Bail set at $1.5M cash for Eddy County murder suspect

EDDY COUNTY, N.D. (Valley News Live) - A judge on Thursday set bail at $1.5 million cash for a man who is accused of shooting and killing another man in Sheyenne, North Dakota.

45-year-old Nicholas Wayne Poitra was the center of a three-day manhunt after the shooting at Rindy’s Sheyenne Bar on February 19. Poitra was arrested on February 22 after being spotted by a local farmer, who tells Valley News Live he saw Poitra walking near his farm and held him at gunpoint until police arrived.

Nicholas Poitra is now behind bars at the Lake Region Law Enforcement Center in Devils Lake. He’s accused of shooting and killing 30-year-old Troyal Thumb. Court documents say, Thumb and Poitra exchanged words at the bar before Poitra fired a short-barrel shotgun.

After the shooting, Poitra went around the bar and pointed the firearm at two victims while he grabbed the security camera footage that was plugged in. Documents say Poitra then pointed the shotgun at the five victims left in the bar and demanded they turn over their cell phones, as well as told two of the victims to give him their car keys. Poitra went out the back door and stole a 2013 Ford Explorer.

Poitra faces 11 felony charges in Eddy County, including murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, 7 counts of terrorizing and robbery.

Poitra’s next scheduled court date is March 9, 2023.