For more than 20 years, she has fought to have him kept there .
But Mrs Smith confronted her fears and went searching for a glimpse of the killer's mind-set, through a play staged at the South Otago Theatrical Society's rooms in Balclutha last Thursday.
In 1991, Kylie Smith (15) was out riding a horse near her home in Owaka when she was forced into a car by a man with a gun, driven into the bush, raped and murdered.
Paul David Bailey (49) was on bail for attempted rape at the time of his crimes. He was jailed for life in 1992 but Mrs Smith quickly learned a life sentence does not translate into a life behind bars.
''If I can advocate in any way that life should mean life, or to keep Bailey in prison for as long as possible, that's what you do,'' Mrs Smith said.
''I lost my husband suddenly two and a-half years ago, so it's sort of up to me now.''
Mrs Smith and her late husband Bevan, who died in 2011, had been advocates for victims' rights and the Sensible Sentencing Trust.
In 1993, Mrs Smith was one of 250 people who took a petition, started by three Owaka women, to Parliament that called for those sentenced to life in prison to remain behind bars until they died. They collected about 270,000 signatures.
''We were very public. We had to make a very big noise because we wanted this to work, but as you probably know, it didn't.''
When a play based on the events surrounding her daughter's death was performed in Balclutha last week, she went and saw it.
First produced in 1997, Portraits is the work of playwright Stuart McKenzie and his wife, Miranda Harcourt.
Mrs Smith had not seen it until last week when Last Tapes Theatre Company and JustSpeak brought it through Otago and Southland to complete a national tour.
Mrs Smith attended with her son and the playwright, who travelled from Wellington for the occasion.
The place names and the names of the people involved had been changed, but the play was written based on interviews conducted by Ms Harcourt and William Brandt. In researching the play they spoke to the Smiths and to Bailey.
Mrs Smith said hearing her and her husband's words come from mouths of actors Jodie Rimmer and Fraser Brown was eerie.
She thought she might gain some insight into Bailey's motivation.
''I wanted to see what Bailey had to offer - and he didn't offer much; he didn't answer the questions that I've had in my head for 23 years,'' she said.
''I know that he is never going to tell people what I want to know. I don't think he understands that we need to know these things.
"I just think that he's so full of himself that he's the only person who matters. There's no empathy.''
She said she asked the playwright if her daughter's killer showed any remorse when he was interviewed.
''He said: 'No','' Mrs Smith said.
Verbatim, a night of two short plays - Verbatim and Portraits - finishes its run from Kaitaia to Invercargill with two shows tonight and tomorrow night at the Scottish Hall.
