1 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,689 [phone ringing] 2 00:00:17,689 --> 00:00:20,862 At the point I had made this phone call, 3 00:00:21,827 --> 00:00:25,275 um, I've already heard multiple gunshots, 4 00:00:25,275 --> 00:00:27,137 and I knew I was next. 5 00:00:28,517 --> 00:00:33,172 There was nothing I can do to protect myself and my kids. 6 00:00:34,689 --> 00:00:38,793 I was shot point-blank range in my face. 7 00:00:45,482 --> 00:00:48,896 [voice breaking] I just wanted to be a good mother. 8 00:00:48,896 --> 00:00:51,241 I just wanted to be a good wife. 9 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:58,068 And I felt like I did everything I could, even 10 00:00:58,068 --> 00:01:01,689 sacrifice my own happiness, just thinking about 11 00:01:01,689 --> 00:01:06,034 everybody else, just trying to keep the family together. 12 00:01:07,103 --> 00:01:08,586 And it was just all crumbling. 13 00:01:08,586 --> 00:01:12,482 And I was just -- I just totally lost who I was. 14 00:01:12,482 --> 00:01:15,344 How did I get here? 15 00:01:16,793 --> 00:01:19,379 It wasn't supposed to be like this. 16 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,275 Nathan turned into 17 00:01:24,275 --> 00:01:25,689 a murderer. 18 00:01:29,620 --> 00:01:32,793 [The Paper Chase's "What's So Amazing About Grace?" plays] 19 00:01:32,793 --> 00:01:34,689 [strings continue playing sinister tune] 20 00:01:34,689 --> 00:01:36,758 [static crackling] 21 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:41,689 -[knock at door] -[creaking] 22 00:01:41,689 --> 00:01:47,000 -[banging on door] -[creaking] 23 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:52,172 -[banging on door] -[creaking] 24 00:01:52,172 --> 00:01:54,896 [water dripping] 25 00:01:54,896 --> 00:01:57,000 -[banging on door] -[creaking] 26 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,275 [sinister chord strikes] 27 00:02:08,172 --> 00:02:10,586 This is a picture 28 00:02:10,586 --> 00:02:15,137 of Nathan and I in my parents' home heading to go to prom. 29 00:02:16,793 --> 00:02:18,482 This is my friend. 30 00:02:18,551 --> 00:02:23,482 This is the one that I could talk to about anything, 31 00:02:23,482 --> 00:02:26,896 the one I shared my secrets with. 32 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:29,379 I didn't have to hide anything. 33 00:02:29,379 --> 00:02:31,379 Like, I could literally be myself. 34 00:02:31,379 --> 00:02:34,896 This is the Nathan that I fell in love with, 35 00:02:34,965 --> 00:02:36,172 my high school sweetheart. 36 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,655 But this Nathan turned into a monster. 37 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,067 This Nathan turned into 38 00:02:49,896 --> 00:02:51,172 a murderer. 39 00:02:52,930 --> 00:02:54,896 What happened 40 00:02:54,965 --> 00:02:56,275 to that young man? 41 00:02:56,344 --> 00:02:57,655 How did we get here? 42 00:03:02,172 --> 00:03:03,896 That's the question. 43 00:03:19,827 --> 00:03:23,793 I grew up in Wendell, North Carolina. 44 00:03:23,793 --> 00:03:28,896 I grew up in a Christian home, and faith played a big part 45 00:03:28,965 --> 00:03:30,275 in our lives. 46 00:03:30,275 --> 00:03:33,689 My mother was the pastor of Zion Hill Holiness Church, 47 00:03:33,689 --> 00:03:36,689 and my dad was the deacon at the church. 48 00:03:36,689 --> 00:03:39,344 And so they served in ministry. 49 00:03:40,413 --> 00:03:43,275 My dad and my mom worked as a team. 50 00:03:43,275 --> 00:03:46,275 They did everything together. 51 00:03:46,275 --> 00:03:51,896 I met Nathan Holden in middle school, and he lived in 52 00:03:51,896 --> 00:03:55,689 the community where our church was located. 53 00:03:55,689 --> 00:04:00,896 And so I met him in the neighborhood, and we hung 54 00:04:00,896 --> 00:04:03,172 out a couple of times, and it was just like, 55 00:04:03,241 --> 00:04:05,379 we kicked it off. 56 00:04:05,448 --> 00:04:10,689 The chemistry that Nathan and I had, it was like, he gets me. 57 00:04:10,689 --> 00:04:13,379 He understood me, and I understood him. 58 00:04:13,379 --> 00:04:14,793 I kept him laughing. 59 00:04:14,793 --> 00:04:16,793 You know, he would say, "You are crazy." 60 00:04:16,793 --> 00:04:18,379 Like, I was just silly. 61 00:04:19,379 --> 00:04:21,241 And he was my best friend. 62 00:04:23,482 --> 00:04:27,896 And then our friendship turned into love. 63 00:04:27,896 --> 00:04:31,586 We became more than just friends. 64 00:04:31,586 --> 00:04:35,689 But at that time, my family felt like 65 00:04:35,758 --> 00:04:38,344 I did not need to be hanging out with Nathan, 66 00:04:39,620 --> 00:04:43,172 because they knew about his lifestyle, 67 00:04:43,172 --> 00:04:45,000 his parents, their home. 68 00:04:45,034 --> 00:04:49,275 Everybody wanted to go and hang out and do things. 69 00:04:49,344 --> 00:04:54,103 And his parents, you know, were cool with that. 70 00:04:54,103 --> 00:04:57,000 Nathan's mother, she struggled with alcohol. 71 00:04:57,034 --> 00:05:00,379 And then also, his dad was physically abusive 72 00:05:00,379 --> 00:05:01,758 to his mother. 73 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,241 My dad in particular was so against 74 00:05:08,310 --> 00:05:10,275 the relationship Nathan and I had. 75 00:05:10,275 --> 00:05:12,103 [distant thunder] 76 00:05:12,103 --> 00:05:14,689 Look, we should get going. 77 00:05:14,689 --> 00:05:16,379 Oh, right. 78 00:05:16,379 --> 00:05:19,482 LaTONYA: I remember a time where it was 79 00:05:19,482 --> 00:05:21,275 a really bad storm that was coming, 80 00:05:21,344 --> 00:05:22,482 I think it was a hurricane. 81 00:05:22,551 --> 00:05:25,586 [thunder crashes] 82 00:05:25,586 --> 00:05:28,689 Nathan's mom was like, "Hey, you can just stay here." 83 00:05:28,689 --> 00:05:31,896 So before the storm came, Nathan and I went back to 84 00:05:31,896 --> 00:05:34,482 my home to grab some clothes and things like that. 85 00:05:34,482 --> 00:05:37,068 [as LaTonya laughing] 86 00:05:37,137 --> 00:05:39,000 AS LaTONYA'S FATHER: What do you think you're doing? 87 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,172 LaTONYA: Me and my dad, we had this fallout. 88 00:05:41,241 --> 00:05:43,068 -Mr. Allen. -LaTONYA: He was yelling 89 00:05:43,137 --> 00:05:45,172 and screaming and was like, -Now! 90 00:05:45,241 --> 00:05:46,758 "You're not going over there." 