Arrests made in stabbing death of Ashley Smith's husband

<p>Two men were arrested Wednesday in the 2001 stabbing death of the husband of Ashley Smith, the woman who led authorities to alleged Fulton County Courthouse shooter Brian Nichols.</p><p>The men, both of Augusta, were accused of killing Daniel "Mack" Smith at an Augusta area apartment complex, the Columbia County sheriff's office said. The sheriff's office did not immediately release the men's names.</p><p>Ashley Smith was taken hostage in her apartment by the man suspected of killing three people in an Atlanta courthouse rampage and later a federal agent while he was on the run. The 26-year-old mother, waitress and student relied on her calm personality and spiritual upbringing to make it through the seven-hour ordeal.</p><p>Her husband died in her arms four years ago after he had been stabbed in a fight. She left Augusta after her husband's death, moving to Norcross in suburban Atlanta to live with her mother.</p><p>By March, she had finished six months of a medical assistant course, was working two jobs and had moved into a new apartment, where Nichols showed up early in the morning of March 12.</p><p>Police say Smith was held hostage at the Gwinnett County apartment before she convinced the suspect to allow her to leave so she could see her young daughter. Smith then immediately placed the 911 call that led to Nichols' arrest.</p><p>The victim's brother, Joel Smith, said he was informed Wednesday that two men were indicted. He said he got a call from Ms. Smith about it around 9:30 p.m.</p><p>"It's good news," Smith told the Augusta Chronicle. "I knew it was going to come the night I found out that Ashley was the one that that happened to in Atlanta. God spoke to me and told me it was going to happen."</p><p>The newspaper said one of the men arrested was Barry Keith Tabor, who was initially charged with manslaughter at the time of Smith's death, which happened during a brawl at Applecross Apartments in Martinez in August 2001. He was never indicted.</p><p>Ashley Smith was given $70,000 by Gov. Sonny Perdue and officials from other agencies who offered rewards in the courthouse shootings case in a March 24 ceremony at the Capitol in Atlanta.</p><p>Later, Smith was greeted with standing ovations in both houses of the Legislature.</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x1cdc598)</p>

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