Loosely based on the murder of Ken Rex McElroy in Skidmore, Missouri in July, 1981. The story of McElroy's murder, which is still unsolved, is told in the book "In Broad Daylight" by Harry MacLean. A TV movie by the same name, and based on the book, was made in 1991.
Although considered to be loosely based on the 1981 events in Skidmore, Missouri, many of the scenes and images in the movie align with various published accounts.