91 00:05:48,689 --> 00:05:52,172 My dad, he did not like Nathan. 92 00:05:52,241 --> 00:05:55,103 He felt like he had an attitude. 93 00:05:55,103 --> 00:05:57,896 I don't like that boy. He's no good. 94 00:05:57,896 --> 00:06:00,275 LaTONYA: Why are you chasing behind him? 95 00:06:00,275 --> 00:06:03,586 He's not worth it, and you're just going down 96 00:06:03,586 --> 00:06:04,689 this wrong path. 97 00:06:04,689 --> 00:06:08,000 He's using you, and you're falling for it. 98 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,068 And he was like, "He's gonna end up leaving you." 99 00:06:11,068 --> 00:06:15,379 My dad just automatically assumed Nathan, you know, is 100 00:06:15,379 --> 00:06:17,482 just like his dad. 101 00:06:17,551 --> 00:06:19,275 I'm like, "No, he's not like that. 102 00:06:19,275 --> 00:06:23,000 "He's not his parents. He's not the abusive guy. 103 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:24,586 He's like, he loves me." 104 00:06:24,586 --> 00:06:26,275 AS LaTONYA: He's not like the others! 105 00:06:26,344 --> 00:06:30,000 LaTONYA: But my dad saw the control 106 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,689 in the beginning, because 107 00:06:32,758 --> 00:06:34,482 I was changing. 108 00:06:34,482 --> 00:06:35,896 AS LaTONYA'S DAD: Don't you dare. 109 00:06:35,896 --> 00:06:37,793 LaTONYA: I wasn't being myself. 110 00:06:37,862 --> 00:06:40,000 And to see Nathan had that much 111 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,689 power and control over me at 112 00:06:43,689 --> 00:06:48,275 such a young age that I would disobey my parents, 113 00:06:48,275 --> 00:06:51,344 and I've been, like, this good girl all this time. 114 00:06:56,068 --> 00:06:58,482 And then now all of a sudden, I'm in love 115 00:06:58,551 --> 00:07:01,758 and things like that, and so it's all about him. 116 00:07:03,068 --> 00:07:05,172 Looking back now, 117 00:07:06,620 --> 00:07:11,482 I think my dad saw that this is not going to turn out good. 118 00:07:12,896 --> 00:07:16,137 And he really tried to stop that. 119 00:07:20,103 --> 00:07:23,344 I wish I had listened to my dad. 120 00:07:34,517 --> 00:07:36,862 At 15 years old, my life changed. 121 00:07:39,379 --> 00:07:40,655 I find out I'm pregnant. 122 00:07:41,517 --> 00:07:43,000 AS LaTONYA: Nathan? 123 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,275 LaTONYA: I remember calling Nathan and letting him know, 124 00:07:46,275 --> 00:07:48,000 "Hey, I went and had a test done, 125 00:07:48,034 --> 00:07:49,793 "and I find out I'm pregnant, 126 00:07:49,793 --> 00:07:52,172 and, you know, you're the father." 127 00:07:52,241 --> 00:07:56,379 And he was like, "Wow, are you sure?" 128 00:07:56,379 --> 00:07:58,000 Why would you say that? 129 00:07:58,000 --> 00:07:59,103 LaTONYA: He tells me that. 130 00:07:59,103 --> 00:08:01,379 My parents told me, "Don't do anything 131 00:08:01,448 --> 00:08:03,689 "until we get a blood test. 132 00:08:03,689 --> 00:08:05,586 We're not doing nothing." 133 00:08:05,586 --> 00:08:08,000 -Hello? -He turned his back on me. 134 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:11,241 -Nathan? -Completely cut me off. 135 00:08:12,896 --> 00:08:14,793 AS LaTONYA'S MOTHER: What's wrong? 136 00:08:14,793 --> 00:08:16,862 LaTONYA: And I was just so hurt. 137 00:08:18,103 --> 00:08:20,068 I'm sorry. [crying quietly] 138 00:08:21,206 --> 00:08:23,689 LaTONYA: Nathan missed the opportunity 139 00:08:23,689 --> 00:08:26,482 to prove my dad wrong because 140 00:08:26,482 --> 00:08:29,965 he did exactly what my dad warned me that he would do. 141 00:08:32,688 --> 00:08:36,172 I felt like he betrayed me, because now I'm doing 142 00:08:36,172 --> 00:08:38,275 this without him. 143 00:08:38,275 --> 00:08:41,068 And so I went through the whole pregnancy. 144 00:08:41,136 --> 00:08:44,586 Nathan wasn't involved, his family wasn't involved. 145 00:08:44,586 --> 00:08:47,896 It was just my parents, my family, that rallied 146 00:08:47,965 --> 00:08:49,896 around me and supported me during this time. 147 00:09:02,275 --> 00:09:03,896 We took a paternity test. 148 00:09:03,896 --> 00:09:06,137 I said, "It's your baby." 149 00:09:07,827 --> 00:09:13,275 And then Nathan accepted Jeremy being his son, 150 00:09:13,275 --> 00:09:17,172 and we felt like a little family. 151 00:09:17,172 --> 00:09:21,862 I was glad that he finally came around and stepped up. 152 00:09:25,793 --> 00:09:29,000 When Jeremy was about three years old, 153 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,068 we made a decision to get married. 154 00:09:31,137 --> 00:09:33,172 And a month later, we were at the altar. 155 00:09:34,793 --> 00:09:36,655 My dad walked me down the aisle. 156 00:09:38,586 --> 00:09:40,896 My mother officiated the wedding. 157 00:09:40,896 --> 00:09:43,896 -To be my lawful... -To by my lawful. 158 00:09:43,896 --> 00:09:46,172 ...and wedded wife. -And wedded wife. 159 00:09:46,172 --> 00:09:52,000 Nathan vowed to be the best husband and dad he could be. 160 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,068 Everything was just -- seemed like 161 00:09:54,137 --> 00:09:55,482 it was just falling in place. 162 00:09:55,482 --> 00:09:57,793 [scattered applause] 163 00:09:57,793 --> 00:09:59,482 Nathan had just finished barber school. 164 00:09:59,482 --> 00:10:02,103 I was in college, and things were going pretty well. 165 00:10:02,103 --> 00:10:06,689 And three years later, I have my first daughter. 166 00:10:06,689 --> 00:10:10,275 And then a few months later, I get pregnant with 167 00:10:10,344 --> 00:10:11,551 my second daughter. 168 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,068 At the time, he had to work two jobs, 169 00:10:25,137 --> 00:10:27,172 and I knew it was a lot of strain on him. 170 00:10:27,172 --> 00:10:30,862 And we just really started kind of drifting apart. 171 00:10:34,517 --> 00:10:38,379 Nathan began exerting control around our home in a way 172 00:10:38,379 --> 00:10:39,758 I have never seen before. 173 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:47,689 Nathan would come in, and he'd see toys on the floor. 174 00:10:47,689 --> 00:10:50,896 He would be like, "Hey, what's going on with this?" 175 00:10:50,965 --> 00:10:53,068 And he's so upset because the house is messy. 