Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder and assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Dateline: Unforgettable‘s upcoming episode, titled “Point Blank,” will revolve around the murder of Todd Chance and the investigation that led to the conviction of his wife, Leslie Chance. The episode will be aired on Oxygen on Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET.
On August 25, 2013, Todd Chance was found dead in a field where he worked in Bakersfield, sometime between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. He had been shot, and an investigation revealed that his wife, Leslie Chance, had murdered Todd after learning that he had been messaging his ex-fiancée. Leslie was a principal at Bakersfield’s Fairview Elementary School, reportedly earning more than Todd. As a result, this would have made her eligible to pay alimony in case of divorce. As per court documents, she could have also claimed $250,000 from life insurance upon his death.
In 2012, Todd sent a message to his ex-fiancée, Carrie, on Facebook Messenger. He reportedly told her she looked pretty in a picture. As per the court documents, the conversations continued for months and became progressively flirtatious.
On January 31, 2020, Leslie Chance was convicted of the first-degree murder of her husband, Todd Chance. She was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Her first trial was dismissed based on the lack of common interest between Leslie and the trial counsel. In 2023, she appealed to the court to review her conviction as law enforcement authorities reportedly concealed some interviews of hers from the court that were taken after Todd Chance died.
After the review, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the guilty verdict. The court said that Leslie Chance was still guilty of the first-degree murder of Todd Chance.
What did Todd Chance’s autopsy reveal?
The court also affirmed that some interviews of Leslie Chance had been hidden from the trial by law enforcement authorities despite them proving ineffective in the judgment. According to Oxygen, Leslie Chance is currently serving time at the Central California Women’s Facility.
Bakersfield Now reported that Todd Chance had been shot twice on the right side of his chest. Before the first shot, he likely put his hand up in defense. This caused the bullet to pass through his palm first. Experts suggested that the bullet was shot from proximity. Although it couldn’t be determined whether Todd was sitting or standing at the time of the shooting, detectives believed that he was likely in his car seat when he was shot.
Moreover, the DNA tests conducted as part of the case proved to be inconclusive. This was because there was little genetic material found on the gun and in the car. This was also unnatural. As per the court documents, investigators suspected that the killer used bleach to cover up any traces of their DNA in and around the crime scene.
Oxygen reported that Todd Chance and Leslie married in 1996 after a year of dating. The couple had two children and one daughter, Jessica, from Leslie’s previous marriage. Leslie had reportedly been training to become a teacher at the time of the marriage. She told authorities that Todd was a gun enthusiast and that a .38 revolver was missing from his collection.
Dateline: Unforgettable Point Blank will be aired on Oxygen on February 22, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET.
