Dateline Originals: "Deadly Engagement" - Ep. 2: He Said, She Said

Original Air Date: November 13, 2025
Podcast Host: NBC News
Episode Focus: The investigation into the murder of Danita Smith, centering on her fiancé, Jermir Stroud, and his ex-lover, Shannon Crawley.

Overview of the Episode

This episode dives deeper into the aftermath of Danita Smith’s tragic death, focusing on the tangled relationships and emotional fallout between her fiancé, Jermir Stroud, and Shannon Crawley, the woman from his past. Detective Sean Pate leads listeners through the evolving police investigation, unraveling a web of secrets, conflicting statements, and accusations. The narrative explores how "he said, she said" stories from Jermir and Shannon come under scrutiny as detectives seek to distinguish lies from truth and pinpoint motive, means, and opportunity in a headline-grabbing love triangle.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Double Life: Setting the Stage

• Jermir Stroud, Danita's fiancé, is brought in for questioning roughly 30 hours after her death. He immediately agrees to talk with detectives without a lawyer and is cooperative.
• The idea of leading a "double life" and the inevitable consequences is highlighted:
  • Detective Sean Pate: "Some stories are written before the first keystroke, as if the ending were a foregone conclusion... That’s particularly true of those stories in which a man or woman attempts to live a double life." (00:30)

2. Jermir’s Account: The Affair and Its Fallout

• Jermir admits to knowing Shannon Crawley, a 911 operator, and details their affair, which began around 2004 while he was already with Danita.
• The relationship escalates, resulting in Shannon's pregnancy in late 2005, followed by an abortion in early 2006. The affair ends soon after.
  • Interviewer/Reporter: "When Shannon said, 'Jermir, I'm pregnant. What are we gonna do?' He said, 'I don't wanna have a baby with you.' He told me that’s how he said it." (05:33)
  • After the breakup, Jermir claims little contact with Shannon until she moves into his neighborhood and joins his church, raising suspicions.

3. Shannon Emerges as a Suspect

• Jermir immediately names Shannon as someone who might bear a grudge, describing her as "dangerous, unpredictable, violent." (09:22)
• Shannon, when questioned, presents herself as calm and cooperative, but the detectives note inconsistencies.
• She files an internal affairs complaint against Jermir, accusing him of stalking her, which becomes a recurring contention point in the investigation.

4. Contradictions in Shannon’s Story

• Shannon claims never to have owned a gun and provides an alibi for the time of the murder (being at a doctor's appointment with a child).
• A coworker, Ronnie, contradicts her claim about firearms, saying she asked to buy a gun months before the murder and sold her a .38 caliber Taurus revolver with hollow point ammunition.
  • Ronnie’s Report: "She said something about fearing for her safety and... 'Do you have a gun I can buy?'" (15:09)

5. The Evidence Mounts

• Gunshot residue is found on Shannon’s vehicle (steering wheel, driver’s seat), though she is a civilian employee and would not be exposed to firearms in her line of work.
• Her statements about her whereabouts, ownership of a gun, and never visiting Durham are all disproved by evidence and records:
  • Interviewer/Reporter: "Nothing is adding up. Actually, almost every single fact that she gave me turned out to be a lie." (23:07)

6. The Love Triangle and Motive

• Detective Pate explores the nuance of Jermir’s emotional connections, including a 12-hour call with Shannon after their breakup, prompted by his church retreat.
• Detectives ponder whether Jermir’s continued support and contact gave Shannon false hope, possibly fueling a motive for violence.
  • Detective Sean Pate: "Men are always better at starting relationships than ending them. And like multitudes of men before him, Jermir Stroud was no match for a woman's tears." (28:17)

7. Suspicion Remains on Both Sides

• While evidence piles against Shannon, detectives remain suspicious of Jermir—whether through passivity or collusion, was he involved in Danita's murder?
  • Detective Sean Pate: "That bit about never owning a gun. Not true. If the coworker who said he sold her a gun was to be believed... And as for having never been to Durham, well, cell phone records show... she or her cell phone had been in Durham the day before Danita Smith was murdered." (22:35)
• Jermir is characterized as evasive, offering up facts only when specifically prompted, raising questions about the full extent of his knowledge and involvement.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Detective Sean Pate: "The beginnings of stories like that are as easy as sliding between satin sheets. That's when those lies of omission are tiny ones, when dishonest acts can go unnoticed." (01:29)
• Interviewer/Reporter: "When we mentioned Danita, his head dropped... And the shame in his eyes was there for everyone to see. Everyone to see." (08:06)
• Detective Sean Pate (on Shannon’s gun claim): "In my mind I'm thinking, you know, wait a minute, I just finished an interview with her five minutes ago and she told me I never owned a gun." (16:01)
• Interviewer/Reporter (regarding Jermir’s interactions with Shannon): "As long as you keep doing all the things that a boyfriend would do, then in her mind, she still has a chance." (29:30)
• Detective Sean Pate: "Why not tell it all? Why indeed? That question nagged at Detective Sean Pate." (31:54)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Key Point | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:29 | Detective interviews Jermir – the story of the affair begins | | 05:16 | Jermir discusses Shannon's pregnancy and their breakup | | 07:05 | Shannon moves into Jermir’s neighborhood and joins his church | | 09:22 | Jermir characterizes Shannon as potentially violent | | 10:03 | Shannon accused Jermir of stalking – files complaint | | 12:13 | Shannon questioned about the murder; claims innocent, provides alibi | | 15:09 | Coworker reveals he sold Shannon a gun | | 21:42 | Gunshot residue tests on Shannon’s vehicle | | 22:35 | Detective summarizes evidence undermining Shannon’s statements | | 26:17 | Second interview with Jermir—exploration of the emotional after-effects | | 30:24 | Detective considers if Jermir was a collaborator or simply complicit through neglect | | 32:15 | Interviewer/Reporter: "If you're not telling the 100 truth, it's a lie." |

Tone and Language

The episode maintains the signature Dateline tone: suspenseful, slightly noir, and laden with dramatic pauses and evocative descriptions. Detective Sean Pate is reflective and methodical, while the interviewers offer candid, emotional reactions to each new revelation.

Summary Conclusion

Episode two of "Deadly Engagement" skillfully peels back the layers of a deadly love triangle and the tragic consequences of secrets and lies. Through interview tapes, detailed narration, and firsthand accounts, listeners are left questioning where the truth really lies—with Danita’s grieving fiancé, his jealous ex-lover, or somewhere in between. The episode sets the stage for further revelations as the investigation intensifies, underscoring both the emotional complexity and procedural rigor that define classic Dateline storytelling.

Listen for:

• The slow unraveling of each suspect's story
• Tension as new evidence is uncovered and inconsistencies emerge
• The emotional weight carried by both investigators and those left behind

As Detective Pate prepares to confront Jermir Stroud a second time, the lines between victim, perpetrator, and bystander remain hauntingly blurred.