Deadly Engagement - Ep. 6: A Command Performance

Summary

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Dateline Originals: "Deadly Engagement"

Episode 6: A Command Performance

Date: November 13, 2025
Host: Josh Mankiewicz, NBC News

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the gripping murder trial of Shannon Crawley, accused of killing Danita Smith in a tangled web of jealousy, deceit, and betrayal. With competing claims, scarce physical evidence, and the pivotal role of testimony and courtroom drama, the podcast unpacks how the case unfolded, culminating in the jury’s verdict and the lasting impact on the families involved.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The State of the Case and Competing Narratives

• Lack of Direct Evidence:
  • The prosecution's case is largely circumstantial, with little physical evidence tying Shannon Crawley to the murder scene (01:44).
  • Crawley’s DNA and fingerprints are not found at the crime scene (01:51).
• Competing Accusations:
  • Both Shannon Crawley and Jermier Stroud accuse each other; both claim innocence regarding who fired the fatal shot (01:04-01:38).

2. Jury Perception and Pre-trial Concerns

• Jury Sympathy and Stereotypes:

  • Prosecutors worry about Crawley’s presentation—her credible story and allegations of domestic violence—which may resonate with some jurors (02:00).
  • Likewise, they’re concerned about their key witness, Stroud, whose own actions (cheating, double life) could undermine his credibility (02:14).

• Potential Plea Deal:

  • The prosecutor leaves the decision of offering a plea deal to Danita’s mother, Sharon Smith, who declines, saying, "My daughter didn't get to plea for her life that morning. So, no, no plea" (03:18).

3. Opening Arguments and Witness Testimony

• Central Motive: Jealousy/Envy
  • Prosecutor David Sacks frames envy as the deadly sin at the case's core—Crawley's envy of Danita's life and fiancé, Jermier Stroud (06:00).

Key Witnesses:

• Sharon Smith (Victim's Mother):

  • Shares the loss and hopes for her daughter:
    • “Yes, it was a tragedy... but my daughter still lives on. I knew what she stood for. I knew what her drive, her energy. I knew that she was going places.” (07:16)

• Edith Kearns (Friend):

  • Describes confronting Crawley in court, noting her cold stare and lack of emotion (08:09).

• Michael Hedgepeth (Maintenance Man):

  • Recalls seeing a woman matching Crawley’s description sobbing in a burgundy SUV, but can't positively identify her (08:33, 09:05).

• Jermier Stroud’s Testimony:

  • Admits to cheating, acknowledges his role as a “catalyst,” but denies violence (10:02-11:00).
  • Described as “squirrely” on the stand, under immense pressure (10:45).

4. The Contested Evidence and Recordings

• Shift in Crawley's Story:

  • Initially describes Stroud as incapable of violence; later, after charges, alleges threats and violence (12:38).

• Controversial Audio Recordings:

  • Key defense evidence: Recordings said to implicate Stroud, but their authenticity is questioned (20:12).

  • When played in court, the jury and onlookers laugh at the obviously fake, high-pitched, whispered "confession" (21:08-22:28).

    “Even Shannon’s attorney said, that sounds like Michael Jackson, that high pitched voice. Jamir does not have a high pitched voice.”
    —Sharon Smith, (22:28)

    “It just had the whole appearance or the whole sound that she just made this up and it just came across like that. It just came across like a production, a very bad one, I might add.”
    —Reporter John McCann, (21:48)

• Backfire:

  • The tapes, designed to exonerate Crawley, end up hurting her defense and casting doubt on her credibility (22:56-23:10).

5. Defense’s Version and Closing Arguments (Day 10)

• Shannon Crawley’s Defense:

  • Portrays herself as abused, coerced by Stroud; claims he threatened her and her children, forced her to Durham, and committed the shooting (17:33-19:13).

    “Either your children die or you die for your children.”
    —Crawley recounting Stroud's alleged threat, (18:07)

  • Her mother and defense team believe she made a credible case, but even supporters sense skepticism from the jury (19:21-19:39).

• Prosecution’s Closing Argument:

  • Focuses on motive, means, and opportunity, emphasizing Crawley’s lies, purchase of a .38 caliber pistol, matching vehicle and uniform, and repeated deceptions (24:22-25:53).

    “The means was that .38 caliber pistols Shannon had purchased… two months before the murder.”
    —Josh Mankiewicz, (24:26)

    “Those tapes, more than anything else, revealed what he said was an essential truth about Shannon Crawley... They're so comical. They're obviously phony.”
    —Prosecutor David Sacks, (26:24)

6. The Verdict and Aftermath

• Jury Deliberations:

  • Jurors request to review evidence, notably the audio tapes. After hearing all five, consensus is that they are fake and damaging to Crawley’s case (29:37-30:55).

