TOLEDO, Ohio — On Saturday, 71-year-old Nancy Lewton was found dead behind her south Toledo home.
Her 31-year-old son, Travis, told police he killed his mother. He was arrested and charged with aggravated and premeditated murder before being booked in the Lucas County Jail.
Bette Rabbitt, who lives in Florida, has been best friends with Nancy Lewton since they met in third grade at Old Orchard Elementary School in west Toledo.
"We've been friends ever since, through up times and down times. She was like a sister to me, an aunt to my children," she said.
The two were together days before Lewton was killed when Rabbitt flew back to Toledo during Hurricane Ian.
But Lewton's death still hasn't sunk in, Rabbitt said.
"It hasn't really come to reality because it's so out there. It's so unbelievable," Rabbitt said.
Rabbitt said even though she lives in Florida, the distance never hindered their friendship. The two friends spoke regularly, and after two days of not hearing from Lewton, Rabbitt knew something was wrong.
"She kept herself so nice and the thought of her being rolled down and it's just disturbing," Rabbitt said.
As a therapist herself, Rabbitt said she knew Travis to be verbally abusive to his mother and that he struggled with his mental health. But, she never thought he would have homicidal thoughts.
"She did all she could to encourage him and she wasn't able to do it," Rabbitt said.
Rabbitt said Lewton was a faithful woman, and that's how she would want everyone to remember her.
"She would set aside a couple of hours every day to send out encouraging messages to people that she didn't even know because that was her nature," she said.
Despite Travis Lewton being charged with his mother's murder, Rabbitt said she has already forgiven him because she knows that's what her best friend would have wanted.