One year after Teresa M. Dutton was killed in her Great Bend home, family members are planning a memorial service in honor of “Teresa Mae.” The vigil will start at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, in front of the High on Life Recovery Ministries building at 17th and Adams.

The Rev. Dick Ogle will speak and a memorial message in the entry area of the church will be dedicated. 

Teresa’s mother, Patty Crawford, and stepfather David Crawford purchased the former St. Johns Episcopal Church building at 2701 17th St. after her death last year.

An employee at the Central Kansas Dream Center, Dutton had recently been promoted to assistant to the director when she was stabbed and her home was set on fire the morning of Oct. 8, 2021. She was 59 years old, which is why 59 balloons will be released at Saturday’s vigil.

The police arrested Lyndsay George, who has been charged with first-degree murder. She remains in custody at the Barton County Detention Center. The Kansas Attorney General’s Office is handling the case.

During a hearing on July 20 in Barton County District Court, George was found incompetent to stand trial and ordered to undergo competency restoration at Larned State Hospital. A status hearing is scheduled for November 21 at 1 p.m.

A kind person

The Crawfords want Teresa to be remembered for her work in the community and for the sweet, caring person she was.

“She was so kind and so giving to others,” David Crawford said. “Anybody that knew her can be there on Oct. 8.”

Teresa’s death was a major reason for him buying the building at 17th and Adams from St. Johns Episcopal Church earlier this year. “When this building became available, I thought it could be a place for grief sharing and a way to help Patricia with her sorrow,” he said last May.