that will do it for me, thanks for watching and today and tomorrow for the sunday show. for reproductive freedom for all, joins us live and how it will take center stage, the democratic convention next week. that is tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. eastern, right here on msnbc, follow us on social media, and catch clips of the show on youtube. she was just a cup of love,

unlike, who saw this coming. >> a beautifully young student, gunned down. >> why, and who would want to do this? >> her boyfriend was a police officer. someone told police what he saw. >> he told me he saw a female that was about five foot 10, >> what does she know? >> she said i am in fear of my life. >> a secret tape. -- >> why are you whispering? >> a secret lover and a secret revealed. >> someone hands me a note. >> who killed her?

>> you can't tell me the last piece of the puzzle, why? >> ♪ ♪ >> that is where a photographers vision comes to life, allowing others to see the world through their eyes and, with these shots we can learn a little about the world this young photographer saw. and her sense of exactly when to snap the shutter and to capture the world in front of her. it is an impressive portfolio belonging to a young woman named denita smith, she had been looking through a lens in childhood and never snap as her mother sharon remembers. >> she has always loved and the camera was her friend, the camera was her way of

expressing herself. >> she was beginning to turn all of that talent into a successful trade, working as a photojournalist on the student newspaper at north carolina central university in durham. >> for the average person she wouldn't >> but there was something that she didn't see coming, a blind spot in her seemingly perfect life. something that she never anticipated, never imagined that maybe no one could. it was january 4th 2007, a chris carolina morning, she had a busy head of classes after christmas break. >> she loved school, and she was looking to get married and have a family. >> somewhere along the line, work in this business?

>> exactly. >> in fact, she had won a new york times scholarship. >> denita always knew what she wanted she always had a vision and a goal and she had a plan and would stick to it and take it step-by-step until she met the goal. >> denita lived in the campus crossings around 8:00 a.m., a 911 call came in from us student at the same complex. >> 911 what is your emergency? >> ethics he fell down the stairs, there is blood everywhere. >> is she moving to market >> she's not even moving. she slipped. >> okay. >> okay. >> she isn't moving, mad. >> she perhaps lost her balance and had fallen down the stairs police and paramedics had rushed to the complex, and they were quickly notified as was

the family. >> denita is unconscious but they are trying to revive her, and are you coming to dinner? and i'm trying to wrap my head around she fell unconscious and, i said yes i am coming. >> sharon and her other two children live almost a three- hour drive from him. >> on my way there, i did call. >> that was jamir stroud, a police officer that worked in greensboro. much closer to durham. >> and i said now, denita has fell, she is unconscious and trying to revive, okay, i knew from greensboro to durham, she would be there. >> did he have any idea of this? >> he didn't let on like he was aware. >> word spread fast that

something had happened at the apartment complex. edith called to check on denita. after i call your prone several times, somebody's going to call you back, that is strange, so my instinct was to call jamir, just to touch bases with him. >> and now jamir stroud had left work and was racing to the room. >> i had spoke to jermeir and had you made contact with her, i felt like i didn't get a definite answer. and it seemed like a little bit of confusion. >> what do you mean? >> i asked if he spoke with her and he didn't give me a yes or no. and he said, i'm sure we will get to her. >> also rushing to get to denita was her mother, sharon smith who was driving to durham. -- do you think this is an accident and you think she's okay. >> i just thought she was at

the hospital. >> durham police arrived and taped off the scene. >> we found denita at the bottom of the steps, and we basically, it was a large police presence at the time. >> detective sean paige was unsure exactly what he was dealing with but it was beginning to look a lot more serious than just an accident on the stairs >> we were able to determine what the injuries were, we saw that there was some blood coming from the head, and she had a purse, and she had a water bottle and that kind of thing, all coming down the staircase and the first thing i'm wondering is, >> there was money in it? >> we must about it was a robbery. >> edith, now rushed to the building where she hoped to find her friend, but instead was greeted by several other universities professors. >> what are you all doing here why? >> and unfortunately, they are not alive.

>> everything, they just went into shock of course, and i kept saying i want to see her, i'm sure, maybe it is a mistaken identity, she's not there, they can be. >> denita was just 25 years old, and engaged to be married. and now her fiance, jermeir stroud would also arrive on scene and, was given the awful news. how did jermeir look? >> like a black a blake and a blanket freshened. and he was going to be okay, and he was like, on my heart is breaking right now, and it is breaking for you too because this is your future wife and i am like, who saw this coming? >> but edith didn't know the worst of it. and, if they hadn't died in a tragic accident. police discovered that denita

had been murdered, shot at almost point-blank range. >> shot in the back. >> yes sir. >> this was an execution. >> meanwhile, sharon had arrived from charlotte, still unaware of what had happened. >> where is my baby? >> now police head to break the horrible news about her oldest daughter. >> and that is going to be explained, that denita was found, and she had been shot. and, she was dead. and at that point my life just changed greatly. >> nothing ever quite heals that, does it? >> no, because i'm wondering who would want to do this and

why would they want to do this? it just doesn't make sense. >> coming up, police hear from a witness that saw something odd and suspicious. >> i said let me call the police and she takes off and pulled out of the complex. >> when the line continues. with dupixent, the #1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, you can stay ahead of your eczema. it helps block a key source of inflammation inside the body that can cause eczema to help heal your skin from within. many adults saw 90% clearer skin, some even achieved long-lasting clearer skin and fast itch relief after first dose. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes

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coming, one shot with a clean hit from behind the killer was apparently lying in wait on the apartment second floor landing as denita watt down the stairs from her third-floor unit said durham police detective sean pate. >> there were four apartments on the landing, i think someone was there, there were knocking on the door. >> so denita would have to have walked right past. >> to go down the steps and that is her. >> denita murdered and executed and, it made no sense. her bff said that denita didn't have any enemies. >> denita was a light in the dark world she had a beautiful spirit she was loving and she was kind and she embodied

everything about supporting people. >> there was nobody that didn't like her. >> she was realistic and well loved >> especially by her fiance, jermeir stroud who appeared devastated . >> we all cried. he didn't say a whole lot. >> jermeir and denita had met back in college and became the it couple on campus. >> they had been dating for a few years and before i met him, denita had spoke highly of him, like you the gentleman and intelligent and he is well- rounded and kind and he respects me and protects me and he's loving. the perfect time. the perfect guy. >> he was apparently even perfect enough for denita's mother, sharon smith, who

gained the trust that jermeir was the right guy for her precious daughter. >> i knew what he would be getting but i didn't know what she would be getting so i tried to find every reasoning to not like him. >> how did you do? >> i failed because he was very polite and he was very respectful i would always tell jermeir you take care of my baby this is precious cargo and he promised me that he would that he wouldn't let anything hurt her. and i said okay. >> elites wanted to talk to jermeir stroud >> police had found out smith was engaged officer jermeir stroud, an officer with the police department >> jermeir thought he was immediately made stroud a person of interest. jermeir insisted that he knew nothing about who killed them. >> jermeir was at home asleep because he had just worked the

