A memorial service was held yesterday for a key supporter of David Bain.
About 180 people attended a memorial service at Burns Hall, in Dunedin, for Kathleen Dawson, who died on January 2, aged 84.
Joe Karam told the Otago Daily Times earlier this week Mrs Dawson and her late husband, John, were instrumental in Mr Bain's supporters getting together and had sparked his interest in the case.
''She was the one who kicked it off. Without her the group would never have got started.
''I placed considerable respect on her view of David because she had known him for many years and had extremely close contact with him.''
Friends of David Bain spokeswoman Catherine Spencer said Mr Bain's former singing teacher was ''the first person to speak out publicly in defence of David''.
''Had she not taken that first step, then the Friends of David may not have formed, and may not have found Joe Karam.
''And it was great that she lived to see the fruition of her unfailing support and see David a free man.''
The former Dunedin man was convicted in 1995 of murdering his family and spent 13 years in jail before being acquitted in a 2009 retrial.