"From what we determined, at the time, he believed she was still breathing and had some movement at the time she was going into the freezer," Floyd County investigator Brittany Werner said.
Trigger Warning: This story contains details of abuse and murder that may be disturbing to readers.
Robert Keith Tincher III, 29, of Rome, Georgia, has been charged with murder, aggravated battery, and concealing the death of another after he stuffed his sick grandmother, 82-year-old Doris Cumming, into the freezer and left her there to die, Floyd County Police Department said Friday in a news release.
According to PEOPLE, the man has been accused of placing his grandmother in plastic bags and dragging her to a large freezer inside their residence in December 2021 after a fall at home in which she suffered an injury.
According to investigators, Cumming had shown signs of being alive prior to being left to die. Floyd County investigator Brittany Werner said in an incident report that Tincher "described her movement and breathing when the freezer was locked," per Friday's release.
"From what we determined, at the time, he believed she was still breathing and had some movement at the time she was going into the freezer," Werner told WAGA-TV.
Georgia man, Robert Keith Tincher III, accused of leaving grandmother in freezer to die.
— CatT 🌻🇺🇦Reigning Typo Queen🌻👑 🚫DMs!💉💉💉😷 (@typo_cat) April 16, 2022
Police said the victim's family believed she had moved out of state, but grew concerned after not hearing from her and reported she might be missing.https://t.co/jNdgwzemoJ via @nbcnews pic.twitter.com/bnqdbYiTRq
Tincher then told the cops that his grandmother's back broke while he shoved her into the freezer, and went on to describe her movements inside the locked freezer to investigators "in graphic detail," according to the news release.
The freezer remained at the residence until around March 2022, when it was "transported to another location within Floyd County," per the FCPD. Investigators strongly believe Tincher intended to conceal Cumming's death.
The body was eventually recovered by the cops from the freezer at a different location "after following up on a concern voiced by a family member," who believed Cumming had moved out of state "but had not communicated with her family since the supposed move."
Werner went on to share that investigators learned of the crime upon contacting Tincher, who told them he didn't call for emergency responders because of a warrant out for his arrest involving terroristic threats made on social media toward his wife.
Police arrested 29 yr old Robert Keith Tincher III, of Georgia, saying that he killed his 82 year old grandmother by forcing her into a freezer while she was alive. (He thinks he heard her back break when he was stuffing her in freezer) https://t.co/TclpY341nw
— Suzie S (@suziesuchi) April 16, 2022
Basically, Tincher had attempted to hire a hitman to kill his wife in July 2018, via Facebook Messenger. He was indicted in September 2018 but since he failed to appear in court, it led to a felony bench warrant for his arrest.
But, while speaking with the investigators about his murder, Tincher expressed his love for his grandmother. "He said she was the only family member that gave him the courtesy and love and attention he needed," Werner said.
Meanwhile, Tincher was arrested at a house on Hennon Drive. He was later booked into the Floyd County Jail. In addition to the charges stemming from the December 2021 death of his grandmother, Tincher has also been charged with a felony for failing to appear in court in 2018.
References:
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/man-charged-with-murdering-his-grandmother-hiding-body-in-freezer
Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Supersmario
