That is the small and devastating thread of comfort Molly Ticehurst's father Tony Ticehurst holds onto in his grief.
The family of Ms Ticehurst, who was murdered by her abusive ex-boyfriend Daniel Billings in her home at Forbes, in central western NSW in April 2024, has come face-to-face with her killer in a regional NSW courtroom.
Mr Ticehurst described his 28-year-old daughter as big-hearted and deeply loved, his best friend and confidant.
"When she died, part of me died with her," Mr Ticehurst told the first day of Billings' sentence hearing in the NSW Supreme Court in Orange on Thursday.
His voice heavy with emotion, Mr Ticehurst addressed Billings directly several times, describing him as selfish and saying he hoped her screams would haunt him forever.
"I believe that after you serve your punishment here on earth, the justice system of the universe will judge you."
Ms Ticehurst's mother Kate held her hand tightly over her face as her victim impact statement was read to court by a relative.
"Molly was my only child and my best friend," her statement said.
"I'm heartbroken that my girl is no longer with me."
Billings is present in court wearing a black suit and white shirt with sneakers, often leaning his head against the back of the dock and closing his eyes.
When he was brought into court, he briefly looked towards Ms Ticehurst's parents before staring straight ahead or at the ceiling.
He bowed his head while listening to several victim impact statements.
About 50 of Ms Ticehurst's family and friends have gathered for the hearing, some wearing shirts saying "Her name was Molly".
The hearing has been more than two years in the making.
Billings broke into Ms Ticehurst's bedroom just before midnight on April 21, 2024, and stabbed her 15 times in a ferocious attack that lasted less than a minute.
The trainee mining driller had repeatedly threatened to break into her home and kill her in the weeks and months before.
He had been charged with several counts of raping Ms Ticehurst and a string of domestic violence offences, but was freed on bail by a local court registrar a fortnight before the murder.
Police had also taken out a provisional apprehended violence order against Billings.
Billings finally pleaded guilty to murder in November 2025, after more than 18 months of legal negotiations and the sexual assault charges were subsequently dropped.
Ms Ticehurst's murder intensified a national campaign against gendered violence and led to legal changes in NSW, including tighter bail laws for people accused of domestic violence.
Her father said that had brought some comfort, along with knowing his daughter was now safe from Billings.
"Molly's law has now been introduced; I will be forever proud to be her dad."
Donna Thornell, the mother of Orange woman Kristy Armstrong, who was killed when her abusive estranged husband ran her car off a road in 2023, is also in court to show her support for the Ticehursts.
The court has begun to view several hours of videos that Billings made before the murder, in which he foreshadowed the crime.
Charges of property damage, animal cruelty offences and breaching the apprehended violence order will be taken into consideration in the sentence.
Justice Natalie Adams has indicated she will hand down her sentence later in September.
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