isn't over. he didn't just murder someone and have nothing afterwards. he left behind family. he left behind a disaster. and if i'm the only thing to remind him of that, then that's what i'm there for. >> that's all for this edition of "dateline extra. "... this i'm craig melvin, thank you for watching. i'm craig melvin, and i'm natalie morales, and this is dateline. they need a was a light in this dark world. that's what she was about. she was just a cup of love. i'm like who saw this coming? >> a beautiful, young student gunned down. >> things like that just didn't happen there. >> why? who? who would want to do this? >> i thought i had my man. >> her fiance was a police officer.

>> anyone knew how to do this and get away with it, wouldn't it be him? >> then someone told police what he saw. >> he told me he saw a female that was about 5'10". she pulls off and takes off out the complex. >> what did she know? >> she said i'm in fear of my life. the story starts to unravel. >> a secret tape. >> why are you whispering? >> a secret lover. >> he wanted her to come back to him and she didn't. >> and a secret reveal. >> as we're getting ready to finish up, someone hands me a note. >> who killed denita? >> you've told me some things you'd only admit to a priest and you can't tell me this last little piece of the puzzle. why?

the dark room is where photographers or vision comes to life. allowing others to see the world through their eyes. and with the shots, we can learn a little about the world this young photographer saw. -y and her sense of exactly when to snap the shutter to capture the world in front of her. it's an impressive portfolio belonging to a young woman named denita smith. she began looking through a lens in childhood. and never stopped as her mother sharon remembers. >> she's always loved the camera. the camera was her friend. the camera was her way of expressing herself. >> denita was beginning to turn all that talent into a successful trade. working as a photo journalist on the student newspaper at north carolina central university in durham. >> she would see things that probably the average person wouldn't see.

>> but there was something denita didn't see coming. a blind spot in her seemingly perfect life. something she never anticipated. never imagined. but maybe no one could. it was january 4th, 2007. a crisp carolina morning. denita had a busy day ahead as classes were about to resume after christmas break. >> denita loved school. and she was planning to go back and get her doctorate. and get married. and have a family. >> and somewhere along the line, work in this business. >> exactly. >> in fact, denita had won a "new york times" fellowship. her close friend and classmate, edith kerns. >> denita just always knew what she wanted. she always had a vision and a goal and she would make a plan and stick to it and take it step by step until she met that goal. >> denita lived in the campus

crossings apartments near the university. around 8:00 a.m., a 911 call came in from another student at the same complex. >> 9-1-1. what is your emergency? >> i think this girl just fell down the stairs. she's at the bottom of the stairs bust up and blood everywhere. >> she responding to you at all? >> she's not even moving. do you want me to get her i.d. out? >> if you can. >> her name is denita smith. denita! she ain't moving, man. >> denita seemed to have perhaps lost her balance and fallen down the stairs. police and paramedics rush to the complex. but college was quickly notified, as was denita's family. >> ms. smith, denita fell. she is unconscious but they're trying to revive her. he said are you coming to durham? and i'm still trying to wrap my head around you fell, unconscious, revived. i said, yes, i'm coming. >> sharon and her other two

children lived in charlotte, almost a three-hour drive from durham. >> on my way there, i did call jamere. >> that was jamere straud, her fiance, a police officer who worked in greensboro. much closer to durham. >> i said i need you to get to durham now. denita has fell. she's unconscious. they're trying to revive her. so he said okay. because i knew from greensboro to durham, he would be there. >> 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. >> she wasn't answering, which was, you know, after i call your phone several times as a best friend, you know, somebody's going to call you back. so i was like that's strange. so my instinct just said call jamere really quick just to touch bases with him. >> by now, jamere straud had

left work and was racing to durham. >> i spoke to jamere and i'm like have you made contact with her? but i felt like i didn't get a definite answer. it seemed like it was a little bit of confusion. >> what do you mean? >> like, when i said did you speak with her? he didn't really give me a yes or no. he just sound a little rushed. like edith's, you know, just sit tight, stay calm. i'm sure we'll get to her. >> also, rushing to get to denita was her mother, sharon smith, who was driving to durham from charlotte. >> you're thinking this is an accident. >> uh-huh. >> but she's going to be okay. >> uh-huh. i just thought she was at the hospital. >> durham police arrived and taped off the scene. >> we found denita at the -- at the bottom of the steps. and we were basically -- there was a pretty large police presence at the time. >> detective shaun pate wasn't sure exactly what he was dealing with. but it was beginning to look a lot more serious than just an accident on the stairs.

>> we weren't able to determine what the injuries were. we saw there was blood coming from her head. she had her purse. she had a water bottle. lipstick. keys. that kind of thing all coming down the staircase. and the first thing i'm wondering is, was there a struggle? >> was her wallet there? >> the wallet was there. >> and money in it? >> it must've been because at first, we didn't think it was a robbery. >> edith, who knew none of this, now rushed to denita's building where she hoped to find her close friend. but instead, was greeted by several of the university's professors. >> i was like what are you all doing here? and they were like, you know, unfortunately, she's not alive. everything in me, you know, just went into shock, of course. and i -- i was -- i kept saying you know i want to see her. maybe it's mistaken identity. she's not dead. this can't be. >> denita monique smith was

just 25 years old. and engaged to be married. now, her fiance, jamere straud, who had also arrived on scene, was given the awful news. >> how'd he look? >> like a blank expression. he was calm. and he was like, you know, it's going to be okay. he's like calm down. i was like my heart is breaking right now. i'm like and it's breaking for you too. because i'm like this is your future wife. i'm like who saw this coming? >> but edith didn't know the worst of it. her close friend denita hadn't died in a tragic accident. police discovered denita had been murdered. shot at almost point-blank range. >> clearly, intentional. >> and shot in the back of the head. >> dead center. >> this was an execution. >> exactly. >> meanwhile, denita's mother sharon had arrived from charlotte. still unaware of what had happened. >> where's my baby? and is she

all right? >> now, police had to break the horrible news about her oldest daughter. >> and so that's when they explained that denita was found and she had been shot. and she was dead. and at that point, my life just changed. completely. >> nothing prepares you for that, does it? >> uh-uh. because i'm wondering who? why? who would want to do this? why would they want to do this? it just doesn't make sense. >> coming up. why would anyone want to kill the popular and lovely denita? >> police hear from a witness who saw something odd and suspicious. >> he says let me call the police. and then she pulls off. and takes off out the complex. and takes off out the complex.

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never saw it coming. one shot. a clean hit from behind. the killer was apparently lying in wait on the apartment second floor landing. as denita walked down the stairs from her third floor unit, said durham police detective shawn pate. >> there were four apartments on that landing. i think that someone was there. pretending they were knocking on the door or fumbling for keys. >> so denita probably would have had to walk right past the shooter? >> probably, good morning. how are you? and turn to go down the steps. >> dang. >> and that's it. >> denita murdered. executed in broad daylight. it made no sense. her bff edith says denita simply didn't have any enemies.