    “It really hurts worse when you have to go to the point you start faking evidence.”
    —Detective Sean Pate, (30:48)

• Verdict Announcement:

  • The jury finds Shannon Crawley guilty of first-degree murder (31:37-31:51). Her reaction is described as devastated and nearly lifeless (32:10).

    “Like all the life just drained out of her. Like she'd seen a ghost.”
    —Ann Crawley (32:10)

• Sharon Smith’s Statement:

  • Speaks directly to Crawley at sentencing, expressing her loss and anger (33:04).

    “You took my baby away from me. If it wasn't your place to do that, because you didn't give it to me … right now, I hope you rob him. You took something from him.”
    —Sharon Smith, (33:04)

• Judge Stevens’ Commentary:

  • Censures Jermier Stroud for causing a "perfect storm"—the circumstances that enabled the tragedy—even though he is not legally culpable for murder (33:41).

    “Jermier Stroud caused a perfect storm to happen and then walked away from it.”
    —Judge Stevens, (33:41)

• Life Sentence:

  • Shannon Crawley is sentenced to life without parole (33:58).

7. The Ripple Effects and Reflection

• Impact on Both Families:

  • Acknowledgement of pain on both sides: Danita’s family loses a daughter; Shannon’s children lose their mother (34:41-35:08).

    “One selfish act destroyed two families.”
    —Detective Sean Pate, (35:08)

• On Blame and Lasting Guilt:

  • While the jury holds Crawley responsible, many believe Stroud bears deep moral responsibility; both families share resentment and sorrow (35:41-36:10).

    “My belief is that Jamir is going to pay for this one day, and he's probably paying for it now, but he's going to pay for it.”
    —Sharon Smith, (36:10)

• Final Reflections from Danita’s Mom:

  • Sharon Smith finds peace, believing her daughter’s spirit lives on and that justice, legal or cosmic, will run its course (37:35).

    “Danita wouldn't want me to be sitting and being bitter or sad … when I lay down at night, I get a peaceful sleep. I don't know if they do.”
    —Sharon Smith, (37:35)

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Notable Quotes

| Time | Quote | Speaker | |--------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------| | 03:18 | "My daughter didn't get to plea for her life that morning. So, no, no plea." | Sharon Smith | | 06:30 | "You can always kind of guess maybe what snapped in her mind or what happened in her head, you know, to make her want to do this." | David Sacks | | 07:16 | "Yes, it was a tragedy ... but my daughter still lives on. I knew what she stood for." | Sharon Smith | | 21:48 | "It just came across like a production, a very bad one, I might add." | John McCann (reporter)| | 22:28 | "Even Shannon's attorney said, that sounds like Michael Jackson, that high pitched voice. Jamir does not have a high pitched voice." | Sharon Smith | | 30:48 | "It really hurts worse when you have to go to the point you start faking evidence." | Sean Pate | | 32:10 | "Like all the life just drained out of her. Like she'd seen a ghost." | Ann Crawley (Shannon's mom)| | 33:04 | "You took my baby away from me ... you didn't give it to me ... you took something from him." | Sharon Smith | | 35:08 | "One selfish act destroyed two families." | Sean Pate | | 37:35 | "Danita wouldn't want me to be sitting and being bitter or sad ... when I lay down at night, I get a peaceful sleep. I don't know if they do." | Sharon Smith |

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Important Timestamps

• 01:04-01:44 – Introduction of the circumstantial case and diverging narratives
• 03:15-03:27 – Sharon Smith on the plea deal
• 06:00-07:16 – Prosecutor’s opening: the role of envy and the victim's legacy
• 10:02-11:14 – Jermier Stroud testifies about his affair and its aftermath
• 17:33-19:13 – Shannon Crawley’s testimony describing Stroud’s alleged threats and the night of the murder
• 20:12-23:10 – Testimony and reaction to the audio tapes; the courtroom's disbelief and laughter
• 24:22-25:53 – Prosecution's closing focusing on lies, motive, means, and opportunity
• 29:37-30:55 – Jury reviews tapes, general agreement of hoax, hurt to defense
• 31:37-32:10 – Delivery of the verdict, emotional impact in the courtroom
• 33:04-33:41 – Sentencing: Sharon’s statement and the judge’s rebuke of Stroud
• 35:08-37:35 – Reflections on blame, the ripple effect, and moving toward peace

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Conclusion

“A Command Performance” details how a complex murder case with limited physical evidence ultimately relied on the power of testimony, courtroom performance, and the believability—or lack thereof—of key evidence. The fallout from the crime leaves two families shattered and raises lingering questions about ultimate responsibility, consequences, and the lasting cost of one selfish act. The episode deftly illustrates the ripple effects of tragedy and the poignant search for closure.

