The Dateline NBC episode "Point Blank" is centered around the murder of Todd Eric Chance, which took place on August 25, 2013. Todd was found dead in Bakersfield near an almond orchard, with multiple bullet wounds to his chest. Later, Todd's wife, Leslie Jenea Chance, was accused of killing her husband and was arrested in 2016.
The couple was living in Bakersfield at that time, according to reports. While Leslie worked at an elementary school, Todd was employed as a security guard. Reportedly, Leslie had married her high school sweetheart, but the couple later split when he was found cheating on her.
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Following their divorce, Leslie started taking care of her daughter, Jessica Bullman, all by herself while working multiple part-time jobs. That is when she met Todd; they dated for a year before getting married in 1996. The official synopsis of the Dateline episode "Point Blank" reads:
"After Todd Chance is murdered, police follow a trail of video evidence to track down their suspect. Andrea Canning recalls a particularly revealing interview, including an eye-popping detail you must see to believe."
What happened to Todd Chance from Dateline episode Point Blank?
According to reports, the police discovered Todd Chance's body in Bakersfield, California. He was found lying dead in an almond orchard almost 15 miles from Bakersfield on August 25, 2013. It was noted that Todd had two gunshot wounds to his chest.
As we see in the Dateline episode, the primary investigation suggested that he was shot at point-blank range using a .38 caliber revolver. According to former Kern County Sheriff's Office coroner Janelle Malena, who made a statement:
"I located two gun shot wounds to the side of his chest. He also had what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his hand at a very close range."
Later, the Kern County Sheriff's Office found a similar weapon missing from Todd's collection of guns at his residence. Todd's wallet and cellphone were also discovered at the crime scene.
Thus, the initial theory of the incident being a robbery was eventually ruled out by the police department. His wife, Leslie Chance, mentioned in a statement that Todd left home at 7:30 a.m. on the day of his murder to attend a gun show and did not return.
The authorities later retrieved his black Ford Mustang from southwestern Bakersfield, along with the keys, the murder weapon, and Leslie's fingerprints. According to court documents, the car had been bleached to eliminate evidence, as very few DNA samples were recovered.
What led to the murder of Todd Chance? Details explored
As seen in "Point Blank," Todd Chance was having an affair with a woman named Carrie Williams, who was later revealed to be his ex-fiancée. A detailed investigation uncovered Facebook chats between the two. Todd and Carrie had reportedly been flirting with each other and sharing explicit photographs since 2012.
Leslie Chance discovered her husband's affair and wanted to split up with him. At that time, she was earning more money than Todd, according to reports. Further investigation revealed that she might have killed her husband to avoid paying any alimony in the event of a divorce.
Moreover, Leslie was entitled to $250,000 in life insurance money upon the death of her husband, Todd Chance. Thus, she murdered Todd with the motive of personal gain as well as out of resentment for being cheated on.
What happened to Leslie Chance after Todd's murder?
Leslie Chance (49 years old) was accused and arrested for the first-degree murder of her husband, Todd Chance, in 2016. She was later sentenced to 25 years to life on charges of capital murder on September 6, 2020.
Leslie was also given another 25 years to life sentence for the enhancement of firearms and is currently being held at the Central California Women’s Facility.
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