Ashley Smith

By her own account, Ashley Smith is far from a hero. Yet today, her face is known around the world as the single mother who persuaded Brian Nichols, Atlanta's courtroom killer, to surrender to police. Nichols called Ashley "an angel sent from God, but, ironically, it was Ashley's less-than-angelic past that allowed her to convince him to face justice. Today, Ashley lives in Atlanta with her daughter Paige and husband Daniel. She is actively involved with her church, Blackshear Place Baptist Church, and its Celebrate Recovery ministry, and continues to speak nationally and tell the story of Unlikely Angel, which debuted at #15 on the New York Times Bestseller List and is now a major motion picture. According to her wishes, some of the proceeds from the book will be donated to a memorial fund that will honor the victims of the courthouse tragedy.