176 00:10:53,137 --> 00:10:56,000 It just really, like, ticked him off. 177 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,275 And he was like, "Okay, y'all gonna learn today 178 00:10:59,275 --> 00:11:01,275 "how to clean up. 179 00:11:01,344 --> 00:11:05,068 These are your responsibilities, and this is how you clean." 180 00:11:05,068 --> 00:11:08,275 Trash goes out on Thursdays. 181 00:11:08,275 --> 00:11:12,172 "This is how you properly make your bed 182 00:11:12,241 --> 00:11:14,689 or properly clean the bathroom." 183 00:11:14,689 --> 00:11:16,068 Got it? 184 00:11:17,275 --> 00:11:18,896 Hey! 185 00:11:18,896 --> 00:11:23,586 And literally had them acting it out, writing down steps, 186 00:11:23,586 --> 00:11:24,793 how to do it. 187 00:11:24,793 --> 00:11:27,172 Recycling goes in what color can? 188 00:11:31,103 --> 00:11:32,793 Black? 189 00:11:32,862 --> 00:11:36,689 No! How many times do I have to tell you? 190 00:11:36,689 --> 00:11:40,586 I just remember him just -- he lost it. 191 00:11:40,586 --> 00:11:42,275 And he goes and gets a trash bag, 192 00:11:42,275 --> 00:11:44,862 and he throws their toys away. 193 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:51,379 They were crying, they were upset -- it broke my heart. 194 00:11:52,793 --> 00:11:54,793 [child crying] 195 00:11:54,862 --> 00:11:57,275 Something's going on -- it didn't look right, 196 00:11:57,275 --> 00:11:58,586 it didn't feel right. 197 00:11:58,586 --> 00:12:02,275 It got to a place to where whatever I said, 198 00:12:02,344 --> 00:12:03,379 it did not matter. 199 00:12:03,379 --> 00:12:06,655 It was his way or no way. 200 00:12:08,689 --> 00:12:11,379 I could see his temperament changing. 201 00:12:11,379 --> 00:12:15,000 I was afraid of the environment that he was creating 202 00:12:15,034 --> 00:12:17,896 in our home. -[child crying distantly] 203 00:12:20,172 --> 00:12:23,655 His behavior was just spiraling out of control. 204 00:12:32,275 --> 00:12:34,896 Nathan became very controlling. 205 00:12:34,896 --> 00:12:38,896 I remember being invited to hang out with some friends 206 00:12:38,896 --> 00:12:41,758 and kind of fixing myself up, put on some tight jeans, 207 00:12:41,758 --> 00:12:42,965 a cute shirt. 208 00:12:44,206 --> 00:12:45,275 He's like, "Where you going?" 209 00:12:45,344 --> 00:12:47,000 Where do you think you're going? 210 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:48,689 Out with friends. 211 00:12:48,689 --> 00:12:50,586 LaTONYA: "Oh, no, you need to take that off. 212 00:12:50,655 --> 00:12:51,758 Them jeans is too tight." 213 00:12:51,827 --> 00:12:53,482 Not dressed like that, you're not. 214 00:12:53,482 --> 00:12:54,586 LaTONYA: He felt like I was just 215 00:12:54,586 --> 00:12:55,896 trying to get attention from guys. 216 00:12:55,896 --> 00:12:58,586 There ain't nothing wrong with the way I look. 217 00:12:58,655 --> 00:13:01,482 LaTONYA: He did not like for me to wear makeup. 218 00:13:01,551 --> 00:13:05,275 He did not like for me to dye my hair or cut my hair. 219 00:13:05,275 --> 00:13:07,379 He wanted me to cover myself. 220 00:13:07,379 --> 00:13:11,172 I was property to him because he would always say, 221 00:13:11,241 --> 00:13:12,379 "You can't go nowhere." 222 00:13:12,448 --> 00:13:15,586 You know, like, he owned me. 223 00:13:15,586 --> 00:13:19,586 And then he would lay his gun out beside the table, 224 00:13:19,655 --> 00:13:21,931 made sure it was seen. 225 00:13:26,689 --> 00:13:28,000 I was scared. 226 00:13:28,034 --> 00:13:30,275 For one, I'm like, why do you have a gun? 227 00:13:30,344 --> 00:13:31,793 Why do you need a gun? 228 00:13:31,793 --> 00:13:36,758 Like, what's going on for you to start carrying a gun 229 00:13:36,758 --> 00:13:38,689 and having it out? 230 00:13:38,689 --> 00:13:40,586 And then I was just scared for the kids. 231 00:13:40,655 --> 00:13:45,172 I didn't want them to see it or find it. 232 00:13:45,172 --> 00:13:48,068 And, you know, I didn't want anybody to get hurt. 233 00:13:48,068 --> 00:13:49,344 We good? 234 00:13:51,689 --> 00:13:57,068 Nathan's point in making sure that I knew that gun was there 235 00:13:57,137 --> 00:14:01,551 was to keep me in line or to control me. 236 00:14:06,275 --> 00:14:09,896 Being in a relationship where it's 237 00:14:09,896 --> 00:14:13,896 very controlling or manipulative, 238 00:14:13,896 --> 00:14:17,482 it crushes your self-esteem. 239 00:14:17,482 --> 00:14:20,172 You lose your identity. 240 00:14:31,206 --> 00:14:34,000 Nathan had been working as a barber in a barbershop. 241 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:40,068 And to save money, he decided to start working in the home. 242 00:14:40,068 --> 00:14:43,689 That was just, like, a big no, 243 00:14:43,689 --> 00:14:46,172 because we had small kids. 244 00:14:46,241 --> 00:14:49,827 And I just didn't want people in and out of our homes. 245 00:14:51,689 --> 00:14:56,275 There were people showing up all times of the day, night. 246 00:14:56,275 --> 00:15:00,068 The people he was hanging around at that time, I knew 247 00:15:00,068 --> 00:15:03,758 that he didn't need to be hanging around 248 00:15:03,758 --> 00:15:05,137 these types of people. 249 00:15:12,517 --> 00:15:14,482 When he's cutting hair, he's like, "You need to go 250 00:15:14,482 --> 00:15:17,172 in your room -- go in your room, you need to stay in your room." 251 00:15:17,241 --> 00:15:18,689 Hold up. 252 00:15:18,689 --> 00:15:20,000 LaTONYA: He didn't want guys, you know, 253 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:21,379 looking at me, and I'm walking 254 00:15:21,379 --> 00:15:23,482 around the house or doing things. 255 00:15:23,482 --> 00:15:26,586 I told you, stay upstairs. 256 00:15:26,655 --> 00:15:28,758 LaTONYA: He would smell like weed. 257 00:15:28,827 --> 00:15:32,172 So I knew that he had been getting high and drinking 258 00:15:32,172 --> 00:15:33,379 and things like that. 259 00:15:33,448 --> 00:15:35,379 And I told him how I felt about it. 260 00:15:35,448 --> 00:15:37,379 They can't be coming around here this late. 261 00:15:37,448 --> 00:15:40,172 And he was like, "This is how it's going to be. 262 00:15:40,241 --> 00:15:41,689 "I'm saving money. 263 00:15:41,689 --> 00:15:43,586 "It doesn't matter how you feel about that. 264 00:15:43,655 --> 00:15:45,793 This is what I'm gonna do." 265 00:15:45,793 --> 00:15:50,379 I felt like he was no longer the person that I had married. 