>> denita was a light in this dark world. she had a beautiful spirit. she was loving. she was kind. she was supportive. she embodied everything that was positive and about supporting people. >> there was no one who didn't like her. >> right. she was real respected and well-loved. >> especially, by her fiance jamere stroud, who appeared devastated by denita's death. >> jamere didn't say anything. jamere cried. we all cried. he didn't really say a whole lot. >> jamere and denita had met back in college and became the it couple on campus. >> they had been dating for a few years. and, you know, before i even met him, denita spoke very highly of him. >> what'd she say? >> like, he's a gentleman. he's intelligent. he's active, involved, well-rounded, he's kind, he respects me, he protects me. he's loving. >> the perfect guy. >> the perfect guy. the perfect guy.

>> he was, apparently, even perfect enough for denita's cautious mother, sharon smith. who came to trust that jamere 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 reason to not like him. >> how'd you do? >> i failed because he was very polite. he was very respectful. i would always tell jamere, 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. i said, okay. >> now, police wanted to talk to jamere stroud. >> greensboro police have confirmed smith was engaged to officer jamere stroud. stroud has been an officer with the greensboro police department for four years. >> the fact that he was her fiance, immediately made stroud

a person of interest. jamere insisted he knew nothing about who killed denita. >> jamere was at home asleep because he had just worked night shift the day before. >> so he was off duty. >> he was off duty. it's not unbelievable. it just makes it harder to rule him out. >> so there's no proof that he was anywhere. >> except for the fact that his phone was, you know, at his house on his nightstand plugged in. >> but by all accounts, jamere stroud loved denita dearly. it didn't make sense that he would kill the woman to whom he had just proposed. they were planning a big wedding. now, after speaking with detectives, jamere headed back home to greensboro. his life changed forever. and then two hours after the murder, detectives got a lead. >> 9-1-1. where is your emergency? >> campus crossing apartments. >> they discovered a second

9-1-1 call that had come in around the time denita was killed. >> i'm hearing gunshots coming from somewhere around here. >> the caller was the apartment's maintenance supervisor, who had been working near denita's unit. >> when he heard the shot, he looked up in that direction. and he told me he saw a female that was about 5'10", hair in a pony tail, and had some kind of emblems on her clothing. >> young lady, she's like upset and shaking and stuff like that. >> she was covering her face and she went and got into her truck and started driving away. >> this woman looked frightened? or -- >> he said like she was distraught. she had her hands over her face. and -- and moving quickly. >> like they're horrified by what they've seen. >> correct. >> so more witness than perpetrator maybe. >> that's exactly what he thought. >> then, according to the maintenance man, the woman got

into a burgundy colored ford explorer, which he then followed in his truck. >> he pulls up beside her. so they're kind of like looking directly at each other. eyeball to eyeball and she still has her hands over her face. and he says, ma'am, did you hear a shot or something? and she shakes her head up and down yes. and he says, where -- where'd it come from? and she points her head in one direction. and he says why are you nervous? and she's like, you heard the shot. and he says let me call the police. and then she pulls off and takes off out the complex. >> what do you make of that? >> that's kind of like make the hair on the back of our neck stand up. >> so now, police call jamere stroud, who was on his way back home to greensboro. and asked one simple question. >> do you know anyone that drives a burgundy ford suv? and he said, oh my god, i'm turning around now. >> coming up. a secret affair. >> they start having a

relationship that actually started kind of like friendly but then turned sexual. >> what, if anything, did it have to do with denita's murder? when dateline continues. e continues. [ heavy breathing ] allergies with nasal congestion overwhelming you? breathe more freely with powerful claritin-d. claritin-d improves nasal airflow two times more

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♪ the barnes firm injury attorneys ♪ ♪ call one eight hundred, eight million ♪ fiancée's murder, jim meir stroud made the biggest u-turn of his life. he was headed home to greensboro to mourn the loss of denita smith when detectives

called him about a break in the case. a woman driving a burgundy suv had been spotted at the crime scene. did jamere know her? yes, he said, he did. starting with her name. shannon crawley. and one more thing. like jamere, she also worked in law enforcement. >> he met shannon back in 2000 when he was in the police academy. shannon was a 9-1-1 communicator and she was one of the people that was in the training session. >> shannon was 21 then. tall, striking, and single. raising two kids. and this is her family. brother keith, jr., and her parents anne and keith crawley. >> she was determined to give the kids a good life, a nice home, and a good education. very caring and -- and loving mother. >> and if you ask her, she say i'm just a mom. and that's how -- i'm just a mom. >> now, at the durham police

department, detectives wanted to know more about shannon's relationship with jamere stroud. so they interviewed jamere, who was cooperative but guarded. >> he said, yeah, she caught my eye. i mean, she's 5'10". long, pretty hair. thin. we spoke for a short time. that was in 2000. around 2004, they bumped in again through work. and he asked her for her number. >> and at this point, he's involved with denita. >> involved with denita. and he actually said that he told shannon in 2000 that he was involved with denita. well, in 2004, they start having a relationship that actually started kind of like friendly. but then turned sexual toward the end of 2004. >> and shannon drives a burgundy suv. >> correct. >> first, detectives had a murder. now, a love triangle. detective pate pressed jamere for more details about the two women in his life.

>> i said, well, have they ever met? and he said, no, they've never met. but i used to have a picture of denita in my house on -- on my television and when shannon would help me move in, she saw the picture. >> shannon knew about denita. >> shannon knew about denita. but denita had no clue, and everyone i spoke to about denita said if she even suspected, she would have been out of that relationship. she had too much dignity for that. >> this was an affair jamere was hiding. >> correct. >> remember, jamere lived in greensboro, near shannon. but 50 miles away from denita. the woman jamere was officially involved with at the time. it was a tale of two cities and two women. jamere and denita were dating, though not yet engaged. and he was also seeing shannon and that seemed more serious than just a fling. >> did jamere disclose to you that he had gotten shannon pregnant? >> he did.

