- 2 weeks ago
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00:00At Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the casualties are rising.
00:03A soldier was killed, and there were several homicides involving military families.
00:09There's blood all over the bed, there's blood all over the wall.
00:12Then, we realized something shocking.
00:15He is a member of the Fayetteville Gangbangers, a swinging group.
00:21They're having sex at her house, they're having sex in her van.
00:25There was sex parties, there was getting together with groups.
00:30You're just like, what?
00:33That opens up Pandora's box of potential suspects.
00:38It was scary, it was terrifying.
00:41I couldn't have picked a presser anymore.
00:43It's manipulation at its finest.
00:46That's trained killer type stuff.
00:48Six deaths have stunned one of this country's best-known military bases.
00:58The toll now stands at 7.
01:01How has this happened?
01:02This is 911, we just received a call from there, is everything okay?
01:18No, I need, I need to handle it.
01:22What?
01:22I need to handle it, I need to let her go.
01:25Okay, we need a police station call.
01:28I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
01:29I need to handle it.
01:31Somebody right?
01:32Somebody's in the house.
01:34I don't know if they're going to come back now.
01:36Okay, down ahead.
01:38I can't get you in the house, I can't.
01:43The call came in as a home invasion, where shots were fired by someone who entered this
01:50home in the middle of the night.
01:52That part of town was known for being a military community where a lot of military families lived.
01:59I notice a female walking out crying.
02:05She identifies herself as the caller, Joan Shannon.
02:14Joan tells us that she was home that night with her husband, David Shannon.
02:19She was awakened by a gunshot.
02:25And then there was another gunshot.
02:28She sees this figure standing over David.
02:32And then hears them running down the hallway.
02:38She tells us that in the home were four children, all under the age of 15.
02:43She believes there's an intruder in the house.
02:54We have our weapons drawn.
02:57It's very unnerving.
02:58There's a room to the left.
03:16We find two young boys asleep.
03:19And we escorted them out of the house to their mother.
03:26There are still two more children in the house, as well as a possible shooter hiding in the shadows.
03:36The door to the right is locked.
03:38And there's loud music coming from that room.
03:48You don't know what to expect.
03:54A young girl standing there.
03:58She tells me she's Elizabeth Shannon.
04:01And she's with her friend Vera.
04:02The two girls are in the room with music playing.
04:08Didn't hear or see anything.
04:13I escort them out of the house.
04:20But we still haven't found David Shannon.
04:23His wife, Joan, says that he was shot in their bed.
04:32We get to the master bedroom.
04:38Where we locate David.
04:45It was a bloody scene.
04:47David Shannon had been shot twice at very close range.
04:52Once to his forehead and once to his chest.
04:55There's blood all over the bed.
04:59There's blood all over the wall.
05:01It's just, it's just awful.
05:08There was no signs of any intruders.
05:11There was no forcible entry.
05:14It's weird.
05:18At the house, we photographed everything.
05:20We're looking for anything that could help tell this story.
05:26Near David's body on the floor,
05:28we find two rounds for a 9mm handgun.
05:34We discovered a couple of weapons.
05:37The murder weapon was not one of those weapons.
05:42When we see David Shannon,
05:45we see both of those injuries were contact wounds.
05:48The weapon is placed in contact with his body.
05:56It appeared to be very targeted.
05:58It definitely looked execution style.
06:01That's trained killer type stuff.
06:03It's not something the average person can do.
06:12David Shannon had been in the military
06:14for some period of time.
06:15He had achieved the rank of major
06:19and was having a very successful military career.
06:27When I met Liz Shannon in high school,
06:31I was there almost every day I got out of school.
06:35It was a real family vibe.
06:39David was very, very, very kind.
06:41He seemed like he had no care in the world of me.
06:48David had met Joan in Rochester, New York.
06:53Joan has a child from her previous relationship.
06:56Her daughter, Elizabeth.
06:57And then two sons with David.
07:05David was stationed in Minnesota,
07:07and then they left Minnesota
07:08and were stationed at Fort Bragg,
07:10which is one of the largest military bases in the world.
07:17Now, Ms. Shannon,
07:18she seemed like she was ready to party.
07:20She was the firecracker.
07:21But she also was welcoming.
07:24She was motherly.
07:26That's how she was.
07:28The Shannons were well thought of in the community.
07:33Who would want to come in and do this?
07:43Joan was quiet.
07:44She was consoling with the boys.