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Transcript

[Sharon Smith]

Hey, welcome into Walgreens.

[Mayra Amit]

Hi there.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Hey. All right, hon.

[Mayra Amit]

I'll grab the gift wrap cards and.

[Sharon Smith]

Oh, those stuffed animals the girls want.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Great.

[Sean Pate]

And I'll grab the string lights and some. How about I grab some cough drops?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

This is not just a quick trip to Walgreens.

[Sharon Smith]

I'm fine, honey.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Well, just in case.

[Sean Pate]

You know what they say.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

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[Mayra Amit]

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[Josh Mankiewicz]

Danita Smith had been in her grave more than three years by the time her accused killer finally went on trial. During that time, investigators had heard several versions of a similar story. In all of them, Danita was murdered in the last act. Other than that, the stories of Shannon Crawley and Jermier Stroud diverged. Each said the other was to blame. Who pulled the trigger? That depends on who you ask. There were multiple theories, but little physical evidence explaining exactly what had happened.

[Sharon Smith]

It's all circumstantial.

[David Sacks]

Yeah.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

All circumstance that, of course, worked to Shannon Crawley's advantage.

[Sharon Smith]

My DNA is nowhere at the scene of the crime. Nowhere. There's no fingerprints.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Detail alone made some people very nervous.

[Sean Pate]

She was a convincing speaker. And she was alleging some part of domestic violence. And if there was anyone on the jury that had any experience with domestic violence, would it be believable? She didn't look the part.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

I mean, she tells a credible story. On top of that, prosecutors worried what a jury would think of their key witness. The two timing cop whose behavior felt like a catalyst for all of this. How would he perform on the stand and under pressure?

[David Sacks]

His facial expressions, the way he would say things, Eye contact or lack thereof. The way he would shift. I would tell him he comes across squirrely sometimes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

As a result, there was talk of a deal. If the case went to trial, Shannon risked a life sentence. A guilty plea to a lesser charge might allow the 30 year old mother of two to emerge from state prison in time to dance at her children's weddings. The prosecutor left that decision up to Danita's mom, Sharon Smith. Shannon was offered a plea deal at one point. Were you consulted about that?

[Sharon Smith]

Mm.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

What'd you say? No, don't let her off.

[Sharon Smith]

Uh, in fact, my words were my daughter didn't get to plea for her life that morning. So, no, no plea.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Actually, it didn't matter because Shannon decided she'd rather take her chances in front of a jury.

[Sharon Smith]

The truth is the truth, and I know I did not shoot and kill.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Anyone in this episode, you'll hear from people who witnessed the courtroom drama as it unfolded in February 2010.

[David Sacks]

The whole trial was basically us saying that Shannon Crawley committed this murder, and the defense saying, Jermier Stroud did this murder.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You'll hear what Shannon Crawley and Jermier Stroud said under oath while seated just feet from one another.

[Sean Pate]

And one of the things that popped in my head was that maybe she had done something.

[Sharon Smith]

I didn't know what he had done, and I didn't know what he was going to do to me.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You'll hear how those in the courtroom responded to one piece of evidence that some had thought unimpeachable.

[Sharon Smith]

Everybody laughed. Everybody laughed.

[Sean Pate]

The jury laughed. It was so bad that her defense attorney had to bring up how bad it was.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And we will take you to the trial's final seconds for the dramatic moment when jurors announced their verdict. I just remember sitting down. They had the doors of the courtroom locked, and I remember sitting down, my hands on my face. I'm Josh Mankiewicz and this is Deadly Engagement, a podcast from Dateline. Episode six, a command performance. On the morning of February 10, 2010, 12 jurors and four alternates assembled in the dirt Durham County Courthouse for the first day of Shannon Crawley's murder trial. In the front row, a few feet away from them, sat Danita Smith's family, each wearing a pin with Danita's picture on it. To their left, on an elevated perch, was a distinguished white haired man, Judge Ronald Stevens.

[Sean Pate]

I was there from gavel to gavel.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's the Voice of John McCann, who covered the trial for the Durham Herald.