>> and that she had an abortion? >> correct. >> shannon's mother anne says her daughter had the abortion because her pregnancy wasn't viable. but she claims that when jamere found out -- >> and he was very upset. he had contacted the doctor to find out if -- if what she said was true about the -- the pregnancy being viable. and the doctor refused to talk to him and that made him angry. >> jamere wanted to keep the baby and raise the baby with shannon. >> yeah. >> didn't sound to me like their relationship was over. sounds to me like it was going pretty well. >> no. in fact, he had said to her that if you don't want the baby, you know, i'll take the baby. >> shannon went through with the abortion. but by this time, jamere told detectives, his relationship with shannon had taken a big turn. >> there was no more sleeping together. going shopping together. that kind of thing. it was more just a voice on the phone. or see you in passing at work. >> so basically, they broke it

off. >> they did. >> a year before denita was killed. >> a year. >> now, after the murder, word of jamere's two timing spread quickly. denita's mother sharon. >> i'm angry. i'm mad. because it never should've happened. you were in a serious relationship. why you felt you had to step out, don't understand. you don't hurt the ones you love. >> the divorce rate in this country would suggest that we hurt the ones we love all the time. >> that's true. but it's kind of bad when you going into the marriage being foul. not saying it's okay once you in it buch it. but you would just like to think, you know, you're starting things off right. >> edith kerns was barely beginning to process the loss of her close friend. and now, had to cope with something else she had never imagined. >> i was just sad. and i was hurt. and i was in shock. just

disbelief because i had -- i had nothing bad to say about him. >> this wasn't jamere. >> yes. i mean, that's exactly, more or less, how i felt. it was just like a nightmare. like, this wasn't reality. >> denita had trusted jamere. the man investigating her death did not. now, the man who once made denita so happy was in the cross hairs of a murder investigation that was quickly ramping up. and though jamere stroud seemed genuinely devastated by denita's death, openly crying throughout his interview with detectives, he wasn't getting much sympathy. >> when i first spoke with him, i thought i had my man. >> jamere? >> jamere. coming up. what does shannon know? and what is she hiding? >> as we're leaving, getting ready to finish up the interview with her, someone hands me a note.

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very little evidence behind. no fingerprints, no dna, no murder weapon but during the autopsy the medical examiner

did find one thing. the bullet that killed denita. police now hoped that mangled slug might provide a lead on who pulled the trigger. >> what kind of gun killed denita smith? >> all we can say is that the bullet itself was in the family of it had enough weight to be a .38 caliber round. >> by now, denita's death was big news across durham. >> durham investigators say this shooting was not a random act. >> david sacks, assistant district attorney at the time, was keeping a close eye on this now high-profile case. one that he might actually prosecute if a killer was ever caught. >> it was so obvious that it was not a robbery. and so if she was targeted for some reason, there was a very, very, very, very limited number of people who would target denita for something like this. and jamere certainly could've been one of'em. >> jamere stroud. denita smith's fiance. on the day of the murder, stroud had revealed to police 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 burgundy suv, then you never ask jamere about the burgundy suv. >> exactly. wouldn't have went to greensboro looking for a suspect when durham has plenty of people here. >> so the day after the murder, detective pate headed westbound on interstate 40. anxious to speak with shannon crawley, the other woman in jamere stroud's life. by now, shannon's parents, her father keith and her mother anne, were shocked to hear their daughter was about to be interviewed by police. she was a responsible single mom who lived quietly raising her children.

>> being a young mother, you know, she worked six months straight. 12-hour shifts. to buy a house. at 27 years old. that's quite an accomplishment for -- for a single mother. >> it sounds undeniable that all of you are really proud of her. >> yes. >> and her life was certainly headed in the right direction. >> yes. >> absolutely. >> yes. >> shannon worked in greensboro as a 9-1-1 operator for the emergency call center where she was often in close contact with law enforcement. and was, by all accounts, a model employee. >> her supervisors really liked her. she was dependable. she came to work. she did what she was supposed to do. did it in a professional manner. no complaints really. >> detective shawn pate also found shannon to be cordial and cooperative as they settled in to discuss where shannon was on the day denita died. >> pretty calm. easy going. kind of like us sitting here. i'd ask a question. she would give me an answer. >> what'd you ask her? >> first, i asked her about jamere or whatever. and she admitted that she knew him and -- and about the relationship

that they had had. >> shannon wasn't shy about corroborating what jamere had already admitted. they met through work. it got physical. she got pregnant. she had an abortion. and the romantic part of their relationship ended a year before denita's murder. >> they both agreed to end it in january of 2006. that relationship was over. they both gave the same date, the same incident and reason that it ended. >> shannon said she didn't think jamere was capable of murder. and insisted she didn't even know denita smith. then detective pate zeroed in on the last time shannon was in durham. the city where denita was murdered. >> she said she's never been to durham. i ask her about owning a gun. and she tells me that i've never owned a gun. i can't stand guns. i'm scared of them. i said, okay. i can understand that. a lot of people feel that way. >> and as for where she was on that chilly january morning? >> she told me she was at a

doctor's appointment with one of her children. that was easy to check out. her supervisor was on scene and she did tell her supervisor that she was taking her child to the doctor. >> shannon's story seemed to add up. maybe she wasn't the distraught woman the eyewitness saw leaving the scene of denita's murder 50 miles away from where shannon lived and worked. detective pate was just about out of questions. and then. >> an interesting thing happened. as we're leaving, getting ready to finish up the interview with her, someone hands me a note. and it's from a supervisor and it says a gentleman, one of her co-workers, would like to speak with you before you leave. >> and what that co-worker had to say would raise serious questions not just for shannon crawley but also for her former lover, jamere stroud. coming up. did someone want shannon dead, as well? >> she says, you know, i'm kind

of in fear of my life. of in fear of my life. >> when dateline be tide.

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calls at work. >> he said jamere stroud would call up here all the time. and want to speak to her. >> this is going back months now. >> months. months. months. and on one particular occasion, she says, you know, i'm kind of in fear of my life. i'm scared. i don't know what he might do to me. he's shown up at my house and he has a gun with him at all times. >> shannon's co-worker was concerned and wanted to help. >> it gets to the point that he offered to sell her a gun, which he did. he named the exact model. and tells me that he gave her bullets to accompany the gun and offered to teach her how to use it. >> what kind of gun? >> it was a.38 caliber revolver. >> the same type of gun detectives thought denita's killer might have used. >> you know, wait a minute. i just finished an interview with her five minutes ago and she told me i never owned a gun. and in that same interview, i

asked her do you think that jamere is capable of murder? and she said no. not at all. just like that. no, not at all. but you're telling a co-worker that you're in fear for your life from jamere. >> conflicting stories that cast suspicion on shannon and on jamere. so that next day, detective pate spoke with jamere stroud once again. he denied ever harassing shannon at work. and said there was no reason why she would be afraid of him. but jamere's answer to one particular question got detective pate's attention. >> i asked him, do you think that shannon is capable of killing someone? and he said, yes. >> as the investigation continued in durham, police showed shannon crawley's photo to that maintenance man, who had seen a woman driving away from the crime scene on the morning of the murder. and he could not identify shannon as

the driver. then they showed him a picture of shannon's burgundy ford explorer. >> he was very positive about the vehicle. he said, yep, that's the vehicle that i saw. >> and that wasn't the only thing the witness noticed, says assistant d.a. david sacks. >> he remembers a patch or something kind of on the shirt. >> a patch like on the uniform shannon wore as a 911 dispatcher. and there was more. investigators discovered shannon clocked in at about 10:00 a.m. some two hours after denita smith had been murdered. more than enough time for the 55-mile drive from durham to her job at the 911 center in greensboro. so police obtained a search warrant for shannon's house. >> and we do find a greensboro communication 911 center uniforms. and they are exactly as described by the maintenance supervisor. down to the color of the patch and the shape. >> you find a gun? >> no gun was found. no bullets