266 00:15:50,379 --> 00:15:54,758 He was no longer my best friend, the one that I used to 267 00:15:54,827 --> 00:15:56,448 talk to about everything. 268 00:15:57,931 --> 00:16:02,448 Our whole dynamics, our relationship had changed. 269 00:16:12,206 --> 00:16:16,482 2009, it was just this downward spiral where it was getting 270 00:16:16,482 --> 00:16:18,275 out of control. 271 00:16:18,275 --> 00:16:21,103 One day, I get a phone call from Nathan. 272 00:16:21,103 --> 00:16:24,896 He says, "Some guys just jumped me and beat me up. 273 00:16:24,896 --> 00:16:27,172 You need to come home right now." 274 00:16:27,172 --> 00:16:29,068 And he hung up the phone. 275 00:16:29,137 --> 00:16:31,482 I walked inside my home. 276 00:16:31,551 --> 00:16:35,275 And our house was just, like, in disarray, like, 277 00:16:35,344 --> 00:16:36,379 pictures off the wall. 278 00:16:36,448 --> 00:16:38,000 Everything's torn up. 279 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,862 Nathan! 280 00:16:40,931 --> 00:16:42,482 And Nathan's bleeding, 281 00:16:42,482 --> 00:16:44,896 and he had been beaten up. 282 00:16:44,896 --> 00:16:46,379 AS NATHAN: They snuck up on me. 283 00:16:46,379 --> 00:16:49,103 LaTONYA: And I'm like, "What happened?" You know, 284 00:16:49,103 --> 00:16:51,758 and he was like, "Some guys came in here, 285 00:16:51,827 --> 00:16:54,275 "and they jumped me and beat me up. 286 00:16:54,275 --> 00:16:56,103 It was like they were looking for something." 287 00:16:56,103 --> 00:16:59,586 And I'm like, what? What happened to the kids? 288 00:16:59,655 --> 00:17:03,172 -Mom. -The kids were in a room. 289 00:17:03,172 --> 00:17:05,000 They had them under a cover. 290 00:17:05,034 --> 00:17:09,862 He said a guy had a gun and holding them in a room. 291 00:17:11,896 --> 00:17:13,586 My son was like, "I thought we was gonna die. 292 00:17:13,586 --> 00:17:15,689 I thought they was gonna shoot us." 293 00:17:17,172 --> 00:17:22,275 Nathan eventually tells me that they were looking for 294 00:17:22,344 --> 00:17:25,275 some drugs, but they couldn't find it. 295 00:17:25,344 --> 00:17:28,482 And he said, "Because I had it in the attic." 296 00:17:28,550 --> 00:17:31,275 I didn't know he was selling drugs. 297 00:17:31,344 --> 00:17:34,275 And I had no idea he was storing drugs in our home. 298 00:17:34,344 --> 00:17:38,758 He caused this to happen to our family 299 00:17:38,827 --> 00:17:40,758 because of his choices. 300 00:17:40,827 --> 00:17:44,068 I started thinking of, like, I can't continue to stay 301 00:17:44,137 --> 00:17:45,379 in this relationship. 302 00:17:45,379 --> 00:17:47,689 And I needed to get out. 303 00:17:47,758 --> 00:17:51,344 It's not safe anymore, but I didn't know how. 304 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,000 LaTONYA: This was definitely a turning point 305 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,482 for me and for Nathan. 306 00:18:05,482 --> 00:18:09,551 He thought I was gonna leave him, and at that point, 307 00:18:09,551 --> 00:18:11,137 he started changing. 308 00:18:11,137 --> 00:18:14,448 He started coming to church every Sunday. 309 00:18:14,517 --> 00:18:16,689 Nathan had started working back in the barbershop, 310 00:18:16,689 --> 00:18:19,793 and so I reconsidered walking away from him 311 00:18:19,793 --> 00:18:21,413 and giving him another chance. 312 00:18:22,482 --> 00:18:24,379 I started back working. 313 00:18:24,379 --> 00:18:28,862 Nathan was still cutting hair and kids growing up. 314 00:18:28,931 --> 00:18:31,827 He didn't have as much control over me. 315 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,551 I'm at work, and I got a phone call from Nathan. 316 00:18:40,551 --> 00:18:45,137 And he says, "You need to come home now. 317 00:18:45,137 --> 00:18:46,965 I just beat your son." 318 00:18:48,172 --> 00:18:50,379 And I said, "What are you talking about?" 319 00:18:50,379 --> 00:18:53,241 He was like, "You need to come get your son right now." 320 00:18:53,241 --> 00:18:55,241 I'm like, "This your son too." 321 00:18:55,241 --> 00:18:58,344 And he just kept saying that, 322 00:18:58,413 --> 00:19:00,551 "Your son, you need to get your son." 323 00:19:00,620 --> 00:19:03,551 Almost like he just disowned him or something. 324 00:19:03,620 --> 00:19:06,137 And he hung up the phone. 325 00:19:06,137 --> 00:19:10,965 When I saw Nathan, when I came in the home, it was a anger. 326 00:19:10,965 --> 00:19:12,275 It was a hatred. 327 00:19:12,275 --> 00:19:15,620 It was something I had never seen before on him. 328 00:19:17,586 --> 00:19:20,655 And I see the broom, and it was a metal broom 329 00:19:20,655 --> 00:19:22,862 that had literally broke in half. 330 00:19:24,172 --> 00:19:27,551 And then Nathan said, "I come home, and Jeremy's playing 331 00:19:27,551 --> 00:19:30,793 basketball, and he's supposed to be at home." 332 00:19:30,793 --> 00:19:33,793 Your boy don't know how to follow direction. 333 00:19:33,793 --> 00:19:36,068 LaTONYA: "And I beat him with this broom." 334 00:19:36,068 --> 00:19:38,241 This is on a whole 'nother level. 335 00:19:38,241 --> 00:19:41,172 Like, this is like out of control anger. 336 00:19:44,172 --> 00:19:45,379 Jeremy was hurt. 337 00:19:45,379 --> 00:19:48,241 He had several bruises from that beating, 338 00:19:48,241 --> 00:19:51,655 on his back, legs, and arms, all over his body. 339 00:19:51,655 --> 00:19:55,034 It won't happen again, I promise. 340 00:19:55,034 --> 00:19:57,275 LaTONYA: He was just like, "What'd I do to deserve this?" 341 00:19:57,275 --> 00:20:00,241 I remember him saying, "I don't even want to play ball anymore." 342 00:20:01,482 --> 00:20:03,034 AS LaTONYA: It's okay. 343 00:20:03,034 --> 00:20:04,758 LaTONYA: Jeremy was 14 years old. 344 00:20:04,758 --> 00:20:06,551 -He loved basketball. -Go on. 345 00:20:06,551 --> 00:20:11,241 And to see him shut down, he was crushed, he was crying. 346 00:20:11,310 --> 00:20:14,068 Don't think about putting that jersey on, boy. 347 00:20:14,068 --> 00:20:15,586 LaTONYA: It broke my heart. 348 00:20:15,586 --> 00:20:18,655 Nathan had no remorse for what he did to Jeremy. 349 00:20:18,724 --> 00:20:20,413 What is wrong with you? 350 00:20:22,103 --> 00:20:24,448 There's nothing wrong with me. 351 00:20:24,448 --> 00:20:28,862 It crushed something in me to where I had to stop this. 352 00:20:28,862 --> 00:20:31,758 I had to make a decision. 