Based on events in Emporia, Kansas, from 1983 to 1987. Lorna Anderson was paroled in 2007; Tom Bird was paroled in 2004--and announced his intention to work as a marriage counselor.
The KS county that includes Junction City, where Martin Anderson was killed, is Geary County. For some reason the filmmakers chose to give it a fictional name of "Giffords."
This movie is only one side to the story of Tom Bird. To get the story from Tom Bird's persprctive, read "Caged Bird" by Dave Racer.