were found. nothing incriminating other than -- than that. >> and then came this. shannon had told police she had never been to durham. but her cell phone records clearly indicated she had been there. not on the day denita was killed. shannon, or at least her phone, had been there the day before. >> she was hitting a tower that placed her no less than 100 feet away from where denita would be found dead the next morning. >> and you think what's going on there? >> thinking it's recon. >> shannon showed up a day early to find out exactly which apartment denita lived in. >> you have to know when to be there and where to place yourself. where to stand. without looking suspicious because if you just linger for hours, someone's going to say, you don't even live here. what are you doing? >> police also check jamere stroud's cell phone and police radio. and found he was nowhere near durham that day before the

killing. only shannon. so police impounded her suv. >> we did gunshot residue test on the car. the steering wheel, the gear shifter, and comes back there is gunshot residue. >> and if all that didn't look bad enough, shannon's alibi now started to fall apart. she had told her supervisor and detectives she was taking her child to the doctor at the time of denita's murder. but the pediatrician told police shannon didn't show up that day. >> the story starts to unravel. nothing is adding up. >> shannon was looking like a prime suspect. but one thing was missing. motive. then detective pate remembered shannon's account of how she and jamere had decided that she would have an abortion. and the way she told the story made an impression on pate. >> when shannon said, jamere, i'm pregnant, what are we gonna

do? he said i don't want to have a baby with you. he told me that's how he said it and she quoted it back to me verbatim. and she said i -- i remember those words. >> not just i don't want to have a baby. or i don't want to have a baby right now. >> i don't want to have a baby with you. i imagine that sucked just a little bit of her soul out. >> is that your motivation right there? >> i think that's where the seed was planted. i really do. because that implies that there is someone else that you would like to have a child with. >> maybe someone like jamere's fiancee, denita smith. detective pate now thought shannon crawley had the means, the opportunity, and the motive to commit murder. >> it got to the point we -- we thought this is all we're going to get right now. and it's more than enough. >> well, was it enough? police had no dna, no fingerprints, no murder weapon, and no forensics >> well, was it enough? police at the crime scene that linked shannon to denita's murder. but had no dna, no fingerprints, no detective pate was also murder weapon, and no forensics thinking about denita's family. at the crime scene that linked shannon to denita's murder. but

>> the family is suffering. detective pate was also thinking about denita's family. let's go ahead and give them a little peace right now. >> the family is suffering. let's go ahead and give them a >> five days after denita little peace right now. 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. they cuff her. she walks out the door as though she's going to check the mail. >> pate says shannon did not seem surprised to see him. >> there's no -- no sad look or anything like that. she stand in the driveway, she looks at her family and says -- waves to them li waves -- >> those are the word of a woman who does not expect to be raising her own children. >> shannon's family watched their daughter be cuffed and

taken away. >> more upsetting. i was angry. i was afraid for her. knowing in my heart that my -- my daughter could never ever have done that. >> shannon was just 28. she'd never been in trouble with the law. now, she was being charged with first-degree murder and could face life in prison. 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 need to worry about where jamere was when this happened. coming up. jamere had said his affair with shannon was over. was it? >> he wanted her to come back? >> he wanted her to come back to him and she didn't. >> when "internal affairs" continues. and she didn't. continues. and she didn't. iber, gels to trap and slows sugar absorption

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shannon. there was the gunshot residue in her car, an allibi that did not check out and a potential motive. just one day later it was time for denita's family to mourn their loss. once again here's josh. >> reporter: they called it a "home-going service, " the final farewell to 25-year-old denita smith, who had departed this world under the worst of circumstances. just a week earlier denita's mother, sharon, was starting to plan her daughter's wedding. now she was attending denita's funeral. >> no parent wants to see their child laying in -- in a casket. and denita's life was -- it was snatched from under her, stolen. >> reporter: it seemed the whole town turned out on that january day in 2007. denita's close friend, edythe kearns, spoke at the funeral. >> the home going was an emotional day. it was definitely some sadness. but we were trying to, you know, be happy and think about her spirit and life legacy and the way that she would want all of us to go on. but at that time, i think it was just too much and it was overwhelming. >> reporter: denita's fiancã©, jermeir stroud, was there as well. >> jermeir was sad and he was crying. and he appeared -- clearly, he was devastated. and i think reality was starting to sink in and that it hit him that the love of his life was no longer with us. >> reporter: it was of little comfort to denita's family and

friends that the woman accused of killing her was sitting in the durham county jail. shannon crawley had been arrested the day before and charged with first-degree murder. now her family was mourning, too. >> it's devastating, the fear that you have at that point for your child. >> and no one can convince me that my child did that. i know her. >> i'm not saying that they framed her. i'm saying that they simply allowed themselves to be led in that direction. and if they had any suspicions that another police officer was involved, they decided not to follow that up. >> you were in law enforcement. you cover up crimes by other officers? >> no, i never did. >> and what you're suggesting is that durham cops, who didn't even know jermeir, looked away from a murder committed by a guy who worked for another department in another city? they're risking prison time for this guy they don't even know? >> cops will protect other cops regardless of what department they're in. there are always that few, not many. >> reporter: to the contrary, assistant district attorney david saacks, who was assigned to prosecute, says 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 delved into everything as deep as we could because he was a cop. >> because if you clear him, you know you're going to get that criticism. >> absolutely. we ended up having to have several different interviews with jermeir. and each time we would get maybe a little something more. and so it took a little while sometimes to pull all that stuff out. >> reporter: investigators say he appeared devastated. jermeir stroud insisted he had no idea that his secret romance might place denita in danger. but

detective pate still thought jermeir was not entirely forthcoming. >> jermeir would tell me the truth, but you had to ask it. >> he wasn't volunteering anything? >> absolutely not. >> reporter: they interviewed jermeir 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 their romantic relationship. following their breakup, about a year before denita's murder, jermeir said he went on a church retreat. there his pastor encouraged him to apologize to anyone he had wronged. so jermeir called shannon. >> he said i apologize in great detail about everything that he's sorry for. he said, "i was on the phone for 12 hours. my cell phone went dead. i charged it -- i mean, had it plugged

in. and we talked until i fell asleep." 12 hours. >> apologizing. >> sorry for everything. >> interesting that he talked to shannon about it but not denita. >> of course not. she didn't know that there was something he needed to apologize for. >> reporter: but pate believes all that apologizing to shannon may have jump-started something else. >> that's where the relationship kind of picked up again. because there were a lot of feelings that were shared. >> so they start talking again. >> exactly. >> reporter: jermeir insisted he and shannon did not become romantic or sexual again. but clearly there was something. >> he was always there for shannon. if shannon was distraught or wanted to call in the middle of the night, you know, and knew that jermeir was working, she would call him and he would put up with it.