night shift the day before. >> he was off-duty, it is not unbelievable, it just makes it harder to woo him out. >> there is no proof of anywhere. >> accept, that he was on his nightstand plugging it in. >> by all accounts, jermeir stroud, loved him dearly, and it didn't make sense that he would kill the woman he had just proposed to, they were planning a big wedding. now after speaking with detectives, jermeir headed back to greensboro. and his life had changed forever. and then, two hours after the murder, detectives had gotten a lead. >> what is your emergency. >> they discovered a second i one call that had come in. around the time that denita was killed. >> around here. >> the color was the supervisor

that had been working there denita's unit. when he heard the shot, and he looked up in that direction, and he told me that he saw someone that was about in a ponytail and had some kind of emblems on her clothing. >> the lady that is here, she is upset, >> and she was covering her face and she went and got into her front and started driving away. >> this woman looked frightened or she was distraught? she had her hands over her face, and moving quickly. like they are horrified. >> so more witness than perpetrator. >> that is what he thought >> and that according to the maintenance man, a woman got into a burgundy colored ford explorer, which then he followed in his truck. >> he pulled up beside her, so they are looking directly at

each other, eyeball to eyeball and she still has her hands over the face and she says ma'am , did you hear a shot or something and she shakes her head up and down yes. and, where did it come from, and she points her head in one direction and says why are you nervous? and you heard the shot and he says let me call the police, and then she pulls off and takes off out of the complex >> what you make of that? >> that made the hair on our backs stand up. >> police called jermeir stroud on his way back home to greensboro and asked one simple question. >> did you know anyone that drives an suv? and he said oh my god i am turning around now. >> coming up, a sacred fan. >> they start having a relationship that started off badly. >> but if anything, and didn't have to do with denita's murder, when "dateline"

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i think it's a great product. [indistinct voices on radio] [music playing] s just a few hours after hi fiancee's mother, jermeir stroud made his biggest u-turn of his life, he was heading home to mourn the loss of denita smith. when detectives called him about a break in the case.

and a woman driving a burgundy suv had been spotted at the crime scene did jermeir know her, and yes he said he did, starting with her name. shannon foley. and one more thing, like jermeir, she also worked in law enforcement. >> they met shannon back in 2000 when he was in a police academy, shannon was a 911 communicator and one of the people in the training session. >> shannon was 21, tall striking and single, raising two kids and this was her family. her brother keith junior and her parents, >> she was determined to have a good life and a nice home and a good education. to a caring and loving mother. >> you can ask her and she would say i'm just a mom and i am just a mom. >> now at the durham police

department, detectives want to know more about shannon's relationship with jermeir stroud so they interfere interview jermeir who was cooperative but guarded . >> she is talking about how she's five foot 10. and we spoke for a short time. and, that would be around 2004, they bumped into it again and they asked for their number. >> at this point, he is involved with denita and he actually said that he told shannon in 2000 that he was involved one and 2004, they start having a relationship that started out friendly but then turned sexual towards the end of 2004. >> and shannon drives a burgundy suv. >> detectives anna murray, now a love triangle, pressing jermeir for more details about the two woman in his life. >> us it will have they ever

met know they had never met but i used to have a picture on my television and then one shannon will help me move in, she's on the picture. >> shannon about it but denita had no clue what everyone that i spoke to about denita said that she had been a proud of that relationship and she had too much for that. >> this was an affair that jermeir was hiding. >> correct >> remember jermeir lived in greensboro, with a 50 mile away from denita the woman that jermeir was essentially involved with at the time. and it was a tale of two cities, and two women. jermeir and anita were dating but not yet engaged. andy was also seen shannon and that seemed more serious than just a fling. >> did jermeir disclose to you, that he had gotten shannon pregnant? >> he did and that she had an

abortion. >> correct. >> her mother said that her daughter had an abortion because the pregnancy wasn't viable but she claimed that when jermeir found out , >> he was very upset and he had contacted the doctor to find out, that short she did, was just to see if it was viable and the doctor wouldn't talk to him and that made him angry. >> jermeir wanted to keep the baby and raise the baby? don't tell me that he had a good relationship with her. >> and find he had said to her, that if you don't want the baby, i will take the baby. >> shannon went through with the abortion but by this time, jermeir told detectives that his relationship with shannon had taken a big turn. >> there was no more sleeping together are going to shopping together, or that thing it was more of a voice on the phone i

will see you in passing at work. >> so basically they had broken it off. a year before they were killed. >> to gab. >> now after the murder, word of the two timing spread quickly, and denita's mother sharon. >> i agree, this never should have happened, we were in a serious relationship. and why you felt you had to step out i don't understand. you don't hurt the ones that you love. >> the divorce rate would suggest that we hurt the ones we love all the time. >> but you go into the marriage being found and not saying that okay once you are in it, but he would just like to think you know you are starting things off right >> eight it was barely beginning the process the loss of her close friend and now had to cope with something else that she had never imagined. >> i was just sad and i was

her. and i was in shock. to say the least because i had nothing but to say about him. >> this was an jermeir. >> yes this is how i felt it was a nightmare like this was in reality. >> denita had trusted jermeir, but the men investigating her death, did not . now the man who once made them so happy was in the crosshairs of a murder investigation that was quickly ramping up. and about jermeir stroud seemed to genuinely devastated, openly crying throughout his interview with the detectives, he wasn't getting much sympathy. >> when i first spoke with him, i thought i had my man, jermeir. >> coming up, what does shannon know and what is she hiding? >> and we were getting ready to finish up an interview with her, and someone headed you a note. >> when "dateline" continues. and tough to keep wo

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narrator: whoever killed denita smith whoever killed the need -- denita smith left very little evidence behind, no evidence no dna, no murder of weapon, the medical examiner found one thing the bullet that killed denita, police now hoped that mind provide a lead on who pulled the trigger. >> what kind of gun killed denita smith. >> all we can say is the bullet itself was in the family of having enough weight to be a 38 caliber round. >> canal, it was a big news across the room. >> investigators say the shooting was not a random act. >> the assisted district attorney was keeping a close eye on this high-profile case, one that he might actually prosecute.

