Those who are convinced, or at least say they are convinced, that Louise Woodward is innocent have some intricate theories. Some of them veer off at a tangent to include talk of her mother's allegedly fraudulent spending of the money raised by the Woodward appeal fund. Others talk of child abuse and the faults within the American legal system.
In her home town of Elton in Cheshire yesterday, as supporters waited for their first sight of "our lass" two years after she left to work as an au pair in the US, the debate over her conviction and just what she would do with the rest of her life was the only thing on their minds.
Standing on the pavement outside the Rigger pub, where her supporters were criticised for their celebrations last year, a group of women waited in the rain. "What will she do when all this fuss is over?" asked one. "I hope she can put it behind her and get on with a normal life. We're all behind her, even if some people have their doubts," said another.
Across the road, a man took up his vantage point sitting on a chair outside the front door of his house, a cup of tea in his hand. This time, however, the huge banners supporting Ms Woodward's cause had been taken down in a determined effort to keep everything low-key. In their place some residents had carefully cut out stickers with the words - Support for Louise - and sellotaped them on the front windows of their homes.
Of course, then there were the yellow ribbons. Tied to nearly every lamp-post, tree and porch-light, Elton had the air of a village fete on a wet Saturday afternoon. The exception was that there was no laughter.
But the women were there - and the journalists and the man with his cup of tea - to witness the homecoming of Louise Woodward.
The police outriders were the first to drive up Elton's main street to let everyone know that she was on her way. Everyone strained to catch their first glimpse of her. The moment itself was quite ordinary. The convoy drove past, there were no waves from Ms Woodward and people waited politely on the pavement to cross to the other side of the road. There were no cheers or clapping and most people just stood still and watched.
Earlier, Ms Woodward had flown in to Heathrow from Boston and was then driven by her MP, Mr Andrew Miller, to a press conference at Manchester Airport. There, with the world's media assembled she once again protested her innocence over the death of baby Matthew Eappen. "I feel very sorry for the death of Matthew Eappen . . . I had nothing to do with his death. I did not hurt Matthew and I did not kill baby Matthew and I just hope that the medical community will take up the case now that all the avenues of appeal are closed, to help prove my innocence."
Contrary to speculation and rumour, she said she had not sold her story to the newspapers, but would be giving an interview to the BBC for which she would not be paid. She had been the victim of an unfair trial and an American justice system intent on hearing her version when it was too late to save her from prison.
Once she was back in Elton, a short photo call on the lawn with her family and Louise Woodward disappeared back inside her home for a proper reunion. The door was closed and that was all.
But in this small community where schoolgirls stand at the bus stop just like anywhere else, where dads push prams and old ladies carry brightly coloured umbrellas on their way to the shops, the Louise Woodward story is the biggest thing that has happened to them. It was not welcome, just endured.
The sceptics, the unconvinced minority in Elton, hovered nearby. One man, a farmer who came up to Elton from his land 10 miles away spoke of the niggling rumours and stories being told about the family. In Elton's bakery shop, where a yellow and white cake with Louise Wooodward's face on it was displayed in the window, "Paul" said if anybody got an "exclusive" with the family it would be the local paper, the Evening Post.
But what mattered most among the small groups of supporters who gathered to see Ms Woodward come home was not the speculation about newspaper deals and misspent funds, but the yellow ribbons tied to the trees. It was a small detail, but a visible sign of support nonetheless.