>> maybe he didn't want to be the bad guy? >> maybe didn't want to be the bad guy. >> he doesn't see that he's leaving the door open. as long as you keep doing all the things that a boyfriend would do, then in her mind she still has a chance. >> there's still a shot. >> exactly. i honestly thought hubris made him believe that he could control it. >> reporter: but police say jermeir wasn't able to control the situation with shannon. some three months before denita was murdered, shannon bought this house near where jermeir lived. and when police searched that new home of shannon's, they were surprised by what they saw and what they didn't see. >> kids'rooms, beds, everything you expect to be in a nice children's room. mom had a mattress on the floor. there was little to no living room furniture, no dining room set, nothing in the kitchen. >> suggesting what? she was overspending so she could live near jermeir? >> just to be near jermeir. that's the only reason. there was a clear pattern of her placing herself near him at every turn. it seemed kind of stalkerish. >> coming up, shannon's brand-new story. >> he said i'll make it real

simple. either you children die or you die for your children. >> it could turn the entire case on its head. but was she telling the truth? >> she wasn't rehearsed because she wasn't rushed to answer our question. >> when "internal affairs" continues.

can in this mid warm bald with a love child before dinner was shot to death in her apartment complex. police wondered if sheena was obsessed with jim ear. shannon's family is emphatic that jermeir was the one who

couldn't let go. >> he called constantly. >> he would ask your questions. what do you doing up there? she just didn't want to answer the phone. >> 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. >> police coaxed more details from jermaine, and he insisted shannon had been demanding more and more attention. a woman he really wanted to be with, he said, was done eta. shannon wouldn't go away. >> he complained on her coming around the house and kept calling had a relationship. we agree not to do this. >> jermeir insisted he won't take no for an answer. >> it wasn't in internal affairs he had a body there. >> he said the you know, she

just keeps calling. i told her we are over. she won't let it go. >> as far as detective pete could determine, it all came to a head on christmas eve. >> german walked into his green burrowed church with the need on his arm in a diamond ring on her finger. he had proposed and denita was over the moon. >> she walked in proud as a peacock. feathers olive. she was showing it to anyone who would look. >> 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 you are referring to in the church, shannon wasn't there. we were there. >> less than two weeks later, and anita smith would still be wearing that engagement ring as she lay dead at the bottom of

her apartment steps. >> german police thought they had the right person sitting in the lock-up, they had arrested shannon crawling, and charged with the murder of her ex-boyfriends new fiancée, denita smith. investigators had completely taken their eyes off of jermeir. the man who was involved simultaneously with both women. shannon crawlies father, keith, her mother, and her brother keith junior, never doubted her. >> is it possible that you guys don't want to believe that she is a murderer? >> no. she is not a murderer. >> no. not in her nature, not her character. >> the thought that she is lying about, it no. >> no. >> i wouldn't be saying her -- sitting here if i thought she had anything to do with it. >> in may of 2007, shannon crawly was out on bail she and her attorney walked into the

durham police station. >> this wasn't just another interview, shannon was preparing to share all new information with the potential to change the whole focus of the case. assistant da, david sacks. >> she wanted to give up her side and we wouldn't allow her to do that. the idea was then you would drop the charges. >> i think that was our idea. if they don't see, anything we will go on the path she's already charged. the tape rolled as shannon began telling a new story with the death of anita smith. and this version, shannon said she had been framed. >> she did show some emotion, 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. shannon said the trouble began after she engineered broke up,

but he was upset that she had -- the pregnancy, and he began stalking her. >> he was calming on myself, when he interrupted the radio. he would come into communication stand in the hallway and stare at me. he said it may have a good idea to be -- have something to do with it. >> in a first and -- interview, shannon denied having a gun. now she was challenged on the changing story. >> she felt compelled to buy a weapon from a coworker. because she said jermeir, threatened not just her but her children. >> and she said jimmy or use that fact against her, when he forced her to drive with him to do need as apartment. >> and he said, and make it

real simple, you either hear children die or you die for your children. >> shannon told detective paid that on january 3rd, the day before the murder, jermeir course her to drive with her to durham to case denita apartment. then she said jermeir forced at gunpoint tebow -- drive back again. -- >> jeanne said after they pulled up to the need's apartment denita, apartment jermeir got out. she stayed in the suv. -- moments later, since shannon jermeir rushed past aaron got in the driver seat, which will explain how gunshot residue was found there. >> he got out of the driver

seat, by sliding the back over the seat and got in the backseat. and i'm the driver seat nice don't to leave. >> she says that's when she encountered the maintenance man who according to shannon, didn't see jermeir hiding in the backseat. soon after they left the apartment complex and drove back to greensboro. >> i can basking what happened, what the problem was. what happened. i was crying. he was yelling at me. >> she wasn't rehearsed, and she wasn't rushed to answer a question. it was, i would ask a question, she gave it a moment, she responded. that didn't make me think she was making something up. -- >> wow, that's a story that fits all the facts and exonerate. or >> it does. in a, chant it is not guilty. >> exactly. when she's telling the story, i think, wow, this actually sounds pretty decent so far. then i think, wait a minute,

back up. >> pete raised an obvious question. if tennant had a story that proved her innocence, why had she waited so long to tell it? >> when i asked, where was the story when i arrested you? her exact words were, he threatened my children in the past. i was scared for their safety. he wanted to get to my children. i asked her, what's changed? he still knows we are children are. he still know how to get them. he could still hurt them. >> she just looked at me that was her answer. >> he, was jermeir. cnn's story made him the guilty party, but her story also badly

needed to be checked out. >> this is a fantastic kind of story. if i will dismiss her case, i need to make sure i'm filling it out and saying the reason why. i will not do it just because she said she didn't do it. shannon and her attorney were emphatic that jermeir was the killer, and even said months now after the, murder he was making threatening phone calls to shannon, telling her to stay set on his role. >> i told my more than willing to look at anything they have that would bring them something but i can just accept her word for. that's the problem. i need proof. >> the prosecuted challenged shannon, bring me proof. he cannot have imagined what was coming next. sex, wise, and audiotape and maybe, shannon crawlies ticket to freedom. >> coming up, a cooler conversation. >> i spent four months in jail because of you.

because you lied. >> i told you i didn't do it. now so shannon's father, there's no question his daughter is innocent. >> how much more proof do you need? when dateline continues. e continues. are you one of the millions of americans who experience occasional bloating, gas, or abdominal discomfort?

