and this is dateline! it s gut-wrenching. there s a body lying off the side of the road. this young woman shot three times. this was a murder. a young single mom, out with friends on game day. it was packed. but as night fell, fear grew. they re asking who would want to harm your sister? but as night fell, fear grew. was it someone that was a stranger? was it someone that we knew? i just had this weird feeling that there was something she was hiding tucked away. in her kitchen a clue to it all. on top of the refrigerator was a manila folder. did it just give you chills? it was horrible. why didn t she just tell us? did a secret lead to murder? it s got to be unimaginable. here s andrea canning with nightfall. welcome to dateline. when the body of brooke morris was discovered by the side of the road, her family started looking for answers. they were surprised to discover that she may have been involved in an allegedly violent relationshi
game day. it was packed. but as night fell, if you re grew. yeah they re asking who would want to harm your sister? was it someone that was a stranger? was it someone that we knew? i just had this weird feeling that there was something she was hiding. talk to in her kitchen, a clue to it all. on top of the refrigerator was a manila folder. did it just give you chills? it was horrible. why didn t she just tell us? did a secret lead to murder? it s got to be unimaginable. welcome to dateline. when the body of brooke morris was discovered by the side of the road, her family started looking for answers. they were surprised to discover that she may have been involved in an allegedly violent relationship. could that revelation be the key to solving her murder? here with nightfall is andrea canning. i d ask that you all close your eyes for a few minutes this morning. i d like for you to envision roane county in the middle of october. the leaves are changing,
she was just, like, i ve gone to the wife. she s getting a divorce. she s made him move out. he lost everything after that. yeah. and friends say shawn continued to harrass brooke. in fact, they say, things only intensified. beyond emotional abuse? was it physical? yes. she had just told me that shawn was getting violent. he broke into her apartment one night, came in through the bathroom window, threw her head up against the tile floor. brooke s family didn t know about any of this. the relationship, the alleged violence. it wasn t until after her death that her family finally learned brooke s secret. did that just give you chills when you found that yeah, it was manila envelope? it was horrible. it was brittany who discovered it, as she went about the grim task of cleaning out brooke s apartment. and we were kinda getting stuff in order to pack away and
know, it this man has got some issues. i ve got to try to get away from him. reporter: brooke reached her breaking point and in january 2011 did something she thought would get shawn out of her life forever. she was just, like, i m done with this situation. he won t leave me alone. i m you know, i m going to the wife. she needs to know about the situation. i think she was probably tired of living in this secret. you know, she d wanted to be free from the situation. the wife knows, he ll leave me alone. yeah. i mean, you know, if i m honest with the wife, then maybe, you know, they can try to work out their problems. and he ll leave me alone. reporter: but it backfired. shawn s marriage imploded. she was just like, i ve gone to the wife. she s getting a divorce. she s made him move out. he lost everything after that. yeah. reporter: and friends say shawn continued to harrass brooke. in fact, they say, things only intensified. beyond emotional abuse? was i
get away from him. reporter: brooke reached her breaking point, and in january 2011, did something she thought would get shawn out of her life forever. she was just, like, i m done with this situation. he won t leave me alone. i m you know, i m going to the wife. she needs to know about the situation. i think she was probably tired of you know, living in this this secret. you know, she wanted to be free from the situation. the wife knows, he ll leave me alone. yeah. i mean, you know, if i m honest with the wife, then maybe, you know, they can try to work out their problems. and he ll leave me alone. reporter: but it backfired. shawn s marriage imploded. she was just, like, i ve gone to the wife. she s getting a divorce. she s made him move out. he lost everything after that. yeah. reporter: and friends say shawn continued to harrass brooke. in fact, they say, things only intensified. beyond emotional abuse? was it physical? yes.