UNDER TOP
STORIES.
>>> HEART BREAKING WORDS TODAY
FOR THE MOTHER OF MURDER VICTIM
SHELBY FAR.
>> SHE SPOKE WITH US AFTER HER
DAUGHTER KILLER WAS SENTENCED
TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE.
>> I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S OVER.
IT'S OVER.
I ROUGH JOURNEY TRUST ME.
SHE WASN'T JUST MY DAUGHTER.
SHE WAS MY WEST FRIEND.
WE DID EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
>>Reporter: 20-YEAR-OLD SHELBY
SHOT AND KILLED IN 2013 DURING
A ROBBERY AT METRO P CS STORE
IN BRENTWOOD.
>> TOOK NEARLY 4 YEARS FOR
JAMES RHODES TO BE SENTENCED IN
A PLEA BARGAIN.
WE WERE IN THE COURTROOM AS
SHELBY MOTHER HEARD WHAT SHE
HAD BEEN WAITING FOR FOR SO
LONG.
RHODES ADMITTING HE KILLED HER
DAY.
SHE HAD A MESSAGE FOR HIM.
>> I FEEL LIKE YOU JUST RIPPED
MY LIFE OUT FROM UNDER ME.
HAD THIS IS SHELL BY MY
BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER THAT I
RAISED THAT I BROUGHT INTO THIS
WORLD AND YOU TOOK HER OUT.
>>Reporter: RHODES COLLAPSED
AND SOMEBODYED AS HE LISTENED
TO DARLENE.
[ CRYING ACCORDING THE STORY
FROM SEVERAL ANGLE.
LINDSAY IS LOOKING AT HOW A
CHANGE IN STATE ATTORNEY OFFICE
SET THE STAGE FOR BRINGING THE
CASE TO A CLOSE.
>> FIRST VIC JOINED DARLENE FAR
AS SHE VISITED HER DAUGHTER'S
GRAVE AFTER RHODES WAS
SENTENCED.
VI?
>>Reporter: IT WAS AN
EMOTIONAL DAY FOR HER.
REALLY A ROLLER COASTER AS SHE
WAS RELIEVED BUT ALSO UPSET TO
BE RELIVING HER DAUGHTER'S
BRUTAL DEATH ONCE AGAIN BUT SHE
AND HER FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE
STAYED VERY STRONG AND PUSHED
FOR THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW
AND AFTER SHE LEFT THE
COURTHOUSE DARLENE FAR WEN TO
THE CEMETERY TO SAY GOODBYE ONE
MORE TIME TO SHELBY.
>> I COME HERE ALL THE TIME.
>>Reporter: THIS TIME IT'S
DIFFERENT.
>> IT'S OVER VIC.
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT.
>>Reporter: SHELBY'S MOTHER
HAS BEEN ASKING FORECLOSURE FOR
THE PAST 3 AND A HALF YEARS.
TODAY SHE SAYS SHE GOT IT.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THIS TO
FINALLY BE OVER.
>> I FEEL LIKE SHE CAN REST IN
PEACE NOW.
IT'S OVER.
I DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK AND
FORTH TO COURT AND FACE THE
PERSON THAT TOOK HER LIFE AWAY.
>>Reporter: THIS MORNING FOR
THE FIRST TIME WE SAW JAMES
RHODES EMOTIONAL.
APPEARING REMORSEFUL FOR TAKING
THE 20-YEAR-OLD'S LIFE SHOOTING
HER EVEN AFTER SHE GAVE HIM THE
MONEY AT THIS METRO P CS.
>> ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS WALK
AWAY.
>>Reporter: AT THE SENTENCING
HE HEARD TESTIMONY FROM
SHELBY'S MOTHER AS WELL AS HER
YOUNGER BROTHER AND SISTER WHO
TALKED ABOUT THE PAIN AN
TALKED ABOUT THE PAIN
ANDTORMENT THAT HE CAUSED.
CAN YOU FOR GIVE HIM.
>> I HAVE FOR GIVEN IM.
