HENDERSON COUNTY -- Kidnapped and taken to Galveston, Tiffany Hurd was one of two victims connected to last week's murder in Coffee City. She shared her story Monday, after being returned home safely on Saturday.
Hurd was rescued inside a Galveston convenience store after a news viewer recognized her alleged kidnapper, Jackie Guthrie. Guthrie is also accused of killing Hurd's best friend Chantel Barrett.
A grief-stricken crowd laid Barrett to rest Monday. But through every prayer and every song, one person was missing.
"I feel like [Chantel's family] thinks it's my fault," Hurd said. "I was asked not to come."
Hurd said she's being blamed for a fight Thursday night that investigators say ended with 22-year-old Jackie Guthrie shooting Barrett and forcing Hurd to go to Galveston. Now Hurd is left to mourn on her own, and dream of a world where things didn't end so soon.
"I wish we could have done everything before she left," Hurd said. "I wish I would have known that it was going to happen."
"She's supposed to be happy, but she's not," Hurd's friend Aundraia Crawford said. "She lost two people that she really loves and cares about and it's just not right that she has to go through this. There's a lot of people saying bad things. They don't know the story at all."
"I want to at least say bye," Hurd said. "I didn't get to say anything to her. After everything happened, I didn't get to go see her or hug her."
People who did go to Barret's funeral told us it was a touching tribute.
"It definitely helped with the closure thing," Kelsey Sulser said. "We are going to miss her a whole lot."
Barrett's family was too upset to talk. Even though their baby is gone, her best friend has hope they'll see each other again.
"I'll get to talk to her," Hurd said, referring to her belief in Heaven. "She'll come talk to me."
Hurd said her worst through throughout the ordeal was that she'd never see her mom again.
She's also pregnant, and said baby 'Drea is doing just fine. Family members have indicated that Guthrie is the father of that little girl.
