It was the sheer brutality of Michael Hutchings' death that shocked everyone.
Stabbed twice, the 18-year-old's body was thrown inside a mattress protector, weighted with steel bars and tossed into the Clutha River.
When his body was found submerged in the river on Saturday, January 12, Kaitangata (population 800) was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
By the following Friday, two people had been arrested and charged with his murder.
But more than nine months later, the memories of those dark days remain all too vivid, as the Otago Daily Times recently found when it approached people for their thoughts.
Most said the same thing - it was a horrible matter and Kaitangata should not be seen as a bad place to live.
The people responsible were outsiders, who had only lived in the area a short time.
Kaitangata and Districts Promotions co-ordinator Jean Proctor said the events in January did have an effect on many people, but she was confident that was behind the town now.
The killing made locals realise they were "all connected to the outside world and things like that can happen here".
But Mrs Proctor believed Kaitangata was moving on.
"I think we have all recovered and getting on with things. There are a lot of positive things happening here, which is good."
Others who did not want their name published said Kaitangata had already moved on.
Few people talked about the murder or the people involved unless something appeared in the newspaper or on television.
One man said he hoped, in time, people would realise there was a lot more to the town.
