Veteran firefighter Robert Poynter was shot dead on an isolated country road in Royse City, Texas. He was deceived by his then-wife Chacey Poynter and one of her many lovers. Robert was allegedly killed in a murder plot, carefully orchestrated by Chacey to claim his life insurance policy. Two people were found guilty at the end of the investigation.

On Friday, August 26, NBC Dateline's Josh Mankiewicz will report on the 2016 murder case that shocked the people of Royse City. Robert Poynter, who was known for his service to the community as a kind and honorable firefighter, died a tragic death and will forever live in the hearts of those he served.

The episode, titled Out of the Darkness, will air on August 26, 2022, at 10 pm ET. The synopsis states:

"A wife calls 911 to report her husband has been shot on a country road in Texas. Could the dramatic police footage from the scene end up being key in the investigation?"

Veteran firefighter Robert Poynter died of a gunshot to the head

A panicked 911 call during the late night of September 9, 2016, to which cops swiftly responded, led the Royse City police department to the isolated muddy road where Robert Poynter was shot to death. The 47-year-old former captain of the University Park Fire Department sat dead in the passenger seat of his wife Chacey's jeep.

Robert was discovered with a single but fatal gunshot wound to the head, and his wife, who happened to be there, stated that an unidentified man emerged from the bushes and shot Robert in the head while he was assisting her in moving the jeep, which was stuck in the muddy road. Chacey Poynter was breathless and hysterical.

The medical examiner's report corroborated the police's initial discoveries at the murder scene, which concluded that Robert had been killed by a single shot to the head. Despite the fact that there was no question as to how Robert died, it would take years for the truth to come to light about the killer and the reasons behind the murder.

When questioned, Chacey told authorities that their marriage was far from perfect and that on the night of the murder, the couple were supposed to meet at a local restaurant to sort out their problems. However, she took a wrong turn, and her vehicle got stuck in the muddy road. She had to call Robert to help her out. When her husband arrived, a man suddenly appeared from the dark bushes and shot him. Interestingly, nothing was taken from them.

Was Robert Poynter's young wife involved in his killing?

When Chacey Poynter's statements concerning the night kept changing throughout the weeks that followed, authorities started investigating the killing in connection to their falling marriage.

In a statement, Chacey revealed that the unidentified man responsible for the shooting was in fact one of her many lovers. Upon going through her phone, police later discovered thousands of messages that she had exchanged with her alleged lovers. However, the one conversation that stood out was with Michael Graza, the man she claimed shot her husband. In a text she sent to Graza before Robert Poynter's murder, Chacey had said,

"I can’t love you unless Robert is out of the picture."

Chacey eventually confessed that she just wanted to "scare" her husband after discovering that he was about to file for divorce because of her unfaithfulness. She stated that Graza disregarded her attempts to stop him and acted on his own. The then 29-year-old reportedly confessed, saying,

"I didn’t want him dead. I just – I wanted him to know what it’s like to be bullied all the time."

The wife was charged with conspiracy to murder, while the alleged shooter was charged with the murder of Robert Poynter. During the 2018 trial, Graza was convicted and sentenced to 99 years. In 2019, Chacey was tried in court. The prosecution claimed she had her husband murdered to cash in on his $680,000 life insurance policy. She was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

NBC Dateline will explore the murder case of Robert Poynter this Friday, August 26, 2022, at 10 pm ET.

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