07:49We conduct gunshot residue tests
07:52on Joan, Elizabeth, and Vera.
07:55What this test will show us
07:58is who potentially fired a weapon
08:00or was close to a weapon being fired.
08:03Both Elizabeth and Vera's test
08:06comes back as negative.
08:08Joan's came back more inconclusive.
08:10It did show that she had
08:12some gunshot powder on her.
08:16That's not unusual
08:17if someone was close to a gun
08:19when it was fired.
08:21Then I take Joan
08:22so I can check her for any blood splatter.
08:26No blood can be seen anywhere on her.
08:30Not in that situation,
08:31I would not necessarily expect her
08:33to get blood on her.
08:35Gunshot sprays out.
08:38The blood on the head
08:39really would have spattered back
08:40into the pillow.
08:42It wouldn't necessarily blow to the side.
08:46And Joan tells us
08:47that slid down to the end of the bed,
08:49didn't go over to where David was.
08:54At this point, there's no suspect.
08:57There's no evidence
08:58that a suspect was ever there.
09:01I've covered a lot of crime
09:03over 35 years.
09:05And that kind of incident
09:08just doesn't really make sense.
09:14Fayetteville police
09:15dusted for prints
09:16and spent the morning
09:17inside the Galloway Drive home
09:19of Major David Shannon.
09:22There was a lot of attention
09:23to this case
09:24because a soldier was killed.
09:26And that was the summer
09:28where there were several homicides
09:29involving military families.
09:32They were trying to figure out,
09:33what is going on here?
09:41It was a challenge
09:42to search the residents
09:43with the clutter
09:44and the disarray.
09:46There was rotting stuff
09:48in the sink.
09:50There was piles
09:51of dirty clothes.
09:54We collected
09:55some electronics.
09:58There was paperwork
09:58with email addresses
09:59and what looked like
10:00usernames
10:01for chat rooms.
10:04And they went
10:04back into the master bedroom.
10:11We locate
10:12some pornographic material,
10:14videos, photos,
10:16which, no big deal
10:19until we take
10:21a closer look.
10:22The material
10:27was extremely
10:28explicit.
10:30We realized
10:31something shocking.
10:32Guess who was starring
10:33in the video?
10:35Joan and David.
10:39We see that
10:40they're involved
10:41in sexual activity
10:42with other partners.
10:43We're like,
10:46oh, okay, wow,
10:47this is,
10:48all right,
10:49I didn't expect that.
10:51These folks
10:52are into some
10:53unusual things.
10:55And then you're just like,
10:56what?
11:00With this pornographic material
11:02of David and Joan,
11:04it starts painting
11:05a different picture
11:06of this
11:07typical military family.
11:09It became obvious
11:12that there were
11:14other people involved
11:15in these people's
11:17sex life.
11:18That opens up
11:20Pandora's box
11:21of potential suspects.
11:24It was one of them
11:25seeing somebody
11:26that might have
11:27a motivation
11:27for killing David.
11:36We asked Joan Shannon,
11:39Elizabeth Shannon,
11:40and Vera Thompson,
11:42would you come
11:42to the police department
11:43so we can get
11:44an official statement
11:45from you?
11:47We're dealing
11:48with family members
11:49and we want to
11:51talk to these girls
11:52and this woman
11:53in a different
11:53kind of environment.
11:59Elizabeth and Vera
12:00tell us that
12:01they did not
12:01witness anything.
12:03They were in the bedroom
12:04sleeping,
12:05music was playing,
12:06and that they wake up
12:07and the police were there.
12:09Joan Shannon said
12:13that she awoke
12:14to gunfire
12:15and then noticed
12:17someone next to the bed
12:19who fled down the hallway.
12:22We asked her questions
12:24about the relationship
12:24between her and David.
12:26She indicated,
12:27hey, we have a great relationship,
12:28we're doing fine,
12:29we very rarely argue.
12:30She's asked about
12:34the pornographic materials
12:36that were found
12:37and at that point
12:38she admits
12:39that they were swingers
12:40and that there were
12:42other parties involved sexually.
12:43There was sex parties,
12:49there was getting together
12:51with groups.
12:52This creates environments
12:55for jealousy and rage.
12:57The rules of an open marriage,
13:03at least for these folks,
13:04was have all the sexual activity
13:06with other people
13:07that you like,
13:08but you can't develop
13:09a relationship,
13:10you can't fall in love.
13:13So Joan is asked,
13:15you know,
13:16have you developed
13:16feelings for anyone?
13:18And very openly,
13:20very matter of fact,
13:21she says yes.
13:22She's actually in love
13:25with a man named
13:26Jeffrey Wilson.
13:29Jeff Wilson is in the military
13:31and lives in the Fayetteville area.
13:33And now we have a suspect.
13:35We have to find Jeffrey Wilson.
13:41They more violence again
13:43at Fort Bragg.
13:47Wives of soldiers
13:48from the same base
13:49have been killed
13:50allegedly by their own husbands
13:52most of whom
13:53had just served
13:54in Afghanistan.
13:55More information
13:56started coming in
13:57about the other
13:58military murders
13:59in the area.
14:00Stress and the military culture,
14:03those were cited
14:03as the overriding factors
14:05in these murders.
14:06We had four homicides
14:08involving military families.
14:10The difference
14:10we had with the Shannon case
14:13is that the victim
14:14was the soldier,
14:15was the husband
14:16instead of the wife.
14:18Any connection
14:18between these homicides,
14:20Sergeant?
14:21Not that the Fayetteville
14:22Police Department
14:22has found.
14:23Certainly the last
14:24that we've had,
14:25Major David Shannon,
14:26was an isolated instance.
14:28This doesn't appear
14:29to have any connection
14:31to these murders.
14:40At this point,
14:42we find Jeffrey Wilson.
14:45Jeffrey's married.
14:47Jeffrey has four children.
14:48He is at home
14:52with his wife and kids
14:53and it becomes
14:55immediately apparent
14:57that his wife
14:58has no idea
14:59what he's about.
15:03We bring him in
15:05for questioning.
15:08He's not very happy
15:09to be there
15:10and not very happy
15:10to talk with us.
15:12But he does say
15:13that he is a member
15:14of the Fayetteville
15:15Gangbangers.
15:18A swinging group.
15:22David would go
15:23on to online chat groups
15:24and he had encountered
15:26BLK stuntman,
15:28black stuntman,
15:30Jeffrey Wilson.
15:32Turns out,
15:33David Shannon
15:34is promoting
15:35his wife's services
15:37to Jeffrey Wilson.
15:39Detectives discover
15:42that initially
15:42Jeffrey has
15:44sexual relations
15:44with Joan
15:45at these swinger parties.
15:47But very soon after,
15:48they start seeing
15:49each other individually.
15:51They were seeing
15:52each other
15:52three or four times
15:53a week.
15:56They're having
15:56sex at her house.
15:58They're having sex
15:59in her van.
16:01And we find out
16:02that Joan
16:03is enamored
16:04with him.
16:07Jeffrey Wilson
16:08tells us that
16:09at this point,
16:10David was not aware
16:11that Joan
16:12was meeting
16:13up with Jeff.
16:17But five days
16:18prior to the murder,
16:20Jeff gets a call
16:21from Joan
16:21and she tells him
16:23that David found out
16:24about their relationship
16:25and he has
16:27barred her
16:28from seeing
16:29Jeff anymore.
16:31Joan makes it clear
16:32that she wants
16:33to continue
16:33to see Jeffrey
16:34behind David's back.
16:36She was
16:37in love
16:38with Jeffrey,
16:39thought that he
16:39was in love
16:40with her
16:40and that the two
16:42of them wanted
16:42to be together.
16:47A couple of hours
16:48before the homicide
16:49occurs,
16:50Jeffrey is talking
16:51to David online.
16:53Jeffrey asks
16:54about Joan
16:54and David says
16:55she won't be coming
16:56out for a while.
16:59Within a few hours,
17:00he'll be found
17:01dead
17:01of two gunshot wounds
17:03in his bed.
17:04This is really,
17:06really harsh
17:07and cold-blooded.
17:09What amounted
17:09to an actual execution
17:11at point-blank range?
17:13We started thinking,
17:14is this a motive?
17:16Does Jeffrey want
17:17David out of their lives
17:19so that they
17:19could be together?
17:20Joan had a difficult life.
17:32She ended up
17:33in foster care
17:34at a pretty young age.
17:36Before she married David,
17:39she was in
17:40a previous marriage
17:41and she had a child
17:42who was Elizabeth.
17:45So Joan Shannon
17:46was a single mom.
17:47She didn't have
17:49a lot of income
17:49and during this period
17:51of her life
17:51is when she met
17:52David Shannon.
17:53He married Joan
17:55and he adopted
17:56her daughter.
17:58He offered her
17:59stability.
18:00He offered her
18:01a family unit.
18:04But when a person
18:05grows up in chaos,
18:06after a while,
18:07that stability
18:08gets a bit stifling.
18:11And I think Joan
18:12fell in love with Jeff
18:13because she's used
18:15to chasing affection
18:16and I think she was
18:17attracted to that
18:18repeat trauma
18:19from her life.
18:24As we interview
18:25Jeffrey,
18:26we're looking at
18:27this love triangle.
18:29He's telling us
18:30that he and Joan
18:31had developed
18:31a close relationship.
18:32He was very honest
18:33about that.
18:34But he was also
18:35very direct with us
18:37that he was not
18:38planning to run off
18:39and create this new life
18:40with Joan at all.
18:41He says,
18:44I'm just saying
18:46what I have to say
18:47to her
18:47to get sex
18:48on a regular basis.
18:50Jeff is still
18:51our only suspect
18:52at this point.
18:53But then he tells us
18:54he has an alibi.
18:56So Jeff says
18:56he was working night shift.
18:58So we contact
19:00Womack Army Medical Hospital
19:02and they confirmed
19:03that he was working
19:04the night shift.
19:05So Jeff could not
19:05have shot David.
19:06We really did not
19:10have a whole lot
19:11of leads at that point
19:12and we're back
19:13to square one
19:13in our investigation.
19:16Joan is very
19:18cooperative with us
19:20but a couple of days
19:21later that changes.
19:25She becomes
19:26more uncooperative.
19:27She did not allow
19:28us access
19:29to the computers.
19:31And she says
19:32that she's no longer
19:33willing to talk
19:35with us
19:35without her an attorney.
19:36and she's gone cold
19:38from there.
19:40This became
19:41suspicious behavior.
19:42It left a lot
19:43of unanswered questions
19:44as to what was her motive
19:45for not cooperating
19:46with us.
19:51But then
19:52information came in
19:54that completely
19:55changed the investigation.
19:57We received
19:58a phone call
19:59from the mother
20:00of Vera Thompson.
20:03Vera Thompson
20:04was the friend
20:05of Elizabeth Shannon
20:06that was
20:07in the bedroom
20:08when police
20:10came into the home
20:11the night of the murder.
20:13Vera's mother
20:14gave some information.
20:18She had heard
20:19that Joan
20:21wanted her husband
20:21David dead.
20:25It was a shocking turn.
20:27We're able to locate
20:31Vera.
20:32And during the interview
20:33Vera is asked
20:34about these claims
20:35that she had made
20:36to her mother.
20:37And she admits
20:38yeah,
20:39that, you know,
20:40that these are the statements
20:41that Joan had made.
20:45But then
20:46we get another surprise.
20:48Vera states
20:49that she does know
20:49who killed David
20:50but it wasn't Joan.
20:51During the interview
21:01Vera states
21:02that it wasn't Joan
21:04who killed David.
21:06But she does know
21:07who killed David
21:08and we couldn't believe
21:11what she told us.
21:14She tells us
21:15it was Elizabeth.
21:15Vera states
21:20that a couple of days
21:21prior to the shooting
21:22Elizabeth actually
21:23showed her the weapon
21:24and they went
21:25to a construction site
21:26and practiced
21:27shooting together.
21:29Vera added
21:30that while they
21:31were practicing shooting
21:31they even wore
21:32latex gloves
21:33you know,
21:34showing that
21:35this was premeditated.
21:40At this point
21:41we realized
21:42that our murderer
21:42could be a 15 year old girl.
21:44It was a shocking
21:45turn.
21:50Elizabeth becomes
21:51our number one suspect
21:52and we need
21:53to find her.
21:55But when we go
21:55to bring her in
21:56she's disappeared.
22:06When I first met Liz
22:07she would laugh at me
22:09because she had
22:09swag to her.
22:11She was always
22:12laughing, smiling, joking.
22:14I don't remember her
22:14ever had no problem
22:15with nobody.
22:17But over time
22:18past, Liz
22:19started getting
22:20a lot more aggressive.
22:21A lot more fights.
22:24You know,
22:24she was doing
22:24all these drugs,
22:26supposedly having sex
22:27with all these people.
22:28It threw me for a loop.
22:31I think personally
22:32a lot of her
22:33her acting out
22:34was she wasn't getting
22:38the mother attention
22:40that she wanted.
22:44I think Elizabeth
22:45definitely felt like
22:46an outsider
22:47within her own family.
