Gunshot wounds were the cause of death for Joseph Sonnier. His life and his family are mentioned in his obituary. Thomas Michael Dixon’s concern made him a victim. His children characterized him as a kind man who loved his family. But his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend killed him out of jealousy.
NBC Dateline investigated her case and featured family interviews in which they discussed her life before her death.
Obituary of Joseph Sonnier: what is the cause of his death?
In July 2012, the body of Joseph Sonnier was discovered in his home. He was killed after being shot and stabbed.
Although the reason for his death was not stated in his obituary, he was shot to death. They fired 5 shots at him. But even after realizing that he was already dead, the killer continued to stab him 11 times before disappearing with his corpse.
Five days after the murder, a guy named Paul Reynolds contacted the police to tell them that his roommate, David Shepard, had claimed to have killed someone in Lubbock.
Reynolds stated that after doing some research online, he learned more about Sonnier’s passing and speculated that Sonnier may have been Shepard’s victim.
Later, during his police questioning, Shepard claimed that, in compensation for killing Sonnier, his friend Thomas Michael Dixon had given him a box of expensive Cuban cigars and three silver bars. Additionally, pawnshop records indicated that Shepard had cashed in the silver bars the day after the murder.
On July 16, 2012, police arrested Dixon for the suspected murder. But David was forced to stand trial, and it was then that he began the first trial of him. To avoid the death penalty, he had previously confessed and decided to take a plea deal and testify.
However, he surprises everyone on the stand when he admits that he committed the crime and that Dixon was not involved.
According to the defense, Dixon simply asked Shephard to take photos of Sonnier with other women so he could present them to Richelle Shetina, his ex-girlfriend. He wanted Shetina back in her life, so he sought to sever ties with the couple.
What happened to Joseph Sonnier?
Joseph Sonnier passed away at his home. David, the killer, is currently jailed for life with no possibility of release. However, the person accused of giving the order to kill Sonnier was convicted of two counts of capital murder in 2015 and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
However, his verdict was overturned once the District Court of Appeals reviewed his appeal in 2018. As a result, he was released after posting $2 million bail.
But in 2020, the second capital murder charge was dropped, but the first charge was upheld. He is currently incarcerated for life without the possibility of parole.
Joseph Sonnier Age and Biography Wiki found
Shreveport is where Joseph Sonnier was born and raised. In 1966, his family had moved there. He was a student at Captain Shreve High School. He received his Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude from Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge in 1976.
At Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas, where he served as chief resident, he was chosen for a pathology residency. After completing his degree, he worked for DPA Laboratories before becoming a partner and selling the company to AmeriPath.
At the time of his death, he was working for Covenant Health System at AmeriPath as Medical Director and Chief Pathologist. According to his wiki, he was 57 years old when he died.
