“January 2020. A cold Louisiana night. A quiet neighborhood. A young woman is found dead in her car—shot once. Nearby, a man lies on the ground, bleeding. When questioned, he says… he can’t remember a thing.
This is the story of Livye Lewis. A beautiful 22-year-old who vanished into a night of tragedy, confusion, and controversy. Was it murder? Suicide? Or a blackout no one can explain?”
“In the early hours of January 2020, police in Alexandria, Louisiana respond to a chilling 911 call.
In a car parked along the road sits Livye Lewis—slumped over, unresponsive. She’s been shot once in the head.
Nearby on the sidewalk, 30-year-old Matthew Sonnier is found—alive but covered in blood, with a head injury and a gunshot wound to the leg. He’s disoriented… and claims he remembers nothing.”
“Livye was a recent graduate from LSU of Alexandria. Described by family and friends as vibrant, funny, and fiercely independent, Livye had just begun carving out her future.
She was dating Matthew Sonnier—an older man who some say was troubled, struggling with addiction, and prone to jealousy.”
“As investigators try to piece together what happened, they find no signs of forced entry, no robbery, no immediate motive. The only weapon? A handgun… later confirmed to belong to Sonnier.
But the strangest part? Matthew says he doesn’t remember shooting Livye… or himself. He claims he blacked out.”
“Could someone really commit a violent act and not remember it? Experts weighed in. While trauma and substance use can cause dissociative amnesia, critics say it’s often exaggerated—or convenient.
Sonnier’s story changes. At first, he says they were attacked. Then, maybe they were arguing. Later… he suggests Livye may have shot herself.”
“Livye’s family doesn’t buy it. Her mother, heartbroken, says Livye was not suicidal. She had plans. She had hope.
The community mourns. A candlelight vigil is held in her honor. Friends speak of her warmth, her laughter, her dreams that were stolen too soon.”
“Matthew Sonnier is arrested and charged with second-degree murder. His defense? A blackout.
Prosecutors argue it was cold-blooded. Jealousy and control, they say, drove him to kill.
The jury listens to both sides… the inconsistent statements… the lack of memory… the gun in his possession.”
“In 2022, after delays and intense testimony, the jury returns a verdict: guilty.
Matthew Sonnier is sentenced to life in prison. No parole. No second chances.
For Livye’s family, justice is bittersweet. Nothing will bring her back.”
“Livye Lewis was 22. Full of light. And taken too soon.
As her memory lives on, we ask: can we ever really understand the minds of those who say they simply… forgot?
This has been The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis.
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