Dateline: 5 harrowing details about Brooke Morris' murder from 2011, revisited

NBC’s Dateline shed light on a chilling murder mystery that shook 2011. On a fateful night that year, the life of 23-year-old single mother Brooke Morris was brutally cut short. In an instant, a family lost their beloved daughter, and a young boy was left without his mother.

Brooke Morris’ tragic death was caused by her former boss and ex-boyfriend, Shawn Smoot. The fight for Brooke’s justice was not an easy path for her family. Dateline revisits the details of the murder case in the 28th episode of Season 25, which aired on April 14, 2017

5 harrowing details about Brooke Morris’ murder revisited by Dateline

1) The details about the victim

Dateline: Nightfall/Good & Evil | Image Via: NBC News

In the Dateline episode, the details about the victim depicted that Brooke Morris was a 23-year-old working at Shawn Smoot’s company. She was a competent employee with the ability to handle her job.

However, things began to get complicated when Brooke and Shawn began to have an affair. Smoot was already married at that time. After their relationship ended, Brooke felt threatened by Smoot’s behaviour. In the Dateline episode, it is also revealed that she sought protection because of Smoot’s behaviour. However, in the end, things took a devastating turn for her.

2) The murder and discovery of the body

On October 15, 2011, Brooke’s dead body was found with three bullet wounds. Her body was left beside a secluded road outside Knoxville. Her body was found by a passing driver. The details about her death are truly chilling. The manner in which she is brutally murdered leaves an impact.

It was revealed that Smoot had been relentlessly pursuing Brooke, and before her murder, he had even subjected her to physical assault. The discovery of her dead body marked the beginning of the relentless pursuit for accountability by her family.

3) The motivation behind the murder

The reason behind Brooke Morris’ murder was revealed in the Dateline episode. Smoot’s behaviour took a drastic turn after his marriage ended because of his affair. After Brooke refused to be in any contact with him, he became obsessive. He constantly tried to contact her, as revealed by the episode and investigations.

His obsession with Brooke was the motive for the murder. He was fueled with rage. Smoot’s actions were a calculated act of revenge to take back control of his life, which started to spiral after his affair was revealed to his wife, which ruined his marriage as well.

4) The delayed path to Justice

The prosecution and the long path toward justice for Brooke Morris were anything but easy, as revealed in Dateline. It took five years before Smoot was finally brought to trial, with the case facing repeated setbacks that ultimately prolonged justice for Brooke and her loved ones.

During this time, Shawn managed to secure bail after his parents paid a staggering £190,000, allowing him to remain free while the legal process dragged on. He further complicated matters by changing lawyers multiple times, each shift adding to the mounting delays. In total, the trial was postponed 22 times, with each delay highlighting how smoothly Shawn maneuvered through the legal system. His tactics forced the court to reschedule again and again, stretching an already painful process even further.

5) The final verdict

Justice is finally served after five long years. Brooke Morris’ murderer, Shawn Smoot, gets a life sentence in prison, along with no chance of parole. In 2016, he was found guilty of first-degree murder. The evidence against him proved his crimes. He was also given the order to pay $2 million to the family of Brooke Morris.

Though he was sentenced to prison, he continued to protest his innocence. The conviction truly marked a crucial end to a tragic chapter. It ensured that the man who committed the crime received the consequences of his actions despite the delay.