Danielle Parker

Hey, it's Stephanie Gomolko with oxygen.com.

When I'm running a marathon, I have enough to worry about.

My hydration, to my time, to how my knee is feeling.

The last thing I need to worry about is blisters.

Thanks to Bombas, that hasn't been an issue.

Don't let bad socks and blisters stop you in your tracks either.

Bombas make slides, socks, and seamless essentials to keep up with however you pace your days.

Bombas offers sweat-wicking blister fighting and impact cushioning socks.

You can also order bombas abroad.

That's right, along with the U.S., they now ship internationally to over 200 countries.

Head over to bombas.com and use code Snapped for 20% off your first purchase.

That's B-O-M-B-A-S.com, code SNAPT, at checkout.

Affordable and easy access to therapy is something everyone should have.

It can help you find the silver linings even during tough times.

Telehealth is one-way accessibility is more convenient than ever.

thanks to Rula.

Rula isn't just affordable.

They stick with you throughout your journey to make sure you're getting the best therapy and that you're making progress.

With Rula, every provider is carefully vetted and chosen for their expertise, making the first step towards better mental health easy.

Rula starts by asking you some questions about what is important to you and then provides a list of licensed providers who match your preferences.

You can have an appointment as soon as the next day.

Thousands have already trusted Rula to support them on their journey toward improved mental health and overall well-being.

Head over to rula.com slash snapped to get started today.

After you sign up, they ask where you heard about them.

Please support our show and tell them our show sent you.

Go to rula.com slash snapped and take the first step towards better mental health today.

You deserve quality care from someone who cares.

Danielle Parker was an attractive, outgoing woman.

Danielle loved to dress, loved to show off.

You know,

that was her thing.

And her wife, Crystal, was a successful and popular East Point, Georgia police officer.

She loved helping people, loved getting out in the community, interacting with people.

Together, they seemed like the perfect couple.

Crystal supported Danielle 100%

in whatever she wanted to do in life.

But their six-year marriage would end with a tragic discovery.

Crystal had a bullet hole to the back of her head.

We were very concerned about a cop killer at large.

Was someone from her past trying to settle a score?

There is a possibility that someone she arrested was angry at her and wanted to get back at her.

Or would a surprise witness change the entire focus of the investigation

and reveal a betrayal that led to murder?

This relationship was over.

She had to have snapped.

East Point, Georgia, July 7th, 2013.

This community of 30,000 tucked between downtown Atlanta and the sprawling Hartsville-Jackson airport has struggled in the past.

At one point, it was a very highly drug-infested area.

It has had a lot of renovation, a lot of changes in it.

And 34-year-old Crystal Parker deserved at least a little of the credit for those changes.

As an East Point police officer, she patrolled its streets.

She loved helping people, loved getting out in the community, interacting with people.

And since she had recently bought a house in East Point, she called it home too.

She lived in a suburb of it, so she was very much a part of the community in which she police.

Once in East Point, Crystal Crystal and her wife, 30-year-old Danielle Parker, had established a comfortable routine, including a regular Sunday night dinner at home with an elderly friend.

Every Sunday, she would come to Crystal's house.

They would watch movies together.

This Sunday was no different.

But when their friend arrived that Sunday evening, she knew something was wrong.

She noticed the front door unlocked.

She opened the front door, saw the back door completely wide open.

She asked if anybody was home.

She received no response.

She goes searching for Crystal, feeling something wasn't right.

Why wasn't Crystal answering?

And where was Danielle?

The friend's worry turned to fear as she moved deeper into the house and noticed a disturbing odor.

And to her horror, when Crystal's friend reached the master bedroom upstairs, she found the source of the odor.

She finds Crystal on her bed with blood coming from her head.

Crystal's friend called 911, but there was nothing the first responders could do.

The veteran police officer was dead.

Crystal had a bullet hole to the back of her head.

And it didn't appear to be self-inflicted.

There was no gun nearby.

There wasn't a suicide note, and there was no indication of suicide.

But if it wasn't a suicide, who would want the police officer dead?

Was it a random home invasion or someone she arrested out for vengeance?

Before the investigators could even begin to answer those questions, they would have to solve another, even more urgent mystery.

What had become of Crystal's wife, Danielle?

Born in 1982, Danielle Dixon grew up in Atlanta, raised by her single mother.

Her mother worked really hard to try to give her the things that she needed.

However, despite all her mother's support, Danielle was a timid, quiet child.

