Dateline Presents: Something About Cari

Summary

Deadly Engagement: Dateline Presents "Something About Cari"

Host: NBC News
Episode Date: December 2, 2025
Theme:
This episode introduces a new Dateline podcast series that delves into the mysterious and tragic story of Denita Smith, a young woman on the brink of achieving her dreams whose life is cut short by a single, shocking act of violence. With haunting narration and first-hand accounts, the episode sets the stage for a deep exploration of obsession, betrayal, and a years-long investigation into a twisted crime.

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Episode Overview

The episode opens with a vivid, atmospheric retelling of the crime scene—a city park by the river, enveloped in darkness and secrecy. A mysterious shooting shakes the quiet, launching an investigation marked by confusion, heartbreak, and a trail of strange, interconnected crimes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crime Scene: An Ominous Introduction

• Atmospheric Setup:
  Keith Morrison introduces the episode with evocative imagery of city lights and the river, hinting at secrets about to surface.
  "As if those winking lights knew something, as if that hum was gossip... cities don't really know secrets or when something is about to happen. Though something certainly was any minute now." (00:09 – 00:27)

• The Incident:
  The peace is abruptly broken by a gunshot just after 6:30 pm. A wounded woman calls 911, her voice trembling with pain and confusion.

  • Quote:
    911 OPERATOR: "Are you in the park?"
    VICTIM: "Parking lots on the west hand side. I have a red Toyota and I'm laying next to it." (01:34-01:39)
  • The woman reports being shot through her thigh—a "through and through" wound. (01:55)

2. Immediate Aftermath & Police Response

• Victim’s Account:
  The wounded woman, a mother of two and housecleaning business owner, is confused but certain the shooter is gone.

  • Quote:
    "I don't think so. I kept on burning." (01:43)

• Key Clue:
  When asked if she saw the assailant, the victim replies:

  • Quote:
    DISPATCH: "Do you know if it's male or female?"
    VICTIM: "Or female." (03:20-03:22)
  • This detail—that the shooter was a woman—defies common expectations in gun violence cases.

• Search Effort:
  The response is massive: squad cars, police from both Iowa and Nebraska, and a helicopter with a spotlight scour the 150-football-field-sized park, but the shooter remains elusive. (02:47-03:10)

3. A Case of Escalating Threats & Complexity

• A Pattern Emerges:
  Morrison unpacks the broader context: before the shooting, there were years of escalating harassment, stalking, arson, and ultimately, murder.

  • "Here was harassment, stalking, assault, arson, and, of course, murder." (04:27-04:48)

• Investigator Frustration:
  Despite diligent efforts, investigators struggle to connect the dots in this highly unusual and elaborate case.

  • Quote:
    "Detective 101 rarely covers this sort of diabolical scheming... it went on and on and on for years." (04:55-05:10)

• Victim’s Fear:

  • Quote:
    "You're on edge as to what's going to happen next, until that night by the river." (05:16)

4. Breakthrough and Resolution

• The Turning Point:
  An arrest finally brings relief to the victim's family and investigators.
  • Quote:
    "The best part of it was being able to tell her, we've arrested somebody for the murder of your daughter. That was what made working this whole case worth it." (05:38-05:55)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Had you ever encountered a thing quite that elaborate before? No, nothing. Nothing like this. This is a unique case, to say the least." — Narration (04:12-04:25)
• "All I heard was 'open up, police.' And what was that like? Traumatizing. I was freaked out." — Direct victim account (04:48-04:55)
• "They shot off a couple shots. They only hit one, I think." — Incident witness (05:21-05:25)

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Important Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |----------------------------------|---------------| | Atmospheric opening narration | 00:00–01:20 | | 911 call, victim shot | 01:21–01:44 | | Victim describes attacker as female| 03:20–03:24 | | Police search and investigation begins| 02:47–03:35| | Growing pattern of harassment, stalking, and arson | 04:12–04:48 | | Breakthrough in the case, family notified | 05:27–05:55 |

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Takeaway

This gripping preview sets up the full story of a case rife with obsession and duplicity—a saga that challenges investigators and devastates families. The blend of first-person audio, evocative narration, and real police recordings pulls listeners into a real-life mystery that is as shocking as it is tragic. The full series promises a deeper dive into the twisted motives, investigative hurdles, and ultimate quest for justice in the case of Denita Smith.

