Dateline: Unforgettable - Who was Todd Chance and what happened to him?

The 2013 murder of Todd Chance at the hands of his wife and elementary school principal, Leslie Jenea Chance, shocked the small community of Bakersfield, California. Todd's dead body was found near an almond orchard, 15 miles away from the Chance residence, with multiple gunshot wounds.

Todd had reportedly been exchanging flirtatious texts with his ex-fiance, Carrie Williams, and had expressed interest in getting back with her. However, prosecutors have argued financial gain to be the motive behind the crime.

The Dateline: Unforgettable episode Point Blank aired on February 22, 2024, at 8 pm EST on Investigation Discovery and showcases the shooting death of Todd Eric Chance.

The synopsis 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."

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Who was Todd Chance? Details explored

Todd Eric Chance worked as a security guard in Bakersfield, California. He met his wife, Leslie Jenea Chance, who was pursuing a teaching degree and worked three part-time jobs, including one as a cashier in a drugstore. Having dated for a year, Todd and Leslie got married in 1996.

Jenea Chance's daughter from her previous marriage, Jessica Bullman, grew close to Todd as he was a great father to her. She shared with Oxygen's Snapped:

“When my mom and Todd got married, while they were exchanging rings, he presented me with a pearl bracelet with my name on it. He was so amazing to me. I mean, he was in every aspect my dad and he never made me feel left out.”

As per Oxygen, Todd Chance then took up a truck driving job while Leslie Chance went on to finish her degree and became a school principal at Bakersfield’s Fairview Elementary School. The family was well off and went on luxurious vacations.

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What happened to Todd Chance?

According to ABC News, on the morning of August 25, 2013, the body of Todd Chance was found near an almond orchard with multiple gunshot wounds. The former Kern County Sheriff’s Coroner Janelle Malena spoke to Oxygen and mentioned:

“I located two gunshot 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.”

The investigators ruled out robbery as a motive as Todd's wallet and cell phone were present on him. Upon questioning, Leslie Jenea Chance shared that Todd was a gun enthusiast and then showed the officers his gun collection, only for his old .38-caliber revolver to be found missing. Leslie told the investigators that Todd had left the house around 7:30 am for a gun show.

After recovering Todd's black 2011 Ford Mustang from a southwest Bakersfield neighborhood the same day, the police recovered surveillance footage from the neighborhood, which captured a person some witnesses found suspicious.

PEOPLE reported that the suspect was identified to be a white woman. As per Oxygen, the suspect was caught changing outfits inside a Starbucks restroom and dumping the original clothes.

A search into Todd Chance's phone revealed flirtatious text messages with his ex-fiance, Carrie Williams. According to KGET, the two had been sharing texts and explicit photographs over Facebook Messenger since 2012. Moreover, a search of the Mustang revealed Jenea Chance's DNA from the gear shaft and driver's side door.

Leslie Jenea Chance had told the police that she allegedly never drove Todd's car and had been on her computer at the time of the murder. However, no computer activity was revealed upon a sweep.

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Leslie Jenea Chance was arrested and charged with the first-degree murder of Todd Chance in December 2016. She was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on September 6, 2020, as per KERO-TV. She received an additional 25 years to life for a firearms enhancement.