[Sharon Smith]

Son, we're talking about a murder here. So the tone was definitely, you know, somber. Shannon's family here, and, you know, you.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Got Danita's people on the other side.

[Sharon Smith]

So it was, you know, tense is a good word for it.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Shortly before noon, prosecutor David Sacks rose and walked to the center of the blonde wood paneled courtroom to begin his opening statement. He told the jury how one of the seven deadly sins was at the heart of this case. That Sin, he said, was envy. Because Shannon Crawley envied Danita's life. She envied Danita's future, and she wanted Danita's. Man.

[David Sacks]

You can always kind of guess maybe what snapped in her mind or what happened in her head, you know, to make her want to do this.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's prosecutor David Sacks.

[David Sacks]

For whatever reason, she couldn't handle this situation between Jameer and Danita. And to resort to this just, to me, speaks of desperation. And whether that's against Danita or against Jameer or both, whatever way, she just couldn't handle it.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The prosecutor called Danita's mom, Sharon Smith, as his first witness. Clasping a large photograph of her late daughter, Sharon told the jury who Danita was and what she'd planned to do with the life that was so suddenly cut short.

[Sharon Smith]

Yes, it was a tragedy. And, yes, I lost my daughter, but my daughter still lives on. I knew what she stood for. I knew what her drive, her energy. I knew that she was going places.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Next, several former NCCU students took the stand to talk about Danita and the day she died. Danita's best friend, Edith Kearns, was one of them.

[Sharon Smith]

It was scary. It was unreal, because that's not something that I was expecting to be called about or participate in.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And when you testify, Shannon Crawley's sitting right there. Yes. Now, you had to look at this woman. Yes.

[Sharon Smith]

Yes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

What'd you see? What'd you think?

[Sharon Smith]

I felt sad. I felt angry because I was looking at the face of the person who hurt my friend. And I just saw, like, a cold stare. Almost seemed like no emotion was behind it. And that's what I saw when I looked at her.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

On the second day of the trial, the prosecution moved into the meat of its case. The next witness was Michael Hedgepeth. He's the apartment complex maintenance man who says he encountered a woman fitting Shannon Crawley's description driving a burgundy SUV in the area shortly after he heard a gunshot. No, look, young lady, that stays over here, she heard, too, and she, like, upset and shaking and stuff like that.

[Sean Pate]

So.

[Sharon Smith]

Okay, we'll have someone out as soon as possible.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Though Hedgepeth testified how he remembered the woman in the SUV was sobbing when he saw her. He also said on the stand that he could not identify Shannon Crawley as the woman he'd seen either at the time or right then in the courtroom.

[David Sacks]

You certainly want any piece of evidence you can get. And so I would have loved for him to say, yes, that's her. That's the lady I saw.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You know, Leaving prosecutor David Sacks again.

[David Sacks]

But what we liked was the stuff that he did remember. He was very positive about the vehicle. He said, yep, that's the vehicle that I saw. And he remembers her wearing some kind of uniform, kind of shirt.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

After the state's forensic pathologist told the jury about her autopsy of Danita Smith's body and the bullet recovered from her skull, the prosecutor called his key witness to the stand. And that was Jermir Stroud.

[Sean Pate]

I kind of thought selfishly, Danita had some personal things going on.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Wearing a tan jacket, a white shirt, and a salmon colored tie, Jermier Stroud placed his hand on a Bible and swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, even if his mortifying truth was that he cheated on his fiance and that his cheating led directly to her murder.

[Sean Pate]

And one of the things that popped in my head based on my recent interactions with Shannon, was that maybe she.

[David Sacks]

Had done something Jameer did. Well, he did about as I expected.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Prosecutor David Sacks, again, go back to.

[David Sacks]

That word I had used before, squirrely. You know, he kind of comes up. So part of it was I knew what to expect.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

I mean, this was really kind of a command performance for Jameer, because although he's not on trial there, his sort of reputation and maybe his job and career.

[Sean Pate]

That's true.

[David Sacks]

I think that's true. I think that is true. I do know that he was under a lot of pressure and a lot of stress.

[Sean Pate]

It's possible, but I don't recall the amount of times I called. He did a lot better than I thought he was going to do.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's lead detective Sean Pate.

[Sean Pate]

He knew how important it was. We talked to him. There is no trying to save face here. The story is out. There's no way you come out looking good. They already think bad of you anyway.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Everybody already thinks you're a scoundrel who cheated on his fiance.

[Sean Pate]

Leva actually told them there's no way that their opinion can get any worse.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Just do what's right and take the hit.

[Sean Pate]

Take the hit.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The prosecutor rounded out his case with a parade of investigators, Detective Pate chief among them. Pete told the court how Shannon had lied from day one of his investigation about never having been to Durham, about never having owned a gun, and about her shifting descriptions of Jermier Stroud. At first, he was someone she described as incapable of violence in that initial police interview. By the time of their last interview, Shannon described Jermir as someone who repeatedly threatened to kill Shannon and her children.

[Sean Pate]

What was that like it's not as nerve wracking as I really thought it was going to be because at that point I had asked and answered the questions so many times.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The prosecutor's final witness was Charlotte Detective Pam Zencon. You'll remember she investigated the alleged rape in which Shannon accused Jermier.

[David Sacks]

Mr. Stroud, this is Detective Zencon with Charlotte Megburn, Police Department.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Detective Zencon told the court she'd been on the rape investigation from the beginning. She talked with Shannon at the hospital soon after it was reported and she later interviewed Jermir multiple times.

[Sean Pate]

Hello.

[Sharon Smith]

Hi, Jameer. Hi. Hi.

[David Sacks]

This is Detective Zen Khan.

[Sharon Smith]

Pam Zencon.

[David Sacks]

How you doing?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

According to Zen Khan, both Jameer's work records and his cell phone records supported his alibi for that night. Then under further questioning, she related how the day after the alleged rape, Shannon had asked her if investigators had found the knife she claimed Jermir had used when raping her. When the detective told Shannon the knife had not been found, she said Shannon suggested the cops search Jermir's trash can. And before police could go looking for the knife, she said Jermir Stroud had called to tell her he just found a knife in his trash can. What kind of blade was it?

[Sharon Smith]

Can you describe the blade? It was. I don't know, it was at least like a 4 inch blade.

[David Sacks]

When the knife is found in his garbage can that Shannon puts us onto the day after she's raped. I don't know that Jamir really had to say anything else. I mean, it seemed obvious not only who was stalking whom, but who was trying to frame who at that point.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The prosecutor rested his case after that bit of testimony. Perhaps with the intention of allowing the knife story to marinate in jurors minds overnight. Even so, prosecutor Sachs was far from done. The next day, Shannon Crawley was set to take the stand in her own defense. And Sachs had a surprise waiting for her.

[Sharon Smith]

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[Sharon Smith]

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[Josh Mankiewicz]

On day 10 of Shannon Crawley's murder trial, defense attorney C. Scott Holmes presented his case after questioning three witnesses who said they had heard Shannon complain about being harassed by Jermier Stroud. Holmes called his star witness and his best hope for an acquittal, his client, Shannon Crawley.

[Sean Pate]

She presented herself well. She's a good looking lady. And when she spoke, she spoke to the jury.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's Durham Detective Sean Pate.

[Sean Pate]

When she was answering a question from a prosecutor or defense attorney, she looked toward the jury and spoke with them open.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Demurely dressed in a white cable knit pullover, Shannon told the story she had first told Detective Pate three years earlier, the one that began on January 3rd, the day before Danita Smith's murder. That was the day she said Jermier Stroud entered her home uninvited and demanded Shannon take a ride with him.

[Sharon Smith]

I did not know where we were going at the time, though.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That road trip lasted several hours and included stops at an apartment complex and an office park in Durham. Shannon told the court Jermir never told her what that drive was all about. Later that day, at around midnight, Shannon said Jermir came to her house again. Again he entered uninvited and insisted they once again rehash what had gone wrong with their love affair.

[Sharon Smith]

We talked all night, about five in the morning or so he said that he again wanted me to go with him. And he said, I'll make it real simple. Either your children die or you die for your children.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

According to Shannon, it was under that threat of death for her and her kids that she once again drove with Jermier Stroud to Durham. It was on this trip, she said, that Jermier Stroud got out of her car and ran up the stairs of one of the apartment buildings.

[Sharon Smith]

And I heard him arguing, him yelling at someone. I couldn't really hear what was going on. Then I heard a woman arguing back.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

It was then Shannon said that she heard a gunshot.

[Sharon Smith]

Seconds later, he was running out past me from the breezeway and was shoving the gun down in his waist.

[David Sacks]

Did it seem odd or strange to you when he started climbing behind the backseat of the vehicle when you were leaving?

[Sharon Smith]

Yes.

[Sean Pate]

Okay.

[David Sacks]

What were you thinking then?