353 00:20:31,827 --> 00:20:34,034 I need to get out 354 00:20:34,034 --> 00:20:35,862 and protect the kids. 355 00:20:35,862 --> 00:20:37,793 I said, "I'm moving out. 356 00:20:37,793 --> 00:20:40,241 I'm moving in with my parents, me and the kids." 357 00:20:40,241 --> 00:20:42,758 We'll see about that. 358 00:20:42,827 --> 00:20:47,551 I don't think he believed that I was actually leaving him. 359 00:20:47,551 --> 00:20:49,241 I don't think it registered. 360 00:21:00,689 --> 00:21:06,137 December of 2013, I left Nathan and moved in 361 00:21:06,137 --> 00:21:08,862 with my parents, the children and I. 362 00:21:11,448 --> 00:21:16,000 And then New Year's Day, I get a call from Nathan. 363 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,000 And he is cursing me out. 364 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:19,241 Hello? 365 00:21:19,310 --> 00:21:20,655 LaTONYA: "You need to bring your ass home." 366 00:21:20,655 --> 00:21:22,344 AS LaTONYA: You need to relax. 367 00:21:22,413 --> 00:21:23,965 LaTONYA: He started threatening me. 368 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,137 "If you don't come home now," he said, "I'll come over there. 369 00:21:27,137 --> 00:21:30,000 I'll show you what I do." I was like, "Nathan, calm down. 370 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:31,758 "What's going on? Like, what are you talking about? 371 00:21:31,758 --> 00:21:33,965 I'm not coming back. I'm not coming back." 372 00:21:33,965 --> 00:21:35,551 Who you talking to? 373 00:21:35,620 --> 00:21:37,551 LaTONYA: He said, "I'm coming over to get my kids, 374 00:21:37,551 --> 00:21:39,655 and you're not gonna stop me." 375 00:21:39,655 --> 00:21:43,482 He's in a rage, and it was very scary for me. 376 00:21:43,482 --> 00:21:47,172 He said, "You don't know what I'm capable of doing." 377 00:21:47,172 --> 00:21:50,586 So much anger and so much hatred, how he was 378 00:21:50,586 --> 00:21:53,000 disrespecting my parents. 379 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:54,482 My dad was like, "I'm calling the police, 380 00:21:54,482 --> 00:21:55,931 because I need to know my rights." 381 00:21:58,275 --> 00:22:03,137 When the police arrived, Nathan was still on the phone, 382 00:22:03,137 --> 00:22:04,862 arguing with us. 383 00:22:04,862 --> 00:22:08,000 And so we put him on the speaker so that 384 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:10,965 the officers could hear the conversation. 385 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:13,379 AS NATHAN: Those are my kids! 386 00:22:13,379 --> 00:22:18,379 LaTONYA: The officer told Nathan and I the best way to handle 387 00:22:18,379 --> 00:22:21,103 the arrangement of the children is to do it 388 00:22:21,103 --> 00:22:22,448 through the court system. 389 00:22:22,517 --> 00:22:25,758 Go together downtown the next day 390 00:22:25,758 --> 00:22:28,034 and file for joint custody. 391 00:22:28,034 --> 00:22:30,965 AS NATHAN: All right, fine. I'll be there tomorrow. 392 00:22:32,482 --> 00:22:37,896 When we get off the call with Nathan, the officer tells me, 393 00:22:37,896 --> 00:22:42,344 "You need to go and file a restraining order the first 394 00:22:42,413 --> 00:22:44,689 "thing in the morning, as soon as they open. 395 00:22:44,689 --> 00:22:49,241 "File that restraining order before you all go and file for 396 00:22:49,310 --> 00:22:53,448 joint custody," because it would put me in more favor of 397 00:22:53,517 --> 00:22:57,551 the kids being with me if I filed the order first. 398 00:23:05,586 --> 00:23:10,034 So my plan was to get up, get the kids to school, and to go 399 00:23:10,034 --> 00:23:12,448 to the courthouse and file the restraining order. 400 00:23:13,551 --> 00:23:16,275 While I'm on my way, I'm getting a call. 401 00:23:16,275 --> 00:23:20,103 You know, Nathan's calling my phone, and I just ignore it. 402 00:23:20,103 --> 00:23:23,344 When I got to the courthouse, I started filing the papers. 403 00:23:23,413 --> 00:23:24,551 [phone notification tone] 404 00:23:24,551 --> 00:23:27,068 When I walk back to my car, 405 00:23:27,068 --> 00:23:28,344 [phone notification tone] 406 00:23:28,413 --> 00:23:31,344 I'm getting calls from my mother. 407 00:23:31,344 --> 00:23:32,793 I'm getting calls from my father. 408 00:23:32,793 --> 00:23:34,655 My brother was calling me. 409 00:23:34,724 --> 00:23:37,000 I'm not answering the phone. 410 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:41,931 I get a text from Nathan that says, "What floor are you on?" 411 00:23:42,965 --> 00:23:48,000 And my heart just, like, I literally just froze, um, 412 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,655 right where I was at, couldn't move, couldn't do anything. 413 00:23:51,724 --> 00:23:55,068 I'm at my car, and I put the key in the door, 414 00:23:55,068 --> 00:23:59,655 and he zooms in and blocks me in. 415 00:23:59,724 --> 00:24:03,068 I immediately get scared and panic. 416 00:24:03,068 --> 00:24:06,896 He gets out of his truck, in my face. 417 00:24:06,896 --> 00:24:10,241 -You liar! -And he just cursed me out. 418 00:24:10,241 --> 00:24:11,551 You think this is a game? 419 00:24:11,551 --> 00:24:14,758 Threatening me, calling me every name in the book, 420 00:24:14,758 --> 00:24:16,344 and I was so scared. 421 00:24:16,344 --> 00:24:21,241 And then he puts his hand up against my head, 422 00:24:21,310 --> 00:24:24,655 pushing it up against the car. 423 00:24:24,724 --> 00:24:28,275 He says, "I don't know what I'm capable of doing right now. 424 00:24:28,275 --> 00:24:30,758 "I could punch you right now. 425 00:24:30,827 --> 00:24:32,862 I can do anything." 426 00:24:32,862 --> 00:24:37,344 And at that moment, I didn't know what he was capable of. 427 00:24:37,344 --> 00:24:40,344 And nobody could help me. 428 00:24:47,793 --> 00:24:51,103 I haven't seen Nathan act this way towards me. 429 00:24:51,103 --> 00:24:54,068 And I knew that I had to remain 430 00:24:54,068 --> 00:24:57,551 as calm as possible and try to 431 00:24:57,620 --> 00:25:01,862 de-escalate and try to calm him down the best way I could. 