She did not have confidence because she was heavy, and so she didn't think she was attractive.

She was also carrying the weight of a big secret.

Danielle came out in high school.

Her mother was very, very supportive.

With the newfound freedom to be herself, the formerly shy teen came out of her shell.

She ended up losing all this weight, and so that gave her a lot of confidence.

Danielle's newfound confidence soon got her noticed too.

Danielle loved to dress, loved to show off.

You know,

that was her thing.

When she put herself together, oh, she was great.

She was a beautiful woman.

Danielle was happier, but she was soon running with a wilder crowd and neglecting her high school classes.

Danielle had stopped going to school.

As a result, she spent her late teens and early 20s bouncing between jobs and relationships.

Danielle loved to have people around.

She loved to talk to people.

She loved to socialize.

She needed to have someone.

She wanted attention on her.

None of the relationships lasted though.

So in 2005, the 23-year-old was on her own and looking for a little attention when she met Crystal Parker in an Atlanta nightclub.

Almost four years older than Danielle, Crystal was born in Atlanta but grew up in central Florida.

She liked to climb trees, run, jump, you know, pretty much get into anything athletic she could.

She was also very competitive, especially with her twin brother.

She was always taller than me, faster than me.

talked for me, did everything before I did.

However, despite their rivalry, Crystal and her brother had always been close.

We had similar personalities, though.

We both liked sports.

You know, we always generally, you know, just interested in the same stuff.

And that included girls.

She came out during high school.

I was mad at her, not because, you know, my twin sister's gay, but the fact that, you know, she hid it from it.

What Crystal didn't hide was her athletic skill.

She lettered pretty much in every sport that she played when she was in high school.

But then, just as she was preparing to go to college on a basketball scholarship, a health crisis canceled those plans.

Her face got big.

Like her gums would turn a different color.

She was just sick.

We initially found out she had lupus.

Crystal spent the next few years in and out of hospitals and doctors' offices.

She had to go through chemotherapy for a while and blood platelets and all that other stuff.

It was a significant impact on her life.

Once she was well, Crystal did get her college degree and went on to attend the police academy.

She went through the police academy with no problems.

She didn't have any of her lupus flare-ups.

Corporal Parker and I actually went to the police academy together.

She was very determined and strong officer.

And in October of 2006, 28-year-old Crystal took a job outside Atlanta, patrolling a beat for the East Point Police.

She loved being a cop.

That was her drive.

And it was soon after taking the job in East Point that Crystal spotted Danielle in an Atlanta club.

Whenever she wasn't working on duty as a police officer, she worked at one of the clubs in East Point as security.

Chris saw her from across the room and said, that is who I want to be with.

And went and told her and said, I think you're gorgeous.

I want us to be together.

I want to talk to you.

She did the whole nine and Danielle left with her.

That is how they ended up getting together.

And within days, Danielle had moved in with the police officer.

She always moved in with her girlfriend.

That was something that was really important to her.

In addition to providing her with a place to live, Crystal showered her new girlfriend with expensive gifts.

My sister pretty much doted on her.

Whatever she wanted, she got.

And in return, Danielle was devoted to Crystal.

Danielle catering to Crystal, making sure that food was done and making sure she had her lunch ready for work and things of that nature.

She was very much the happy housewife, so to speak.

And a year later, at Atlanta's Pride Festival, Danielle and Crystal made it official.

During Pride, they have all of the couples come to the park.

They actually

do a ceremony, a civil union ceremony.

This was a relationship that, according to their vows, was until death, do its part.

And to further build a life together, Crystal helped Danielle get her GED and start a career.

Danielle wanted to go to nursing school and Crystal said, I support you 100%.

We're going to make this happen.

Crystal even paid for her to enroll in a training program to become a certified nursing assistant.

Chris was the one that was like, if you go to school, I got you.

I'll handle all bills.

You don't have to worry about anything.

Crystal supported Danielle 100% in whatever she wanted to do in life.

And in 2012, Danielle showed her appreciation and devotion by formally changing her last name to Parker.

My sister was happy that she changed her name.

She was like proud.

Danielle had plenty of reasons to be proud of Crystal too.

2012 was a banner year for her police career.

She was officer of the year.

She got promoted to corporal, which was huge, very huge, because because that was her career.

And if that wasn't enough to celebrate, the couple had recently purchased a home in East Point.

It's a beautiful home, really beautiful home, and they were so excited.

