Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘Out of the Darkness’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline’ chronicles the horrific 2016 killing of a veteran firefighter named Robert Poynter in Royse City, Texas. His shambolic marriage with Chacey Poynter, who had multiple lovers, led to his untimely demise. Chacey reportedly joined forces with one of her lovers and lured Robert to his death. All the intricate details of the case and the investigation that ensued are covered extensively in the documentary with the help of exclusive and emotional interviews with the deceased firefighter’s family and friends.
Chacey Poynter Hatched a Murderous Plot With Her Lover to Kill Robert
Born around 1987 in a small Texas town, Chacey Tyler was a 20-year-old nurse aid when she first met Robert Poynter through a mutual friend. By December 2007, the two began dating. A few months later, Chacey became pregnant with his daughter, Addison Grace Poynter. As their relationship blossomed, they tied the knot on December 28, 2009, to make it official. Besides working at a dental office, she also ran a cake business on Facebook for extra income. According to Chacey, the marriage began to deteriorate just three years into it. She claimed that Robert began taking testosterone and steroids to treat his low testosterone levels, which she alleged made him violent. During the trial, Chacey admitted that she began having extra-marital affairs with multiple men, including Michael Garza.
In the summer of 2016, she began an affair with Michael, whom she met on Facebook. A few months prior to Robert’s death, Chacey managed to convince him to make her the beneficiary of his almost $685,000 life insurance policy. She also told Michael about the alleged domestic violence that she endured at the hands of her husband. Her cell phone records showed that the two exchanged hundreds of texts, including some incriminating ones in which Chacey told him she wanted Robert gone for good. Prosecutors argued that Michael and Chacey then hatched a plan to kill Robert after he reached out to a divorce attorney. On the fateful night of September 9, 2016, after spending the evening at Michael’s place, she lured her husband to an isolated county road in Royse City, Texas, by claiming that her vehicle had gotten stuck in mud.
Chacey Poynter Changed Her Story Multiple Times During the Interrogation
According to court records, Chacey and Michael ambushed Robert at the site, where Michael fatally shot him with his camo shotgun. After Michael fled the scene, Chacey called 911 and pretended to be in a state of shock as she notified them about her husband’s death inside her Jeep. After finding the firefighter dead in the car near Hunt County Road 2595, the detectives questioned Chacey about the incident. In the bodycam video, she was seen saying, “I was young and stupid when we got married. … I didn’t want to be married anymore.” She also admitted to having marital problems with Robert. She told the police that he was trying to take her daughter away from her. “Her story kept adding all these different twists and turns and pieces of information that just weren’t fitting in place of the puzzle,” as per the police officer at the scene.
Soon, Chacey was taken to the Royse City Police Department, where she was interrogated extensively by Detective Michael Burk. During the interrogation, she admitted to having sexual relations with Michael Garza. Initially, she denied knowing the identity of the shooter, but later told the detective that it was Michael. Although admitting that Robert’s alleged violent behavior made life hard for her, she stated, “I didn’t want him dead. I just — I wanted him to know what it’s like to be bullied all the time.” After the long interrogation, in the early hours of September 10, Chacey was arrested for conspiracy to commit murder. Two days later, Michael was also taken into custody and was linked to the murder weeks later, when his shotgun was found by a farmer, near the crime scene.
Chacey Poynter is Currently Incarcerated at a Texas Prison
After obtaining new evidence against Chacey Poynter in 2019, the state reindicted her on a capital murder charge. Her murder trial in connection with Robert Poynter’s killing began on June 17, 2019. The prosecution claimed that the murder was premeditated, as she was looking to claim his life insurance policy. On the other hand, the defense argued that she was a battered woman who was abused by her husband. She also took the stand and told the jury, “He (Michael Garza) wasn’t supposed to kill him.” However, at the end of her trial, the jury found her guilty of murder.
On June 27, 2019, she was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 30 years. In April 2021, she and her defense counsel filed a motion to get her conviction overturned. After much consideration, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and upheld the conviction. The judge stated, “We conclude the trial court did not err by denying appellant’s motion to suppress and did not err by denying appellant’s request for a lesser included offense instruction. We affirm the trial court’s judgment.” As of today, the 39-year-old killer is serving her sentence at Dr. Lane Murray Unit in Gatesville, Texas, with her parole eligibility date scheduled for September 2046.
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