Snapped on Oxygen: What happened to Joe Sturdivant?

The murder of the Robinson resident and former race car driver, Joe Sturdivant, shocked the small town situated southeast of Waco, Texas. Sturdivant had allegedly shared a loving relationship with his wife, Joyce, till he was found shot to death in his bedroom in October 2008.

Joyce Sturdivant had placed the 911 call which alerted the law enforcement officials. The authorities found the front door of the house locked and the crime scene seemed to be staged to look like a home invasion.

Episode 8 of Snapped's Season 23 showcases Joe Sturdivant's murder as it airs on July 29, 2024, on Oxygen at 7 p.m. EST. The official synopsis reads,

"The death of a Texas racecar champion leads detectives down a winding road of suspects and reveals deep, dark family secrets hidden for decades."

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Who was Joe Sturdivant?

Joe Milton Sturdivant Jr. was born on December 28, 1939, in Bastrop, Bastrop County, Texas to parents Joe and Myrtle (Campbell) Sturdivant. He grew up with his sister, Shirley Howard, in childhood. Joe was married to his wife, Joyce Sturdivant for over 40 years and the couple was known to share a close and loving relationship.

Joe lived with Joyce in Waco, Texas and he owned and operated Sturdivant's Transmissions since 1967. Sturdivant was a champion stock car racer and had been working in the car racing industry since the 1960s.

Known among his friends and family to be a kind soul, he readily took part in community events and was always available to help others.

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What happened to Joe Sturdivant?

Joe Sturdivant was found shot to death at his Robinson residence on October 8, 2008. A 911 call went out from the Sturdivant residence from Joe's wife, Joyce. As the first responders arrived at the scene, they found the front door bolted from inside.

Sergeant Hinson and RPD Officer P. Carey along with the volunteer Fire Chief G. Groppe entered the home through the garage and encountered a foul smell. They found the 68-year-old Joe Sturdivant lying in a pool of his own blood on his bed in the master bedroom, per court documents.

Joe Sturdivant was found shot to death with his guns lying around in his room (Image via Unsplash)

Sergeant Hinson had mentioned several unusual things inside the house such as the kitchen drawers being left pulled out in such a manner that they blocked the hallway and a table was overturned in the master bedroom. The sliding doors of the patio were left slightly open while a meat prong lay on the floor. An ice pick had been jammed into the lock of an interior door.

Joe Sturdivant was an avid gun collector and the number of guns that were left lying around the house confused the authorities regarding the possible murder weapon. The house had five aggressive dogs inside and a burning candle in the room where Joe lay with apparent gunshot wounds to his back and head.

While the authorities at the scene described Joyce to be cold and detached, they believed some part of the dishevelment had been staged. Additionally, they did not notice signs of forced entry and neither were any of the valuables missing thus ruling out burglary or home invasion.

According to the court documents, the autopsy results stated that Joe had been shot from a close distance and his body had shown signs of lividity.

After several years of investigation, Joyce was convicted of the murder of her husband in 2011. She was sentenced to prison for 30 years for manslaughter and 15 years for attempted murder.

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Watch the details of Joe Sturdivant's murder as the Snapped episode re-airs on Oxygen on Monday.