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,
send. and so i went in her kitchen. and on top of the refrigerator was a manila folder. brittany opened the folder. it was an order of protection brooke had taken out about a year before her murder against her former boss shawn smoot. and it was page after page of just crazy stuff that he did to her. and i m just like, this is horrifying. like, i didn t even know that any of this was happening. the document details a litany of alleged violent outbursts by shawn including the time brooke says he broke into her apartment and attacked her. why didn t she just tell us, you know, that this is what i m going through. think she didn t wanna share with you what was going on in her life? she knew we d have a fit. i
refrigerator was a manila folder. brittany opened the folder. it was an order of protection brooke had taken out about a year before her murder against her former boss shawn smoot. and it was page after page of just crazy stuff that he did to her. and i m just like, this is horrifying. like, i didn t even know that any of this was happening. the document details a litany of alleged violent outbursts by shawn including the time brooke says he broke into her apartment and attacked her. why didn t she just tell us, you know, that this is what i m going through. think she didn t wanna share with you what was going on in her life? she knew we d have a fit. i mean, i would have hunted him myself, for hurting her in any way. and i think she knew that. brooke s friends who knew about the order of protection were surprised to find out she
mm-hmm. 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. reporter: 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. reporter: it was brittany who discovered it, as she went about the grim task of cleaning out brooke s apartment. and we were kind of getting stuff in order to pack away and send. and so i went in her kitchen. and on top of the refrigerator reporter: brittany opened the folder. it was an order of protection brooke had taken out about a year before her murder against her former boss, shawn smoot. and it was page after page of