For the next part of this story, listeners are invited to subscribe or listen for free.

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Transcript

[A]

Hello, I'm Keith Morrison from Dateline NBC. Here's a special preview of our new podcast, Something About Cary. The lights of the city skylines seemed to wink as they picked up the ripples on the river. And the muted hum of city sounds drifted across the Missouri to the Iowa side. As if those winking lights knew something, as if that hum was gossip. A jet plane descended to Epley Airfield. Broke the spell. Because of course, cities don't really know secrets or when something is about to happen. Though something certainly was any minute now. It was unusually mild for Midwest evening, so late in autumn. Snow was sparse and threadbare in the park on the Iowa side of the Missouri River. It was the first week of December in the year of our Lord 24, 2015. Just past 6:30pm quite dark now and then. No question what that was. It was followed by this.

[B]

911 emergency. Oh, yeah, I've been shot. Late.

[A]

It was a woman in pain, obviously. She told the 911 operator she had come to the park alone in her car.

[B]

Are you in the park?

[A]

Damn.

[B]

Parking lots on the west hand side. I have a red Toyota and I'm laying next to it. Okay. Is the assailant still nearby? I don't think so. I kept on burning. Okay, okay, okay. We're getting help started. Okay? Ma'. Am.

[A]

The woman said the bullet had gone clean through her thigh. In one side and out the other. Through and through is what first responders call that kind of wound, so a quick response would be crucial.

[B]

Is there any serious bleeding? Oh, my God. Oh, Jesus.

[A]

And the shooter or shooters? Long gone, said the woman.

[B]

You know who did it? No.

[A]

An attacker roaming free with a gun in a city park. Well, that gets some immediate attention. So the dispatcher quickly called in squad cars from the Council Bluffs, Iowa Police Department. Hold on.

[B]

I hope it's radio traffic. Okay, you're not gonna hear me for a second. Oh, Jesus.

[A]

An agency assist came from across the river. A helicopter from the Omaha PD was in the air with its spotlight scouring a city park the size of 150 football fields for any sign of a suspect. Back and forth it flew, looking for whoever had fired the shant. Looking essentially for a drop of water in a pitch black pond.

[B]

How many people were there? Oh, I don't know. I only heard one.

[A]

About whom the victim offered at least one clue.

[B]

Do you know if it's male or female? Or female.

[A]

The shooter was a woman. The fact that flew in the face of all those statistics that law enforcement collects about gun violence Some cars are.

[B]

Responding to the big lake area. We don't have DNA.

[A]

Information officers arrived. This is a recording from their dash cam.

[B]

Where'd you go? Who is it? Who is it?

[A]

I don't know. Asking their questions as the victim was bundled into an ambulance.

[B]

Did you run down the trail?

[A]

And why fire at this victim? An unassuming mother of two who'd made her living as the owner of a business that cleaned houses. She had just gone to get 5 minutes peace in a quiet place and got a bullet in the leg. She would live, by the way, with a shooter.

[B]

Okay, we need to know which way she went.

[A]

Yes. And? Well, we imagine them looking for a woman with a gun in the dark in that giant park by the river across from the hum of the city with its sparkling towers, a mystery as opaque as the night. Black river began finally to reveal itself in all its confounding weirdness. Had you ever encountered a thing quite that elaborate before? No, Nothing. Nothing like this. This is a unique case, to say the least. Here was harassment, stalking, assault, arson, and, of course, murder.

[B]

All I heard was, open up, police.

[A]

And what was that like? Traumatizing. I was freaked out. And of all the smart investigators who worked on the case, couldn't connect the dots. Well, perhaps it was understandable. Detective 101 rarely covers this sort of diabolical scheming. But whatever the reason, it went on and on and on for years. You're on edge as to what's going to happen next. Until that night by the river.

[B]

They shot off a couple of shots. They only hit one, I think.

[A]

This night.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

Finally, it began to make some sort of sense. The best part of it was being able to tell her, we've arrested somebody for the murder of your daughter. That was what made working this whole case worth it. I'm Keith Morrison. Thank you for listening. Search for something about Carrie to listen to the full episode now completely free. Or subscribe to Dateline Premium on Apple Podcasts. Subscribers get early access to new episodes and you can listen to all Dateline podcasts ad free.

[B]

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