ATLANTA, March 24 -- The woman who said she gained the trust of suspected courthouse gunman Brian Nichols by talking about her faith while he held her hostage was presented with $70,000 in reward money Thursday for helping authorities capture him.
Ashley Smith, a 26-year-old widowed mother of one, was held 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.
Ashley Smith, who was held hostage by Atlanta courthouse murder suspect Brian Nichols, receives her reward money from Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue at the state Capitol.
(Tami Chappell -- Reuters)
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"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.
The woman has said she spoke with Nichols for hours about her daughter, her husband's stabbing death 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 Service, $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 and fatally shooting a judge and his court reporter, as well as a sheriff's deputy and a federal agent while he was on the run. He surrendered after a 26-hour manhunt.