>>Reporter: IT HAS BEEN A LONG
TIME COMING FOR SHELBY FAMILY.
THEY CAMPED ON THE STEPS OF THE
SHERIFF'S OFFICE UNTIL HER
KILLER WAS CAUGHT.
DAYS LATER WITH HELP FROM
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO AND A TIPS
POLICE ARRESTED RHODES.
BUT THE LEGAL BATTLE WENT ON
INFORM FOR YEARS AS DARLENE FAR
DISAGREE WITH PROSECUTORS WHO
WANTED THE DEATH.
NEW STATE ATTORNEY NELSON AGRE
NEW STATE ATTORNEY NELSON
AGREEED TO TAKE IT OFF THE
TABLE WITH A PLEA DEAL.
JAMES RHODES WILL NEVER GET OUT
OF PRISON AND HE HAS NO RIGHT
TO APPEAL IN EXCHANGE HE WON'T
STAND TRIAL OR FACE EXECUTION.
>> I DON'T WANT HIM TO GO TO
PRISON ANGRY.
I WANT HIM TO HIM IF TRY TO
CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES THAT COME
THROUGH THERE.
HE CAN DO IT.
>>Reporter: WITH THIS BEHIND
THEM SHELBY'S MOTHER SAYS SHE
AND THE REST OF HER FAMILY CAN
NOW FOCUS ON REMEMBERING THE
SPECIAL YOUNG WOMAN THAT WAS
TAKEN AWAY TOO SICHBILITY ONE
THING SHELBY ALWAYS SAID, YOU
ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE TOMORROW
BETTER THAN WHAT TODAY WAS.
HE SHE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
NEVER.
I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THEM
STORIES THAT I DON'T THINK
ANYBODY WILL FORGET.
>>Reporter: DARLENE THERE SAYS
SHE WILL MISS HER DAUGHTER'S
SMILE MORE THAN ANYTHING.
SHE'S ALSO GOING TO MISS HER
HUMOR AND HER INCREDIBLY KIND
HEART.
SHE SAYS SHE HADN'T BEEN ABLE
TO SLEEP FOR THE PAST SEVERAL
YEARS SINCE THIS HAPPENED AND
SHE'S BEEN TELLING ME THIS
BECAUSE I HAVE COVERED THIS
STORY SINCE THE SHOOTING TOOK
PLACE AND SHE SAYS TONIGHT SHE
FEELS THAT SHE FINALLY IS GOING
SLEEP WELL BUT SHE SAYS IT IS
NOT OVER YET.
NOW SHE'S GOING TO TAKE HER
FIGHT TO HALL TALLAHASSEE TO
PUSH FOR BETTER LAW.
BETTER REHABILITATION PROGRAMS
FOR REPEAT OFFENDER AND TELLING
PEOPLE THAT THERE IS AN OPTION
AND CRIME DOES NOT NEED TO BE
THEIR ONLY OPTION.
REPORTING LIVE DOWNTOWN,
CHANNEL 4, THE LOCAL STATION.
>>> MANY HAS SHE HAD EVER AN
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK PERSONALLY
WITH RHODES?
>>Reporter: SHE HAS NOT.
SHE HAS BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS
HIM INSIDE THE COURTROOM BUT
ACTUALLY NEXT WEEK SHE IS GOING
TO GET THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE
FIRST TIME BOTH OF STLEM AGREE
FIRST TIME BOTH OF STLEM
AGREED.
JAMES RHODES AS WELL AS DARLENE
FAR TO MEET HER AT THE DUVAL
COUNTY COURTHOUSE DOWNTOWN AND
THEY ARE GOING TO SPEAK
FACE-TO-FACE FOR THE FIRST TIM
FACE-TO-FACE FOR THE FIRST
TIME.
WE EXPECT HIM TO APOLOGIZE.
THAT'S ACCORDING TO HIS DEFENSE
ATTORNEY.
WE EXPECT HER TO SAY THAT SHE
IS FOR GIVING HIM AND SHE HOPES
HE TURNS HIS LIFE AROUND WHILE
IN PRISON.