Dateline: Unforgettable is examining the murder of Todd Chance, who was shot dead by his wife, Leslie Jenea Chance, near their home in Bakersfield, California.
The police believe that Leslie, an elementary school principal and an opponent of firearms, gunned down her husband after she discovered flirty text messages between him and his ex-girlfriend.
On the morning of August 25, 2013, an irrigation worker discovered the remains of 45-year-old Todd lying in an orchard. He had been shot twice in the chest.
Later that day, Todd’s black Ford Mustang was found abandoned near an intersection in Bakersfield. An eyewitness reported seeing a woman in sunglasses and a baseball cap park the car and run away like she was fleeing.
Investigators recovered a revolver from the car, which was deemed to be the murder weapon. The gun belonged to Todd.
The police learned from a friend of a neighbor of the Chance family that they had seen Todd and a woman in sunglasses and a baseball cap leaving their house in a Mustang a couple of hours before Todd’s body was discovered.
Leslie Chance spotted on surveillance cameras after Todd Chance murder
The cops also recovered surveillance footage from numerous businesses that showed Leslie in the vicinity of the abandoned car and also revealed that she changed her clothes and threw away some items.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelA woman matching the description of the killer then used a pay phone to have a taxi collect her and drop her off near the Chance home.
Leslie was also found to have recently handled and fired the gun despite having previously been an anti-gun advocate. She also attended a CSI: The Experience vacation in Las Vegas, where she learned about investigation techniques. The police suspect she gathered info on how to commit murder.
Leslie Chance convicted of killing Todd Chance
The defense team argued that the evidence against Leslie was mostly circumstantial and that her case should be dismissed. However, a jury disagreed and convicted her of first-degree murder. She was sentenced to 50 years to life.
At the sentencing, Leslie’s daughter, Jessica Bullman, said she loved her stepfather, Todd Chance, and considered him to be her true father, but she also claimed her mother was innocent and that she would continue to stand by her.
Leslie’s lawyers lodged an appeal after it came to light the lead detective on the case had failed to log into evidence multiple interviews conducted in 2013. Some of these interviews featured witnesses who could not identify Leslie on the surveillance footage.
However, in January 2023, the 5th District Court of Appeal upheld the conviction.
Dateline: Unforgettable airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Oxygen.