if the killer was ever caught. >> it was so obvious that it wasn't a robbery, she was targeted for some reason, there was a very limited number of people who would target her for something like this and, jermeir could have been one of them . >> jermeir stroud, denita smith's fiance. on the day of the murder, strout had revealed the police that his romance with shannon crawley, the woman who owned an suv, similar in model and color, to the one seen leaving the crime scene with a distraught woman behind the wheel. >> so if the maintenance guy doesn't see the suv, that you never asked jermeir about the suv. >> we went to greensboro for a suspect, when durham has plenty of people here. >> so the day after the murder, detective heading westbound on interstate 40, anxious to speak with shannon crawley, and the other woman in jermeir stroud's life. and by now shannon's parents,

was shocked to hear was about to be interviewed by police, she wasn't a responsible single mother. who was quietly raising her children she had worked 12 hour shifts, to buy a house, at 27 years old, that is quite an accomplishment for single mother. >> it sounds undeniable that you are proud of her. >> that her life was heading in the right direction. shannon worked in greensboro, as a 911 operator for the emergency call center where she was often with law enforcement and by all accounts was a model employee, and our supervisors really like her, she was the 10th of will and she did it in a professional manner. >> detective sean penn, also found shannon to be cordial and cooperative as they settled in

to discuss where shannon was, on the day that denita died. >> pretty, and easy-going, and, she would give me an answer. >> what did you ask her? >> i asked her about jermeir and she omitted that she knew him and about the relationship that they had had. >> shannon was not shy about collaborating with what jermeir had already admitted. they had met through work and i got physical, she got pregnant she had an abortion, and the romantic part of their relationship ended a year before the murder and they both agreed, and, their relationship, and, and the same reason that ended and shannon said, she didn't think, that they were capable of murder and insisted that she didn't even know denita smith. and then detective paid zeroed in on the last time shannon was in the room, the city where

denita was murdered. >> she said she had never been to dermot i asked her about owning a gun and she tells me that i have never owned a gun, i cannot stand guns i am scared of them. so i said i can understand that. a lot of people feel that way. and and on that chilly morning, and some of and that was easy to check out her supervisor that she was taking a shot to the doctor and shannon story and, maybe she wasn't the distraught woman, leaving the scene of denita's murder. at 60 miles away from where shannon lived and worked. detective pate was just about out of questions. >> and then, as we are leaving, getting ready to finish it up someone hands me a note, and it is from the supervisor. and there is a gentleman at one

of her coworkers, and what that coworker had to say raised serious questions. not just for shannon crawley, but also for her former lover. jermeir stroud. >> coming up, did someone want shannon dead as well? >> you know i was fearing for my life, when "dateline" continues. we still have symptoms, for or after a blocker, but to them in check with redbook. redbook works differently. dboo. check. and when my doctor saw damage, rinvoq helped visibly reduce damage of the intestinal lining. check. rapid symptom relief. lasting, steroid-free remission. and visibly reduced damage. check, check and check. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots,

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grow what feels good. [music playing] narrator: the denita smith murder investigation had now stretched from durham to greensboro, where detective shawn pate was now talking to shannon crawley's colleague the denita smith murder investigation had stretched from durham to greensboro, as detective sean payton was talking to her colleague at the 911 call center, and he said that shannon had been getting a lot of disturbing personal phone calls, at work. >> he missed them why they would call all the time and speak to her. >> that is going back months and months and months and she says, i am kind of in fear of my life i am scared and i don't know what he might do to me, he is showing up at my house, and he has a gun with him at all

times. >> shannon's coworker was concerned and wanted to help. >> he gets to the point where that which he did, and he was named and offered to teach her how to use it it was a 38 caliber revolver the same type of guns that denita's killer might have used. >> wait a minute i just finished an interview and she told me, i had never owned a gun, and in that same interview i asked her, do you think that jermeir is capable of murder and she said no, not at all. just like that, no not at all. but you are telling your coworker that you were in fear for your life, and conflicting stories, that cast suspicion on the shannon and jermeir. so the next day that detective tate spoke with jermeir stroud once again. he denied ever harassing shannon at work until there was

no reason why she would be afraid of him. but, jermeir's answer to one particular question, god detective pate's attention. i asked, do you think that shannon is capable of killing someone, and they said yes. and as the investigation continued into, police showed their photo to that maintenance man, and you can see the woman driving away from the crime scene on the morning of the murder and, he could not identify shannon as the driver and then they showed him a picture of shannon's a burgundy ford explorer. >> she was very positive about the vehicle, that is the vehicle that i saw. >> and that wasn't the only thing the witness noticed. >> and, and, there is something on the shirt and, a patch like on the uniform as a 911

dispatcher. and there was more, investigators discovered that shannon clocked in at about 10:00 a.m., so two hours after denita smith had been murdered, more than enough time, for the 55 mile drive from durham, to her job at the 901 center in greensboro. so police obtained a search warrant, for shannon's house. >> and lanesboro communications, and the 911 center. and, they had described about the maintenance supervisor down to the patch in the shade. and the gun was found, and you know bullets were found, and nothing incriminating other than that. and then came this, shannon had told police, she had never been to durham. and there are cell phone records that clearly indicated that she had been there. not on the day that denita was killed, shannon or at least her phone. had been there the day before.

>> she said, it had placed her, no less than 100 feet where she would be found the next morning. >> and what you think is going on there? >> shannon showed up a day early, to find out exactly, which apartment that denita lived in, and you have to know when to be there and what lacey worked in yourself, without looking suspicious because if you just be there for hours, someone is going to be what are you doing and police also checked jermeir stroud's cell phone and police radio. and found that he was nowhere near durham that day before the killing. and, so police impounded her suv. >> we had gunshot residue on the car, there, and it comes back that there was gunshot residue. >> and if all of that didn't look bad enough, shannon syllabi, now started to fall apart. she had told her supervisor,

and detectives, that she was taking her child to the doctor, at the time of the murder. and a pediatrician told police, that shanna did not show up that day. >> and still it starts to unravel, and, shannon was looking like a prime suspect, but one thing was missing motive, and then detective pate remembered shannon's account of how she and jermeir had decided that she would have an abortion. and the way that she told the story made an impression on pate. when shannon said that i am pregnant, what are we going to do. and they said i don't want to have a baby with you. and he told me, that is how he said it and he quoted it back to me. and she said, i will remember those words. not just i don't want to have a baby. >> letter want to have a baby right now, i do want to have a baby with you. >> is that your motivation right there? >> i think that is what they

were planning. i really do. because they didn't matter if there was someone else that you would like to have a child with. >> maybe someone like jermeir's fiance, denita smith, detective pate, now thought that shannon crawley had the means and the opportunity, and the motive, to commit murder. and it got to a point where we thought this was all we were going to get right now, and it is more than enough, what wasn't enough, police had no dna, no fingerprints and no murder weapon. and no forensics at the crime scene, that linked shannon to denita's murder. but detective pate was also thinking about denita's family. >> family suffering, let's go ahead and get them a little peace right now. >> five days after denita smith's murder, detective pate, drove back to greensboro with a warrant to arrest shannon crawley, she and her children were staying at her sister's house, when police arrived. >> shannon comes out, and she