Although after years patrolling its streets, Crystal knew that while East Point was on its way up, the community still faced challenges.

East Point has its fair share of crime.

But Crystal and Danielle were prepared.

The couple bought a shotgun and several pistols for home defense.

Crystal was a protector by nature.

Crystal also taught Danielle how to use them.

In fact, she taught several of their friends too.

She taught me how to aim.

She taught me the gun safety.

And yet, when put to the test, none of Crystal's precautions could stop her killer.

Coming up, the police search for a cop killer.

There is a possibility that someone she arrested broke into her home and shot her.

But first, they have to find Danielle.

That began the focus of their investigation.

Where is this person?

On July 7th, 2013, a family friend called the police and reported that she just found 34-year-old Crystal Parker dead in her East Point, Georgia home.

Every Sunday, she she would come to Crystal's house.

She went upstairs to the bedroom and did find the victim deceased in her bed.

It appeared that she had been murdered.

Crystal's body was lying in the bed with a bullet hole to her head.

Based on the condition of the body, Crystal had been dead for several days.

Her body had begun to decompose.

But the biggest shock of all was when the East Point police arrived on the scene, and they immediately realized that the victim was one of their own.

When police have lost one of their own prematurely,

the investigation takes on a different turn.

Everyone is definitely on high alert because every detective and police officer feels as if it could be them.

Although, since the victim was a co-worker, the East Point police handed the case off to the Fulton County investigators.

I came alerted to it and was asked to assist on the case.

And one of the first things they had to determine was whether the fact that Crystal was a cop had something to do with her death.

Being a police officer, you can create so many enemies.

There is a possibility that someone she arrested was angry at her and wanted to get back at her, broke into her home and shot her.

That was a theory police had to explore.

Or was she simply a random victim?

cut down by the senseless crime she'd spent her career fighting.

Around this time, the area of East Point was suffering a rash of home burglaries.

So the natural thought the police investigated was that this may have been a home invasion.

However, once they processed the crime scene, the investigators realized that two things argued against a break-in.

First, as far as the investigators could determine, only two items of value were missing.

Crystal's phone and more importantly, her service weapon.

But did that mean Crystal's service weapon was also the murder weapon?

It would take an autopsy to know for sure.

But the fact that Crystal might have been killed with her own gun certainly suggested that her killer knew she was a cop.

Whomever came into her home knew that there would be a weapon there.

But did that mean it was payback?

That someone Crystal previously arrested had come looking for revenge?

Since there were no signs of forced entry, the police weren't sure.

Well, usually looking for forced entry, it's typically somebody who may have access to the residence or has a key.

So it's possibly somebody that's known to her.

Especially since Crystal was very security conscious.

If Crystal was inside the home, she had the alarm on.

And then there was the fact that the veteran police officer had been murdered in her bed.

It seemed as if she may have been caught off guard and didn't know that someone had actually entered her home.

And the fact that Crystal was caught off guard by her killer raised one possibility to the police.

For almost six years, Crystal had been living with 30-year-old Danielle Parker.

Crystal called Danielle her wife.

But Crystal was dead, and there was no sign of Danielle.

That began the focus of their investigation.

Where is this person?

And they didn't have to wait long for an answer.

While still at the scene, The friend who'd found Crystal's body received an anxious call from Danielle.

Danielle was asking her if something was wrong with Crystal Crystal because she had heard from another close friend that law enforcement was out at their home.

And when she found out that Crystal was dead, Danielle started sobbing into the phone.

She was like, oh my God,

the love of my life is gone.

That's what Danielle said.

But if that was true, how could she not know that the love of her life was dead?

After all, Crystal had been like that for days.

The answer was simple.

They had actually recently broken up just before this incident took place.

As soon as the investigators found out that she and Crystal had broken up three months before the murder, they asked Danielle to come in for a formal statement.

Danielle Parker was number one on the list to be interviewed.

When she spoke to the police the next morning, Danielle told them that in recent months, things between her and Crystal had gotten strained.

She said that they were in a relationship, but they had mutually separated.

So it was a, let's just take a break and, you know, you focus on school and, you know, you do that.

And we'll, you know, we'll still talk.

Her demeanor struck me as odd.

There were no tears,

very little emotion.

Danielle said that she had moved back in with her mother at the beginning of June.

Although, according to what she told the police, it wasn't exactly a breakup.

It wasn't just a a breakup.

Chris was still friendly.

