Podcast Summary

Podcast: 20/20
Episode: True Crime Vault: This is Revenge
Date: February 17, 2026
Host: ABC News

Episode Overview

This gripping episode of 20/20's "True Crime Vault" dives deep into the shocking murder of Dr. Joseph Sonnier, a well-respected pathologist from Lubbock, Texas. The story unfolds through the eyes and voices of family members, law enforcement, and key figures, weaving together themes of love, jealousy, and ultimately, deadly revenge. With painstaking investigative detail and dramatic courtroom twists, the episode chronicles the path from an unfathomable crime to hard-won justice, revealing the darkness that can exist beneath seemingly ordinary lives.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Crime Scene and Initial Theories

[00:21–03:37]

• The episode opens with the discovery of Dr. Joseph Sonnier’s brutal murder: shot and stabbed 11 times in his garage.
• Detective Zach Johnson initially suspects a robbery due to the exclusive neighborhood, but quickly dismisses this:

  “This is not a robbery at all.” (03:27, Detective Zach Johnson)

• High-value items (artwork, furniture, electronics) remain untouched, and an improvised silencer (Gatorade bottle) is found at the scene, indicating a targeted killing.

2. The Victim’s Background and Family Tragedy

[03:56–06:37]

• Dr. Sonnier was a prominent, affluent physician whose wife had also been murdered just two years prior, compounding the family’s grief:

  “I knew how to plan a funeral. I knew how to scrub blood off the floor. I knew everything we had to do because I’d already done it once before.” (04:08, Family Member)

• After decades of marriage, left single, Dr. Sonnier started dating again, leading to a relationship with Rochelle Shatina.

3. The Love Triangle: Sonnier, Rochelle Shatina, and Dr. Mike Dixon

[07:03–15:28]

• Sonnier meets Rochelle at a dance class; the relationship blossoms, leading to travel and family gatherings.
• Rochelle denies ever pressuring Sonnier to marry her, aligning with the family’s perspective that they liked her:

  “She knew how to handle herself in a social situation around his sons. We’re tough critics, you know, and we gave her a thumbs up.” (07:41, Family Member)

• Dr. Mike Dixon, Rochelle’s ex-boyfriend and a wealthy Amarillo plastic surgeon, emerges as a significant figure when investigators probe for jealous lovers.
• Rochelle describes feeling stalked and followed, referencing a “big, creepy looking guy” outside her gym and strange letters designed to sow distrust.

4. The Investigation Broadens

[15:28–21:07]

• Investigators question Dr. Dixon, who downplays his current relationship with Rochelle but admits lingering obsession:

  “I love, love, love that woman. I really did.” (17:19, Mike Dixon quoted by Family Member)

• Alibis are established for all principal parties, leading detectives to a dead end—until a tip breaks the case wide open.

5. The Tipster and Dave Shepard’s Confession

[20:48–26:43]

• Paul Reynolds, a nurse, reports to police that his friend Dave Shepard boasted about committing a homicide in Lubbock.
• Shepard is interrogated and eventually confesses to killing Sonier—detailing months of stalking, failed “pranks,” and finally the murder itself:

  “He wanted to be hurt. And it gradually developed into having him killed.” (25:07, Dave Shepard)

• Shepard attests that Dr. Dixon orchestrated the crime, paying him with Cuban cigars and silver bars:

  “Paid him with a box of Cuban cigars and... three silver bars.” (30:20, Lead Narrator)

6. Courtroom Dramas: Confession and Betrayal

[27:24–37:34]

• The trial draws widespread attention as both Shepard and Dixon face murder charges.
• Shepard’s star-witness confession unravels in a dramatic twist. On the stand, he abruptly recants, claiming he acted alone and exonerating Dixon:

  “He completely digressed from what his statement was to law enforcement in the fact that Mike Dixon didn’t have any involvement in this deal.” (35:37, District Attorney Matt Powell)

• The courtroom is stunned. The resulting mistrial devastates Sonier’s family:

  “It was devastating. I mean, I had a moment of just... silence. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.” (38:20, Family Member)

7. The Retrials: Family, Frustration, and a Daughter's Key Testimony

[38:41–42:18]

• With a retrial, prosecution avoids using Shepard as a witness. Instead, Shepard’s daughter testifies about her father’s suspicious influx of money:

  “Dad had money... He bought Hayley a phone, he bought a new grill, he bought tires, and he never had that much money ever. We all asked him, how do you have money? And his words were, ‘I did some work for Mike, and he paid me early.’” (39:53, Rochelle Shatina as Shepard’s daughter)

• Dixon testifies in his own defense, but jurors are not persuaded:

  “He had an ego that was larger than life... I knew at that point I could not believe what he was testifying to.” (40:55, Investigator)

• The second jury reaches a swift verdict:

  “The verdict is in. Unanimous verdict. Guilty on two charges.” (41:28, Lead Narrator)

8. Final Twist: Appeals, Overturned Verdict, and Ultimate Justice

[42:18–43:48]

• Dixon’s conviction is initially reversed on procedural grounds, leading to his release on bond and the threat of a third trial.
• The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ultimately reinstates the guilty verdict:

  “It is a bombshell. Dixon’s guilty verdict is reinstated. And once again... he is guilty of murder for hire.” (43:33, Lead Narrator)

• Both Dixon and Shepard receive life sentences without parole.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "When somebody you love is murdered, it is the very, very worst thing. And the only thing worse than that is when the person who did it... gets away with it."
  — Detective Zach Johnson & Family Member (00:32–00:40)

• “This whole thing is nothing but darkness and evil.”
  — Rochelle Shatina (01:36, 43:48)

• “He was a single man in his late 40s with disposable income and an empty house.”
  — Family Member (06:09)

• “He wanted to be hurt. And it gradually developed into having [him] killed.”
  — Dave Shepard (25:07)

• “You can’t make this stuff up. And that’s one of the fascinating things about this.”
  — Detective Zach Johnson (01:33)

• "The verdict is in. Unanimous verdict. Guilty on two charges... We’ve been waiting for that moment for over three years."
  — Lead Narrator and Family Member (41:28, 41:33)

• "There are real sociopaths and psychopaths that walk amongst us. They are charming... When you see that, don’t ignore it. Get out. Run as fast as you can."
  — Rochelle Shatina (43:48)

• “It was devastating. I mean, I had a moment of just. Just. Silence.”
  — Family Member (38:20)

Timeline & Timestamps of Important Segments

• Scene of the Crime and Initial Theories: 00:21–03:37
• Victim’s Family Tragedy: 03:56–06:37
• Sonnier, Rochelle, and Dixon’s Love Triangle: 07:03–15:28
• Investigator's Dead End and Tip from Paul Reynolds: 20:48–21:07
• Dave Shepard’s Confession: 23:02–26:43
• Trial and Shepard Recanting: 35:00–37:34
• First Mistrial and Devastation: 38:12–38:30
• Second Trial—Daughter’s Testimony: 39:53–40:30
• Dixon’s Guilty Verdict: 41:15–41:33
• Conviction Overturned, Final Appeal and Verdict: 42:18–43:48
• Rochelle’s Closing Reflection: 43:48–44:26

Final Reflection

The episode masterfully illustrates the unraveling of intense human emotions—love, betrayal, and vengeance—set against the machinery of justice. The courtroom drama, the twists in testimony, and the relentless determination of the victim’s family all highlight how, behind every headline, there are deeply personal stories and real, enduring pain.

Dr. Joseph Sonnier’s murder, ultimately solved by dogged investigation, a critical tip, and the testimony of an unlikely witness, stands as a tragic testament to the power and peril of obsession, and the lengths to which revenge can drive an individual.

“This whole thing is nothing but darkness and evil... there are real sociopaths and psychopaths that walk amongst us... When you see that, don’t ignore it. Get out. Run as fast as you can.”
— Rochelle Shatina (43:48)