- I didn't know how many times

that he had been shot at that time.

I remember myself pullingthe trigger three times.

(gun fires)

I was worried about if he was okay.

I really didn't want to hurt him.

I just needed him to stop hurting us.

- [Narrator] Ty Washingtonwas headed to prison

for the next 20 years of her life.

One split decision shemade sealed her fate,

a decision driven by a need

to simply be loved.

Something that seemed to always elute her.

- I would always seekthat type of affection

and attention and acceptance

and worth through other people,

even if they were not even for my good.

- [Narrator] Ty was raisedby her single mother.

She never knew her biological father.

When her mother married,

she thought she would getthe family she always wanted,

that is, until the physicaland verbal abuse started.

- It would really make me feel

like I really didn't have value.

I was angry with my mom

for allowing us to stay in that situation.

I was angry with theabuse from my stepfather.

I was angry kid.

- [Narrator] At 17 years old,

Ty started seeing an older man.

She would do anything to keep him happy.

That included smoking pot, drinking,

and having sex with him.

Then, he broke up withher to see other girls.

Once again, she was left withfeelings of no worth or value.

- Really threw me in a deep, deep space.

I was very depressed.

- [Narrator] Over the next 12 years,

Ty went through severalabusive relationships with men.

One which resulted inhaving a son, D'Angelo.

Then, she met a man shedated for five years

before they married.

By then, they had a daughter, Kennedy.

Unfortunately, he wasan abusive drug user.

Their fights turned intovolatile all out brawls.

However, she still wantedtheir relationship to work.

- I could not get thestrength to just stop

going into this vicious cycle

'cause I was alwaysthinking there may be hope

to make it better.

- [Narrator] After only a few months,

Ty kicked him out,

filed for divorce,

and was in the process of getting

a second protective order against him.

By then, he was breaking into her home

and stealing things to pawn for drugs.

He was also physically abusing her son

and their daughter.

- I knew he was doing drugs.

And I wasn't sure if he had other people

that may be coming over there

trying to get stuff along with him.

And I felt unsafe for me andmy children to live alone.

- [Narrator] One day, heran into her open garage

to steal her car.(engine revving)

Ty tried to stop him

so she could at least gether purse out of the car.

By then, Ty had bought a gun.

(clicks trigger)

When he wouldn't let her in,

- [Ty] I said, "If youdon't stop this car,

I'm gonna shoot you, Jason,'cause I have a gun."

The car moved, the door jerked,

I pulled the gun(gun fires)

and I shot at him.

And I said, "You're gonna hurt me."

- [Narrator] Then, after penning tie

between the car and garage door,

(gun fires)she fired again.

He got out of the car and ran,

and Ty followed him.

Suddenly, he turned andstarted running towards her.

She pulled the trigger

(gun fires)a third and final time,

and he collapsed.

(siren wailing)

By the time the police arrived,

he was dead.

Ty was arrested and later found guilty

of second degree involuntary manslaughter.

And at the age of 40, withsentenced to 20 years in prison.

- [Ty] My lawyer said I blanked out,

'cause I just couldn't believe

I was gonna be gone for 20 years

from my family and my children.

- [Narrator] One day was especially hard.

It was her first Thanksgiving in prison

and her children, mom, and stepdad

had come for a special visit.

After they left, Ty felt alone,

depressed, and hopeless.

- [Ty] And I cried out toGod, "I wanted to die."

I said, "I can't do this, God."

I told God I can't dothis without my family.

I needed Him, if he existed.

I needed to know if He was real.

I have pain meds from myback condition that I have,

and I was just gonna take all those pills

and just go to sleep,

but I didn't.

I fell asleep before Icould take the pills.

So I knew God had held me in that moment.

That's when I knew thatScripture was real.

That when you in prison,I'll come visit you.

When He held me, I gave mylife to Him then sincerely,

and He promised to be there with me.

I surrender everything to Him then.

- [Narrator] Part of that surrendering

was asking for God's forgiveness.

- I asked God to forgiveme for that incident,

for my bad decision making.

I repented because I wanted to be better.

I want to not hurt.

I wanted to heal.

To be a part of someone dying,

it takes a lot of a person.

I had to forgive myselfand stop hating myself.

He told me that I need tofind my self-worth and love

in Him and His Word.

- [Narrator] Ty willcontinue to learn more

about herself and God

in the years to come.

In 2014, she was released on parole,

serving only five years

of her 20 year sentence.

- When I walked out of those doors,

I knew I was a redeemed woman.

Parole didn't set me free.

God has set me free.

- [Narrator] Ty is now married to George

and enjoying her adult children's lives.

She's a master seamstress in her business

called Flipped Kouture that she started

right after she was released from prison.

Ty has also written a book about her life

and shares her journey with other women

in the same prison shewas once incarcerated.

- [Ty] There is hope for you.

There's hope that God will redeem you,

restore you, save you.

Just cry out to Him

because He's there.