432 00:25:01,862 --> 00:25:03,758 We can work it out. 433 00:25:03,827 --> 00:25:06,793 I said, "I'm willing to sit down and have a conversation, 434 00:25:06,793 --> 00:25:08,551 but you need to calm down." 435 00:25:08,551 --> 00:25:11,344 I said, "Please, just let's sit down and eat, 436 00:25:11,344 --> 00:25:13,068 and let's talk about it." 437 00:25:13,068 --> 00:25:14,862 And I said, "Just follow me." 438 00:25:14,931 --> 00:25:17,827 I don't know where we're going. I just said, "Follow me." 439 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,689 And then he agrees. 440 00:25:21,689 --> 00:25:25,551 All I knew was that I needed to get to a place 441 00:25:25,551 --> 00:25:26,862 where it was a lot of people. 442 00:25:26,862 --> 00:25:29,655 [heavy exhale] 443 00:25:36,965 --> 00:25:41,862 He ends up following me down the road, and my phone 444 00:25:41,862 --> 00:25:43,551 goes off again. -[phone notification tone] 445 00:25:43,620 --> 00:25:46,551 And it's the school police officer. 446 00:25:46,551 --> 00:25:48,586 -Hello? -And he says, 447 00:25:48,586 --> 00:25:51,482 "Is Nathan with you?" And I was like, "Yes. 448 00:25:51,482 --> 00:25:54,000 He's behind me, following me." 449 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,275 He said, "You need to get away from him right now. 450 00:25:57,275 --> 00:25:59,862 "He's trying to kill you. 451 00:25:59,862 --> 00:26:03,379 "You need to get to a safe place right now. 452 00:26:03,379 --> 00:26:06,965 "Nathan communicated to your brother that he's gonna 453 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:08,448 hurt you all." 454 00:26:08,517 --> 00:26:11,758 Nathan texts my brother saying, "It's over. 455 00:26:11,758 --> 00:26:12,931 "It's over today. 456 00:26:14,655 --> 00:26:16,068 "It ends today. 457 00:26:16,068 --> 00:26:19,241 "If I can't have the kids, nobody will. 458 00:26:20,448 --> 00:26:22,965 I'll kill them today. I'll kill them. 459 00:26:24,448 --> 00:26:28,344 My brother immediately reached out to my dad. 460 00:26:28,413 --> 00:26:30,758 They contacted the schools. 461 00:26:30,827 --> 00:26:35,103 I drive so fast to that police station. 462 00:26:35,103 --> 00:26:39,275 I pull in front of that police door, left my door open, 463 00:26:39,275 --> 00:26:41,862 ran out, and ran inside 464 00:26:41,862 --> 00:26:43,965 and said, "My husband's trying to kill me." 465 00:26:45,793 --> 00:26:50,344 They took me to the back to get me to a safe place 466 00:26:50,413 --> 00:26:54,275 while they searched for Nathan. 467 00:26:54,275 --> 00:26:56,310 But they couldn't find him that night. 468 00:27:14,896 --> 00:27:19,000 After a few months, Jeremy ended up living with his dad 469 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,344 while the girls lived with me. 470 00:27:21,413 --> 00:27:22,965 One day, I'd been sick. 471 00:27:22,965 --> 00:27:25,034 I haven't been feeling well. 472 00:27:25,034 --> 00:27:26,758 I had no energy. 473 00:27:26,827 --> 00:27:27,965 Like, I could not move. 474 00:27:27,965 --> 00:27:30,241 I could not eat or anything. 475 00:27:30,310 --> 00:27:33,655 I tell my mom, I said, "Mom, I'm not feeling well." 476 00:27:33,724 --> 00:27:35,862 She said, "That's fine. I'll take the girls." 477 00:27:35,931 --> 00:27:37,551 [phone buzzing] 478 00:27:37,551 --> 00:27:38,689 I'm laying in bed. 479 00:27:38,689 --> 00:27:41,965 -Nathan calls my phone. -[phone buzzing] 480 00:27:41,965 --> 00:27:43,862 And of course, I ignored it. 481 00:27:43,931 --> 00:27:46,000 [phone buzzing] 482 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,137 And he's calling my phone throughout the day. 483 00:27:49,137 --> 00:27:50,655 [phone buzzing] 484 00:27:52,172 --> 00:27:54,344 I have a restraining order in place. 485 00:27:54,413 --> 00:27:56,103 He's not supposed to be calling me. 486 00:27:56,103 --> 00:27:59,137 -[phone buzzing] -And then I hear my mom. 487 00:27:59,137 --> 00:28:01,000 AS LaTONYA'S MOM: Come on, now, let's let your mama sleep. 488 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:02,655 And I hear the girls in the kitchen. 489 00:28:02,655 --> 00:28:04,241 And I can hear them talking. 490 00:28:04,310 --> 00:28:06,448 I'm just laying in the bed, still not feeling well. 491 00:28:06,448 --> 00:28:07,896 AS JEREMY: Hi, grandma. 492 00:28:07,896 --> 00:28:11,758 LaTONYA: But then I hear Jeremy talking to my parents. 493 00:28:11,827 --> 00:28:13,586 AS JEREMY: Is she upstairs? 494 00:28:13,586 --> 00:28:16,965 On that night, Jeremy was staying with his dad. 495 00:28:16,965 --> 00:28:18,275 And he was like, "Hey, Mom." 496 00:28:18,275 --> 00:28:21,344 I was like, "What are you doing here?" 497 00:28:21,413 --> 00:28:24,448 And the next thing I hear 498 00:28:24,517 --> 00:28:28,275 is Nathan come in the house and says, 499 00:28:28,275 --> 00:28:29,896 "Y'all don't want to talk to me? 500 00:28:29,896 --> 00:28:32,000 Somebody gonna talk to me today." 501 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:33,655 [two gunshots blast] 502 00:28:33,655 --> 00:28:35,448 And I hear gunshots. 503 00:28:35,448 --> 00:28:38,551 -[one gunshot blasts] -Pow, I hear another gunshot. 504 00:28:38,620 --> 00:28:40,551 -[one gunshot blasts] -My youngest daughter 505 00:28:40,620 --> 00:28:41,965 runs in the room with me. 506 00:28:41,965 --> 00:28:44,379 -I hear some more gunshots. -[two gunshots blast] 507 00:28:44,379 --> 00:28:46,965 I'm trying to get the kids in the closet, and I was just 508 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:48,655 like, "Go, go, go, go." 509 00:28:48,655 --> 00:28:53,862 I know that he's shooting at my parents, and I call 911. 510 00:28:53,931 --> 00:28:56,000 I said, "My husband is here. He's shooting." 511 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:57,482 I need help. 512 00:28:57,482 --> 00:29:02,172 And I lay the phone down, because I knew I was next. 513 00:29:05,896 --> 00:29:09,344 I knew Nathan came to kill me. 514 00:29:09,413 --> 00:29:13,068 I knew that he came there for me. 515 00:29:14,379 --> 00:29:16,379 I get my kids in the closet. 516 00:29:16,379 --> 00:29:18,241 I told them I loved them. 517 00:29:18,241 --> 00:29:21,241 And the next thing I know, Nathan was coming in the room. 518 00:29:23,103 --> 00:29:27,965 The look in Nathan's eyes, it was cold. 519 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:29,758 It wasn't him. 520 00:29:29,827 --> 00:29:32,344 It was like he was possessed. 521 00:29:32,413 --> 00:29:34,137 It was so scary. 