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SUNSET - Pastel pink and purple balloons, along with photos of the broadly smiling 3-year-old, adorned the playground where Rachael Runyan last played with her brothers 25 years ago.
During Sunday's news conference at Doxey Elementary School, Rachael's father, Jeff Runyan, spoke this message to the man he believes is her abductor and killer, a man who still remains at large.
"We know you, and we know you by name," Jeff Runyan said in grimly resolute tones.
Runyan went into more detail.
"Detectives talked to you while you were in prison about evidence in your vehicle," he continued. "We remember when your sister turned you in on this crime. You made death threats against her and she recanted before you were indicted."
Runyan recalled the events of Aug. 26, 1982. It was the third time that summer that Rachael and her two brothers, 5-year-old Justin and 18-month-old Nathan, had played at the school playground, just a stone's throw from their home.
It was the first time that Elaine Runyan let her children play there alone - within earshot - while she quickly prepared lunch.
Jeff Runyan said that Rachael's abductor chatted with the children for at least 15 minutes, ultimately enticing Rachael away with the promise of bubble gum and ice cream.
Her lifeless, almost unrecognizable body was discovered 24 days later, naked and hog-tied, in a stream in Morgan County.
Joined Sunday by Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and other law enforcement personnel, Jeff Runyan and Elaine Runyan-Simmons announced the reopening of their daughter's case, along with a $53,000 cash reward to encourage those with knowledge of the crime to come out of the shadows.
"Twenty-five years ago at this very place our lives were changed forever," said Runyan-Simmons. "It's time for the killer to be brought to justice. Please come forward and help us find closure."
Jeff Runyan said he believes a small circle of people know who kidnapped and killed his daughter. He claims to know the individual by name, and the last he had heard, the man had moved to New Mexico.
The person of whom Jeff Runyan spoke does remain a person of interest, said Sunset Police Chief Ken Eborn, acknowledging there are others as well.
"We have never gone public with those names and are not prepared to do so now," Eborn said.
By examining the case with fresh eyes, and the latest forensic capabilities - and offering a substantial reward for information - Sunset detectives hope to solve the crime that eventually led to the creation of the nationwide Amber Alert system in place today.
On Sunday, Salt Lake City police officers honored James and Tanja Buckley, who in response to a July 28 Amber Alert, spotted the vehicle in question and 7-month-old David Joseph Austin was quickly recovered.
"They did what we're asking everyone to do," Shurtleff said. "When you hear that alert, take a good look at what's around you."
Also announced Sunday was the formation of the Child Abduction Response Team (CART), a statewide law enforcement effort that can provide extra manpower and resources when these crises occur.
"The first hours are critical when a child is taken," said Terry Keefe, police chief for Layton where the first countywide CART was organized. "We have to maximize our efforts to make sure the child is recovered."
While the Runyans were stripped of that hope long ago, they issued a plea Sunday for information that could solve Rachael's case. And from her father came a stern warning.
"To you, the coward, the $53,000 is bounty money on your head," Jeff Runyan said. "The noose is tightening and justice will be served."