Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Out of the Darkness’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ the primary focus is on the tragic and untimely killing of 47-year-old Robert Poynter, an experienced firefighter, in Royse City, Texas, in September 2016. After receiving a panic-stricken 911 call, the authorities rushed to the scene and began investigating the case. The detectives end up uncovering a murderous plot and extra-marital affairs, all of which made the case all the more complicated. The documentary features insightful interviews with Robert’s loved ones and the officials who helped solve the case.
Robert Poynter Was Found Dead Inside a Jeep on a Secluded County Road
On April 30, 1969, in Utica, Michigan, Captain Robert “Bob” Louise Poynter, III was born to Robert Louis Poynter, Jr. and Mary Candice Habersack as a little bundle of joy. Growing up, he was the middle child between his two sisters, Cheryl and Jennifer. After graduating from the Frisco Fire Academy, Robert began working as a firefighter with the University Park Fire Department. He married young and became a father to two daughters — Nicole Diane Poynter and Natalie Elizabeth Poynter. However, that marriage fell apart after 19 years. Around the same time, he met Chacey Mormon, a younger woman born and raised in a small Texas town. She was employed at a dental office at the time. They got married and welcomed their daughter, Addison Grace Poynter, into the world.
Known for his work ethic, loyalty, and honesty, Robert loved giving back to the community through his duties. He was also a doting father to his three daughters, with whom he loved spending time. Having worked as a firefighter for nearly two decades, the veteran rose to the rank of captain in the University Park Department. Only a few days after a relaxing trip to Mexico with his family, Robert’s life was tragically cut short on the night of September 9, 2016. The police received a frantic 911 call from his wife, Chacey, who told the dispatcher that Robert had been shot on an isolated county road in Royse City, Texas.
When the police officers arrived at the scene, they found an abandoned pickup truck down County Road 2595. Another vehicle, which belonged to Chacey, was found ahead, inside which the veteran firefighter was found deceased. Inside the vehicle, the detectives found his cell phone and his wife’s purse. Meanwhile, her cell phone was found somewhere outside the Jeep. It was determined that Robert had died of a fatal close-range gunshot wound, originating from a shotgun. However, no murder weapon was found at the scene of the crime. Without delay, a homicide investigation was launched.
Someone Close to Robert Poynter Orchestrated His Murder
Since Robert Poynter’s wife, Chacey Poynter, was an eyewitness, the police interviewed her in the paramedics’ van. She told the detectives that she had planned to meet Robert at a local Jack in the Box when her Jeep got stuck in the mud on the way. As per her account, she called her husband to help her move the vehicle. She claimed that when he stepped inside to try to get the car out of the mud, a shooter emerged from the dark and shot him to death. Appearing to be hyperventilating, Chacey revealed that the shooter used a shotgun but claimed that she didn’t clearly see who fired the shot. She also alleged that their marriage was going through rough times, mainly due to the alleged domestic violence and abuse towards her.
According to the police sergeant talking to 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.” Chacey was then escorted to the police station, where she was further questioned about the identity of the man who killed Robert. Focusing on the allegations of her husband being violent towards her, she admitted to having sexual relations with her friend, Michael Garza, who she claimed was jealous of Robert. As the investigators kept digging deeper, she kept adding more to the story, including the fact that she had spent the fateful evening at Michael’s place, where she noticed a camo shotgun. Two hours into the interrogation, she revealed that Michael was the shooter.
Chacey added that she and Michael had discussed roughing up Robert for allegedly abusing her, but she claimed that she never asked Michael to kill him. She blamed Michael, alleging that he planned the murder and told her that he would make it look like a robbery. After the interrogation, Chacey was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Upon delving into Chacey and Robert’s marriage, the detectives learned that despite the difficulties in their relationship, the couple was trying to work things out. After returning from their Mexico trip just a few days prior to his murder, Robert reportedly contacted his attorney to start the divorce proceedings.
Texts and Other Evidence Linked the Perpetrators to the Crime
Prosecutors alleged that a few months before Robert Poynter’s death, Chacey convinced him to make her the beneficiary of his life insurance policy. Moreover, she also reportedly juggled multiple extra-marital affairs, including one with Michael Garza, in the months leading up to the murder. She told at least two of her boyfriends about the story of alleged abuse at the hands of her husband. When authorities checked her cell phone records, they found incriminating evidence. Prosecutors presented several recovered text messages between Chacey and Michael that contradicted her claims of defense, as she had expressed wanting her husband gone.
While a manhunt for Michael was launched by the police, he surrendered two days after Robert’s killing. About a month later, a farmer came across a camo shotgun in the field. The murder weapon came back to Michael’s brother, tying Michael to the homicide. In addition, his cell phone also pinged near the crime scene on the fateful night. Subsequently, Michael was officially charged with the murder of Robert Poynter. In July 2018, his trial began, during which he offered an alibi for the night of the murder. However, after two weeks of testimonies, the jury found him guilty on July 20. Consequently, he was sentenced to 99 years in prison.
Before Chacey’s trial, the charge against her was raised to capital murder. On June 17, 2019, her trial began, and the prosecution claimed that Robert’s killing was Chacey’s idea, arguing that she wanted to cash in on his life insurance policy. Meanwhile, the defense asserted that she was a victim of domestic violence. By the end of her two-week trial, the jury deliberated for more than three hours before reaching the final verdict. Chacey was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 30 years.
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