Nancy Grace on Endurance

She had anticipated a quiet life as an English teacher and a mother—until Nancy Grace's fiancé was murdered in a robbery. She switched to law school, ultimately becoming a hardball felony prosecutor in Atlanta, and is now known for her relentless coverage of unsolved murders and high-profile criminal cases on Court TV and CNN. Single-minded—and often contemptuous of defense counsel—Grace has been described as a steamroller and an advocate of mob
justice; she says she provides a voice for victims.

After your fiancé's death, how did you begin to redefine yourself?

It was desperation. Nothing made sense anymore. I had to do something to stop the unbearable and unceasing pain at the injustice of what happened.

When did you start to feel comfortable as an avenger?

It took years. Seven years after Keith's murder, I was walking into the courthouse, and I knew at that moment that I could do something—something that could make it better. The first time I stood before a jury, I felt like a bird that had been let out of a cage to fly.

What else changed?

I grew up in a world where in the distance, the chimes in the Methodist church would ring us home at 6 o'clock from riding our bikes. It was like: God will take care of you.

There are times I still think I should have a family and live in Colorado, as Keith and I were going to do. Sometimes I'm getting ready to be on [CNN] Headline News, and I think: I could be somewhere whipping up dinner, or taking kids to soccer practice. That would really be wonderful. But that is not the way it turned out.

As a former prosecutor, do you think winning is everything?

Everyone has some adversity. Everybody has a battle in their lives, and some are more traumatic or obvious than others. You don't necessarily have to win. You have to endure.

Your public image is tough, even mean. Is that who you are?

I see myself as trying to protect innocent people from those who are more powerful, more cunning, more evil. You win a battle by raising your sword and your shield. I don't care about politics. I think I'm extremely tolerant, except when it comes to violent crime. When it comes to that—what's there to be tolerant of?