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story, the da wanted was for her to prove. it proved that her former lover had killed his own fiancée, did need a smith. and that he used threats and intimidation to win shannon

along as a non ruling accomplish. she told investigators that he was still harassing her while they were out on bail, with her blessing, they brought a tape recorder and conduct to do it yourself sting up ration. >> i had four months in jail because the you because you lied. >> i did when i had to do shannon's family members who had always supported her, said they could cooperate many of the calls. >> i would say, 99% of the phone calls i was a witness to i was on the other side and you could also see shannon's reaction and this was not somebody who would play at. >> no question, i knew it was him. >> and they said it did not take long for drew mirror to incriminate himself.

. >> was she afraid? >> yes, oh sure. >> more than 30 minutes of conversation were put on tape. >> did you think this was the ambulance that is gonna -- >> oh yeah. >> turn it on and said. >> that was the whole purpose of them. >> there were more police and prosecutors who can talk about this. >> i think there was one part of the conversation where he said -- i killed her, i will kill you as well. how much more proof do you need? >> to her family, and mission, and this was an audio smoking gun that should convince the da to exonerate her, and prosecute him. >> you know, god is all seeing in all knowing, remember that. have an attempt so i played? you >> every day. >> you remember that. >> yes. >> i'm sorry. >> goodbye. the da's office would now

listen carefully to those phone tapes, to see if they were a evidence it -- shannon said they. we're >> investigators were looking at one another phone call, this one was especially intriguing because it happened on the day diana denita was murdered. shannon had arrived at the 9-1-1 phone call one of personal call came in from a man who did not identify himself. >> he has to speak to shannon. when they said hold, on shannon said hello. her 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. >> he suspected. >> he told me he did things without knowing. he tells me he did make that call to make sure she was at work. this was before we had said anything about that you need but there is nothing in the past where she ever entertain

that she would be hunted that doesn't add up. >> why would jermeir need to know shannon's whereabouts just after he found out denita was killed. investigators thought about a variety of scenarios. whatever it was, jermeir was involuntary much. >> sometimes when you tell people, you know, ally of omission, it's still a lie. some people do have to ask the great questions to know what they are looking for. >> do not ask, you are not getting it. >> investigators had to wildly different stories. he said, she said. who is telling the truth and, who wasn't. >> it was clear we were down to two people. it was one of these two people. they both had the same allegations of the other one. >> there is only one way to sorted out and make sure that denita smith received the justice she deserved. >> if we can ever prove who was

stalking consumed, i think we have our case solved. and soon, something would provide that very answer. >> all of a sudden, then the rape allegation happens. >> coming up. >> she came calling into my bedroom, has terrible. i am asking, what's wrong, what's wrong? >> shannon reports a crime. this time, she says, she was the victim. >> they tested her clothes, everything they could. >> what did she say right there? >> when dateline continues. hen dateline continues so if there's a better treatment than warfarin,... i want that. eliquis. eliquis reduces stroke risk better than warfarin. and has less major bleeding than warfarin. eliquis has both. don't stop taking eliquis without talking to your doctor as this may increase your risk of stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking, you may bruise more easily... or take longer for bleeding to stop.

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more often they can -- convince them and to do it for them. that was exactly what investigators were debating in june 2007. it had been six months since denita smith, murder. and with detective david sacks, there was a phone call where there was jermeir hoping to -- admitting to the crime and he was trying to cover-up. ng to cover-up

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 that jermeir had made them. assistant da david sacks listen carefully to the case, and soon came to his own conclusion. >> is there any way that could be jermeir's name on the case? >> he would have to be disguising's voice. it didn't sound like him. >> why u.s. kareen? >> you know why. >> if he's calling to intimidate her, what's the point of discussion is a voice? >> correct. there is no way in my mind that that was jermeir. when i heard these tapes, i knew i had the right person. >> carly family was infuriated. there were certain the calls

came at their daughter and revealed jermeir as to this killer. they also insisted jermeir was working in the neighborhood wish enlisting. what we went through and charlotte, with him stalking her because demi, 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 gonna kill both of them. >> then, something happened that seem to bear out their worst fears. shen was out on bail, living with family in charlotte, some 100 miles in greensboro where jermeir still worked and lived for the police department. in july 2007, around 2 am, shannon said she took her dog for a walk in the backyard. >> she came crawling into my bedroom, hysterical.

i am asking, what's wrong, what's wrong? >> shannon told her mother she had been raped. >> did you say who raped her? >> she said it was him, jermeir. yeah. >> charlotte police were alerted and rushed to the scene. shen was bleeding and appeared traumatized. she was taken to a hospital for treatment and given a rape kit exam. >> no witnesses? no >> i think there were maybe for people who lived in the neighborhood. at that time. >> word of shannon's reported rape traveled quickly to durham where detective -- and yay sacks were now preparing for her child. they wondered if shun was certain that the attacker was jermeir. >> i asked her, how do you know it was him at 8:00 in the morning? >> i guess just stopped the house and sauce opportunity. for four hours he raped her,

3:00 then it was when the sun started come up for hours and you are looking at 7:00. >> it would've been daylight then. >> yes, dog doesn't bark. anything like that. >> shannon said she was sure, and then added one more horrifying detail. jermeir i'd used a knife to rape her. it would take ten days for the rape kit results to come back, so in the meantime police of course question jermeir. he insisted he was in greensboro that morning, nowhere near charlotte. when you go to jermeir, and say, shannon said she was raped by you, what's his answer? >> he says, no. that's preposterous. you can check my phone, check my work logs and you could see where i was you can do what you need to do. >> shannon till believes all the evidence they needed though just might be sitting in jermeir the garbage can, which

is where she suggested he stashed the knife. >> sure enough, jermeir is going to put his garbage in his can and sees the knife in here. that's when they find the neighbors who said the saw the knife and somebody saw something throwing in -- the knife in his can. >> no idea was made about that. >> just a dark figure in a hoodie? >> correct. >> was the knife planted? there is no proof either way. but it was distant, there was nothing that brought it to jermeir. as for his whereabouts at the time of the rape, he was actually on the funding get off the phone until six in the morning. we knew he was in greensboro at the time the call was placed. so, to be involved in the rape, it just seemed a physical impossibility. then came the results of the rape kit. >> there was no seaman on the virginal swab, nothing that would be conclusive proof that the rape had occurred.

