Page 7 - David Saacks News Today

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...

There was no murder weapon. and she hardly looked like a killer. >> i thought she might be able to sell the story. i figured shed be dressed real conservative, probably come in looking like she just landed off the mayflower, and that somebody would be sympathetic. >> reporter: from the beginning the prosecution portrayed shannon as a woman scorned, who couldnt have jermeir stroud to herself, so she made sure denita smith wouldnt either. shannon, suggested prosecutor saacks, was either carrying 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 the murder. i do not think he was involved in the planning or the execution of this murder at all. >> reporter: and even if jermeir wanted denita out of ...

All new information. with the potential to change the whole focus of the case. assistant district attorney. >> she wanted to give her side. >> her idea and then youll drop the charges? >> that was her idea. so if they dont say anything, well keep going on the path were on. shes charged. >> before we ask questions -- >> she calmly began telling a few story. surrounding the death. and in this version, she said she had been framed. >> she did show some emotion. not a lot. she was as a matter of fac...

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,...

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...

Allowed themselves to be led in that direction. and if they had any suspicions that another police officer was involved, they decided not to follow that up. >> you were in law enforcement. you cover up crimes by other officers? >> no, i never did. >> and what youre suggesting is that durham cops, who didnt even know jermeir, looked away from a murder committed by a guy who worked for another department in another city? theyre risking prison time for this guy they dont even know? >> cops will pro...

Been on where i heard jury 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 ...