Posted on 03/24/2005 12:36:32 PM PST by SmithL
ATLANTA - The woman who led authorities to suspected courthouse gunman Brian Nichols was presented with $70,000 in reward money Thursday.
Ashley Smith, a 26-year-old widowed mother of one, was held hostage for seven hours by Nichols at her suburban Atlanta home March 12 before he let her go. She then made the 911 call that led to his arrest.
"My life is testimony that God can use us even in the midst of tragedy and miracles do happen," she said.
She was lauded at a ceremony during which she received a fistful of reward checks from Gov. Sonny Perdue and law enforcement agencies.
Thomas Smith, head of the state sheriffs association, saluted her for "your courage, your strength and your perseverance."
The woman has said she spoke with Nichols for hours about her daughter, her husband's stabbing deaths years ago and her faith in God. She said she told Nichols that he might be destined to be caught so he could spread the word of God to fellow prisoners.
In all, she received $25,000 from the U.S. Marshals Office, $20,000 from the FBI, $10,000 from Perdue's office, $5,000 from the Georgia Sheriffs' Association, $5,000 from the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police and $5,000 from the city of Atlanta. She previously received $2,500 from the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.
Nichols is accused of overpowering a courthouse deputy March 11, taking her gun from a lockbox and fatally shooting Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes and his court reporter, Julie Brandau, on the day Barnes was to resume Nichols' rape trial.
Nichols also is accused of killing a sheriff's deputy outside the courthouse and a federal agent while he was on the run. He surrendered after a 26-hour manhunt.
Smith's grandfather, Dick Machovec, said the family planned to hire a financial adviser to help Smith manage the money.
"Hopefully, it's going to be used for education, it's going to be used to pay off some loans, it's going to be used to give a portion of it to the Lord," he said.
They don't trust her to do it herself?
They got it right, for once. Brava!
A financial advisor to handle 70K? They'll spend most of it on the advisor..
Good for her, though.
The girl has had a checkered past. Her child is in the custody of an aunt. Maybe she does need some advice.
Anyway, I'm glad she got the reward, and hope she can continue to turn her life around.
How much will the IRS get?
They'll spend most of it on the advisor..
&&
My thoughts exactly. About what percentage do you estimate?
Well, that *is* a whole lot of 2:00 a.m. cigarettes.
Why does the aunt have custody of the daughter?
It would be nice if the financial adviser took her case pro bono.
I don't think this type of reward is taxable. Not positive, though.
Glad she got it.
Flame away. I'll stand my ground.
What's the checkered past? Shop lifting at an early age? Something else is in her checkered past, but IMO it doesn't amount to a checkered past. I'm willing to bet alot of us Freepers's pasts are more checkered than hers.
None. IIRC, rewards of this type are tax free.
Ashley gave custody to the aunt while pursuing a degree and working restaurant shifts in Atlanta...getting her life back together. She visits the child on weekends/days off.
Maybe the money will enable her to take the litle girl to Atlanta with her, or maybe the child will be happier with extended family, for the time being.
It's a long story, which will, no doubt, be coming out in book and movie form soon.
"Nichols is accused of overpowering a courthouse deputy March 11, taking her gun from a lockbox "
Paging Al Gore! We've located your lockbox!!
I quit reading A Purpose Driven Life after the first few pages...Warren stated something I just simply didn't agree with.
But if this book brings people closer to God, so be it.
Is she still in love with the murderer?
Drugs. She and the husband ran with a bad crowd, then were suspected of ratting them to the police, which is why the husband was stabbed in front of her and died in her arms.
Sad, but she is now very religious and trying to do things right.
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