Latest / Murder Files Unsealed / Military Man Fatally Shot After Wife and Colleague She Had Affair with Plot His Murder

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Military Man Fatally Shot After Wife and Colleague She Had Affair with Plot His Murder · Murder Files Unsealed

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  Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Today. We're going to
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  be going into a case that really shook the community
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  near Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada back in twenty ten.
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  A seemingly perfect family, a shocking murder, oh yeah, and
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  a web of lies so tangled it took some incredible
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  detective work to unravel them. Aw get ready because this
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  is the story of Nathan Pate.
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  Speaker 2: So it's really fascinating about this case is that it starts, yeah,
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  in a place most of us think of as paradise, Okay,
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  gwam interesting. Nathan Pate, our victim, grew up there, steeped
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  in the Chamorro culture. Okay, family, respect, community, those are
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  the cornerstones.
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  Speaker 1: And he brought that spirit with him when he enlisted
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  in the Air Force. And we've got sources here talking
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  about how this guy was organizing weekly barbecues bringing together
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  other families from Guam who are now living near Las Vegas.
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  Not exactly the image that springs to mind when you
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  hear yeah murder victims exactly.
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  Speaker 2: And that's what made this case. He's so baffling. At first,
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  detectives couldn't find anyone who had a bad word to say.
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  About Nathan. Dedicated airman, Yeah, loving husband, doting father of four. Really,
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  his life seemed to be the embodiment of the values
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  that he held dear.
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  Speaker 1: So okay, so let's set the scene. Okay, Somber one,
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  twenty ten, Right, quiet, suburban neighborhood. Nathan's getting ready for work.
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  It seems like an ordinary morning until tragedies.
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  Speaker 2: See, Nathan was shot multiple times in his garage. Oh wow,
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  a brutal and seemingly random act of violence. Geez. The
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  nine to one to one call from his wife Michelle
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  captures the raw terror of that moment. Yeah, he's not
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  taking his eyes are open, Oh god, please? Chilling stuff.
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  And initially the police were scrambling, right, Yeah, they were
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  no obvious motive, No one who wanted this guy dead. Right,
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  they must have been hitting dead ends left and right.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely, So where do they turn next?
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  Speaker 2: Well, what's the first thread they start pulling on?
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  Speaker 1: Michelle naturally becomes a central figure in the investigation.
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  Speaker 2: After all, she's the one who found him ate the
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  nine to one to one call. In those initial interviews,
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  she's portraying a picture of a loving marriage, insists there
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  was no infidelity, and even points to their financial troubles
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  as a possible motive.
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  Speaker 1: But something doesn't quite add up right. What starts to
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  make the investigators suspicious about Michelle's story?
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  Speaker 2: Well, there are a couple of things. For one, there's
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  a detail in Michelle's account of the shooting that raises eyebrows.
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  She mentions hearing two bangs, okay, but not immediately going
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  outside to investigate. Yeah. That delay, even if it's understandable
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  in a moment of panic, Yeah, definitely piqued the detective's interest.
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  Speaker 1: And then there's the mysterious black car. Right. Yes, a
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  witness saw it speeding away from the scene around the
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  time of the shooting.
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  Speaker 2: Right, And this is where Michael Rodriguez enters the picture. Okay,
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  Michelle mentions him to the police worker. She admits to
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  having some harmless flirting.
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  Speaker 1: With Oh interesting, Okay.
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  Speaker 2: He drives a black car similar to the one described
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  by the witness. Coincidence, Yeah, maybe.
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  Speaker 1: But the police have got to be thinking, Okay, we're
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  onto something here, right. What happens next? Do they bring
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  Rodriguez in for questioning?
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  Speaker 2: They do, and Rodriguez is surprisingly cooperative. Okay, he provides
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  an alibi for the night of the murder. Claims he
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  met a woman named Shannon at Walmart and they spent
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  the night together at a hotel. Okay, even throws in
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  some shall we say, colorful details about their encounters, Oh wow,
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  to make it seem more convincing.
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  Speaker 1: So at this point they've got Michelle seemingly denying any
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  involvement and Rodriguez with what appears to be a solid alibi. Yeah,
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  must have felt like they were back to square one.
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  Speaker 2: It did for a while. Yeah, But then a seemingly
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  small detail throws a wrench into everything.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, I bet this is where those text messages come in.
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  One's between Michelle and Rodriguez exactly.
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  Speaker 2: Investigators uncovered a trove of messages between the two, and
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  let me tell you, yeah, the timing and content are
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  incredibly suspicious. Okay, there's one in particular scent just minutes
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  before the shooting, where Michelle simply says, I'm late.
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  Speaker 1: Now if you're a detective looking for a connection, that's
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  got to set off alarm bells.
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  Speaker 2: Right, absolutely.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: It's like a flashing neon sign saying look closer. Investigators
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  start to wonder if these seemingly innocuous messages are actually
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  coded communication about the crime. And this is where the
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  cracks in Michelle's facade really begin to show. It's amazing
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  how in the digital age, these seemingly mundane pieces of
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  our live you know, like text messages, can become such
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  crucial pieces of evidence.