[Sharon Smith]

I didn't know what he had done, and I didn't know what he was going to do to me.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

When she testified, how'd you think she did?

[Sharon Smith]

I think she did okay.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's Shannon's mom, Anne Crawley. Did you look at the jury? I mean, could you tell whether the testimony was working?

[Sharon Smith]

Yeah. You know, you look. You can't tell.

[Sean Pate]

I believe she thought that she could sell it. I was worried that she could sell it.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And that's Detective Sean Pate.

[Sean Pate]

She had an answer for almost every question. They were the same answers we've heard before, and they had to be, otherwise they would be pointed out.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So the story that Shannon told about Jameer threatening her life, that's the story she told in court?

[Sean Pate]

Exactly.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Under cross examination, Shannon mentioned, almost as an aside, that Jermir had called her while she was out on bond and awaiting trial. You called?

[Sharon Smith]

I know.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

It was only a brief exchange, but in that moment, the prosecutor looked like a robin eyeing a worm. The defense had elected not to use the recordings Shannon had made. Now, by testifying that Jermir had called her, Shannon had opened the door for the prosecutor to play those recordings for the jury. Did you believe any of those tapes were legitimate?

[David Sacks]

Not after I heard them.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Prosecutor David Sacks. You end up playing those tapes at trial even though they're a defense exhibit?

[David Sacks]

Yes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Because. Because why? They show her to be deceptive?

[David Sacks]

Yes, I believe they do. I believe they do.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Remember, these are tapes that, if considered credible, would have been the smoking gun that implicated Jameer and exonerated Shannon.

[David Sacks]

Let's find out.

[Sharon Smith]

I shot her, man.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's life right there.

[Sharon Smith]

What about me? I know, but you got a better shot than me.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

I already lied. For the sake of comparison. This is how Jermier Stroud sounded on the stand.

[Sean Pate]

And one of the things that popped in my head was that maybe she had done something.

[Sharon Smith]

Now I've heard Jameer speak. I've heard him testify. That ain't Jameer.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

For newspaper reporter John McCann, the airy whisper coming from that boombox made the voice he'd heard from Jermir days earlier seem as rich and resonant as a professional announcer.

[Sharon Smith]

I don't know who it was in Old State was. It wasn't Jameer. It just had the whole appearance or the whole sound that she just made this up and it just came across like that. It just came across like a production, a very bad one, I might add.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

McCann was not the only one in court who thought so. Spectators in the gallery laughed. Jurors giggled. It was precisely the opposite reaction Shannon Crawley must have been hoping for.

[Sharon Smith]

Everybody laugh. Everybody laughed.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That is Danita's mom, Sharon.

[Sharon Smith]

Even Shannon's attorney said, that sounds like Michael Jackson, that high pitched voice. Jamir does not have a high pitched voice.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The only people in the courtroom who seem to think the male voice on Shannon's recording sounded like Jermier Stroud were all named Crawley. Shannon's parents said they could not understand what it was that others found so amusing about a cop confessing to murder.

[Sharon Smith]

The hardest thing for me is that knowing my child and knowing that no one believes her, that's difficult. It's difficult to accept.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Why doesn't that sound like Jermir on the tapes?

[Sharon Smith]

He whispered. Yeah, I don't think he's dumb. He whispered.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

He's disguising his voice. Disguising his voice?

[Sharon Smith]

Yes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In closing arguments, Shannon's defense attorney asked jurors to put themselves in Shannon Crawley's shoes. A single mom who'd fallen into an abusive relationship with a conniving and manipulative man.

[Sharon Smith]

It's important, I think, to try to.

[David Sacks]

See the world from the eyes of Shannon. On the days that led up to.

[Sharon Smith]

And the day that this happened.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Holmes argued the prosecution's case against Shannon Crawley was the result of a rush to judgment. Police, he said, did not do enough to investigate Jermier Stroud. They did not check his hands for gunshot residue on the day of the murder. They did not search his car or his home. When prosecutor David Sacks delivered his closing argument, he said only that Shannon had the motive, the means, and the opportunity to murder Danita Smith ends up coming.

