A Date With Dateline · Kimberly and Katie - ADWDL

Part of the Plan S.32 Ep.14

·1 hr 19 min·5 clips

Hosts uncover coded texts about 'Van Dyke's contract' used to plan Nathan's murder.

This episode of "A Date With Dateline" is a recap and discussion of the Dateline NBC episode "Part of the Plan," hosted by podcasters Kimberly and Katie. The case involves the 2010 murder of 28-year-old Air Force Sergeant Nathan Payette in his Las Vegas garage. Dateline correspondent Keith Morrison reports, with key figures including homicide detectives Todd Williams and Laura Anderson, Nathan's wife Michelle, his mother Carmelita, and his brother Eric. The investigation begins with a 9-1-1 call from Michelle, who finds Nathan shot. Initial theories of a carjacking are dismissed by detectives who note the victim's belongings were untouched. Michelle reveals a "plan" she and Nathan had to discuss any marital unhappiness before cheating. Nathan's family describes severe financial struggles and marital tension during a recent visit. Michelle identifies a coworker, Michael Rodriguez, who owns a black car matching a witness description. Michael admits to a criminal record and a flirtatious relationship with Michelle, where they "cried on each other's shoulders." He provides an alibi involving picking up a woman named Shannon at a Walmart and going to the Sunset Station Hotel. Text messages show Michelle contacted Michael minutes before the shooting, telling him Nathan was rushing out the door. Detective Laura Anderson confronts Michael, noting his lack of reaction upon learning of the murder. A surprising moment is Detective Todd Williams' direct-to-camera introduction, a stylistic rarity for Dateline. The hosts are struck by Williams' statement that he never considered murder entertainment, which they humorously interpret as a personal attack on true-crime fans. The detailed account of Michael's method for picking up strangers at a Walmart is both bizarre and memorable. The podcasters express immediate suspicion upon hearing Michelle describe an overly communicative marriage, a common red flag in Dateline narratives. Keith Morrison's gentle interview style with Nathan's grieving mother, Carmelita, provides a poignant contrast to the procedural details. The tone is conversational and comedic, with Kimberly and Katie providing humorous commentary and personal tangents alongside their analysis of the Dateline episode. Their style includes sarcastic asides, imagined dialogues, and reactions to the documentary's production choices. This episode will appeal to fans of "A Date With Dateline" who enjoy the hosts' comedic rapport and critical perspective on true-crime storytelling. Listeners seeking a purely serious, fact-focused case summary might find the casual tone and digressions less engaging.

As heard by us

A repeat Dateline episode that turns an Easter Sunday mismatch, a winter Vegas setting, and a Walmart alibi into sharp true-crime banter.

Part of the Plan is a repeat Dateline episode that lands on Easter Sunday, and Kimberly and Katie lean into the mismatch as part of the humor. The winter setting and Las Vegas backdrop give the conversation an odd charge, while the Walmart detail becomes the sharpest comic beat.

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Why you'd press play

You want a Vegas Dateline rerun where the alibi is a Walmart pickup run.

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