22:49Joan and David
22:49had two biological
22:51children of their own.
22:52So really
22:53she didn't have
22:54a sense of belonging.
22:56But I think secondly,
22:58Joan's experiences
22:59from growing up
23:00and feeling expendable
23:01by her parents
23:02that she didn't matter.
23:04I think Elizabeth
23:04would feel that way too.
23:06She was an afterthought
23:07in many ways
23:08for Joan.
23:09So it's just easier
23:10for her to say,
23:11hey, Elizabeth,
23:11do whatever you want.
23:14When David
23:15on occasion
23:15would try to enforce
23:17discipline and structure
23:17on Elizabeth,
23:18it's something
23:19she's never experienced.
23:21And once David
23:23took over,
23:24she was like,
23:24man, I hate him.
23:25You know what I'm saying?
23:26He's sitting here
23:26trying to act like
23:27he's my daddy
23:28trying to tell me
23:28what to do.
23:30She started rebelling
23:30an awful lot.
23:32And I would think like,
23:33what is going on
23:34when I'm not around?
23:35You know,
23:36what else is happening
23:37behind closed doors?
23:44At the Fayetteville
23:45Police Department,
23:46this board often displays
23:47the names and pictures
23:48of people officers
23:50are looking for.
23:51Missing from the board
23:52this week
23:52was a 15-year-old
23:53accused of killing
23:54Fort Bragg officer
23:55David Shannon
23:56in his home.
23:58She's on the run
23:59and she's a minor.
24:02We can't put her name out.
24:04So she could be
24:06anywhere at this point.
24:11We had been searching
24:12for Elizabeth for days
24:13and we couldn't
24:15find her anywhere.
24:18It was known
24:19on the street
24:20we were looking for
24:20we had been to
24:21the normal places
24:22where she would
24:22normally hang out.
24:23But then
24:25we receive a tip
24:27and the caller stated
24:28that they believe
24:29they had seen
24:30Elizabeth at this trailer.
24:46We searched the trailer.
24:50We didn't find Elizabeth.
24:51But then we heard a noise
24:57coming from behind
24:59a futon.
25:01We pull it
25:02from the wall
25:03and we find
25:06Elizabeth hiding.
25:15So we bring
25:16Elizabeth in
25:16and we couldn't believe
25:19what she told us.
25:24You have a prepaid call.
25:27You will not be charged
25:27for this call.
25:29This call is from
25:29an inmate at
25:31North Carolina
25:32Correctional Institution
25:33for Women.
25:33My name is
25:36Elizabeth Sheldon.
25:41When I was first
25:42arrested by the police
25:43they took me
25:44to interrogation
25:45and they were asking me
25:46you know
25:47did she do it?
25:50Once Elizabeth
25:51began to tell
25:52the story
25:53of what happened
25:54that night.
25:54I told them
26:00me and my
26:00daughter
26:00were asleep
26:01at my house.
26:04I took the gun
26:04and I went
26:06to my parents'
26:07bedroom.
26:11They were both
26:11in the bed.
26:14It was scary.
26:15I wasn't
26:15as if my heart
26:16was beating fast.
26:17It was a horrible
26:18feeling.
26:19I shot my stepfather.
26:27After the first shot
26:28he did die
26:30and I was like
26:31oh my god
26:31and it was like
26:32a reaction
26:33just to shoot again.
26:37This 15 year old girl
26:39went in there
26:40like an assassin
26:41and shot him
26:43point blank
26:43contact wound
26:45to the head
26:45and chest.
26:46Somebody she called
26:47her dad.
26:49After the shooting
26:51I picked the clothes
26:52I was wearing
26:53the gun
26:53the box of bullets
26:54I threw it all
26:55in the bag.
26:58There was a guy
26:59waiting on
27:00like the next
27:01street over.
27:03She said
27:04a guy
27:05who they didn't
27:06previously know
27:07called out
27:09to them
27:09Elizabeth
27:11said she had
27:12a gun
27:12a dirty gun
27:13to get rid of
27:13and the guy said
27:14how much do you
27:15want for it
27:15she says
27:16you can just
27:16have it.
27:17Yeah
27:18but I was a guy
27:19he took it
27:20and I went back
27:22to my house
27:23me and my best friend
27:26didn't talk at all
27:27we were just quiet
27:29until the police came.
27:30this was a shocking turn
27:38we had a 15 year old girl
27:41confessing
27:42to cold blooded murder
27:44and so
27:45the question became
27:46why?
