Hundreds gathered at the Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach Gardens to honor the memory of murdered Palm Beach nurse Kimberly Lindsey.
The 49-year-old nurse was remembered as a caring person and devoted mother who always volunteered at her daughter's school.
Lindsey's mutilated body was found Thursday in a Hendry County sugar cane field after she had been reported missing Oct. 28.
"It's finally time for you to rest and be at peace," her friend Karen said at the memorial service. "Know that we have your back and that your daughters will be loved and cared for."
Deputies said her ex-husband, a top suspect in the case, died Sunday from a narcotics overdose. Albert Lambert, a 52-year-old doctor, was on 24-hour surveillance and was going to be charged with first-degree murder, authorities said.
The couple had three daughters, ages 16, 18 and 20.
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At the memorial, one of the daughters described her mother as a giving person who overcame a difficult childhood.
"She's gone through so many hardships in her life that anyone else would become a bitter, resentful, untrusting, hateful person, but not my mom, not Kim," Sarah Lambert said.
As friends and family honored Lindsey, her name became a synonym of strength and compassion.
"If there is anything positive that can come from this senseless, senseless tragedy, let's all strive to be the Jim in somebody's life," said one friend.
Lindsey, a nurse at Bak Middle School of the Arts, was last seen the weekend of Oct. 25 when she returned from a trip to Florida's west coast to visit one of her daughters. She had sent a text message to one of her other daughters saying she was home safe.
She was reported missing when she failed to show up to work. Days later, maintenance workers found her body in the Hendry field.
Her body was found headless, with fingertips removed and a gunshot wound to the chest, said a probable cause affidavit.
Deputies said there had been a violent confrontation at her home, "after which the body was removed and taken to the remote area where it was discovered." Smears of blood were found throughout the house the day she was reported missing and her bed was missing the sheets and comforter, the affidavit said.
Lindsey's coworker Roberta Azrak said the nurse was going through a difficult divorce, which her attorney confirmed. Lindsey and Lambert's marriage was dissolved in November of 2012, but they were still going through court hearings over alimony and child support, the affidavit said. Lambert allegedly told a presiding judge he would "disappear or go to jail" before he paid anything.
Meanwhile, a website has been set up to raise money for Lindsey's three daughters who were left without a father and a mother. To learn more, visit DaughtersofKimTrust.com.
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