In 1980, four-year-old Vicki Lyons was found in a parking lot, unconscious and near death.

There were no witnesses.

No one knew what really happened.

But Vicki's mother was determined to find out.

West Texas is far removed from big cities like Dallas and Houston.

The land is flat and dry, dotted with the occasional oil well or cotton field.

The crossroads of Interstate 20 and Route 87 is a little town called Big Spring.

Out here, when the local high school marching band is invited to the state tournament, it's front-page news.

That front page belongs to the Big Spring Harold newspaper, which chronicles all the town's activities, no matter how big or small.

I worked in circulation department and it was very nice.

I knew all the people there. I'd known them for a long time.

In 1980, Crystal Lyons was living in Big Spring with her husband Bill and four-year-old daughter Vicki.

We're very quiet, baby. She didn't like getting her hands dirty or feet dirty.

She took her shoes off. She would walk and take one step, dust off her foot, dust off her hands and take another step.

She was very, very into being clean.

Like all working mothers, Crystal was often pulled in two directions.

One day, when the babysitter didn't show up, Crystal's supervisor gave her a tough choice.

I told my boss that I didn't have anyone to take care of Vicki that day and he told me that if I didn't bother to come in, I didn't have a job.

Since Crystal had taken Vicki into work before, she decided to do it again.

Her coworkers liked the little girl and Crystal kept her eye on Vicki as best she could.

While Crystal was moving papers to the loading dock for afternoon delivery, Reverend JB Hardeman drove up.

When I was in town, I'd go there every day and pick me up with the paper here to be there when they started running them.

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