Page 10 - Assistant Da News Today

>> reporter: this is what? one big conspiracy? >> i hate to make it sound like that. >> it sounds like it. it sounds like it. >> reporter: assistant d.a. david saacks says the rape was properly investigated and seemed to be nothing more than a hoax. which also, for him, finally answered that lingering question of who was stalking whom. >> everything was pointing to her and the only thing that was pointing to jermeir was that he was in this affair with shannon. i do not believe he was involved in...

That camera app, so useful. >> well, we learned that they had conducted surveillance at ashleas apartment weeks before that. they had a picture of her apartment. her actual door to her apartment, and they had pictures of her vehicle, the white dodge ram pickup. >> reporter: in early december, 2014, carter cervantez and david mallory were arrested and charged with the murder of ashlea harris. cold comfort for ashleas sister. >> its just such a loss and its so pointless. i just dont understand how...

Where jermeir stroud still lived and worked for the police department. one night in july 2007, around shannon says she took her dog for a walk in the backyard. >> she came crawling into my bedroom, hysterical. and im asking, "whats wrong? whats wrong?" >> reporter: shannon told her mother she had been raped. who did she say had raped her? >> she said it was him. >> reporter: jermeir? >> jermeir, yeah. >> reporter: charlotte police were alerted and rushed to the scene. shannon was bleeding and ap...

Members snicker. >> reporter: but the crawleys, who were in court when those tapes were played, were not laughing. they say theyd heard many of those calls firsthand and believed they were the real thing. the jury had heard jermeir testify. he has a deep voice. and the person on the tapes doesnt have a deep voice. >> doesnt have, exactly. he disguised his voice. >> reporter: you think he can disguise his voice that well? >> yeah. >> apparently, he can. >> well, he did it. he did it. >> reporter:...

She is not a murderer. >> its not in her nature, not her character. >> if i thought that he was lying about it, i wouldnt be on camera saying it. i wouldnt be sitting here waving a flag for her if i thought that she had anything to do with this. >> in may of 2007 shannon crawly was out on bail. she and her attorney walked into the durham police station. this wasnt just another interview. shannon was prepared to share all new information with the potential to change the whole focus of the case. a...

Got a warrant for carter and davids cell phones. that camera app, so useful. >> well, we learned that they had conducted surveillance at ashleas apartment weeks before that. they had a picture of her apartment. her actual door to her apartment, and they had pictures of her vehicle, the white dodge ram pickup. >> reporter: in early december, 2014, carter cervantez and david mallory were arrested and charged with the murder of ashlea harris. cold comfort for ashleas sister. >> its just such a loss...

Contact with the woman accused of murdering her daughter. >> shannon would look at me with this little smirky look on her face. shes very cocky, like she knew she was going to get off. no remorse. she didnt feel she had done anything. >> they had only been engaged for two months. >> reporter: assistant d.a. david saacks, an experienced, savvy prosecutor, would now square off against a younger court-appointed defense attorney named scott holmes. >> its important, i think, to try to see the world,...

Just seemed a physical impossibility. >> reporter: then came the results of the rape kit. >> there was no semen on the vaginal swabs and the rectal swabs. nothing that would be conclusive proof that the rape had occurred. >> reporter: and it wasnt there. >> it just wasnt there. and they tested her clothes, everything they could. all the medical personnel confirmed they did not see that kind of injury to her that would have occurred. >> reporter: there were knife cuts on her body, but -- >> they ...

Reason why she would be afraid of him. but jermeirs answer to one particular question got detective pates attention. >> i asked him, "do you think that shannon is capable of killing someone?" and he said, "yes." >> reporter: as the investigation continued in durham, police showed shannon crawleys photo to that maintenance man whod 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...

One night in july 2007, around 2:00 a.m., shannon says she took her dog for a walk in the backyard. >> she came crawling into my bedroom, hysterical. and im asking, "whats wrong? whats wrong?" >> reporter: shannon told her mother she had been raped. who did she say had raped her? >> she said it was him. >> reporter: jermeir? >> jermeir, yeah. >> reporter: charlotte police were alerted and rushed to the scene. shannon was bleeding and appeared traumatized. she was taken to a hospital for treatmen...