Chris was still concerned.

And while they weren't living together for the moment, Danielle said she had continued to visit Crystal's house in East Point.

We pretty much talked.

Wade was never,

oh, were you dating?

Or are we dating?

It was, you know, how you doing?

How's it going?

What's been going on?

She was like, you know, we were working things out.

Oh, I was appreciative,

but not too much away.

I believe they were still sleeping with each other.

Although, according to Danielle, she hadn't dropped by the house in several days.

Last time I saw her was last

Wednesday.

I came over that morning when I left school

and I saw her that night.

She came back and Thursday morning I left her house first.

So the last Thursday morning you saw her?

Yes.

June 27th.

Yes.

That's what Danielle said.

But the investigators weren't just going to take her word for it.

Once they had her statement, the investigators contacted Danielle's cell phone provider.

We sent an emergency request to the phone company.

I wanted to verify what she said.

First, police had to build a timeline of Crystal's last days.

When they checked with her supervisor, they discovered that she hadn't come into work on the 4th of July, even though she was scheduled.

It was very unusual for her to not notify them that she wasn't coming to work.

When she did not show up to work, one of her supervisors called her.

They did not receive an answer.

Not surprising, since according to the medical examiner, Crystal was probably already dead.

General time of death, they said, was July 3rd or July 4th.

However, when the supervisor left Crystal a voicemail, someone had replied via text.

Somebody from the victim's phone replied back, my father's in the hospital.

I can't talk now.

It wasn't like Crystal, according to her captain.

Normally, she would call and be like, hey, this is what's going on.

And even more unlike Crystal, she hadn't called in the following morning either when she once again failed to show up for work.

That same supervisor called again, no answer.

Texted again, how's your father doing?

Response was, I'm fine.

Thank you.

Not only was the second reply strange, investigators discovered the original text about her father wasn't even true.

They contact the father and he goes, I'm not in the hospital.

But since investigators now knew that Crystal was already dead by then, that left them suspecting two things.

First, whoever had her phone was probably the killer.

And second, the killer likely wasn't a home invader or ex-con out for revenge.

It had to be somebody that she knew.

Coming up, investigators learned the truth about Crystal and Danielle's relationship.

My sister gives and gives and gives and got nothing in return.

And that leaves them wondering, had Crystal finally said enough?

You know, over the years, I've had my fair share of financial stress, overdraft fees out of nowhere, forgetting a payment and getting hit with penalties, or just wishing I had a better way to stretch my money between paychecks.

That's why I love what QIIME is doing.

As a fee-free banking app, QIIME understands that every dollar counts.

When you set up direct deposit through QIIME, you unlock fee-free features like free overdraft coverage, getting paid up to two days early with direct deposit, and so much more.

QIIME is banking done right.

You can open a checking account with no monthly.

fees and no maintenance fees.

And when you set up direct deposit, you can actually get paid up to two days early.

Imagine Imagine that.

Plus, with qualifying direct deposits, QIIME has your back with free overdraft, up to $200 on debit card purchases and cash withdrawals.

No more sweating, that surprise coffee charge.

In fact, QIIIME has already spotted members over $30 billion to date.

And when it comes to access, you're covered with over 47,000 fee-free ATMs nationwide.

That's more than the top three national banks combined.

I use QIIME, and you should too.

Getting paid early has actually made budgeting easier for me.

It gives me a head start on rent, groceries, subscriptions, everything.

And I love getting those real-time alerts when I spend.

It keeps me way more aware of my daily habits.

And the thing I love most, Chime's customer support agents are available 24-7.

It's been super helpful to get the support I need when it works best for me, not trying to cram in extra calls during the workday.

Work on your financial goals through Chime today.

Open an account in two minutes at chime.com/slash snapped.

That's chime.com/slash snapped.

Chime feels like progress.

Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank.

Banking services and debit card provided by the Bank Corporation Bank NA or Stride Bank NA, members, FDIC.

Spot me eligibility requirements and overdraft limits apply.

Timing depends on submission of payment file.

Fees apply at out-of-network ATMs, bank ranking, and number of ATMs, according to US News and World Report 2023.

Chime, checking account required.

This show is sponsored by Liquid IV.

All right, so let's talk about the seasonal shift.

Summer's full of fun, late nights, and honestly, being a little too relaxed.

Then suddenly, bam, it's fall.

You're juggling a new work schedule, trying to get back into a routine, maybe even heading back to campus.