walks out of the door, and i think she is going to check the mail. >> pate says shanna did not seem surprised, to see him. >> there is no sad look or anything like that,, she is in the driveway,, those other words of a woman that did not expect to be there, exactly. >> shannon's family watched their daughter the cuffed and taken away and it wasn't upsetting, i was angry i was afraid for her, and knowing in my heart, that my daughter could have never done that. >> shannon was just 28, she had never been in trouble with the law. now she was charged with first- degree murder, and could face life in prison. and when she arrived at the police station, shannon was again, cool and calm and had

little to say. except this, to detective pate. >> i didn't do this, but you had to worry about, where jermeir was. >> coming up he said that is a fear -- of fair with jenna was over. >> they wanted her to come back to him. >> and she didn't. >> when "dateline" continues. choose advil liqui-gels for faster, stronger and longer-lasting relief than tylenol rapid release gels. because advil targets pain at the source of inflammation.

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[music playing] narrator: they called it a homegoing service, the final farewell to 25-year-old denita smith, who had departed this world under the worst of circumstances. they called it a sthome goi service, a final farewell for the 25-year-old denita smith, who left a part of this world under the worst circumstances, just a week earlier, that no one was starting to plan her daughter's wedding. now she was attending denita's funeral. >> no parent wants to see their child leave in a casket. and denita's life was stolen from under her. and the whole town turned out on that day, in 2007 and her close friend spoke at the funeral >> the home going was an emotional day. it was we were trying to be

happy and think about her spirit and her life and legacy in the way that she would want all of us to go on, but at that time i think it was too much and overwhelming. >> denita's fiance, jermeir stroud was there as well. >> he was sad and crying, and he appeared, clearly devastated, and i think reality was sinking in and that it had him, but the love of his life was no longer with us. it was of little comfort to family and friends that the woman accused of killing her was sitting in a durham county jail, and shannon crawley had been arrested the day before and charged with first-degree murder. and now her family was morning two. and it was devastating, the fear you had for your child and no one can convince me, that my child i know that. shannon's dad, a former deputy sheriff, was convinced that his

daughter was the victim of a shoddy investigation by the durham police. and perhaps deliberately so >> they simply allowed themselves to live in that direction. and, if it was any suspicion that another police officer was involved, on that. >> you are law enforcement, and, i never did. >> what you are suggesting is that the room police, who didn't even know jermeir, was booked away for a murder, committed by a guy that worked in another department in another city, risking present time, that is guys don't even know? >> a protector of the cops. and, and, >> and to the contrary, david sachs, who was assigned to prosecute, says that he was extra careful in building his case against shannon, precisely because jermeir was a police

officer. i needed to make sure that everything was done by the book and we vetted everything as well as we could. and because he was a cop. because of you click him, you know that you will get that criticism. you know, having several different interviews, and each time, we had something more, and took something often to pull all of that, and investigators say, he appeared devastated. and he insisted that he had no idea, that his secret romance might place denita in danger. but detective page still thought that jermeir was not entirely forthcoming. >> jermeir would tell me the truth, but you had to ask it. >> absolutely not. they interviewed him both at the greensboro pd, and over the phone. and each time, a little bit more information would emerge.

including what happened after he and shannon ended the romantic relationship. following their breakup about a year before denita's murder. jermeir said that he went on a church retreat and from there his pastor encouraged him to apologize to anyone that he had wronged so jermeir called shannon. and they said i apologize in great detail about everything that he was sorry for. i was on the phone for 12 hours and my cell phone went dead, i charged it and jermeir had a plugged in and we talked until i fell asleep , 12 hours. sorry for everything. >> interesting that we talked to shannon about it, but not denita. >> of course not, she didn't know that there was something that they needed to apologize for. >> but they believe that all of

the apologizing to shannon, may have jumpstarted something else. >> that is where the relationship picked up again, because there were a lot of feelings that were shared exactly. and he insisted that shannon did not become romantic or sexual again, but clearly, there was something. >> he was always there, if shannon was distraught, and knew that jermeir was working he would call and put up with it. >> maybe he didn't want to be the bad guy. >> he doesn't seem that he's leaving the door open, as long as she kept doing all of the things that a boyfriend would do, and her mike thomas to show she still has a chance. >> exactly. >> i honestly thought, that they would believe that he could control it. and police say that jermeir wasn't able to control the situation with shannon, so a few months before they was murdered. shannon bought this house near where jermeir lived and when police searched the new home of shannon's, they were surprised by what they saw and what they

did and see. >> the kids rooms, beds and everything you would expect in a nice children's room. mom had a mattress on the floor, and there was little to no living room furniture, no dining room set, nothing in the kitchen. >> suggesting what, that she was overspending, so that just to be near jermeir, that is the only reason, there was a clear pattern of her placing herself near him. at every turn, it seemed kind of stalker-ish. >> coming up, shannon's brand- new story. and, it could turn the entire case on its head. when "dateline" continues. h, shannon crawley, and jermeir stroud were involved in a love triangle before denita was shot to death

at her apartment complex. police wondered if shannon was obsessed with jermeir. shannon's family is emphatic that jermeir was the one who wouldn't let go, harassing shannon with phone calls at all hours of the day and night. he called constantly. he was obsessed. every few minutes. he would threaten her. he'd ask her questions. what are you doing up there? and just-- it got to the point where she didn't want to answer the phone. he wanted her to come back to him? he wanted her to come back to him, and she didn't. he was so possessive. she just didn't want that type of relationship. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): police coaxed more details from jermeir. and he insisted shannon had been demanding more and more attention. the woman he really wanted to be with, he said, was denita. but shannon wouldn't go away. he complained on her, with her coming around the house and keep calling, we had a relationship. she keeps calling after we agreed not to do this. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): jermeir insisted shannon wouldn't take no for an answer.

and it got to the point where he needed help. he had filed an internal affairs complaint against her. well, i don't know if it was actually official. he had a buddy that was in the internal affairs department. but he disclosed that to somebody? he did. he did. he did say that she just keeps calling, and i told her, we're over. she just won't let it go. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): as far as detective pate could determine, it all came to a head on christmas eve. jermeir walked into his greensboro church with denita on his arm and a diamond ring on her finger. he had proposed, and denita was over the moon. she walked into church proud as a peacock, feathers just completely on display, showing that hand to anyone who would look. and shannon was in the back of the church at the time and saw that. we heard that was the first time shannon realized that they were engaged. shannon's family says the da and the detective heard wrong.

