AUSTIN, Texas -- After Ebony Sheppard was murdered only one day after Christmas, her family got together to mourn her loss. 

Janet Harris' daughter, Ebony Sheppard, was killed in Northeast Austin during a robbery the day after Christmas. She left behind a loving family, and a 4-year-old son.

"He told me 'Mom's OK, she's in my heart.' So I left it at that because I know he knows something," said Harris.

Family and friends of Sheppard gathered at Vision of Hope AME Church to honor her memory with a candlelight vigil.

Harris said her faith in God will help her move on, just as it's helping her find forgiveness. 

"I was taught that if you don't forgive then God doesn't forgive you, and I would forgive him. But I want justice. I want him to sit for a long, long time and think about what he did, about how he ruined my life forever," said Harris.

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During one of the hardest moments Harris will ever face, she finds comfort in knowing that her daughter has found peace.

"I just keep getting this feeling, just some feeling that I can't explain. But she's happy and that gives me comfort that she's happy," she said.

The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for expenses involving Sheppard's 4-year-old son, Ian. People can make a donation at https://www.gofundme.com/ebonys-dreams-for-ian.

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