27:47they were like
27:50why did you do it
27:52so
27:54I told them
27:55this is why
27:56I did it
27:57so after we located
28:03Elizabeth
28:04and we got her
28:05downtown
28:06she gave a statement
28:07that detailed
28:08the truth
28:09about why
28:10this incident
28:11occurred
28:11we were so shocked
28:25it was her own mother
28:26who had her kill David
28:28my mother wanted him killed
28:30because she fell in love
28:33with another man
28:34and wanted to be with him
28:35and I think she wanted
28:37the life insurance policy
28:38I didn't agree right away
28:43eventually I did
28:45without having the intention
28:47of actually doing it
28:48it was so much more important
28:50that she does her mother's bidding
28:52than really understanding
28:55the full consequences
28:56of what it means
28:57to take a human life
28:58once I agreed to it
29:01it got more intense
29:03because she started
29:04pressureing me
29:05to go through
29:06with the actual crime
29:08she was like
29:10even if something happens
29:11you won't go to prison
29:13you're a juvenile
29:14I'll protect you
29:15to go and say
29:20it's better
29:21if you get caught
29:22than me
29:23and
29:24nothing will really happen
29:26to you
29:27if you get caught
29:28it'll be alright
29:29that's a special kind of twisted
29:31I told her
29:34I told her
29:34while asking me
29:36to commit the crime
29:37she started showing me
29:38attention
29:39she started showing me affection
29:41she would come get me
29:42and be like
29:43let's go shopping
29:44Joan would start
29:46to lavish attention
29:47on Elizabeth
29:47and this is not something
29:49that is common
29:49between the two of them
29:51and so I think
29:51Elizabeth started
29:52to crave that feeling
29:53Joan would allow
29:55Elizabeth to sneak
29:57out with friends
29:57she was doting
29:59on Elizabeth
29:59so there certainly
30:00was a significant change
30:02Joan knew that
30:17no matter how poor
30:18their relationship got
30:20that the minute
30:21she would say
30:22but I love you
30:22and I adore you
30:23that that would have
30:24such a powerful effect
30:25it really is a
30:28sickening element
30:30of this case
30:31between Joan
30:33and Elizabeth
30:34because the reason
30:35Joan is doing this
30:36is so she can manipulate
30:37her into killing
30:38David Shannon
30:39she actually one day
30:43after school
30:43brought me a loaded gun
30:45and a box of bullets
30:46and was like
30:47you need to learn
30:48how to shoot
30:49she put it in a drawer
30:51in my bedroom
30:52every day
30:55for like a week
30:56prior to the crime
30:57she was pressuring me
30:58anytime she could
30:59get me alone
31:00that it needed to be done
31:02as soon as possible
31:03I didn't have anybody
31:06to turn to
31:07the time passed
31:10the whole atmosphere
31:11in the house
31:12ended up changing
31:13you ever walk
31:15into a room
31:16and you could tell
31:18something just
31:19isn't right
31:20that's how that felt
31:22I couldn't take
31:26the pressure anymore
31:27I didn't feel like
31:29I had a choice
31:30she told me
31:32that evening
31:32that it needed
31:33to be done today
31:34and that I needed
31:36to do it
31:37that night
31:41my mother knew
31:42I was coming
31:43she had the blanket
31:44wrapped around her
31:45because she didn't want
31:46any blood or anything
31:48to get on her
31:48this explained
31:51why we didn't find
31:52any blood on Joan
31:53after the shooting
31:54we just
31:55couldn't believe it
31:57after I did it
32:01and went back
32:01into the house
32:02she was on the phone
32:04crying
32:05with the 911 operator
32:07acting like
32:08somebody broke in
32:09yeah she was not
32:19like that
32:19when I got there
32:20she was crying
32:21but there were
32:23no tears
32:23apparently
32:24she could switch
32:25that horn off
32:25acting
32:27is really
32:28what was going on
32:29I was kind of
32:31in a way
32:31to stop
32:32afterwards
32:33and I knew
32:34pretty much
32:35at that point
32:36that I had
32:36messed up
32:37my own life
32:38when Elizabeth
