What did you think of everything that they did tonight?
"I thought it was really ...very nice. Very appropriate."
Now, you wanted to be there?
"Yeah.... I would have liked to have gone but I didn't want everybody to take their focus off of Zahra. Which, everyone needs to get some kind of closure."
Have you experienced where people have yelled at you and
"Yeah"
Said things...What have you heard? What have people said?
"That I'm a child abuser ... murderer."
People have called you a murderer?
"Yeah"
What do you say to them?
"Everybody has their own opinion. There is no way in the world I would hurt my daughter."
So people need to know you didn't do this ?
"No (chokes up) There is no way I could do that to my baby."
You didn't dismember her?
"No...... NO."
(shows video of vigil)
What did it mean to you? The fact that they did this?
"It meant the world to me. Especially Tom speaking. I've had a lot of time with Tom and he's very down to earth, speaks from the heart. He pretty much summed up Zahra."
Where do you think it goes from here? I mean, there's alot ... what do you guys ..do you want to at some point go back to Australia? or do yo uwant to make your life here? Somewhere in the United States?
"Umm I think I'm gonna go back to Australia. I have a family here but most of my family and Zahra's family is in Australia."
Do you want to take Zahra back with you?
"Yeah."
Do you think that's where she deserves to be or what to you think?
"I think that's where she would want to be. She has a lot of friends and family in Australia. They need her to be home."
Your over all thoughts? It's been a difficult day... but for the people that were out there today that were there to remember Zahra, what would you say to them ?
"I'd like to thank everybody for coming to the vigil. Thank the organizers, hickory police and all the other law enforcement agencies and the community for everything they have done for Zahra."
This has been a tough tough thing. You haven't really been able to say what you want to say, have you?
"No.It's been very hard to try and grieve for my daughter with everything that is going on. It's been very hard doing stuff without being looking at you. Yelling things."
Saying things to you?
"Yeah."
Calling you murderer?
"Yeah."
But you've got a positive outlook. Things are going to work you, do you believe?
"I just hope that the police get all the evidence they need to get the right result and justice for Zahra."
What is the right result?
"That whoever they find guilty of this ..."
Do you think Elisa was involved ?
(Looks to lawyer) "I haven't been given a whole lot of details of what's been going on"
Interviewer over speaking (Okay.... alright ...)
Overall thoughts ? We had the vigil tonight ... but this doesn't end .. I mean your still ... this doesn't end the grieving process...
"No. "
Your still hurting. Will the hurt ever go away do you think ?
"No .. there's uh... (phone ringing).... "
Will the hurt ever go away?
"No. There's no possible way to ever fill the hole left by my daughter. (choked up)"
Interviewer speaks with Karen Baker.
