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 Dallas and Houston.

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

At 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 Herald 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.

A very quiet baby.

She didn't like getting her hands dirty or her 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

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 Vicky 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 Vicky into work before, she decided to do it again.

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