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  Speaker 1: Right, It's like a digital trail leading straight to the truth.
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  H But how do you go from a simple I'm
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  late to proving a murder conspiracy?
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  Speaker 2: Right?
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  Speaker 1: That's a pretty big lead.
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  Speaker 2: What's all about context? When investigators started analyzing those messages
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  alongside me statements and the timeline of events, things started
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  to click into place. Okay, the timing of the messages,
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  the coded language they seemed to be using. It painted
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  a very different picture than the one Michelle was initially presenting.
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  Speaker 1: So with this new evidence in hand, do the police
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  confront Michelle?
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  Speaker 2: They do, and under the weight of that mounting evidence,
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  Michelle cracks.
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  Speaker 1: Oh wow.
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  Speaker 2: She confesses to having an affair with Rodriguez and admits
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  that they'd been plotting to kill Nathan. Wow.
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  Speaker 1: What a betrayal. Right, But if they were both in
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  on it, why try to pin it all on Rodriguez?
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  What was Michelle's angle?
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  Speaker 2: She claims that she had a change of heart, that
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  she tried to back out of the plan at the
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  last minute. She even points to specific actions like not
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  unlocking Nathan's truck for the killers to hide in and
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  turning off his alarm so he'd be late for work
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  as proof that she was trying to sabotage the whole thing.
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  Speaker 1: So she's basically saying she was playing both sides, trying
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  to appease Rodriguez while secret protecting her husband. That's a
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  risky move, to say the.
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  Speaker 2: Least, incredibly risky, and the investigators weren't buying it. They
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  saw those supposed acts of sabotage as further evidence of
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  her manipulation. It's like she was trying to create this
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  narrative where she was a victim of circumstance, forced into
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  participating in this horrible plot.
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  Speaker 1: But they had those text messages. The timing was too damning.
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  So at this point, both Michelle and Rodriguez are in custody,
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  But who actually pulled the trigger?
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  Speaker 2: That's where the investigation takes another twist. Okay, remember Shannon,
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  the woman who provided Rodriguez with an alibi.
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  Speaker 1: Oh yeah, the Walmart encounter. Uh huh, I bet she
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  becomes a bit more important to the story now she does.
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  Speaker 2: Indeed, haunted by guilt, she comes for and tells the
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  police everything. Wow. She reveals that Rodriguez's friend Jessica Austen
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  had initially asked her to lie for them, okay, claiming
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  they were just going to rob a drug dealer.
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  Speaker 1: Classic cover story, right, make it seem less serious than
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  it actually is.
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  Speaker 2: Exactly, But as Shannon learned more about the plan, she
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  realized the true nature of their intentions, and after the murder,
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  she witnessed Rodrigue's burning clothes and setting up his alibi
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  with her help.
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  Speaker 1: That's huge. Her testimony blows the whole case wide open,
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  doesn't it.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely? It corroborates the text messages, puts Rodriguez at the
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  scene of the crime, and exposes the entire conspiracy.
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  Speaker 1: Wow.
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  Speaker 2: And it leads them to the actual triggerman, Corey Hawkins.
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  Speaker 1: So let me guess. Hawkins folds under pressure and points
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  the finger right back at Michelle and Rodriguez.
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  Speaker 2: Pretty much Faced with overwhelming evidence, Hawkins confesses to his
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  role in the murder, detailing how Rodriguez had hired him
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  to kill Nathan. He provides the missing pieces of the puzzle,
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  confirming the prosecution's theory that this was a carefully planned
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  hit orchestrated by Michelle and Rodriguez.
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  Speaker 1: It's amazing how this case started with a seemingly random
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  act of violence and ended up uncovering this deeply calculated plot.
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  Speaker 2: Right.
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  Speaker 1: It really highlights the power of thorough investigation and the
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  importance of seemingly minor details.
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  Speaker 2: It does, and it also raises some disturbing questions about
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  the people involved, especially Michelle. Yeah, what kind of person
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  betrays the trust of their spouse and orchestrates their murder.
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  Speaker 1: That's what I find so fascinating about true crime. It's
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  not just about the facts of the case. It's about
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  trying to understand the psychology behind these horrific acts.
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  Speaker 2: You're right, And in Michelle's case, it seems like a
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  combination of factors where it play. Yeah, the affair, the
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  financial troubles, maybe even a sense of dissatisfaction with her life.
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  But ultimately it's impossible to truly know what was going
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  on in her mind.
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  Speaker 1: I guess that's the mystery that lingers long after the
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  case is closed. Yeah, we can analyze the evidence, understand
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  the motives, but will never fully grasp the darkness that
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  led to such a tragic outcome exactly.
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  Speaker 2: But by exploring these cases, by delving into the complexities
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  of human behavior, maybe we can learn something, right, gain
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  some insight into the darker side of our nature.
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  Speaker 1: So we've got the confession and the witness testimony, the
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  murder weapon. What happens next? Does the case go to trial?
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  Speaker 2: It does, and that's where things get even more intense,
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  with legal battles, emotional testimonies, Yeah, and ultimately the pursuit
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  of justice for Nathan pay It.
