WILDWOOD, Mo. — Friends remember a St. Louis County woman killed by her husband as a wonderful person who lit up the room.
"I think she was one of the most beautiful people I've ever met in my entire life,” Pat Guichet said. "She was always smiling, and just always really, really kind."
Guichet says she met Bobette Everhart-Boal through work. They were both a part of St. Louis’ design community.
"She's the kind of person you just wish you could bottle,” Guichet said. "She was just incredible."
Early Sunday morning, police say Bobette's husband shot and killed her in the parking lot of her Chesterfield apartment then drove to the Wildwood home they shared for nearly 20 years, set the house on fire and turned the gun on himself.
First responders later pulled his body from the home.
Court records show Bobette filed for divorce in August, and the couple was scheduled for a settlement conference on Thursday.
"We need to get the message out that there's help,” Maggie Menefee said.
Menefee runs Alive, a group that empowers domestic violence survivors across the St. Louis area.
"It doesn't matter if you live in the city or county. It doesn't matter how much money you make. It doesn't matter your education level,” she said.
Alive has a 24/7 crisis hotline people can call for help: 314-993-2777. They offer emergency shelter, counseling, and court advocacy.
"We're dealing with people who are high at risk of homicide every single day,” Menefee said.
Bobette's friends told us they hope her story helps someone else.
"It's hard to imagine that I'm sitting here having a conversation with someone about her and she's not here,” Guichet said.
Bobette had recently joined the group Unconventional Business Women, where women discuss how to live out their faith at work. The director told 5 On Your Side at the last meeting, Bobette requested prayers for her two grown children.