[David Sacks]

Up behind her and shaking her back again.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The motive, he said, was jealousy. The means was that.38 caliber pistols Shannon had purchased from a co worker two months before the murder. Shannon clearly had the opportunity since even she admitted being at Danita Smith's apartment complex on the morning she died. And even though the maintenance man, Michael Hedgepeth, could not say Shannon Crawley was the woman he'd spoken with moments after hearing a gunshot, Sachs reminded the jury Hedgepeth had remembered the burgundy suv. He had remembered that the woman wore a grayish green uniform shirt with red in the patch on the sleeve. That description had matched a shirt later found in Shannon Crawley's closet. Then Sachs recounted the times Shannon had lied to police. The claim that she'd never been to Durham, never owned a firearm. The lie she'd told about being late to work that morning because she'd taken one of her children to a doctor's appointment. The prosecutor could have stopped there, except he couldn't resist circling back one last time to the evidence Shannon herself had brought to this case. Those audio recordings she had made, the ones that had made the jurors snicker.

[David Sacks]

You heard Jameer testify, and you heard the tapes. Does anybody really believe that that's Jameer talking on these tapes? Does anybody truly believe that that makes any kind of sense? That somebody who did the things that she's saying Jameer did would call and say those kinds of things, basically just confess and admit to killing Danita?

[Mayra Amit]

No.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

For the prosecutor, those tapes, more than anything else, revealed what he said was an essential truth about Shannon Crawley.

[Sharon Smith]

What do you expect me to say, Jameer?

[David Sacks]

They're so comical. They're obviously phony. And I think it goes to show what was going on. This wasn't something that we intercepted on it. She brought to us saying, this shows that I'm telling you the truth. And I wanted them to hear it because hoping and believing they would have the same reaction I did when they hear it, that it was comical and obviously phony.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

A little after 3pm on a Friday afternoon, the jury got the case. All rise. They deliberated for two hours before the judge sent them home with instructions not to discuss the case, avoid all news reports about it, and to be back on Monday morning. For Shannon Crawley and her family, it was the beginning of an agonizing weekend of wondering if it would be the last they would spend together.

[Mayra Amit]

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[David Sacks]

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[Sean Pate]

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[David Sacks]

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[David Sacks]

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[Josh Mankiewicz]

It was clear once jurors gathered to deliberate on Monday, February 22, 2010, that most of them had spent the weekend thinking about the case. Late in the morning, they sent a note to the judge asking to review several pieces of evidence. Shannon's cell phone records, photos of Shannon's home and suv. And they also wanted to hear more of Shannon's audio recordings, the ones she had purportedly recorded while talking with Jermier Stroud on the phone.

[Sharon Smith]

You know I already got it with the murder one.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Think I can't do it again?

[Sharon Smith]

I'm sure you can. Someone like you, I'm sure.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Although only one of the recordings had been played during the trial, the judge granted the jury's request over the objection of Shannon's defense attorney. So after they retook their seats in the jury box, prosecutor David Sacks played the five audio tapes Shannon had turned over to him years earlier, tapes she had once believed would be the evidence that would set her free.

[Sharon Smith]

What about Thursday? I mean, I heard you arguing. What was that about?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Me?

[Sharon Smith]

What about me? She didn't even know me, and I didn't know her. She found out about you. So that was the argument.

[Sean Pate]

It sounded like she was more in charge of the conversation. And why is the other party whispering?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Detective Sean Pate was in court when those recordings were played. You think Shannon faked those Tapes.

[Sean Pate]

I have no doubt. Everybody in that room thought it was.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

She faked the tapes. And it didn't help her?

[Sean Pate]

Not at all.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In fact, it sounds like it probably hurt her.

[Sean Pate]

That's what I was gonna say. It really hurts worse when you have to go to the point you start faking evidence.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

After breaking for lunch, the jury returned to the deliberation room and then sent word that they had reached a verdict. Once the jury had filed back into the courtroom and taken their seats, Judge Stevens explained, accepted their verdict form without fanfare or ceremony. Shannon, wearing black on this day, remained seated. She did turn to the gallery, apparently looking for her mom's face.

[Sharon Smith]

I think my heart stopped.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Shannon's mom, Ann, before the verdict came.

[Sharon Smith]

She turned around and she mouthed, I love you.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And you said the same thing? Yeah. Did you have a sense of how it was going to go?

[Sharon Smith]

No. I felt that she would be found not guilty. I believe that. We, the jury, return the unanimous verdict as follows. Guilty of first degree murder.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In her chair, Shannon Crawley swayed slightly, as if rocked by the words. She said nothing to her attorney, and when deputies led her from the courtroom, she looked straight ahead. How'd she look when that verdict came down?

[Sharon Smith]

Like all the life just drained out of her. Like she'd seen a ghost.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In that instant, Danita's mom, Sharon, realized a solemn truth. One the families of murder victims can only learn the hard way. You get any satisfaction watching her led away to prison?

