David Joshua Reed

Twenty-three-year-old Shelby Duarte was a kind, selfless soul who had a laugh like no one else, loved ones say.

But on Wednesday, her life was cut short when a pickup truck driven by her ex-boyfriend rammed into the travel trailer where she was staying at 19749 County Road 431 (Jim Hogg Road). Her boyfriend, Timothy Nelson, 43, was also killed — found dead in the yard when deputies first arrived on scene.

David Joshua Reed, 40, of Lindale, admitted to intentionally running into the trailer, according to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. Reed, who has been charged with capital murder of multiple persons, remains in the Smith County Jail on a $1 million bond.

On Thursday, Duarte’s close friends Holly and Audry Thompson spoke about Reed, Duarte and the volatile relationship the former couple once shared.

Things had ended between the two for quite some time, the Thompsons said, but in the time since, Reed seemed to act under the belief that, ‘If (he) can’t have Shelby, no one can.’

When they heard about what happened to their dear friend, Holly and Audry said, “it didn’t feel real,” – there are a million questions swimming through their heads.

“We’re still wondering what led up to her dying,” Holly said. “We would love to know what happened.”

The Thompsons said Duarte and her current boyfriend were deeply in love, and that Duarte had just recently confided in Holly and Audry that she was pregnant. At the time of her death, she was about eight to 10 weeks into the pregnancy, the Thompsons estimated.

Holly said Duarte had miscarried pregnancies in the past due to trauma and illness.

In effort to help Duarte’s family, the sisters began a GoFundMe account to assist with funeral expenses. The goal is $9,000, but as of Thursday afternoon just $150 had been raised.

Duarte’s mother and half-brother are both “torn up” about the loss of their loved one. Holly said the GoFundMe is extremely needed as the family doesn’t have the money for a burial or funeral.

“It’s pretty important to the family because her mom said she couldn’t bury her own daughter,” Holly said.

Holly said Duarte is now in heaven with her grandmother, who was known lovingly as “Sissy.”

Both Holly and Audry described Duarte as a bright, quiet and positive person. They added Duarte was like a sister to them.

“She’s very quiet. She didn’t like to be the center of attention,” Holly said.

They would help Duarte escape from her problems and make her happy.

“Nobody had a laugh like hers,” Audry said. “We could play and be childish with her.”

They said Duarte faced a lot of traumatic events in her life, such as child abuse. The Thompsons knew Duarte for several years and she was welcomed into their hearts.

“She’s just a part of our family,” Holly said. “We didn’t judge her.”

The GoFundMe account can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/funeral-cost-for-shelby-duarte .