PHONE CALL HORROR: I HEARD MY GIRL BEING MURDERED

Rena's daughter had a bright future ahead of her until the night of her 19th birthday

-  SHARON KEEBLE

Rena Castro, 50

You know what, Mum, I think I might go on a date with Josh. He asked me out again,' my daughter, Erin, then 15, said.

Erin and Josh, then 17, had been good friends since they met at high school.

I was a bit surprised. He was a sweet boy and we all liked him, but I couldn't really see it working out between them.

Still, my headstrong daughter wanted to give it a go. She was very young, so I figured it would eventually fizzle out anyway.

For a while, Josh seemed to treat Erin well.

He was having a tough time, so we welcomed him with open arms. It broke my heart to hear he was struggling, but concerned about his emotional baggage, I worried about Erin getting too involved.

'I can be there for him,' she said, and she was true to her word.

Erin just wanted to help people. She had such a huge heart.

But behind the scenes, Josh chipped away at her self-confidence, calling her names.

I watched on helplessly as my happy, fearless daughter developed anxiety and started withdrawing from her friends.

While she mostly kept it from us, Josh didn't like her going anywhere without him and made her feel guilty on the rare occasions that she did.

She would cry to me and her sisters Ashley, 29, and Brooke, 26.

'I want to leave him, but I can't,' she said.

'Erin, there is nothing keeping you with Josh,' I told her. 'You don't owe him anything!' But she was constantly drawn back to him.