522 00:29:35,172 --> 00:29:37,172 And he starts beating me. 523 00:29:39,689 --> 00:29:42,793 And he was punching me in my face. 524 00:29:42,793 --> 00:29:45,103 "You don't want to talk to me, you're gonna talk 525 00:29:45,103 --> 00:29:47,034 to me today, you're gonna talk to me today." 526 00:29:48,344 --> 00:29:50,241 I'm crying, 527 00:29:50,241 --> 00:29:51,862 I'm begging him, "Please don't do this. 528 00:29:51,931 --> 00:29:53,379 "Please don't do this. 529 00:29:53,379 --> 00:29:55,103 Please don't kill me in front of my kids." 530 00:29:55,103 --> 00:29:57,344 And I hear my kids screaming and hollering. 531 00:29:57,344 --> 00:30:00,551 And the next thing I know, he has a gun in my face. 532 00:30:02,896 --> 00:30:08,137 Staring down that barrel of that gun in my face, 533 00:30:08,137 --> 00:30:10,241 I couldn't move. I couldn't fight. 534 00:30:13,172 --> 00:30:14,482 [gunshot blasts] 535 00:30:14,482 --> 00:30:17,448 And then I hear gunshots going off. 536 00:30:17,448 --> 00:30:18,724 [gunshot blasts] 537 00:30:20,586 --> 00:30:25,344 I lost my eyesight in one of my eyes, and my ears shattering. 538 00:30:27,275 --> 00:30:30,137 I remember yelling out, "Jesus!" 539 00:30:30,137 --> 00:30:33,241 And another gunshot, pow. 540 00:30:33,310 --> 00:30:34,724 And then I went out. 541 00:30:56,137 --> 00:30:59,655 [child crying] 542 00:31:08,482 --> 00:31:14,482 Um, that was the, um, 911 call, um, that my son made. 543 00:31:14,482 --> 00:31:15,965 Jeremy was so confused. 544 00:31:15,965 --> 00:31:18,448 It was like he was still kind of protecting his dad. 545 00:31:18,517 --> 00:31:22,137 Like, he didn't want to tell them that his dad did it. 546 00:31:22,137 --> 00:31:24,344 My youngest daughter, she was so scared, 547 00:31:24,413 --> 00:31:27,344 because she says, you know, 548 00:31:27,413 --> 00:31:29,344 "Nathan did it, but don't tell the police, 549 00:31:29,413 --> 00:31:31,551 because he's going to come back and kill us." 550 00:31:32,655 --> 00:31:35,551 And that's how she was thinking that 551 00:31:35,551 --> 00:31:39,068 um, she didn't want to die either. 552 00:31:39,068 --> 00:31:42,551 And that's how scared they were. 553 00:31:45,275 --> 00:31:47,551 It just breaks my heart. 554 00:31:55,172 --> 00:31:59,586 I found out Nathan shoots me and then hugged the kids 555 00:31:59,586 --> 00:32:01,758 after doing it like nothing happened. 556 00:32:01,758 --> 00:32:05,862 "I love y'all, you know, give your daddy a hug." 557 00:32:05,862 --> 00:32:09,068 And then hands Jeremy a phone and says, "Now you can 558 00:32:09,068 --> 00:32:12,068 call the police," and leaves. 559 00:32:12,068 --> 00:32:14,689 And Jeremy calls 911. 560 00:32:14,689 --> 00:32:20,103 And my son remembers stepping over my body trying to get to 561 00:32:20,103 --> 00:32:22,034 the front door to meet the officers. 562 00:32:22,034 --> 00:32:23,862 He thought I was dead. 563 00:32:32,655 --> 00:32:35,758 LaTONYA: I was in a coma for seven days. 564 00:32:38,655 --> 00:32:42,862 I wake up, and my aunt is on the side 565 00:32:42,931 --> 00:32:46,586 of me, and my uncle on another side. 566 00:32:46,586 --> 00:32:50,689 And I remember mouthing, "Where's my mom? 567 00:32:50,689 --> 00:32:53,482 My mom, mom." My aunt says, 568 00:32:53,482 --> 00:32:56,172 um, she didn't make it. 569 00:32:57,689 --> 00:33:01,137 And I remember, um, 570 00:33:01,137 --> 00:33:05,137 I said, "Dad?" "They didn't make it." 571 00:33:05,137 --> 00:33:07,448 And I remember 572 00:33:07,517 --> 00:33:11,068 saying, "My kids," and they said, "They're safe." 573 00:33:12,172 --> 00:33:14,448 And I remember saying, "Nate?" 574 00:33:15,482 --> 00:33:17,551 And they said, "They caught him." 575 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:21,758 And I just cried. 576 00:33:21,758 --> 00:33:23,862 Just tears came down. 577 00:33:26,896 --> 00:33:30,379 I didn't know that I had suffered 578 00:33:30,379 --> 00:33:32,862 two gunshot wounds. 579 00:33:32,862 --> 00:33:35,586 I was shot in the face 580 00:33:35,586 --> 00:33:38,551 and point blank range in my heart. 581 00:33:38,620 --> 00:33:42,379 [clears throat] The doctors said that 582 00:33:42,379 --> 00:33:45,862 [sighs] um... 583 00:33:45,931 --> 00:33:49,862 that it was nothing but a miracle that I survived 584 00:33:49,931 --> 00:33:51,379 um, 585 00:33:51,379 --> 00:33:56,379 being shot in the face because the bullet went 586 00:33:56,379 --> 00:34:00,965 through the side of my cheek, and it hit my front teeth, 587 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:04,586 but it deflected outward instead of going straight 588 00:34:04,586 --> 00:34:05,758 through my head. 589 00:34:09,241 --> 00:34:13,275 But with my heart, the way 590 00:34:13,275 --> 00:34:18,034 that they described it was that the bullet enters the top 591 00:34:18,034 --> 00:34:21,447 of my heart and it exits out the bottom of my heart, 592 00:34:21,447 --> 00:34:25,172 but my heart was still intact. 593 00:34:25,172 --> 00:34:28,551 I couldn't believe I even woke up. 594 00:34:28,620 --> 00:34:32,034 I find out later, you know, they had planned my funeral. 595 00:34:34,585 --> 00:34:37,000 They didn't expect me to wake up. 596 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:39,344 It's a miracle. 597 00:34:43,275 --> 00:34:46,241 Right then I knew that, you know, there was a purpose 598 00:34:46,310 --> 00:34:47,896 for my life, that I -- 599 00:34:47,896 --> 00:34:50,447 There was a reason, you know, that I was still here. 600 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:55,655 [quietly] Yeah. 601 00:35:04,241 --> 00:35:06,758 [normally] It's a picture of me and my brother... 602 00:35:09,965 --> 00:35:12,241 the day I left the hospital. 603 00:35:12,241 --> 00:35:14,034 We have the best relationship. 604 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:18,482 He's my best friend. 605 00:35:18,482 --> 00:35:21,655 And, uh, he stepped up. 606 00:35:23,137 --> 00:35:24,620 This picture 607 00:35:26,241 --> 00:35:29,241 always remind me of, 608 00:35:29,310 --> 00:35:32,448 there is nothing too hard that 609 00:35:32,517 --> 00:35:33,586 I can't do. 610 00:35:33,586 --> 00:35:36,344 Like, it's nothing 611 00:35:36,344 --> 00:35:37,620 that can stop me. 612 00:35:39,896 --> 00:35:42,896 It only had been about two or three days, you know, 613 00:35:42,896 --> 00:35:45,034 since I woke up from the coma. 614 00:35:45,034 --> 00:35:49,172 I'm leaving this day against medical advice 615 00:35:49,172 --> 00:35:53,103 to attend my parents' funeral and say goodbye. 