In response to your question, the official article on the Copper Dollar Ranch Vigil is located at the BOTTOM of that page for anyone to read.

It was cold, dark and windy that night, we kept relighting our candles anyway, while we shivered and huddled together on the court house square.  It was a good size crowd considering the weather.  Melissa's sister-in-law talked and the new sheriff asked everyone for any new information while handing out his business card with contact information to anyone who wanted it.  The Jasper County attorney in 1983 was present at the vigil too since he worked on the case and he has read Beth Bednar's book!  Both the attorney and new sheriff grew up in Newton, so they have more of a personal interest and have local ties in finding something about it, hopefully.  They certainly have their work cut out for them.  Steve's 2 children are grown up now and they stood behind their father's photo on the display table.  The television and newspaper cameras lit up the dark area and reporters were scurrying around with their mittens on.  The evidence is now being tested with new cutting edge technology they told me when I asked them about it.  Everybody kept silently looking around the crowd to see who had attended it.

I remember March 3 when it happened.  Most of my co-workers have died since then.  I was at work and it was cold and dreary, almost foggy without the snow.  We were shocked at the news about it.  I thought then that a really, really sick mind did this.  I remember seeing 2 state DCI agents in their black suits and briefcases who came to work to question the victim's relatives later.  Rumors were flying of course.

Please remember that the prison is located in Newton.  Did a parolee participate?  Something to think about.