32:45signed her statement
32:46she put
32:47a little heart
32:48over the eye
32:49and I think
32:50that it's
32:50interesting
32:51because
32:52it shows
32:53that
32:53really
32:54at the core
32:55her mental state
32:56is still that
32:56of a child
32:57but she's
33:01also a murderer
33:02and
33:02unfortunately
33:04she is the one
33:05who chose
33:06to follow through
33:07with her mother's
33:08please
33:08Joan was
33:18staying
33:18at the Fisher
33:19house
33:19which is
33:20like a bed
33:20and breakfast
33:21kind of thing
33:21on Fort Bragg
33:22and everyone
33:24was quite shocked
33:25when I came
33:27in with the
33:27military police
33:28that was how
33:30she was arrested
33:31and Joan
33:32had a very
33:33stoic
33:34look
33:35on her face
33:36Elizabeth
33:40had confessed
33:41she had admitted
33:42to the murder
33:43but Joan
33:44took the complete
33:45opposite approach
33:46she had nothing
33:47to do with this
33:48Joan tried
33:50to invoke emotion
33:51within herself
33:51and kind of
33:52play the grieving
33:53widow
33:53she was trying
33:55to avoid
33:56responsibility
33:56herself
33:57by putting
33:58all the blame
33:58on Elizabeth
33:59it was scary
34:12it was terrifying
34:13but whatever
34:15was going to happen
34:16I expected it
34:17because I knew
34:18I deserved it
34:19because I was a juvenile
34:22I wasn't granted
34:24a bond
34:24David's family
34:42was so convinced
34:43that Joan
34:43was factually
34:44innocent
34:45that they came
34:46to Fayetteville
34:47they paid her bail
34:48and they took her
34:49back home
34:50while they were
34:50waiting for her trial
34:51she couldn't
34:53plan to murder
34:54a fly
34:55let alone
34:56a human being
34:57this is the only
34:58time I've had
34:59this happen
34:59in almost 25 years
35:01of prosecuting cases
35:03Joan Shannon
35:04could face
35:05the death penalty
35:05if she's convicted
35:07for the murder
35:07of her husband
35:08I found out
35:10she was pretty much
35:11covered in it
35:12with me
35:12and had nothing
35:13to do with it
35:13I was scared
35:15I was angry
35:16because
35:17I felt like
35:18my mom
35:19had set me up
35:19it was just
35:22my daughter
35:22did this
35:23and if she has
35:24to spend
35:25many many years
35:26or the rest
35:26of her life
35:27in prison
35:27so be it
35:28we had two people
35:33that were charged
35:34Elizabeth had
35:35absolutely pulled
35:36the trigger
35:36committed the murder
35:38and she needed
35:39to be held
35:39accountable for that
35:40but Joan Shannon
35:43was the puppet
35:44master
35:44we made the
35:46decision
35:46that we would
35:48secure
35:49Elizabeth's
35:49testimony
35:50and that she
35:51would testify
35:52against her
35:53mother at trial
35:53having a child
35:56testify against
35:57their own parents
35:57in a case
35:58of this magnitude
35:59is very unusual
36:00I remember
36:01seeing my mom
36:02in court
36:02walking into the
36:03courtroom
36:03and she wouldn't
36:05look at me
36:05would she be able
36:07to do that
36:07would she stand
36:08up to it
36:0916 year old
36:21Elizabeth Shannon
36:22didn't say much
36:23in court
36:24but what she said
36:25caught everyone's
36:26attention
36:26are you in fact
36:27guilty of each of
36:28those separate
36:29offenses
36:29shannon admitted
36:32killing her
36:32stepfather
36:33in doing so
36:34she avoided
36:35a possible
36:35life sentence
36:36Elizabeth pled
36:39guilty to
36:39conspiracy to
36:40commit first
36:41degree murder
36:42as well as
36:43second degree
36:43murder
36:44she was sentenced
36:45to no less
36:46than 25 years
36:47and no more
36:49than 31
36:50and a half
36:50years
36:51she was going
36:52to serve more
36:53time in prison
36:54than she had
36:54lived at that
36:55point
36:55maybe twice
36:56as much
36:57almost
36:57Elizabeth Shannon
36:59said she was
37:00sorry
37:01that she made
37:01devastating choices
37:03that she'll live
37:04with shame
37:04forever
37:05I just remember
37:08being kind of
37:09like in a state
37:10of shock
37:10because I
37:12couldn't believe
