TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Sadia Baxter, an agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, has held back tears at a series of events commemorating officers killed in the line of duty in Florida.
Sunday marked a day of remembrance in the state capitol.
A memorial service was held Sunday evening in Tallahassee remembering the 10 law enforcement officers who died in the State of Florida in the last year.
Lt. Debra Clayton, Deputy First Class Norman Lewis, Sgt. Sam Howard and Officer Matthew Baxter were among those honored.
Baxter’s widow Sadia told Channel 9’s Racquel Asa how her life has been since her husband was killed on patrol in Kissimmee eight months ago.
Every day has been nothing short of a challenge for Sadia.
Juggling three girls and a career in law enforcement, she is a single-mom not by choice but by tragedy.
“Every time I look at them, it’s a reminder of the kind of man he was and the kind of father he was,” she said.
Those reminders are also frozen in time, saved in the pages of a scrapbook she started when Matthew was still alive.
Every pictures captures the charm and smile she says she fell in love with while working in the same department, under the same badge.
WATCH: Sadia Baxter has message for those who reached out after her husband was killed
“I just know after that moment, I saw how he handled that situation and I was just drawn to him. And I could see it was the same for him,” she said.
But Matthew’s badge is now retired and a replica now hangs next to the wedding ring he wore. On the back are reminders from a love note he wrote to her a month before he died.
It’s a list of five things to always remember. Number 5: “I will always love you.”
Cox Media Group