And if you're anything like me, that shift hits hard.

One thing that's seriously helped me stay focused and energized without feeling totally drained, Liquid IV's new energy multiplier, sugar-free hydrating energy.

I'm loving this stuff.

It gives me a clean energy boost without the crash or that weird jittery feeling you get from energy drinks.

I keep a few packets in my bag ready to go.

Whether I'm running between meetings, hitting the gym, or just need an afternoon pick-me-up, it's super easy.

Tear, pour into six ounces of water, shake it up, and boom, hydration and energy simplified.

Personally, I'm obsessed with the lemon lime and Yuzu pineapple flavors.

They taste so fresh and light.

Liquid IV isn't just about energy.

Just one stick hydrates better than water alone, and it's powered by LIV Hydroscience, which means you're getting an optimized ratio of electrolytes, eight essential vitamins, and clinically tested nutrients.

Plus, it's non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free.

Whether you're powering through work, recharging after a workout, or trying to avoid that afternoon crash, Liquid IV has your back.

Get focused.

Ditch the glitch with zero sugar and zero crash from Liquid IV.

Tear, pour, live more.

Go to liquidiv.com and get 20% off your first order with code SNAPT at checkout.

That's 20% off your first order with code snapped at liquidiv.com.

By the morning of July 9th, 2013, it had been more than 24 hours since a friend found Crystal Parker murdered in her East Point, Georgia home.

Something so horrific and so intimate happening in our backyard was something that shocked the residents and definitely shook our sense of security.

And the fact that Crystal served on the East Point Police Force left the community even more shaken.

Crystal was such a beloved officer in the area.

Anybody she came across, she touched and blessed.

At first, the investigators feared that Crystal might have been targeted because she was a cop.

Has she arrested the wrong person who came back to exact revenge on her?

But that theory didn't quite fit with what they learned about the murder weapon.

The medical examiner found that Crystal Parker was shot in the head with a.38 caliber bullet.

The weapon that actually killed Crystal Parker was in fact her own service weapon.

The investigators then wondered if Crystal's death might have something to do with her recent breakup.

She and 30-year-old Danielle Parker had been married for the past five years, but as Danielle told the police, she had moved out a month earlier.

Danielle, in her words, agreed to take a break, thinking she was going to come back to Crystal.

At least that's the way Danielle portrayed it.

But when the investigators spoke to Crystal's family, they put a very different spin on things.

After they broke up, Danielle was kicked out of of the household.

It had been a long time coming, according to family and friends.

Crystal Parker's father labeled Danielle to be a moocher.

Crystal paid for the house, she paid for the car, food, groceries, cell phone bill, cable bill, light bill.

She paid for everything.

And the family claimed that while Crystal worked long hours with the East Point police, Danielle spent most days at home, essentially doing nothing.

She would be so lazy and lackadaisical.

She played on her computer.

She would play video games, play on her iPad.

She didn't work and she wasn't very helpful in their relationship at all.

Danielle had gotten her GED and gone back to school to pursue a nursing degree, but the family claimed that it was only at Crystal's urging.

Crystal was trying to get her off her feet.

Do something with your life.

I don't know if the true passion of wanting to be in nursing was truly there.

Danielle was was mostly doing this so she wouldn't have to work.

Which meant that Crystal was the couple's sole breadwinner.

She kind of carried Danielle along for years.

It was a sacrifice she'd been willing to make at first.

I do think that one of the main reasons why Crystal was with Dee was because she liked to help people.

Crystal wanted to make sure that Danielle's dreams were

fulfilled.

Although according to both friends and family, Crystal eventually realized she was being played.

My sister got tired of being the breadwinner, being, you know, the one that gives and gives and gives and got nothing in return.

And friends said that in addition to Crystal's money, Danielle soaked up all of her free time, too.

She wanted all of your attention.

That was a very big thing for her.

You are mine, always going to be mine, and you need to cater to my needs.

However, as much as she wanted Crystal's complete devotion, friends claimed that Danielle didn't hold herself to the same standard.

Danielle was cheating on Crystal.

It hurt Crystal.

She would have never thought that someone that she loved and cared about would have done that to her.

Worse, according to friends, The cheating had continued throughout their relationship.

They would break up.

Chris would take her back, she would cheat again.

Friends and family said they'd repeatedly urged Crystal to break things off for good.

We thought Crystal could do better

because obviously she's doing everything.

She's putting all the effort in the relationship and Dee was not.

