confirmed smith was engaged to officer jermeir stroud. has been an officer with the greensboro police department for four years. the mere fact that he was her fiancÉ immediately made stroud a person of interest. jermeir insisted he knew nothing about who killed denita. >> jermeir was at home asleep because he had just worked a night shift the day before. >> reporter: so he was off duty? >> he was off duty. it's not unbelievable. it just makes it harder to rule him out. >> reporter: so there's no proof he was anywhere. >> except for the fact that his phone was at his house on his nightstand plugged in. >> reporter: but by all accounts, jermeir 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, jermeir headed back home to greensboro, his life changed forever. and then, two hours after the murder, detectives got a lead. >> durham 911, where is your emergency? >> at campus crossings apartments. >> reporter: they disco