Page 27 - David Saacks News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

He had proposed, and denita was over the moon. >> she walked into church proud as a peacock, feathers just completely on display, showing that hand to anyone who would look. and shannon was in the back of the church at the time and saw that. >> we heard that was the first time shannon realized that they were engaged. >> reporter: shannon's family says the d.a. and the detective heard wrong. >> the day that -- that you're referring to, the church, shannon wasn't there. we were there. >> reporter: less than two weeks later, denita smith would still be wearing that engagement ring, as she lay dea...

>> reporter: his cell phone records put him on the phone at the time you say that this assault was going on. >> and i don't believe that he was ever talking to anyone on the phone. i know where he was that night. >> reporter: prosecutor david saacks says the rape allegation was thoroughly investigated and jermeir was cleared. saacks also says shannon could have taken a plea deal that might have gotten her out of prison as soon as the year 2020. her sentence now is life without parole. she has exhausted her appeals. her family still believes shannon is innocent and hopes to find an independent ...

Scene. there was no murder weapon. and she hardly looked like a killer. >> i thought she might be able to sell the story. i figured she'd 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 couldn't have jermeir stroud to herself, so she made sure denita smith wouldn't either. shannon, suggested prosecutor saacks, was either carrying a torch for jermeir or trying to burn down his whole world by killing his fiancee and pinni...

>> reporter: police were not present when shannon recorded the calls, but they were able to trace where they originated from, a payphone, so there was no way to confirm jermeir had made them. assistant d.a. david saacks listened carefully to the tapes and soon came to his own conclusion. is there any way that could be jermeir's voice on the tape? >> not that i can see. he would have to clearly be disguising his voice to make it sound that way. it just did not sound like him at all. >> why are you whispering? >> you know why. because somebody's listening. >> no. >> betting on it. >> reporter: i...