Lorraine Bright has spoken about the outpouring of support from friends, colleagues and the community during her time in Dubbo for the murder trial of her daughter Michelle.
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Members of the Bright family broke down as the guilty verdict that sent Craig Rumsby to jail for the 1999 murder of schoolgirl Michelle Bright was delivered in Supreme Court in Dubbo on June 30, just two days before what would have been Michelle's 42nd birthday.
Lorraine said outside the court she and the family had been waiting 24 years for "justice" and now "Michelle can rest in peace and we can go back to some sort of a normal life".
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Lorraine returned to Gulgong after the verdict and said she was overwhelmed by the support she's had over the last 24 years.
"It's just lovely to see her friends too sitting in the court and it's been quite an emotional 24 years for all of us."
Following the verdict and coinciding with Michelle's birthday, the township of Gulgong was peppered with purple and yellow balloons and streamers in a sign of support for Lorraine and celebration of Michelle. Michelle's favourite colour was purple and she was a fan of the cartoon character Tweety Bird. Lorraine made an emotional trip back to the town she called home for many years and was overwhelmed by the showing of love and warmth from the Gulgong community.
"It was very heart-wrenching at the time just knowing that they've all thought of us and they've wanted this as much as we did... it's amazing," Lorraine said.
"It's affected the whole town as well, because it's something that should never happen in a small country town, or anywhere really, and it just goes to show the town - what they're feeling and the support they've given us just by doing that."
However, despite a guilty verdict, Lorraine said she still struggles to find peace but knows that has the community's support.
"I'm not feeling good at all, I just feel like - I just can't I can't explain the feeling, it's just like I've had this for 24 years and now everything just comes to this verdict and I just don't know what to think to be honest I feel like I'm having an out-of-body experience...," she said.
"I can't live like this forever. I've had all the support, I've had all my friends and her [Michelle's] friends calling to see how we're going and it's been amazing.
"I would really like to thank everybody from the bottom of my heart for the support and all the love and everything we've received for the 24 years, the police and the detectives have been absolutely amazing. We wouldn't have got as far as we have without their dedication to working on this case of ours and it's something we'll always treasure.
"I only said to one of Michelle's friends the other day that she was a lucky girl to have all these wonderful friends - and she just said 'we loved her so much and we miss her'."
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