the day that that you're referring to, at the church, shannon wasn't there. we were there. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): less than two weeks later, denita smith would still be wearing that engagement ring, as she lay dead at the bottom of her apartment steps. durham police thought they had the right person sitting in the lockup. they'd arrested shannon crawley and charged her with the murder of her ex-boyfriend's new fiancée, denita smith. but investigators hadn't completely taken their eyes off jermeir stroud, the man who was involved simultaneously with both women. shannon crawley's father keith, her mother anne, and her brother keith jr. never doubted her. is it possible that you guys don't want to believe that she's a murderer? no, no. she is not a murderer. no. that's not in her nature, not her character. if i thought that she was lying about it, no, i wouldn't be on camera saying that.

no, no. i wouldn't be sitting here waving a flag for her, if i thought that she had anything to do with this. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): in may of 2007, shannon crawley was out on bail. she and her attorney walked into the durham police station. this wasn't just another interview. shannon was prepared to share all-new information with the potential to change the whole focus of the case. assistant da david saacks. she just wanted to give her side, and we certainly wanted-- allowed her to do that. and her idea, or her attorney's idea was and then you'll drop the charges after you've heard this? i think that certainly was her idea. and so if they don't say anything, we're going to keep going on the path we're already on, which is, she's already charged. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): tape rolled as shannon calmly began telling a new story surrounding the death of denita smith. and in this version, shannon said she'd been framed.

she did show some emotion, but not a whole lot. she was very matter of fact and talked a lot. i think the interview went on for hours and hours and hours. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): shannon said the trouble began after she and jermeir broke up, that he was upset that she had aborted the pregnancy. and that jermeir began harassing and stalking her. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): in her first police interview in greensboro, shannon denied ever owning a gun. now detective pate challenged her on that changing story. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): she felt compelled to buy a weapon from a co-worker. because, she said, jermeir threatened not only her but her children.

josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and she said jermeir used that fact against her when he forced her to drive with him to denita's apartment. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): shannon told detective pate that on january 3, the day before the murder, jermeir coerced her to drive with him to durham to case denita's apartment. then the next day, she said, jermeir forced her at gunpoint to drive back there again. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): shannon said after they pulled up to denita's apartment, jermeir got out. she stayed in the suv.

josh mankiewicz (voiceover): moments later, said shannon, jermeir rushed past her and got in the driver's seat, which would explain how gunshot residue was found there. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): she says that's when she encountered the maintenance man, who, according to shannon, didn't see jermeir hiding in the back seat. soon after, they left the apartment complex and drove back to greensboro. she wasn't rehearsed, and she wouldn't rush to answer a question. it was, i'd ask a question. she'd give it a moment. she'd respond. not too long to make me think she's making something up. wow.

well, that's a story that sort of fits all the facts and exonerates her. it does. and in it, shannon is not guilty. exactly. so when she's telling this story, i'm thinking, wow, this actually sounds pretty decent so far. but then i think, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. back up. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): pate raised an obvious question. if shannon had a story that proved her innocence, why had she waited so long to tell it? when i asked her where was this story when i arrested you? her exact words were, he had threatened my children in the past. i was scared for their safety. he knew how to get to my children. and i asked her what's changed? he still does where your children are. he still knows how to get to them. he could still hurt them. and her answer? she just looked at me.

josh mankiewicz (voiceover): he was jermeir stroud. shannon's story made him the guilty party. but her story also badly needed to be checked out. that's just a fantastic kind of story. if i'm going to dismiss her case, i need to make sure i'm filling out the dismissal and i'm putting the reasons why. and i'm not going to do it just because she says she didn't do it. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): shannon and her attorney were emphatic that jermeir was the killer, and also said that even, now months after the murder, he was making threatening phone calls to shannon, telling her to stay silent about his role. i told them that i'm more than willing to look at anything they have, if they want to bring me something. but i can't just accept her word for it. that's the problem i'm having. i need some kind of proof to back her up. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): so the prosecutor challenged shannon. bring me proof. he could not have imagined what was coming next-- sex, lies, and audiotape, and maybe shannon

crawley's ticket to freedom. coming up, a killer conversation. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): now, says shannon's father, there's no question that his daughter is innocent. how much more proof do you need? josh mankiewicz (voiceover): when "dateline" continues. ♪♪ when you have moderate to severe eczema, it's okay to show off. with dupixent, show off your clearer skin and less itch. because you have plenty of reasons to show off your skin. with dupixent, the #1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, you can stay ahead of your eczema. it helps block a key source of inflammation inside the body that can cause eczema to help heal your skin from within. many adults saw 90% clearer skin,

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fshannon crawleys had told her story, but the da wanted her to prove it, prove that her former lover, jermeir stroud, had killed his own fiancee, denita smith, and that he used threats and intimidation to bring shannon along as an unwilling accomplice. shannon told investigators jermeir was still harassing her while she was out on bail. so with their blessing, she bought a tape recorder and conducted a do-it-yourself sting operation. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): shannon's family members, who had always supported her, say they can corroborate many of the calls. i'd say 99% of the phone calls, i was a witness to it. i was on the other phone. you would also see shannon's reaction to these phone calls? - yeah.

josh mankiewicz: this was not somebody who was play acting. exactly. no question that was jermeir. no, i know it was him. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and they say it did not take long for jermeir to incriminate himself. josh mankiewicz: was she afraid? - oh, sure. - you could tell watching her? yeah, she was afraid. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): all told, more than 30 minutes of conversations were put on tape. josh mankiewicz: did you think this is the evidence that's going to-- anne crawley: oh, yes. oh, yes. it's going to turn everything around. sure did. yes, because that was the whole purpose of them. that once police and prosecutors hear this, they're going to drop the charges. they're going to drop the charges. i think there's one part of the conversation where he said, i killed her, and i'll kill you, too. yeah. how much more proof do you need? josh mankiewicz (voiceover): to her family and to shannon,

this was an audio smoking gun that should convince the da to exonerate her and prosecute him. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): the da's office would now listen carefully to those phone tapes, to see if they were the conclusive evidence shannon said they were. while that was happening, investigators were looking at one other phone call, this one especially intriguing because it happened on the day denita was murdered. shannon had arrived at the 9-1-1 call center for her shift when a personal call came in for her from a man who did not identify himself. he asked to speak to shannon. when they said, hold on, shannon said hello, and the phone went click. i asked jermeir, i said, did you make that call?

and jermeir said, yes, i did. why did you make that call? i wanted to know where she was. so he suspected. so he told me that he did think she was capable of doing it. he tells me that he did make that call to make sure she was at work. this is before we said anything about a burgundy suv. but there was nothing in the past where she ever indicated that she would do harm to denita? that doesn't add up. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): why would jermeir need to know shannon's whereabouts just after he found out denita was killed? investigators considered a variety of scenarios. but whatever it was, jermeir wasn't volunteering much. sometimes when you tell people a lie of omission is still a lie? some people you have to ask the correct question to get the answer you're looking for. if you don't ask it, you're not getting it. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): investigators had two wildly different stories. he said, she said.

who was telling the truth? and who wasn't? it was clear we were down to two people. it was one of these two people, and they both had the same allegations about the other one. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): there was only one way to sort it out and make sure that denita smith received the justice she deserved. if we can ever prove who was stalking whom, i think we have our case solved. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and soon something would provide that very answer. all of a sudden, then the rape allegation happens. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): coming up. she came crawling into my bedroom, hysterical. and i'm asking, what's wrong? what's wrong? josh mankiewicz (voiceover): shannon reports a crime. and this time she says she was the victim. they tested her clothes, everything they could. who did she say had raped her? josh mankiewicz (voiceover): when "dateline" continues. type 2 diabetes?