But they said that for years, Crystal could never quite bring herself to end it.

Dee would call her back, you know, hey, I'm sorry, I'll do better.

Crystal, you know, give her another chance.

She didn't want to end up like, you know, have a failed relationship, so to speak.

But then, one weekend, a few months before Crystal's death, friends said that Danielle's cheating had finally gone too far.

According to the couple's friend, Teculvi Salter, Crystal had been moonlighting that night working security at a local club.

When she would work at the club, Crystal wouldn't get home until almost four or five o'clock in the morning.

But the night had been slow, so Crystal had left early.

I was on the phone with her while she was pulling up at her home, and she says,

this person's car is in my driveway.

Why is she at my home at 2.30 in the morning?

Crystal figured she knew.

She went through the back door to kind of like surprise them.

And according to Teculvi, Crystal caught Danielle in the house with another woman.

Danielle made it seem like,

you know, it was innocent, like nothing happened.

But according to friends and family, there was no apologizing this time.

Crystal had enough.

All right, I'm done.

I'm moving on.

I'm just done.

Not only had Danielle cheated on Crystal, she'd brought another woman into their home.

I think that's where Chris said,

we're not going to be able to put this back together.

Crystal had made up her mind, but after years of second chances, Danielle didn't believe they were through.

She was still doing things to try to get my sister to come around, trying to lure her back.

And over the next week or so, Crystal's resolve had begun to weaken.

Crystal was like, we're friends.

We've had, we got history, so I just can't cut you out my life.

According to friends, Danielle was soon coming around the house again, even staying overnight on occasion.

And Crystal had continued to give Danielle money.

If Danielle needed something she could call Chris, I'm going to say they were cordial.

However, just when it looked as if Danielle had succeeded in worming her way back into Crystal's life, her plan had suffered an unexpected setback.

Once they broke up and Danielle finally moved out, Crystal had started dating someone else.

It was a woman who lived in Florida near Crystal's father.

And according to her sister, Crystal was in love.

She seemed really happy.

She, you know, seemed like she didn't have a care in the world.

The question was, how did Danielle feel about Crystal's new love?

New girlfriend comes in, old girlfriend is pushed out.

There's going to be fireworks.

But was it a motive for murder?

Questioned after her ex's body had been found in the bed they once shared.

Danielle had told police the last time she was at the house was nearly a week before the murder.

What was the last time you were at the house?

But was it the truth?

The investigators figured there was one way to find out.

We were able to gain her phone records.

And what they revealed was damning.

When we tracked Danielle's phone, we put her at Crystal Parker's house for 25 hours and 17 minutes from the morning July 3rd to afternoon July 4th.

Not only had Danielle been in the house around the time that Crystal died, when the investigators compared the records for Danielle and Crystal's phones, they discovered something equally suspicious about the three days that Crystal had been lying dead in her bedroom.

They realized that Danielle and Crystal's cell phones were pinging together.

Both phones were tracked up to the same place in another county just west of Atlanta.

And from that location, the home of Danielle's mother.

Someone had used Crystal's phone to send those texts to her captain, saying Crystal couldn't come into work because her father was ill.

Those cell phone records were crucial.

They pointed the finger at Danielle.

Based on what the investigators had found in the phone records, they descended on Danielle's mother's house on July 9th with a search warrant.

They found Crystal's wallet, Crystal's phone.

They also found a single.38 caliber bullet.

The bullet that was found in Danielle's mother's home matched the caliber of weapon that was actually used to kill Crystal.

The investigators immediately brought Danielle in for questioning.

We found a 38

brown ammunition.

We found Crystal's cell phone.

We found some bank cards in her name.

Her cell phone.

They had Danielle boxed in.

And hoping to wring a confession out of her, the investigators showed Danielle the gruesome crime scene photos of Crystal's body.

This is someone that used to call you wifey or do you?

And this is how she was found.

She had no reaction, absolutely no emotion.

For a person that had been together with somebody they said they love for five or six years

and it was so detached

struck me as odd.

But it was also the person who had rejected Danielle.

And the investigators let Danielle know they could prove it, too.

Your phone pinged out a

nearby cell phone towel.

Not that the revelation had much impact on her.

Her demeanor was classic.

Detachment, no remorse.

Matter of fact.

She almost acted as if she knew that she was going to be arrested.

We had probable cause to arrest her for the murder of Crystal Parker.

We have her killed her.

