Reeva Steenkamp was a model who was shot dead by her boyfriend Oscar Pistorius on Valentine’s Day 2013. Reeva had only been dating Oscar for three months and it is rumored that he was abusive towards her from early on in the relationship. Oscar was arrested for murder but claimed that he had shot Reeva on accident, confusing her for an intruder.

Oscar denies the charges and while Reeva is best known for her modeling career, her friends and family want the world to know the real Reeva and how special she really was.

Kerry Smith was one of Reeva’s closest friends and said that she still can’t believe that she is dead. She described Reeva as a caring and considerate person who always put others before herself. The two met in college and had planned to open a law firm to help abused women after graduating.

She said that although Reeva enjoyed modeling, she knew it wouldn’t last and wanted to use her degree to help others.

“She always said modeling would not last – you need to have something to come back to,” she said.

“She was more than just a pretty face, she had a beautiful heart and ambition,” the 35-year-old legal assistant told BBC News.

Who was Reeva Steenkamp? @Pumza_Fihlani finds out about the woman shot dead by Oscar Pistorius http://t.co/3R3wHO7xDX pic.twitter.com/LLmi5sH7RA

— BBC Africa (@BBCAfrica) September 10, 2014

Reeva’s funeral was small and intimate and only her close friends and family members were permitted to attend. Smith said that even though she was one of the people who attended the funeral, she never did feel any closure.

“There’s no closure. We couldn’t even view her body in the coffin,” she said.

Smith said that Reeva had dated abusive men in the past and that she believes she really loved Oscar and could not see how bad things were. She said that she hopes her friend can be remembered as the amazing and caring person that she was and that her story can help others.

“She wanted to save everyone, wanted to protect everyone,” Smith said.