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it is rare for women to murder. more often, they convince their men to do it for them, a kind of homicidal honey-do list. that was exactly what investigators were debating in june 2007. it had been six months since denita smith's murder. and sitting on the desk of assistant da david saacks was a series of phone recordings

that shannon crawley and her family insisted were jermeir stroud copping to the crime and trying to cover it up. [bleep] josh mankiewicz (voiceover): police were not present when shannon recorded the calls, but they were able to trace where they originated from-- a payphone. so there was no way to confirm jermeir had made them. assistant da david saacks listened carefully to the tapes and soon came to his own conclusion. is there any way that can be jermeir's voice on the tape? not that i can see. he would have to clearly be disguising his voice to make it sound that way. it just did not sound like him at all. if he's calling to intimidate her,

what's the point in disguising his voice? correct. there was just no way in my mind that that was jermeir. because when i heard these tapes, i knew i had the right person. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): the crawley family was infuriated. they were certain the calls cleared their daughter and revealed jermeir as denita's killer. they also insist jermeir was lurking in the charlotte neighborhood where shannon was staying. what we went through in charlotte, with him stalking her, because to me, he was stalking me as well, honestly, i believe that his intention was to kill both of them. i do. i think they both rejected him, and he was going to kill both of them. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): then something happened that seemed to bear out their worst fears. shannon was out on bail and living with family in charlotte, some 100 miles from greensboro, where jermeir stroud still lived and worked for the police department.

one night in july 2007, around 2:00 am, shannon says she took her dog for a walk in the backyard. she came crawling into my bedroom hysterical. and i'm asking, what's wrong, what's wrong? josh mankiewicz (voiceover): shannon told her mother she had been raped. who did she say had raped her? she said it was him. josh mankiewicz: jermeir? jermeir, yeah. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): charlotte police were alerted and rushed to the scene. shannon was bleeding and appeared traumatized. she was taken to a hospital for treatment and given a rape kit exam. josh mankiewicz: no witnesses? anne crawley: no. josh mankiewicz: none of your neighbors? anne crawley: no. i think there were maybe four people that lived in the neighborhood at that time. we have something on it. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): word of shannon's reported rape traveled quickly to durham, where detective sean pate and assistant da saacks were now preparing for her trial.

they wondered if shannon was certain that the attacker was jermeir. i asked her, well, how did he know you were going to be walking a dog at 3 o'clock in the morning? and i guess he just stalked the house and saw his opportunity. so for 4 hours, he raped her. so if it was 3 o'clock, then when does the sun started to come up? 4 hours, you're looking at 7 o'clock. it would have been daylight then. yes, dog doesn't bark? anything like that. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): shannon said she was sure. and then added one more horrifying detail. jermeir had used a knife to rape her. it would take 10 days for the rape kit results to come back. so in the meantime, police of course questioned jermeir stroud. he insisted he was in greensboro that morning, nowhere near charlotte. when you go to jermeir and say shannon says she was raped by you, what's his answer?

he says, no. that's preposterous. you can check my phone. you can check my work logs, and you can see where i was. i'll do whatever you need me to do. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): but shannon told police all the evidence they needed just might be sitting in jermeir's garbage can, which was where she suggested he stashed the knife. and sure enough, jermeir was going out to put his garbage in his can, and sees the knife in there, and he immediately calls his police department. and that's when they find the neighbors who said, yeah, they saw the night before some other car come up and heard a thump. somebody saw somebody throwing something in his can and leave. it wasn't shannon. no identification was made about that. just a dark figure in a hoodie. that's correct. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): was the knife planted? there's no proof either way, but it was tested. and there was nothing that connected it to jermeir. as for his whereabouts at the time of the alleged rape? he actually was on the phone and didn't get off the phone till like 6:00 in the morning. we knew he was in greensboro at the time that that call was placed. so to be involved in the rape, it just seemed

a physical impossibility. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): then came the results of the rape kit. there was no semen on the vaginal swabs and the rectal swab, nothing that would be conclusive proof that the rape had occurred. and it wasn't there? it just wasn't there. and they tested her clothes, everything they could. all the medical personnel confirmed they did not see that kind of injury to her that would have occurred. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): there were knife cuts on her body, but-- they were superficial. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): the crawley family was outraged all over again, that once again shannon's version of events was dismissed while the charges against her stood. the police basically accused shannon of making up the rape? yeah, yeah, yeah. i believe they did that after they talked to-- after they talked to prosecutors. yeah. yeah, he called down there, and-- the nurse changed her story. everything changed. everything changed. this is what, one big conspiracy? it sounds like it. it sounds like it.

josh mankiewicz (voiceover): assistant da david saacks says the rape was properly investigated and seemed to be nothing more than a hoax, which also, for him, finally answered that lingering question of who was stalking whom. everything was pointing to her. and the only thing that was pointing to jermeir was that he was in this affair with shannon. i do not believe he was involved in the murder. i do not think he was involved in the planning or the execution of this murder at all. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and even if jermeir wanted denita out of his life, what could possibly be his motive to kill her? and this is exactly what i thought. why? all he had to do is call denita up and say, it's over. there's no property. there's no alimony. and it doesn't make sense. he seems genuinely crushed by what happened. absolutely. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): as the trial approached, the da, facing a circumstantial case with a seemingly credible defendant, offered shannon crawley a deal. plead guilty to denita smith's murder,

and be sentenced to a maximum of 12 years in prison. denita's mother sharon was not happy. what did you say? no. don't let her off. uh-uh. no. my words were, my daughter didn't get to plead for her life that morning, so no. no plea. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): she needn't have worried. shannon crawley was not going to take a deal. she insisted she wanted to clear her name and would now take her chances in court. coming up. shannon would look at me with this little smirky look on her face, like she knew she was going to get off. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): shannon on the stand. well, for one, he's told me since that he did. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): versus the man she says is jermeir on tape. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): who will the jury believe?

