After long wait, Shelby Farah's grave site now has a headstone

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An angel carved in stone is featured on the headstone of Shelby Farah’s final resting place.

It's a design her mother, Darlene Farah, picked out herself.

“She was my angel,” said Farah. “Now when I come out here it's there, it's like it's real.”

Shelby was killed in 2013 while working at a Metro PCS store. Farah said she’s been waiting more than three years for the headstone after running into problems with the work to get it built, but now that it’s here it gives her a bit of closure.

“There's something here that symbolizes Shelby, you know, and she didn't deserve to be out here with nothing,” said Farah.

Her daughter’s case is still working its way through the justice system.

A big part of the delay is the fact that the accused killer, James Rhodes, could face the death penalty if convicted -- a potential punishment that remains under much scrutiny.

“As long as the person is never going to see freedom again, give them life. To me, the death penalty creates more victims,” said  Farah.

But Farah said she has a lot of confidence in new State Attorney Melissa Nelson, whom she’s already met with.

“I was very impressed, because that was the first time I felt like somebody was on my team,” said Farah.

The Farah family can now mourn before a headstone that stands out from all the rest, just like Shelby did.

“Shelby was different. She never wanted to be like everybody else,” said Farah.

Rhodes will go before a judge on Jan. 24 for a status hearing on the case.

Cox Media Group