The public will know,

East Point Police will know.

You can have your 15 minutes of fame on the news, media,

and then you'll be sort of under the work.

Coming up, can the the prosecutors secure a conviction?

It was a circumstantial case without any eyewitnesses?

Or will a new witness add an unexpected twist?

Man, this girl says she was married to a dude.

By July 9th, 2013, it had been 48 hours since 34-year-old East Point, Georgia police officer Crystal Parker had been found dead in her home, a gunshot wound to the back of her head.

South Fulton County community and the East Point community were very concerned about a cop killer at large.

But the investigators had just made an arrest.

30-year-old Danielle Parker, Crystal's estranged partner.

When first hearing that Danielle Parker did this and seeing the picture of her,

I was speechless.

I didn't think she would be the type of person to, you know, kill my sister.

It never crossed my mind that Dee could have done it.

The police had some pretty compelling evidence, though.

First, Crystal and Danielle's six-year relationship had recently crumbled.

She was used to a steady income of somebody supporting her.

Crystal was a gravy tray.

And when that gravy train stopped,

Danielle couldn't take it.

And in addition to a strong motive the investigators could put her near crystal's house on the night that she died so records put danielle parker on scene plus when they searched the home of danielle's mother where danielle had been living ever since crystal kicked her out they had recovered crystal's phone her wallet and her credit cards items that crystal would have actually had on her person so it led police to believe that those items were taken from crystal without her consent they didn't find the murder weapon.

Crystal's service weapon was never found.

But the search did find a single.38 caliber round.

The medical examiner says that Crystal was likely killed with the same caliber bullet.

It wasn't quite a smoking gun, though.

So in the days following her arrest, the investigators continued building their case, starting with a search of Danielle's computer.

What we found was interesting and disturbing and confirming.

Especially the contents of her search history.

The topic ranged from how to interview with a police detective to how to pass a lie detector's test.

And perhaps most damning of all, Danielle had been conducting daily searches for Crystal's obituary before the body was even found.

Why are you searching?

obituaries for the victim on July the 5th if you don't already have knowledge that the person's dead.

Then there was the information the investigators received when they contacted Crystal's new long-distance girlfriend.

She told the police that Crystal had called her early on the morning of July 4th and they had spoken on the phone.

So we can confirm that she was alive 6.37 a.m.

on July 4th.

And thanks to Danielle's cell phone records, they knew that she was apparently in the house while Crystal was on the phone with her new girlfriend.

Police believe that danielle heard that call or something and became enraged she realized this relationship was over she had to have snapped it was a classic case if i can't have you nobody else can

while the investigators were certain that danielle was the killer could they convince a jury

It was a circumstantial case without any eyewitnesses.

But would a surprising new development change that?

It was in the days after Danielle's arrest when Detective Rashid Hamilton was looking back through Danielle's phone records that something caught his eye.

There was an individual that drew my attention due to his phone calling Danielle Parker's phone around the time when we think the homicide happened.

The number belonged to a man named Quentin.

And when the investigators contacted him, he told them that he knew Danielle.

In fact, that wasn't all he said.

He confirmed to me that he was dating Danielle Parker.

When he came in for an interview on July 15th, Quentin told the investigators that he'd met Danielle at the beginning of June.

Did you guys have changed phone numbers that first day?

Yes, you taped him.

Yeah, we'll change them.

She got my number, I got hold.

But when it came to dating, Quentin said that Danielle had preferred to take things slow.

I have never kissed you before.

What touched damage?

The most I got was a hold.

Although, as Quentin understood it, Danielle had reason to be standoffish.

She had just broke up with her ex-husband.

He was under the impression that Danielle Parker was married to

Emila's husband.

And he was pretty surprised when the investigators told him the truth.

Man, hears say she was married to a dude.

And according to Quentin, that wasn't all that danielle had told him about her husband danielle parker explained to him that she was being abused by her husband according to quenton that was why danielle said she had left her marriage but danielle also told him that her husband had continued to stalk her she told me her husband was at her mama house you know her mama do

And she advised, I need you to take care of the situation for me.

This young man refused to help.

He explained to her he didn't want to get involved with it.

Then on July 4th, Quentin said that Danielle had sent him a text saying that she was going over to her husband's.

She told me that she was going to get her stuff.

Like, how long is she left?

This young man told her to be careful.

But a little while later, according to Quentin, he'd received a series of frantic texts from Danielle.

Pick up the phone.

