the stairs, but the medical examiner saw no signs of a fall and ruled that it was a natural death resulting from a possible heart attack.

Strange facts

Steve’s nephew, Nick French, came on stage the day Steve died. Nick – a police officer in a nearby town – toured the house and found it strange that Steve’s bed was soaked with urine.

Suspicions Term

Steve’s nephews, Nick French and Kris Phagan, felt that something was wrong. Steve’s cell phone was also missing.

Documents that were destroyed

The morning after Steve’s death, neighbors told Steve’s nephews that they saw Lana setting fire to the backyard fire pit. Chris believes that Steve’s will was destroyed here.

A call to the medical examiner

When Steve’s family learned that Lana had requested cremation, they immediately called the medical examiner’s office. They say that if they had not requested an autopsy and toxicological report, they might never have found out the truth about Steve’s death.

A Strange Substance

The toxicology report revealed that there was an extremely large amount of tetrahydrozoline in Steve’s blood. Tetrahydrozoline, known as THZ, is a chemical found in many over-the-counter eye drops. The medical examiner ruled that it was not a natural death.

Pictured are toxicologist Demi Garvin, left, and medical examiner Sabrina Gast.

Lana’s Eye Drop Knowledge

On August 29, 2018, just over a month after Steve’s death, Lana was interviewed by York County Medical Examiner. When the medical examiner mentioned THZ, Lana immediately realized that this was a chemical in Visine.

Details in the Mansion

Investigators found Visine at Clayton’s home. During the interview, Lana said that Steve liked to put Visine in his cafe to help him go to the bathroom. He said he did it for years, a statement that seemed very strange to the medical examiner.

An amazing assumption

Lana returned home later that day, where investigators said she made an astonishing admission: she confessed to a York County sheriff that she had put Vissin in Steve’s water. He even said that he wanted to suffer. He was arrested the next day.

A Copycat case?

Just 12 miles from Clayton’s home and a few weeks after Lana was arrested, Stacy Hunsucker, a young mother of two, died of what investigators said appeared to be a heart attack.

A happy couple?

Stacy and Josh Hunsucker have been married for 8 years. Stacey was a preschooler and Josh was a flight attendant. When Stacey’s mother found out that Josh was going fast with a girl, he became suspicious.

A Mother

Stacey’s mother contacted the North Carolina Department of Insurance two days after Stacey’s death after learning that Josh had applied to receive about $ 250,000 in Stacey’s life insurance proceeds.

THZ in Stacy’s Blood

Researchers in North Carolina learned that Stacey was an organ donor and that a vial of blood had been collected and stored before cremation. This blood was sent for toxicological testing where a large amount of THZ was discovered

He was arrested and charged

On December 19, 2019, Josh Hunsucker was arrested and charged with the murder of Stacy’s wife. Hunsucker is awaiting a trial date. His lawyer says his client is innocent and the charges will be strongly opposed.

A dangerous poison

The medical examiner and the “48 Hours” toxicologist who participated in the interview agree that screening for THZ should be part of a routine toxicological examination.

Johnson and Johnson, the makers of Visine, said in a statement:

“We are deeply saddened to learn this news and are devastated that someone would use our product for such a heinous act. The use of tetrahydrozoline (the active ingredient in Visine) on the surface of the eye has been shown to be safe for self use for more than 50 years. Visine is clearly marked for external use only and should never be swallowed.