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hi, i'm richard lui with a news update. israel attacks southern lebanon saturday killing at least 10 people according to lebanon's health ministry. it's among the dead last in lebanon's since hezbollah and idf began treating strikes on october 8. security forces exchanged

gunfire with the shooter up to the individual up and fire at the gate of the san antonio air force base. the shooter fired at military members at an entrance at lackland. no injuries were reported. for now, back to dateline. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): men have always been better at starting relationships than ending them. we don't like to break up, to be the bad guy. and when confronted with a woman's tears, we sometimes yield to the urge to tell her what she most wants to hear, whether it's true or not. is that what jermeir stroud did? and did he unknowingly bring shannon crawley and denita smith together that dreadful day in 2007 when denita was murdered? now three years later, two families

filed into the durham county courthouse, one family hoping for a conviction, the other an acquittal. reporter john mccann covered the trial for the "durham herald sun." the tone was definitely somber. shannon's family here, and you've got denita's people on the other side. "tense" is a good word for it. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): especially tense for denita's mother sharon, who for the first time made eye contact with the woman accused of murdering her daughter. shannon would look at me with this little smirky look on her face. she was very cocky, like she knew she was going to get off. no remorse. she didn't feel she had done anything. they had only been engaged for two months. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): assistant da david saacks, an experienced, savvy prosecutor, would now square off against a younger court-appointed defense attorney named scott holmes. it's important, i think, to try to see the world,

try to see the world from the eyes of shannon on the days that led up to and the day that this happened. the whole trial was basically us saying that shannon crawley committed this murder, and the defense saying jermeir stroud did this murder. that was basically the trial. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): detective sean pate worried shannon crawley could walk. after all, the case against her was largely circumstantial. her dna was not at the crime scene. there was no murder weapon. and she hardly looked like a killer. i thought she might be able to sell the story. i figured she'd be dressed real conservative, probably come in looking like she just landed off the mayflower, and that somebody would be sympathetic. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): from the beginning, the prosecution portrayed shannon as a woman scorned, who couldn't have jermeir stroud to herself, so she made sure denita smith wouldn't either. shannon suggested prosecutor saacks was either carrying

a torch for jermeir or trying to burn down his whole world by killing his fiancée and pinning it on him. for whatever reason, she couldn't handle the situation between jermeir and denita. and to resort to this just, to me, speaks of desperation. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): the prosecution's star witness-- jermeir stroud, whose courtroom testimony was broadcast on local tv. jermeir confessing under oath the shameful sin he'd kept hidden for so long-- his office affair with shannon crawley. he even revealed that when he heard something had happened to denita, he immediately suspected shannon. and one of the things that popped in my head based on my recent interactions with shannon was that maybe she had done something. he told everything on the stand. but he didn't hold back? no, he really didn't hold back. the story is out.

so you have to go ahead and tell the truth. because if you don't, you look like a liar now. so in that sense, jermeir did do the right thing. he did. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): the defense argued shannon was being framed for a murder jermeir alone committed. shannon crawley's lawyer is trying to paint jermeir as a crooked cop. everything elevates shannon crawley as, she couldn't do anything like this. it has to be this bad cop over here. i didn't know what he had done. and i didn't know what he was going to do to me. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): it's often considered risky for a murder defendant to take the stand, but shannon crawley insisted on telling her story, that she was a victim and not a killer. well, for one, he's told me since that he did. attorney: and you're trying to tell the jury then that you had no idea what might have just happened there? i didn't see anyone.

just to hear how she presented the information, her poise and her demeanor and all that kind of stuff, she's a credible witness. i mean, she tells a credible story. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and the defense did have those phone conversations shannon recorded, in which she insists jermeir threatened her and incriminated himself. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): but shannon's defense attorney ultimately chose not to play them. instead they were presented by the prosecution as proof that shannon's story was all one big lie. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): the jury had already heard jermeir testify with his deep, gravelly voice. it's possible, but i don't recall the amount of times i called. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): now they listened to the tapes. was this the same guy?

you heard jermeir testify, and you heard the tapes. does anybody really believe that that's jermeir talking on these tapes? to me, they sounded like michael jackson. he had this high-pitched voice. it just clearly was not jermeir's voice. and it clearly was not something jermeir would say or how he would say it. it just was obvious to me that it was fake. the jury laughed. that's the first trial i've ever been on where i heard jury members snicker. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): but the crawleys, who were in court when those tapes were played, were not laughing. they say they'd heard many of those calls firsthand, and believed they were the real thing. the jury had heard jermeir testify. he has a deep voice. yeah. and the person on the tapes doesn't have a deep voice. he doesn't. exactly. he disguised his voice. you think he can disguise his voice that well? yeah, he did it. well, he did it. he did it. you're convinced that was jermeir? oh, it was jermeir.

very sure. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): so whose voice would ultimately ring true? a three year investigation was now in the hands of 12 people. two families now waited anxiously inside the durham county courthouse, as did assistant da david saacks. i'm never confident when a case goes to the jury. you've been slapped in the face by juries before. too many times. that's the lesson here. you never know. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): then after just one day, the jury reached a decision. shannon's family was encouraged. i didn't feel that that the da proved his case. there were some damaging things, yes. but there was no preponderance of evidence. well, i thought that she was going to be acquitted. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): for shannon crawley, it all came down to this decision. would it be a life of freedom or life in prison? denita's mother braced herself as she stared at the woman accused of killing her daughter.

i really think all the way to the end that shannon thought she was going to walk away. we, the jury, return the unanimous verdict as follows-- guilty of first degree murder. she didn't think she would hear what she heard-- guilty. how did she look when that verdict came down? like all the life just drained out of her. like she's seen a ghost. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): across the aisle, shannon's family was also stunned, and then furious. and now my daughter, who is the perfect victim for someone like jermeir stroud, has now been convicted of a murder that he committed. of course, miss smith's family is still in pain, too, i'm sure. and we prayed for them constantly. they lost a child, but so have we. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): nearly five years after that verdict-- have a seat. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): --shannon herself has a lot more to say about jermeir stroud and about what happened the day denita died.

coming up. i never knew that he had a girlfriend. had i known, it wouldn't have ever escalated to anything else. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): her very first interview. i don't know jermeir, but the voice on the tapes does not sound to me like him. i don't know who else would be calling me nonstop, threatening to kill me, threatening to kill my children. it's him. that's all i can tell you. it's him. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and believe it or not, denita's mother has an apology for shannon. being the god-fearing woman that i am, i know that was wrong. i never should have said it. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): when "dateline" continues. still have symptoms from moderate to severe ulcerative colitis or crohn's disease after a tnf blocker like humira or remicade? put them in check with rinvoq. rinvoq works differently and it's a once-daily pill. when symptoms tried to take control, i got rapid relief with rinvoq. check. when flares tried to slow me down, i got lasting steroid-free remission with rinvoq.

