Man accused of killing grandmother by stuffing her in freezer while she was still alive enters guilty plea

Written by: E. George

Published December 23, 2024 @ 1:20 PM ET

Warning: The following story contains information regarding alleged domestic violence/exploitation of disabled or elderly persons.

FLOYD COUNTY, Ga. – On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, a man was sentenced to life in prison without parole after changing his initial plea to guilty one week prior regarding the 2022 death of his grandmother.

Robert Keith Tincher III faced multiple charges for wrapping 82-year-old Doris Cummings in plastic bags and dragging her into a freezer while she was still alive after suffering a fall in the shower.

Court records indicated that Tincher also broke several of her bones during the horrific ordeal. According to reports, Tincher “acknowledged her back broke going into the freezer.”

Tincher attended his hearing at the Floyd County Superior Court virtually from inside the Floyd County Jail. Judge William “Billy” Sparks stated, “He’s sociopathic. There is no doubt in my mind in determining what punishment to impose here that Mr. Tincher should never have any opportunity of walking among free men.”

The freezer was placed in the center of the courtroom during the hearing as a tangible and bold reminder.

According to reports, Cummings’s niece, Tonie Chittom, stated, “Our family was torn, and we will never know why. We would like to see him spend the rest of his life in prison without the opportunity to ever get out.” Chittom reflected about Cummings, “She loved Robbie – from the day he was born, she loved him. She took him in and loved him.”

Tincher allegedly lived in the Armuchee home he shared with the victim for months with her body before relocating her to a storage unit.

Cummings’s loved ones reported her missing after not hearing from her. They originally believed she had left the state.

Despite altering his plea, Tincher informed the judge he did not think he was guilty. He stated, “No, I don’t believe I caused the death of my grandmother.”

He had told officers that he believed she was rendered brain-dead after her fall and decided to get rid of her body. Assistant District Attorney Elisabeth Giuliani stated, “How long she was alive in the freezer, nobody knows.”

Giuliani explained that Tincher had failed to offer any signs of remorse for his actions. Contrarily, he declared that he did not believe he did anything wrong based on his system of beliefs.

Regarding submitting his guilty plea while verbally maintaining his innocence, Tincher stated, “I want to get out of Floyd County and get on with the rest of my life.”

Perplexed, the judge asked him, “When you say you want to get on with the rest of your life, you’re aware that means spending it in prison?” The judge discussed additional questions to ensure Tincher understood and accepted his plea.

He was charged with aggravated battery, concealing the death of an individual, false imprisonment, felony murder, and malice murder.

Tincher previously faced arrest in 2018 for allegedly plotting to murder his wife. His accused co-conspirator was found not guilty; however, police said Tincher had shared a post on Facebook regarding enlisting someone to kill his spouse.

Several months before his arrest, his wife reported to the Rome Police Department that he had damaged her vehicle.