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  Speaker 1: So the stage is set, right, We've got a compelling case,
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  a mountain of evidence, and a community demanding justice for
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  Nathan pett Right. What happens when this case actually goes
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  to trial?
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  Speaker 2: Well, with the case this complex, Yeah, with so many
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  players and conflicting motives, you know, the defense attorneys are
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  going to pull out all the stops. Yeah, and that's
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  exactly what happened.
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  Speaker 1: Let's start with Michael Rodriguez. Okay, he's the alleged mastermind
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  behind this whole thing. What's his defense strategy?
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  Speaker 2: Rodriguez's attorney's tried to paint a picture of him as
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  a love sick fool, Okay, manipulated by Michelle. Uh huh.
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  They argue that she was the driving force behind the plot,
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  using her feminine wiles to lure Rodriguez into this web
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  of deceit. They tried to shift the blame, portray him
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  as a pawn in her game.
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  Speaker 1: Classic tactic, trying to paint the woman as the manipulative temptress.
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  But did the jury buy it?
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  Speaker 2: No? Not really. The prosecution did a masterful job of
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  dismantling that narrative, presenting evidence that clearly showed Rodriguez's active
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  role in planning and executing the murder. They had those
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  incriminating text messages, witnesses who testified to his involvement, and
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  even financial records that suggested he stood to gain financially
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  from Nathan's death.
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  Speaker 1: Wow, so justice prevailed for Nathan. It's a relief tear
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  that the system worked in this case. But what about
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  the other players? Right? Corey Hawkins, the man who actually
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  pulled the trigger? What happened to him?
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  Speaker 2: Hawkins, facing a mountain of evidence against him and realizing
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  the futility of a trial, decided to plead guilty to
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  first degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison.
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  A stark reminder that even those who act as pawns
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  in these schemes faced severe consequences.
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  Speaker 1: And Jessica Austin, the friend who helped set up the alibi,
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  did she get caught up in the legal whirlwind as well?
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  Speaker 2: She did, but because she cooperated with authorities, providing valuable
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  testimony that helped solidify the case against Michelle and Rodriguez,
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  she received a lesser sentence, as a classic example of
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  how cutting a deal can sometimes be the best way
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  to ensure justice is served, even if it means some
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  leniency for those who played a lesser role in the crime.
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  Speaker 1: So we've covered the accomplices, but what about Michelle, the
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  betrayed wife turned mastermind?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah?
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  Speaker 1: What was her fate?
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  Speaker 2: Her trial was arguably the most emotionally charged of the
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  entire saga. Nathan's family was present, forced to relive the
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  trauma of his death and confront the woman who would
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  shatter their lives.
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  Speaker 1: I can't even imagine the pain and anger they must
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  have felt. Right to have someone you trust, someone you love,
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  betray you in such a horrific.
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  Speaker 2: Way, it's truly heartbreaking. Yeah, and the question of whether
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  to seek the death penalty for Michelle, I am a
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  central point of contention.
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  Speaker 1: That's got to be a tough decision. You weigh the
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  desire for retribution with the potential for forgiveness and healing.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, and ultimately, Nathan's family, driven by their deep faiths
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  and their belief and the sanctity of life, chose mercy. Wow.
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  They asked the prosecution not to pursue the death penalty.
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  Speaker 1: So what was the final verdict?
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  Speaker 2: Michelle, realizing the weight of the evidence against her and
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  perhaps finally acknowledging the gravity of her actions. Yeah, plated
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  guilty to first degree murder and conspiracy.
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  Speaker 1: Wow.
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  Speaker 2: She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility
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  of parole.
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  Speaker 1: A life behind bars. I guess that's a kind of justice.
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  But it doesn't bring Nathan back, right, and it leaves
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  those children, his children, to grow up without their father
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  because of her choices.
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  Speaker 2: It's a tragic reminder of the ripple effects of these crimes. Yeah.
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  The victims are not just those who lose their lives,
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  but the families and communities left to grapple with the aftermath.
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  Speaker 1: This case really had it all. Betrayal, greed, manipulation. It's
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  like something ripped from a Hollywood thriller, but with real
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  life consequences that are impossible to ignore. Yeh.
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  Speaker 2: It reminds us that the truth, no matter how deeply buried. Yeah,
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  as a way of coming to light those seemingly insignificant details,
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  a text message, a witness coming forward, a detective's gut
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  feeling right, can become the threads that unravel an entire
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  web of deceit.
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  Speaker 1: It makes you realize that even in the darkest of times,
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  there's always hope for justice. But it also highlights the
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  importance of being vigilant, of paying attention to those red
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  flags in our own lives and the lives of those
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  we care about, right, because sometimes the most dangerous threats
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  come from those closest to us exactly. The case of
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  Nathan Payett is a stark reminder that the line between
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  love and hate, trust and betrayal can be thinner than
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  we think, and that the consequences of crossing that line
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  can be devastating.
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  Speaker 2: Well, thanks for joining us on this deep dive into
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  the complexities of the human heart, the pursuit of justice,
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  and the enduring strength of the human spirit.
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  Speaker 1: Until next time, stay curious, stay informed, and stay safe.