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fjosh mankiewiczs (voiceover): the north carolina correctional institution for women in raleigh. it was now home to shannon crawley. after weeks of discussions, she finally agreed to talk with us behind bars. it's still not too late to say you don't want to do this. you went through a lot of trouble. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): but as our cameras rolled, shannon began to tell the story of her relationship with jermeir stroud. he was charming. he was very nice. we got along. we had a lot in common. were you in love with jermeir? no. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): shannon insists she had no idea that her boyfriend jermeir was also seeing denita smith.

i never knew that he had a girlfriend. had i known, i never would have given him my phone number. it wouldn't have ever escalated to anything else. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): she admits it did escalate. it started off fairly normal, but he would call non-stop. he would show up unannounced. he would want to know where i was, who i was with. he would leave messages, 30, 40 phone calls. why did you keep seeing a guy like that? i guess initially i didn't really take it that seriously. i didn't really think that he was dangerous. he would mask it as concern. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): eventually, shannon became pregnant, but says she and jermeir ended the romance before she had the abortion. but now her story is slightly different from what she first told detectives. we talked about it. there were some complications. which is why i decided to terminate. the story is that he said to you, i don't

want to have a baby with you. and the "with you" part hit you very hard. no. the conversation never happened? no. one of the things that popped in my head based on my recent interactions with shannon was that maybe she had done something. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): shannon and jermeir's differing stories are most in conflict when it comes to the day denita smith was murdered. shannon insists he forced her at gunpoint to take him to denita's apartment. he told me that i was going with him. and if i didn't, his exact words to me were, either you die for your kids or the kids die for you. what's your choice? and i knew he had his gun. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): after arriving at the complex, shannon sticks by her story that jermeir went up to anita's apartment, leaving her behind in the suv.

i got to the sidewalk, and i heard a shot. you think jermeir killed denita? i absolutely believe that he did. what would possibly be his motive for that? i don't know. i mean, if he didn't want to be with her anymore, they weren't married. they had no property or kids together. he could have just broken up with her. i don't know. i don't know. i don't think he had a plan at all. i think he just acted in the spur of the moment. but i don't believe that he set out to deliberately go there and shoot her. i believe that he was-- he was after me. that was how he made me feel. when we left my house that day, i never expected to come back home. i honestly believed that he was going to kill me. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): shannon says the investigation doesn't support her conviction. we'll be in recess for 15 minutes. i don't feel that there is any evidence that can conclusively say that i shot and killed anyone. my dna is nowhere at the scene. i have no fingerprints at the scene. i admit that i was there, but i was not there by myself and i certainly didn't shoot anyone.

josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and shannon insists all those phone calls are real and they prove what she's saying. why doesn't it sound like jermeir on those tapes? i don't know. i recognize his voice. i know him. the jury certainly didn't seem to believe that. jermeir testified for a few minutes during the trial. by the time the recordings were played, he had already testified. i don't know whether or not they could remember his voice from when he testified to later on. but it's him. i don't know jermeir, but the voice on the tapes does not sound to me like him. it's him. that's all i can tell you. it's him. i don't know who else would be calling me nonstop, threatening to kill me, threatening to kill my children. well, the allegation is that nobody did and you faked all of that. how could i fake a phone call? well, you get some friend of yours-- i just don't know how i could-- you get some friend of yours to call you from another phone. and put my family through all of that?

this wasn't just me. it was my children, my mother. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): as for shannon's story about the sexual assault outside her mother's house, she insists the police investigation wasn't done properly and that the rape really happened. why wouldn't jermeir's dna be found? he's a police officer. he made sure that his dna would not be found. his cell phone records put him on the phone at the time that you say this assault was going on. and i don't believe that he was ever talking to anyone on the phone. i know where he was that night. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): prosecutor david saacks says the rape allegation was thoroughly investigated and jermeir was cleared. saacks also says shannon could have taken a plea deal that might have gotten her out of prison as soon as the year 2020. her sentence now is life without parole. she has exhausted her appeals. her family still believes shannon is innocent and hopes to find an independent expert

who will confirm it was jermeir's voice on those tapes. but the odds are that shannon will die in prison. after years, maybe decades to ponder what happened on that chilly morning when denita smith was murdered. could i have done things differently? absolutely. i made the decision to go with him at the risk of him hurting my family. i don't regret that decision at all. because it may have saved my children's lives. and just wish that he would tell the truth. that's it. he created this situation, and it's completely his fault. but i didn't kill her. i didn't. and i've lost my life, too. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): at shannon's sentencing in 2010, denita's mom sharon was allowed to speak. and all that rage, sorrow, and pain just came pouring out. i hope you rot in hell. because you took something from me.

the one thing that i said and i have since regretted and i never should have said it is that i hope you rot in hell. i don't think there's a person who's going to watch this who doesn't think that's completely understandable. being the god-fearing woman that i am, i know that was wrong. and if i ever get the opportunity to talk to her, i will apologize to her for that. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): in fact, sharon had something even more remarkable to say the shannon. i do forgive her. how do you do that? i have to forgive her, because i want god to forgive me for whatever sins that i may do. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): jermeir stroud was never charged in the case. but the trial judge did say it was jermeir's behavior that created a perfect storm of events,

bringing victim and killer together. jermeir declined our request for an interview, but in a statement he denied any involvement in denita's murder and all the allegations that shannon crawley has made against him. investigators say jermeir fully cooperated and was completely exonerated. he didn't ask, pay, coerce anyone to do this. he didn't pull any trigger. and he didn't know what was going to happen? he didn't know what it was going to happen. but at the end, it comes down to the person who pulls that trigger. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): on the campus of north carolina central university, they still remembered denita smith. in the journalism department where she made such an impact, the school newspaper office has been named in her honor. she's touched so many lives from people who used to go to school with her, and they say i still think about denita, or i owe that to denita. that was part of her legacy.

that's the essence of her. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): who knows denita anita smith would have become, the dream she would have fulfilled, the career and family she would have had. her mother sharon is slowly making peace with all of that. denita wouldn't want me to be bitter or sad. denita's with me spiritually. i don't have to worry about shannon. i don't have to worry about jermeir. because when i lay down at night-- love you. --i get a peaceful sleep. i don't know if they do. choose advil liqui-gels for faster, stronger and longer-lasting relief than tylenol rapid release gels. because advil targets pain at the source of inflammation. so for faster pain relief, advil the pain away.

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hello, i'm craig melvin, and tit's shocking.ne." you just kind of go into crisis mode. i don't think they knew exactly