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Trigger warning: This article contains information about graphic violence.
The 2012 murder of a reputed Texan pathologist, Dr. Joseph Sonnier, got authorities investigating the strange and brutal killing with no clue of the murderer. Eventually, they received a tip from someone who claimed to be the alleged murderer's housemate.
With the help of the housemate, investigators discovered that David Shepard was the man who murdered Dr. Sonnier in his Lubbock, Texas home.
Shepard then told the police about the murder-for-hire plot, fueled by resentment, obsession, and a love triangle that Joseph Sonnier unknowingly became a part of. The hired hitman confessed and revealed that the victim's then-girlfriend's allegedly jealous ex-boyfriend, Dr. Thomas Dixon, a renowned plastic surgeon from Amarillo, was behind the crime.
On Saturday, August 13, 2022, Andrea Canning will appear on NCB Dateline, reporting on the 2012 murder case of Dr. Joseph Sonnier. Details of the love triangle and murder plot will be revealed, including the chaotic trials that led to the conviction of those responsible. The episode, titled Lone Star Obsession, will air at 9 pm ET on NBC.
Read further to learn more about the killer and his current whereabouts.
What was David Shepard's role in Dr. Joseph Sonnier's 2012 murder?
Dr. Joseph Sonnier was brutally murdered inside his Lubbock house in July 2012 after being shot five times and stabbed about eleven times, as per reports. About a week after the incident, Paul Reynolds, the alleged killer's housemate, reported to the police that the man he was residing with, David Shepard, may have had something to do with the pathologist's murder.
Later, during his interrogation, David confessed that Dr. Thomas Dixon, a friend and business associate, had offered him three silver bars, each worth $3,000, along with a box of pricey Cuban cigars as a bribe to get rid of Joseph, his former girlfriend's then-boyfriend.
The case had authorities baffled until they discovered the love triangle involving Joseph Sonnier, his then-girlfriend Richelle Shetina, and her ex-boyfriend Dixon.
David went on to admit that he had snuck into Joseph's house the day he was murdered. The alleged hitman then stabbed and shot Sonnier to death as soon as he returned home from work.
Additionally, records reveal that the day following the killing, David sold the silver bars. Shepard's housemate Paul also informed cops that David reportedly attempted to commit suicide on July 13 by slicing his wrists. David Shepard was ultimately detained and accused of first-degree murder.
David Shepard is currently in prison
When David Shepard's case came up for trial in court in September 2013, he had already entered a guilty plea to capital murder accusations. In exchange for the prosecution agreeing to drop their case against David, he forfeited his opportunity to contest his verdict.
He received a life sentence without the chance of parole and has since been confined to John B. Connally Jr. Unit in Texas.
Shepard was also the main witness in Thomas Dixon's first trial in 2014. However, to everyone's surprise, he altered his testimony, claiming that Dixon had no part in it.
He said that Dixon had given him the silver bars as payment for a business investment. Following his statement, the jury reached a deadlock and a mistrial was declared. Dixon was eventually found guilty during his second trial in 2015.
Learn all about Dr. Joseph Connier's murder and those involved in the case via NBC Dateline's upcoming episode this Saturday, August 13.