616 00:35:55,482 --> 00:36:00,137 I said, "Whatever I have to do, I'm going to the funeral." 617 00:36:02,068 --> 00:36:04,241 And I did. 618 00:36:04,310 --> 00:36:07,137 My son held me the entire time, 619 00:36:07,137 --> 00:36:09,758 and he would not let me go. 620 00:36:09,827 --> 00:36:11,551 I got a chance to say goodbye. 621 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,758 My mom suffered a gunshot wound to the heart. 622 00:36:18,275 --> 00:36:21,344 The type of relationship I had with my mother, 623 00:36:21,413 --> 00:36:24,137 um, we literally was best friends. 624 00:36:24,137 --> 00:36:27,862 Like, we talked at least three times a day. 625 00:36:27,862 --> 00:36:29,965 My mother was amazing. 626 00:36:29,965 --> 00:36:32,241 She loved the young people in the church. 627 00:36:32,241 --> 00:36:37,000 And so she always took time for everybody. 628 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:40,172 Being at the funeral, you know, when I viewed the bodies, 629 00:36:40,172 --> 00:36:41,758 it was just like, "Ma, I love you so much. 630 00:36:41,758 --> 00:36:43,448 "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. 631 00:36:43,517 --> 00:36:45,586 And just, um, 632 00:36:45,586 --> 00:36:47,517 "Thank you for everything." 633 00:36:50,068 --> 00:36:53,344 Um, just saying, I'm just going to really miss them, you know. 634 00:36:55,275 --> 00:37:00,103 My dad suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the back, 635 00:37:00,103 --> 00:37:01,655 to his chest. 636 00:37:04,586 --> 00:37:08,793 He protected me, 637 00:37:08,793 --> 00:37:12,000 and he tried to protect me and the kids. 638 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,275 And he died doing that. 639 00:37:14,275 --> 00:37:18,965 He served in the Vietnam War, and then he volunteered to go 640 00:37:18,965 --> 00:37:23,241 back a second time and serve and fight in the war. 641 00:37:24,862 --> 00:37:29,689 My dad survived that to end up being murdered 642 00:37:29,689 --> 00:37:31,241 by his son-in-law. 643 00:37:35,689 --> 00:37:38,413 This is a picture of Nathan. 644 00:37:39,689 --> 00:37:42,448 I think this is the picture, 645 00:37:43,793 --> 00:37:47,034 um, that night when they arrested him. 646 00:37:47,034 --> 00:37:51,241 The gun that he used to kill my parents was the same gun 647 00:37:51,310 --> 00:37:54,482 that I saw, you know, laying on a nightstand 648 00:37:54,482 --> 00:37:58,689 and, um... years prior. 649 00:37:58,689 --> 00:38:02,551 His eyes is cold, 650 00:38:02,551 --> 00:38:06,655 um, evil. 651 00:38:08,379 --> 00:38:10,448 Uh...I can see 652 00:38:10,448 --> 00:38:12,551 the hatred in his eyes. 653 00:38:12,551 --> 00:38:15,689 I can feel it in my body right now. 654 00:38:15,689 --> 00:38:18,000 I never thought I would see a mugshot 655 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,137 of the love of my life. 656 00:38:21,103 --> 00:38:22,965 This is not the man I married. 657 00:38:22,965 --> 00:38:25,310 I don't know who this person is. 658 00:38:49,551 --> 00:38:52,241 Years later, I still -- 659 00:38:52,310 --> 00:38:55,448 I'm still reminded of that day 660 00:38:55,448 --> 00:38:58,655 because of my scars, I have, um, 661 00:38:58,655 --> 00:39:04,137 a scar from here all the way down to the end of my stomach, 662 00:39:04,137 --> 00:39:05,965 from the open heart surgery, 663 00:39:05,965 --> 00:39:09,137 I have scars all over my stomach 664 00:39:09,137 --> 00:39:14,655 and the exit wound of the bullet, 665 00:39:14,724 --> 00:39:17,758 the hole in the middle of my back is a scar. 666 00:39:17,758 --> 00:39:23,137 I can feel the scars on the inside of my jaw, I mean, 667 00:39:23,137 --> 00:39:25,241 in my cheek, the inside of my cheek. 668 00:39:25,241 --> 00:39:27,103 Like, I can still feel those scars. 669 00:39:29,896 --> 00:39:33,862 I carry so much guilt and shame. 670 00:39:33,931 --> 00:39:36,068 I could not forgive myself. 671 00:39:36,068 --> 00:39:39,517 I felt like I put my parents in this position. 672 00:39:41,379 --> 00:39:44,448 Through therapy and through going through that trial, 673 00:39:44,517 --> 00:39:46,103 it really opened my eyes. 674 00:39:46,103 --> 00:39:48,000 It's not my fault anymore. 675 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,482 You know, he did this. 676 00:39:50,482 --> 00:39:53,241 And I learned how to put that blame back on him 677 00:39:53,310 --> 00:39:56,931 and free myself. 678 00:40:05,793 --> 00:40:10,275 April 9, 2014, does not define me. 679 00:40:10,275 --> 00:40:15,206 It's a part of my story, but it's not my final story. 680 00:40:16,862 --> 00:40:21,034 It was the day before April the 9th, the last conversation 681 00:40:21,034 --> 00:40:22,551 I had with my mother. 682 00:40:22,551 --> 00:40:28,448 And she said, "Tanya, I had a dream about you last night. 683 00:40:28,448 --> 00:40:32,689 "I saw you speaking in front of thousands of people. 684 00:40:32,689 --> 00:40:35,862 "And people were just so drawn to you. 685 00:40:35,862 --> 00:40:38,448 And you was just so inspiring." 686 00:40:39,758 --> 00:40:41,931 I am walking that out right now. 687 00:40:42,896 --> 00:40:47,000 And I've spoken at so many domestic violence events, 688 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:49,172 and I've spoken in front of judges, 689 00:40:49,172 --> 00:40:51,655 and I've shared my story on panels. 690 00:40:51,655 --> 00:40:55,103 And people see the smile, and they see you doing 691 00:40:55,103 --> 00:40:56,655 these great things. 692 00:40:56,655 --> 00:41:02,379 And they really don't know every single day is a fight. 693 00:41:02,379 --> 00:41:04,724 And I choose to fight for my life. 694 00:41:06,103 --> 00:41:09,586 I just try to live my life to the fullest. 695 00:41:09,586 --> 00:41:13,379 I want to maximize my life and do -- 696 00:41:13,379 --> 00:41:14,655 and do what my mama said. 697 00:41:18,103 --> 00:41:20,965 ♪ 698 00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:23,827 Sometimes it feels like it happened so long ago. 699 00:41:25,586 --> 00:41:27,862 [woman screaming] 700 00:41:27,931 --> 00:41:31,000 Real evil absolutely exists. 701 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:32,965 The worst kind of evil 702 00:41:32,965 --> 00:41:35,655 is when it comes from somebody you thought you could trust. 703 00:41:35,724 --> 00:41:37,068 ♪