Shannon Crawley is an African-American woman who gained national attention in 2007 when she was convicted of first-degree murder for the killing of Denita Monique Smith, a 25-year-old graduate student at North Carolina Central University. Crawley had been romantically involved with Smith’s boyfriend, Jermeir Stroud, and was found guilty of hiring a hitman to kill Smith out of jealousy. Born on June 12, 1979, in North Carolina, USA. She is now serving her life in prison for charges of a murder case in 2007.
This article provides a detailed analysis of the murder of Denita Monique Smith, a 25-year-old graduate student at North Carolina Central University. Learn about the affair that led to her tragic death at the hands of her fiancee’s ex-girlfriend, Shannon Crawley, and the twists and turns of the trial over the years. Discover the current whereabouts of Shannon Crawley in this in-depth examination.
Jealousy and obsession led Shannon Crawley to murder Denita Smith
In 2007, Shannon Crawley, who was then a 27-year-old community college student, became the subject of a murder investigation. The victim was Denita Monique Smith, a 25-year-old graduate student at North Carolina Central University, who was found shot to death in her apartment in Durham, North Carolina.
Police initially suspected Smith’s boyfriend, who had been seen arguing with her the night before her death. However, after conducting interviews and gathering evidence, they eventually turned their attention to Crawley, who was a coworker of Smith’s boyfriend.
Crawley and Smith’s boyfriend had worked together at a local bookstore, and Crawley had developed a romantic interest in him. However, the man was in a committed relationship with Smith, and the two had been dating for over a year.
Police found evidence that Crawley had been stalking Smith and her boyfriend, including phone records and text messages. They also discovered that Crawley had purchased a gun around the time of Smith’s murder.
Eventually, Crawley was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. According to the report, she is in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and currently facing a lifetime in prison.
Shannon Crawley, Denita Smith, and Jermeir Stroud’s Love triangle
Shannon Crawley was employed as a 911 operator at Guilford Metro, where she met Jermeir, another worker. Unfortunately, Jermeir was already engaged to his fiancee Denita Smith, whom he met at school. Despite this, Jermeir had an affair with Shannon while living in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he had moved to become a police officer.

Shannon’s parents, Anne and Keith, were interviewed regarding the matter, and they expressed that they did not know Jermeir very well because Shannon only thought of him as a friend. However, their relationship did turn intimate, and Shannon became pregnant with her third child. Despite her parents’ claims that Shannon did not want another child, she terminated the pregnancy, which greatly upset Jermeir and ultimately led to the end of their relationship.
Shannon’s parents allege having evidence connecting Jermeir to Danita’s murder or Shannon’s harassment
According to Shannon’s parents, Jermeir had resumed contacting Shannon and they devised a plan to record their phone conversations. During one conversation, Jermeir asked Shannon who she had been talking to, and despite her denial, Jermeir accused her of lying. Shannon asked why he was doing this and Jermeir explained that Denita had found out about their relationship and was pulling away from him.
Jermeir continued to make threats towards Shannon, even suggesting that he would harm her if she kept talking. In response, Shannon questioned whether he would kill her too, to which Jermeir replied, “you know I’ll do it again.”
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Shannon and her parents believed that they had gathered enough evidence to have Jermeir arrested. They provided the recordings to Shannon’s lawyers who made copies of them. During Shannon’s trial, the recordings were played, but the prosecution argued that the voice on the tapes did not belong to Jermeir, as his voice was unique and deep, whereas the voice on the tapes was high-pitched. This caused doubt among many of Denita’s friends and family who started to believe that Shannon was manipulating everyone. The police even suggested that Shannon had hired someone to impersonate Jermeir in an attempt to frame him.
Despite these doubts, Shannon Crawley was found guilty of Denita’s murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Anne and Keith Crawley were the parents of Shannon Crawley
Shannon Crawley was born on June 12, 1979, to Anne and Keith Crawley. she was 27 years old when she was arrested. she should be around 43 years old based on her Birth date.
According to Shannon’s parents, she became afraid of Jermeir after the breakup, as he began stalking her. He made numerous phone calls at all hours of the night and was furious that Shannon had ended things between them.
However, When Jermeir was interrogated, he was questioned about his association with Shannon. He confessed to having had an affair, but he called it foolish. The authorities inquired if he had been stalking Shannon and making phone calls to her. Jermeir refuted these accusations and claimed that it was Shannon who was the stalker. He further asserted that she had wanted to have a child with him, but he ended their relationship after that.
Timeline of Shannon Crawley’s case
The Shannon Crawley case revolves around the murder of Denita Smith, a 25-year-old graduate student at North Carolina Central University. Here’s a timeline of events in the case:
- January 4, 2007: Denita Smith is found shot to death in her apartment in Durham, North Carolina. She had been shot four times.
- January 6, 2007: Police arrest Deshanon “Shannon” Crawley, a lab technician at Duke University Medical Center, in connection with the murder. Crawley had been in a romantic relationship with Smith’s boyfriend, Jermeir Stroud.
- January 9, 2007: Crawley is charged with first-degree murder and held without bond.
- February 5, 2007: Crawley is indicted on a first-degree murder charge.
- April 2007: A judge denies Crawley’s request for bond.
- January 2009: Crawley’s trial begins. Prosecutors argue that Crawley killed Smith out of jealousy over her relationship with Stroud. During the trial, evidence is presented that Crawley had sent Smith threatening text messages in the weeks leading up to the murder.
- February 2009: Crawley is found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
- March 2009: Crawley files an appeal of her conviction.
- December 2011: Crawley’s appeal is denied by the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
Today, Shannon Crawley remains incarcerated in North Carolina’s Correctional Institution for Women.