Courthouse shooter's hostage: 'It was a life-changing moment for me'

ATLANTA — One of Atlanta’s darkest days in recent history is set to debut on the big screen later this week.

The day Brian Nichols killed a Fulton County judge, a courthouse reporter, a deputy and a federal agent before taking a woman hostage for hours in 2005 is something many people will never forget.

Ten years later, Channel 2’s Carol Sbarge sat down with that hostage, Ashley Smith, who said her life was forever changed that day.

Smith, who is now married and goes by Ashley Smith Robinson, was getting out of her car when Nichols forced her into her apartment. She says the next seven hours turned her from hopeless to hopeful.

“It was very clear to me this was the life-changing moment for me,” she said.

The new movie “Captive” tells the story of the day that changed Smith's life. She was a young, widowed meth addict when Nichols took her hostage March 2005.

“It’s surreal at times, especially when you go through all of the emotion I go through when I watch it,” Smith said about seeing her story on the screen.

She says her life was a mess when Nichols took her hostage in her Gwinnett apartment.

“My aunt told me a couple of weeks before, ‘I pray that God changes you or takes you home.’ I thought this was the man my aunt prayed for,” she said.

Smith says face to face with an armed killer, God spoke to her and gave her a chance to change her life.  She says she quit drugs on the spot and began to read and talk to Nichols, telling him everyone has bad things in their lives.

“I was able to have conversation with Brian Nichols that helped him understand I've been there,” she said.

Amazingly, Nichols surrendered. Smith says she never touched drugs again.

“Immediately when I said, ‘No. I don't do it,’ it was like spiritually and emotionally I felt so free,” she said.

Eight years ago, Smith got married, and now the mother of three speaks at schools, recovery houses and churches.

“I tried to use my past mistakes to help other people see, you know, that your life can change in a matter of moments if you're really ready for it to happen,” she said.

Smith went to school and now works in the health field. She never spoke to Nichols again but says she never forgets the victims.

“For the last 10 years I have tried to be a different person and tried to take a little piece of the people whose lives were lost and live through that, helping others change their lives,” she said.

Nichols is serving life in prison for the deaths of Judge Rowland Barnes, Court Reporter Julie Brandau, Deputy Hoyt Teasley and Federal Agent David Wilhelm during his escape from the Fulton County courthouse.

The movie of the story starring David Oyelowo and Kate Mara opens in theaters Friday.

WSBTV