>> it just wasn't there? >> it wasn't there. they tested for everything they could and the person said they didn't see that kind of injury to her that would occur. >> there were knife cuts on her body, but -- >> they were superficial. >> the crowley family was outraged all over again that once again shannon's version of events was dismissed, while charges against her were through it. >> police thought she was making it up. >> yeah, yeah. >> they talk to her -- >> after they took to persecutors, yes. he called down there and -- >> changes. story >> everything changed. everything changed. >> this is what? one big conspiracy? >> sounds like it. assistant day david sexes the rape was properly investigated, and seem to be nothing more than a hoax. which also, for him, finally answers of who was stalking whom. >> everything was pointing to

her, and the only thing pointing to jermeir was that he was in this affair with shannon. i don't 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. even if jermeir wanted denita out of his life, while could possibly be his motive to kill her. >> this is exactly what i thought, why? all he had to do is call denita up until it's over. >> there's no property, no alamo knee. >> and it doesn't make sense he seems genuinely crushed by what happened. >> absolutely. as the trial approach, the da face a certain super -- with an incredibly -- defendant. offered shedding quality a deal. plead guilty to denita smic murder, and be sentenced to a maximum of 12 years in prison. denita it's mother sharon was not happy. >> what did you say? >> no. >> don't let her off? >> no.

my worries, worldwide daughter didn't need to plead for her life that morning, so. no pleading. she didn't need to worry shannon probably was not going to take a g -- 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's murky look on her face like she knew she was going to get off. >> shannon, on the stand. >> for once he told me he did. the man she says jermeir untamed. >> you are going to get me to? >> you keep talking -- >> who would the jury believe? when dateline continues? eline continues? with secret, outlast anything. no sweat. secret. all strength. no sweat. 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 the woman's tears, we sometimes yield to the urge to tell her what she most wants to hear. whether it is true, or not. is that what jamere did? and did he unknowingly bring shannon and denita together on that dreadful day in 2007,

when-y denita was murdered? now, three years later. two families filed into the courthouse. one family hoping for a conviction. the other and acquittal. reporter jon mccann covered the trial for the durham herald sun. >> the tone was definitely somber. ty shannon's family here and denita see people on the other side. he tense is a good word for it. especially tense for denita mother shannon. who for the first time made eye contact for the woman accused of murdering her daughter. or >> if she would look at me with this little's murky look on her face. she was very cocky. like she knew she was going to get off. no remorse. he she did not feel she had done anything. >> assistant da david sacks, and if spurious savvy

prosecutor, would square off against a younger core appointed defense attorney named scott holmes. or >> if it's important to try to see the world, try to see the world from the eyes of shannon on the days that led up to the day this happened. >> the whole trial is basically us saying that shannon committed this murder and the defense saying that he jamere did this murder. that was basically the trial. >> detective pate worried that shannon could walk. after all the case against her was largely circumstantial. her dna was not of 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 felt that she'd be addressed real conservative, like she just came and landed off the mayflower. and that somebody would be sympathetic. >> from the beginning the prosecution partridge shannon as a woman scorned.

who could not have jamere to herself, so she made sure denita would not either. shannon suggested prosecutor sacks was carrying a torch for jamere or trying to burn down his whole world, by killing his fiancée, and pinning on him. >> for whatever reason, she could not handle the situation between jamere and denita. and to resort to this, speaks of desperation. >> the prosecution star witness jamere, whose courtroom testimony was broadcast and local tv jamere confessing under, oath this shameful saying he kept him in for so long. his office affair with shannon. he even revealed that when he heard something that happened today nita, he immediately suspected shannon. >> one of the things that popped in my head based on

interactions with dana is that basically maybe she did something. >> he told everything on the stand. >> he did not hold back? >> no he did not hold back. the story is out. you have to go ahead and tell the truth. if you don't, you look like a liar now. >> so in that sense, jamere did do the right. think >> he did. >> the defense argued that shannon was being framed for a murder that he jamere alone committed. >> her lawyers painted jamere as a crooked cop. everything elevates shannon as she couldn't do anything, it has to be this bad cop over here. >> i did not know where he had done, and where he was going to do to me. >> it's often considered risky for a murder defendant to take the stand. but shannon insisted on telling her story. that she was a victim, and not a killer. >> for one he has told me since that he did. >> and you are telling the jury

that you had no idea what might have just happened there? >> i did not see anyone. >> just to hear how she prevented the information, her poise and her demeanor and all that kind of stuff, she is a credible witness. she tells a credible story. >> and the defense did have those phone conversations that she recorded. in which she insists that jamere threatened her and incriminated himself. >> you know i already got away with murder. once you think i can't do it again? >> i'm sure you can. >> by her defense attorney ultimately chose not to play them. instead they were presented by the prosecution, as proof that shannon story was all one big lie. >> you're gonna kill me too? >> you keep talking, you know i will. >> the jury had already heard jamere testify. with his deep gravelling voice. >> it's possible, but i don't

remember that call. >> now they listened to the tapes. was this the same guy? >> if they find out i shot her man, that's life right. there >> you heard jamere testify and you heard the tapes. does anybody really believe that that is jamere talking on these tapes? >> i know, but you've got a better shot than. me >> to me that sounded like michael jackson. he had a high pitched voice. it was clearly not jamere voice. and it was clearly not something jamere would say, or how he would say. it it was obvious to me that it was fake. >> the jury laughed and that's the first trial i've ever heard on where the jury members snickered. >> -- we're not laughing. they say they had heard many of those calls firsthand. and believed they were the real thing. >> the jury heard jamere testify. he has a deep. voice the person on the tape does not have a deep. voice >> he disguised as.

voiced >> do you think he can disguises voice that well? yes he did. it >> you are convinced it was due? or >> yes. >> 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 sacks. >> i am never confident when a case goes to the jury. >> even slept in the face by a jury before? >> too many times. that's a lesson here. you never. know >> after just one day the jury reached a decision. shannon's family was. encouraged >> there was some damaging things, yes. but there was no preponderance of evidence. i thought she was going to be acquitted. >> for shannon, it all came down to this decision. would it be a life of freedom?

or life in prison? tonight's mother braised herself, as she stared at the woman accused of killing her daughter. >> i really think, all the way to the end, that she did. it that she was going to walk away. >> we the jury, return the unanimous verdict as fouls, guilty of first degree murder. >> she did not think she would hear what she heard. guilty. >> how did she look without verdict came? and >> all the life just dreamed out of her. like she's seen a ghost. >> across the aisle, her family was also stunned. and then furious. >> my daughter, who is the perfect victim of someone like jamere, has now been convicted of a murder that he convicted. >> of course, miss smith's family is still in pain too. we pray for them constantly. they have lost a child, so if we. >> nearly five years after that

verdict, shannon herself has a lot more to say. about jamere and about what happened the day denita died. coming up. i never knew that he had a girlfriend, had i known it would have never escalated to anything else. >> her very first interview. >> i don't know, jamere but the voice and the tapes does not sound like him. >> i don't know who else will be calling me nonstop, threatening to kill me, threatening the kill my children. it is him. it's all i can tell. you it is. him >> believe it or, not don't eat's mother has an apology for shannon. >> being the god fearing woman that i am, i know that was wrong. i never should've said it. >> when dateline continues. >> when dateline continues >> when dateline continues rollable body movements called tardive dyskinesia - td. and it can seem like that's all people see. some meds for mental health can cause abnormal dopamine

signaling in the brain. while how it works is not fully understood, ingrezza is thought to reduce that signaling. ingrezza is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with td movements in the face and body. people taking ingrezza can stay on their current dose of most mental health meds. don't take ingrezza if you're allergic to any of its ingredients. ingrezza may cause serious side effects, including sleepiness. don't drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how ingrezza affects you. other serious side effects include potential heart rhythm problems and abnormal movements. shift the focus more on you. ask your doctor about ingrezza. it's simple. one pill, once-daily. #1 prescribed for td. learn how you could pay as little as $0 at ingrezza.com it's a simple fact: nothing kills more germs on more surfaces than lysol spray. it's a simple fact: it even kills the covid-19 virus. science supports these simple facts. there's only one true lysol. lysol. what it takes to protect.

alright, guys, no insurance talk on beach day. -i'm down. -yes, please. [ chuckles ] don't get me wrong, i love my rv, but insuring it is such a hassle. same with my boat. the insurance bills are through the roof. -[ sighs ] -be cool. i wish i could group my insurance stuff. -[ coughs ] bundle. -the house, the car, the rv. like a cluster. an insurance cluster. -woosah. -[ chuckles ] -i doubt that exists. -it's a bundle! it's a bundle, and it saves you money! hi. i'm flo from progressive, and i couldn't help but overhear... super fun beach day, everybody. the north carolina correctional

institution for women, in raleigh, it's where you will find shannon crowley today, after weeks of discussions, she

finally agreed to talk to us behind bars. >> still not to late to say you don't want to do this. >> he went through a lot of trouble. >> as our cameras rolled, chanting 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. >> shannon cysts she had no idea that her boyfriend, jermeir, was also seen denita smith. >> i never knew that he had a girlfriend. had i known, i would've never given him my phone number. it wouldn't have ever escalated to anything else. >> she admits, it did escalate. >> we started off fairly normal, he would call nonstop. you can shop unannounced. he would want to know where i was and who i was with. he would leave messages, 30, 40

phone calls. >> why would you keep seeing a guy like that? >> i guess initially, i didn't really take it too seriously. i didn't think that he was really dangerous. he would mask it as concern. >> eventually, shannon became pregnant but said that her and jermeir and the relationship before she had an abortion. now her story slightly different from what she first told detectives. >> we talked about it, there were some complications. that's 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, it hit you very hard? >> no. >> that conversation never happened? >> no. one of the things that popped into my head coach based on my recent interactions wish and was maybe she had done something. >> shannon engineers when it

comes to the day -- said he forced right gunshot to take her to anita's apartment. >> he told me i was going with him, if i didn't, his exact words to me was you do after your kids, or your kids die for you. what is your choice? i knew he had his gun. >> after arriving at the complex shannon sticks by her story that jermeir went up to denita's a part mint. leaving her behind in the suv. i got to the sidewalk and i heard a shot. you think jermeir killed denita. >> what would be his motive? >> i don't know. >> if he didn't want to be with her anymore, they were married, they had no property or kids tomorrow he could've 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 acted in the spur of

the moment but i don't believe he decided to go out and shoot her. i believe he was after me. that was how he made me feel. >> when he left my house that day, i never expected to come back home. i honestly believe he was going to kill me. >> shannon says the investigation doesn't support her conviction. >> i don't feel there is any evidence that came conclusively say i shot and killed anyone. my dna is nowhere at the scene i have no fingerprints at the scene. i admit i was, there but i certainly didn't shoot anyone. >> shannon insists, on those phone calls are real and, they prove what she is saying. -- >> why doesn't it sound like jermeir on those tapes? >> i don't know. i know his, voice i know him. >> the jury doesn't believe.

>> it he testified 30 minutes in trial. by the time the recording more played, he had already testified. i don't know if they can know you remember his voice from there when he testified, to later on. >> i don't know jermeir, but the name on the tapes -- the voice on the tape does not sound like. him >> it's him. that's all i could say. i don't know who else will be calling nonstop, threatening to county, threatening to kill my children. >> the allegation is that nobody did and you faked all of that. >> how could i fake a phone call? >> well, you get some friends. >> i just don't know how i could -- >> just get them to call. >> and put my family through all of it? it wasn't just me. it was my children, my mother. >> as for shannon's story about the sexual assault outside her mother's house, she insists the police investigation was not done properly, and that the rape really happened. >> why wouldn't jermeir say dna be found. >> he's a police officer. he made sure his dna would not be.

found his cell phone records put him on the phone when he said the assault was going. and i don't believe he was ever talking to anyone on the phone. i know where he was that night. >> prosecutor david sachs says the rape allegation was thoroughly investigated and jermeir was cleared. he also said shannon could've taken a plea deal that got out of prison. as soon as the year 2020, her sentence now is life without parole. she has exhausted her appeals. her family still believe shannon is innocent, and hopes to find an independent expert who will confirm it was jermeir savoie's on the tape. the odds are that shannon will die in prison, after years, maybe decades to ponder on 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. it may have saved my children's lives. i wish that he would tell the truth, that's it. he created the situation, and it's completely his fault. i didn't kill her. i did. i have lost my life as well. >> and shannon sentencing in 2010, denita's mom sharon was allowed to speak. all that rage, soil, and pain just came pouring out. >> i hope you rotten hill. you took something from me. >> the one thing that i said, and i have since regret it, i never should've said it, is, that i hope you rot in hell. >> i don't think there is a person who is going to watch this, who doesn't think that is completely understandable. >> being the god parent -- god fearing woman that i am, i

know that was wrong. if i ever get the opportunity to talk to her, i will apologize to her one day. >> in fact, sharon had something even more remarkable to say to shannon. >> i do forgive her. >> how do you do that? >> i have to forgive her because, i want to forgive me, for whatever the sins that i may do. >> jermeir stroud was never charged in the case. 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 simmered or. and all of the investigative reports that she made against him. they say jermeir fully cooperated, and was completely exonerated. >> he didn't ask, pay, course,

anyone to do. this he didn't pull any triggers. >> and he didn't know was gonna happen? >> he didn't know. at the, end it comes down to the person pulls the trigger. >> on the campus of north carolina's central university, they still remember denita smith. in the journalism department where she made such an impact, the school newspaper office has been named in her honor. >> she has touched so many lives, from people who used to go to school with her and they would say, i still think about denita or i owe that to denita. that was part of her less -- legacy, that's the essence of her. >> who knows what denita smith would become. the dreams she would have fulfilled. a 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 better, or sad. denita is living spiritually. i don't have to worry about

shannon. i don't have to worry about jermeir. when i get -- when i lay down at night, love you, i get a peaceful sleep. i don't know if they do. o.

tonight on ""the mehdi hasan show,"" the senate awaits the final text of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, but even if it passes in the senate, is it good enough to win the support of house progressives? i'll ask congresswoman ilhan omar and janet schakowsky. plus, is this guy really going to be the next house speaker? >> i want you to watch nancy pelosi hand me that gavel. [ applause ] it will be hard not for me not to hit her with it. >> kevin mccarthy's spokesperson claims he was joking,