37:13what I did
37:13and how fast
37:14everything happened
37:15after that
37:15Elizabeth was
37:26going to testify
37:27in her mother's
37:29trial
37:45Joan had been
37:48kind of looking
37:49down and avoiding
37:50looking at
37:51witnesses and
37:52avoiding looking
37:52at the evidence
37:53but then her
37:53daughter came
37:54in
37:54Elizabeth took
37:57the stand
37:58and Joan
37:59kind of perked
38:00up and paid
38:01attention and was
38:02looking at
38:02Elizabeth
38:03their defense
38:05was to paint
38:06Elizabeth in the
38:07worst possible
38:08light
38:08she was involved
38:10with smoking
38:11and drinking
38:12and underage
38:13sexual activity
38:14and that David
38:16Shannon was
38:17trying to be
38:17the disciplinarian
38:18and that she
38:19resented him
38:20for that
38:20she hated him
38:21for that
38:22she wanted him
38:22dead for that
38:23when Elizabeth
38:26was on the
38:26stand and
38:27testifying
38:27Joan would
38:28whisper things
38:29to her
38:29defense attorney
38:30sort of
38:31ask her this
38:32or ask her
38:32that
38:33it was
38:33really tragic
38:34once Elizabeth
38:38began to tell
38:39the story
38:40of what
38:41happened
38:41that night
38:42she was
38:42consistent
38:43this is what
38:44I did
38:44and I did
38:45it at the
38:46request
38:46the persuasion
38:47and for
38:48my mother
38:48when the
38:51jury came
38:52back in
38:53you know
38:53you're nervous
38:53and are
38:54holding your
38:55breath
38:55Joan
38:56Shannon
38:56stared into
38:57space
38:57when the
38:58verdict was
38:58read
38:59that the
39:00defendant
39:00is guilty
39:01of first
39:02degree murder
39:02the judge
39:04gave the
39:04mandatory
39:04sentence
39:05life
39:06without
39:06parole
39:07total shock
39:09couldn't
39:10believe
39:11couldn't
39:12believe
39:12that
39:12this
39:13is
39:13the
39:13kind
39:13of
39:14verdict
39:14that
39:15was
39:15reached
39:15I'm just
39:17glad
39:18that
39:19Elizabeth
39:20didn't
39:21didn't take
39:22that ride
39:22by herself
39:23she's not
39:40no monster
39:41she was just
39:43misguided by a
39:44person she
39:44trusted
39:45it's just
39:47plain and
39:47simple
39:47she was
39:47used and
39:48manipulated
39:48by her
39:49own
39:49mother
39:50sad man
39:53this is
39:53just sad
39:54it's
39:55just sad
39:56it's
39:56heartbreaking
39:57to me
39:57I think
40:01the fact
40:01that
40:02Joan
40:02was able
40:03to
40:03manipulate
40:03Elizabeth
40:04in such
40:05a way
40:05just shows
40:06you
40:06how much
40:07power
40:07a parent
40:09has over
40:10their children
40:10because
40:11at the end
40:12of the day
40:12we all
40:13want to
40:14know that
40:14we matter
40:15and I
40:16think that
40:16that's
40:17ultimately
40:18why
40:18Elizabeth
40:18pulled
40:19the
40:19trigger
40:19the
40:29case
40:29was
40:29one
40:30of
40:30my
40:30first
40:30but
40:30it
40:31really
40:31has
40:31stuck
40:31with
40:32me
40:32through
40:32the
40:32years
40:32it's
40:33just
40:33so
40:34tragic
40:34David
40:35Shannon's
40:36life
40:37an army
40:38major
40:38a father
40:39a husband
40:40was taken
40:41because
40:42of
40:43Joan's
40:44manipulation
40:44when I
40:46think
40:46back
40:47about
40:47my
40:48stepfather
40:48we didn't
40:49get along
40:50but he
40:50was just
40:51being a
40:52parent
40:52all these
40:54years later
40:55I feel ashamed
40:56and I feel
40:57guilty
40:57and I wish
40:58I could
40:58undo what I
40:59did because
41:00he didn't
41:01deserve what
41:01happened to
41:02him
41:02and it's
41:03something I
41:03had to
41:04carry with
41:04me for
41:05the rest
41:05of my
41:05life
41:06she was
41:14a servant
41:14to her
41:14mother's
41:15every
41:15wish
41:16the first
41:17thought
41:17that came
41:17to mind
41:18is
41:18what the
41:18that woman
41:20is accused
41:20of going
41:21to kill
41:21her boyfriend
41:22you're almost
41:23in disbelief
41:24she's the
41:25monster
41:25you read
41:26about
41:26you go
41:27shoot him
41:28and the
41:29mommy
41:29will be
41:29right
41:29here
41:30you
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