[David Sacks]

No.

[Sharon Smith]

Because it's not bringing Danita back. I thought I would feel different. I didn't. All right, we're gonna be in recess for 15 minutes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

During the short break, the judge thanked the jury for their service and dismissed them. Then Shannon was returned to the courtroom for formal sentencing. It was then that Sharon Smith was allowed to speak directly to to the woman now convicted of murdering her daughter.

[Sharon Smith]

You took my baby away from me. If it wasn't your place to do that, because you didn't give it to me. And right now, I hope you rob him. You took something from him.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

When offered a chance to speak, Shannon Crawley said nothing. Then, before announcing her sentence, Judge Stevens had this to say about the man at the center of this hurricane of passion and madness. A man who was not present in the courtroom that day. The judge said, quote, jermier Stroud caused a perfect storm to happen and then walked away from it, Unquote. With that, said, the judge sentenced Shannon Crawley to life without parole. Moments later, the Crawley family spoke with reporters in a crowded hallway outside the courtroom.

[Sharon Smith]

And now my daughter, who is the perfect victim. The perfect victim for someone like Jamir Stroud has now been convicted for a murder he committed.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The greatest crimes, it is said, are crimes of injustice. Crimes where in the eyes of the beholder, at least the guilty are excused and the innocent punished. In this case, there was plenty of pain to go around.

[Sean Pate]

I mean, when mom's not to going ever again, and this other mom loses her child too.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Detective Sean Pate.

[Sean Pate]

In Shannon's case, her family lost a daughter as well, and two kids lost a mom. So while I was pleased for Danita's family, you know, I still looked at Shannon's family and I felt their pain as well.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Murders don't happen in a vacuum.

[Sean Pate]

They don't.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

There's always a big ripple effect.

[Sean Pate]

One selfish act destroyed two families.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And the guilty party in this morality play. A jury had said it was Shannon. And what about Jermir? If the Smiths and the Crawleys agree on anything, it's probably that both families would be whole today if not for the man they had in common, Jermier Stroud. The judge said Jermir created the perfect storm for this to happen.

[David Sacks]

Right, Right, right. That's right. And I remember having that thought, thinking.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Yes, but prosecutor David Sachs, I agree.

[David Sacks]

With the judge that, yes, I think he did create the storm, and he created the circumstances that led to Danita's death. But he's not responsible. At the end, it comes down to the person who pulls that trigger.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

True enough. Perhaps in the eyes of the law, for Sharon Smith, there is still a cosmic account, one yet to be squared.

[Sharon Smith]

I do know that. My belief is that Jamir is going to pay for this one day, and he's probably paying for it now, but he's going to pay for it.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Call it karma or conscience or the universal law of what goes around comes around. The idea is that the culpable must summon bear the burden of their choices.

[Sharon Smith]

Well, I'm not gonna put it and say he'll be judged.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Danita Smith's friend, Edith Kearns.

[Sharon Smith]

What I do believe is that when situations like that happen, your conscience or your mind and your heart, you're dealing with these things. So I feel like that's something that's always gonna be on the inside and that, you know, he will be dealing with. And so I can imagine that's a difficult burden to bear.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Jermere Stroud now lives in another state and is the married father of two. He declined to speak with us for this podcast. Had she lived, Danita Smith would now be in her mid-40s. Who knows what kind of career she might have had, what kind of mother she might have become. Her mother. Sharon has made peace with all of that and moved on with her life. It's what she says Danita would have wanted her to do.

[Sharon Smith]

Danita wouldn't want me to be sitting and being bitter or sad. Danita's not with me physically, but she with me spiritually. I don't have to worry about Shannon. I don't have to worry about Jamir, because when I lay down at night, I get a peaceful sleep. I don't know if they do.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

This podcast is a production of Dateline and NBC News. Tim Beacham is the producer, Marshall Housefeld, Brian Drew, Deb Brown and Billy Ray are audio editors, Kimberly Flores Gaynor is associate producer, Adam Gorfayne is co executive producer, Paul Ryan is executive producer and Liz Cole is senior executive producer from NBC News. Audio sound Mixing By Rich Cutler Bryson Barnes is head of all audio production businesses that are selling through the roof like Untuck It. Make selling and for shoppers buying simple with Shopify, home of the number one checkout on the planet, and with shop Pay, you can boost conversions up to 50%. Businesses that sell more sell on Shopify, upgrade your business and get the same checkout Untuck it uses. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com podcast free. All lowercase go to shopify.com podcastfree to upgrade your selling today.