Where are you?

I need you.

Pick up, pick up, pick up.

Ask for the phone, ask the phone, ask for the phone.

I'm trying to call you.

I'm trying to call you.

This mother woke up.

Danielle Parker says that I did it.

This young man says you did what?

Did it, it?

Danielle Parker tells him in a text message, yes, I did it.

I ain't got nothing to do.

I ain't know this bitch is crazy.

I ain't got nothing to do with this shit.

Whether Danielle was trying to involve him in the murder or build a case for self-defense, Quentin didn't know.

And while the text wasn't quite a confession from Danielle, it was probably as close as the investigators were going to get.

I felt like it was a very strong case we had, and the district attorney felt like it was a very strong case we had against her.

A reasonable person would make the connection that Danielle eventually killed Crystal.

However, while they were confident in their case, one thing gave them pause.

Danielle did have much criminal history, and this appeared to have been a crime of passion.

Considering the circumstances, prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty.

But Danielle was still facing life in prison.

And as her court date approached, Danielle appeared determined to fight.

Danielle did not want to take a plea deal.

She wanted to go to trial.

After all, it may have been her best shot.

Anytime a prosecutor goes to trial, it's a crapshoot.

You never know what could happen.

And as it turned out, the case had one more surprise in store.

Coming up, will the prosecutors be able to secure a conviction?

Danielle should not see the light of day ever.

Or will a surprise twist change everything?

The district attorney calls us and said, Hey, you need to get to the courthouse now.

On November 5th, 2014, jury selection was scheduled to begin in Danielle Parker's murder trial.

The 32-year-old was charged with the July 2013 murder of Crystal Parker, her wife of more than five years, and an East Point, Georgia police officer.

Crystal had a new girlfriend.

Danielle knew this, and Danielle couldn't take it.

She wasn't just in love with her.

Danielle had depended on Crystal for financial support.

Danielle lost everything when she lost Crystal and the police and prosecutors were convinced that she had taken her revenge.

All the evidence was against her.

Not that it had mattered to Danielle, who had turned down the opportunity to cut a plea deal.

She was going to fight the case, fight the charges against her.

But then, with the pool of potential jurors waiting in the courthouse, Danielle's attorneys unexpectedly approached the prosecutors.

All of a sudden, she changed her tone.

The district attorney calls us and said, Hey, you need to get to the courthouse now.

She's entering a guilty plea.

That goes to show the strength of the evidence that was against Danielle that she knew she had so much to overcome.

And without any kind of prearranged deal, she stood before a Fulton County judge and entered her plea.

Danielle finally admitted her guilt.

Although despite pleading guilty to first-degree murder, Danielle remained defiant to the end.

She never said she was sorry for anything she did.

She wouldn't look at us.

She didn't acknowledge us in any kind of way.

And she wasn't crying.

She was just,

you know, stoneface as usual.

In return for her guilty plea, she received life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years.

It was to Danielle's advantage to plead guilty because if Danielle had gone to trial and had actually been convicted, it's very likely that she would have gotten a stiffer sentence that she would never even have the possibility of getting out of jail.

Danielle's sentence was a bitter disappointment for Crystal's friends and family.

I think the sentence was almost a slap in the face to us.

Life with the possibility of parole, Danielle should not see the light of day.

Ever.

Because in their minds, what Danielle did wasn't a crime of passion.

It was the tragic result of her deadly obsession.

You should not love someone to death.

For you to obsess about someone, for you to mentally want to harm someone because they don't want to be with you.

Then that's not love.

Danielle Parker is serving her life sentence at Pulaski State Prison in Hawkinsville, Georgia.

Did you see that?

I love this.

Hi, I'm Denise Chan, host of Scam Factory.

You might remember hearing about our investigative series that exposed what's really happening behind those suspicious texts you get.

Inside heavily guarded compounds across Asia, thousands are trapped and forced to scam others or risk torture.

One of our most powerful stories was Jella's, a young woman who thought she'd found her dream job, only to end up imprisoned in a scam compound.

Her escape story caught the attention of criminals Phoebe Judge, and I'm honored to share more details of Jella's journey with their audience.

But Jella's story is just one piece of this investigation.

In Scam Factory, we reveal how a billion-dollar criminal empire turns job seekers into prisoners prisoners and how the only way out is to scam your way out.

Ready to uncover the full story?

Binge all episodes of Scam Factory now.

Listen to Scam Factory on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.