In the small town of Sheyenne, North Dakota, a quiet Sunday evening was shattered by violence on February 19, 2023. Inside the familiar walls of Rindy's Bar, a dispute between two acquaintances would end in the tragic death of a 30-year-old White/Caucasian male named Troyal Thumb. The argument, reportedly over a boxing machine that both men were attempting to fix, escalated with shocking suddenness.
Nicholas Poitra, 45, produced a short-barreled shotgun and fired a single, fatal shot, striking Thumb in the head in front of several witnesses.
Following the shooting, the chaotic scene devolved further as Poitra, armed and dangerous, pointed his weapon at others in the bar. Before making his escape, he took the surveillance footage from the bar's security system. He then stole a vehicle at gunpoint and fled, leaving a community in shock and a family devastated. The stolen vehicle was later found abandoned near a farm in neighboring Wells County, sparking an intensive manhunt for the armed fugitive. Law enforcement agencies, including the Eddy County Sheriff's Office, FBI, and Bureau of Indian Affairs, cautioned the public that Poitra was considered extremely dangerous.
The search for Nicholas Poitra lasted for three days. The extensive manhunt concluded when a local farmer discovered Poitra and held him at gunpoint until law enforcement arrived to take him into custody. Poitra was subsequently charged with a litany of felonies, including intentional murder, robbery, possession of a firearm by a felon, and seven counts of terrorizing, one of which involved a child. Investigators stated that Poitra shot and killed Thumb because Thumb was annoying him. Poitra was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. At his sentencing, he offered an apology to Troyal Thumb's family.
