A local woman is using a personal tragedy to shine a light on domestic violence in the military.
“You always hear about these stories on True Crime and different things on TV and you never know when it hits close to home and for me, this didn’t just hit close to home. It was in my lap,” said Shalicia Torbert.
Torbert travels across the country telling the story of her best friend, Angel Conner.
Conner was stationed at Fort Sill in Oklahoma in 2020 when she was killed by her boyfriend, Richard Smith.Police in Comanche say she was beaten in the face and heard when Smith retrieved a gun.Authorities say he chased and shot her repeatedly, including once in the back of the head.
The gruesome details of her death taints her legacy, but Torbert is changing that. Journaling helps Torbert work through her grief. Those notes were turned into the book, "Lessons from an Angel - The Keys to Friendship.”
In the book, Torbert shares photos as well as funny and inspiring stories about her friend since sixth grade.
Torbert also details lessons Conner taught her: such as, being selfless, showing up for friends and praying for your loved ones.
The book is a form of healing for Torbert and it is dedicated to a special person.
“I wrote this book for her son. I wrote it so that when he turns 18 he is able to read it and he can see that his mom is a light to so many people,” said Torbert.
Conner's son is now 10 years old and excels in school.
Meanwhile, Richard Smith is serving life in prison for the murder.
You can purchase the book, "Lessons from an Angel" by clicking . You can watch the full interview below.
North Alabama's Shalicia Torbert is using a personal tragedy to shine a light on domestic violence in the military. Subscribe to WAAY on YouTube:
