GA GA - Tara Baker, 23, Athens, 19 Jan 2001 *Arrest*

[concernedcitizen706]

11Alive Presser

 

[concernedcitizen706]

11Alive Presser, link above. Around 21:58
Reporter- ... In other words,... could you have used existing technology back then, the way you used it now, to get... (the DNA results)

LE - I'll answer it this way, and I've kind of already answered it the best way I know how at this point in time. In this case, like many out there, are required a review of fresh eyes to reevaluate everything in the, in the investigation, whether it be interviews or evidence. And new technology plays into that. We're working in our crime labs across the state and utilizing that every way that we can, to help solve these cases. And I'll say to you before we stop, is I apologize if I'm not answering the questions, the way and the importance and the magnitude of this investigation,.. and there's a lot of work left to be done in this by all agencies involved. And uh we appreciate again you being here.

 

[dotr]

Tara Baker Cold Case Murder SOLVED After 23 YEARS - Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan | iHeart

<p>On January 19, 2001, Tara Baker was murdered in her apartment. The perpetrator sexually assaulted her then lit the apartment on fire. The case went cold in the town of Athens, Georgia for over 20 years. On this episode of Body Bags Joseph Scott Morgan will break down the science of solving a...

www.iheart.com

''Tara Baker Cold Case Murder SOLVED After 23 YEARS​

May 22, 2024 • 45 mins
On January 19, 2001, Tara Baker was murdered in her apartment. The perpetrator sexually assaulted her then lit the apartment on fire. The case went cold in the town of Athens, Georgia for over 20 years. On this episode of Body Bags Joseph Scott Morgan will break down the science of solving a cold case and Dave Mack will fill in the blanks of the story that shocked Northern Georgia for over 20 years. Recently the murder of Laken Riley brought the Tara Baker homicide back into the conversation and with great detective work and with biological evidence and DNA science, the cold case became hot again, as hot as the fire the suspect set to destroy evidence of the horror he created. ''

 

[concernedcitizen706]

https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/news/2011/01/19/uga-students-death-decade-old-mystery/14561795007/

Link. And they believe that Athens-Clarke police ought to release their daughter's death certificate, a decade after a murderer took the 23-year-old's life.

Police are withholding the certificate because they don't want to publicize the cause of death, which only the killer knows, they say.

Witnesses reported seeing a white man in a T-shirt and jeans run from Baker's backyard that morning before the fire was reported, police said.

Athens-Clarke police will not discuss details of the crime, and several officers who assisted early on with the case have since retired; most talked about the murder only on the condition of anonymity.

The first-year UGA law student had been beaten, stabbed, strangled and possibly sexually assaulted, sources said, an indication that Baker may have known her killer -

 

[concernedcitizen706]

https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/news/2011/01/19/uga-students-death-decade-old-mystery/14561795007/

And they believe that Athens-Clarke police ought to release their daughter's death certificate, a decade after a murderer took the 23-year-old's life.

Police are withholding the certificate because they don't want to publicize the cause of death, which only the killer knows, they say.

Witnesses reported seeing a white man in a T-shirt and jeans run from Baker's backyard that morning before the fire was reported, police said.

Athens-Clarke police will not discuss details of the crime, and several officers who assisted early on with the case have since retired; most talked about the murder only on the condition of anonymity.

The first-year UGA law student had been beaten, stabbed, strangled and possibly sexually assaulted, sources said, an indication that Baker may have known her killer -

Okay so a few questions from the article linked above in the Augusta Chronicle.

Where is the WHITE man police said that they were looking for, running from the house, as a suspect? This article was a decade after the crime, and they were still telling people about a white suspect. And the current arrested suspect does not look like a white man. So I'm wondering about the mismatch there from police for all those years.

Also where is the unusual cause of death, that only the killer would know? Which was given as a reason by police, that the case files were closed and no death certificate was issued to the family for 11 YEARS
Because from this recent arrest, there's not does not seem to be more information given, that there is a very unusual cause of death, other than the already mentioned beating strangling and stabbing, which unfortunately is not a very unusual cause of death in murders in this country. My question is, since they generally told the public about those causes of death before anyway, why couldn't they have put that information on the death certificate after the murder, so that they could release the death certificate to the family right after the murder as is proscribed by law? Something doesn't seem to match there.

And also from this recent arrest, they mentioned DNA from the crime scene from an assault. The suspect was arrested in May of 2001, not long after the murder for a felony crime. The suspects arrested also lived right near the victim. As well as arrested many times after that, for other felony crimes.( See previous links here.) Why did police not think to check his DNA before? Reporters at the above linked 11 Alive presser asked police at the conference, if they could not match the DNA with technology before, but LE declined to give a specific answer. I'm kind of wondering why they could not answer that question, as I don't see why or how answering a technical question like that about DNA processing would hurt the prosecution.

So a lot of unanswered questions still.

 

[ifindedout]

https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/news/2011/01/19/uga-students-death-decade-old-mystery/14561795007/

SBM
The link doesn't work unless it's copied and pasted into a new tab, because text went where the URL should go, and vice versa. This should work straight away:
UGA student's death a decade-old mystery

 

[concernedcitizen706]

SBM
The link doesn't work unless it's copied and pasted into a new tab, because text went where the URL should go, and vice versa. This should work straight away:
UGA student's death a decade-old mystery

Okay yes thanks, I had trouble getting that link symbol thing to work, so I just pasted the link on there. Thanks for linking it for me. I hope that link in another comment passes muster for me with the mods here.
Edit- Okay, I think I fixed the link above, thanks for your tip again.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

My hope is, police don't just focus on the black suspect they arrested for the Tara Baker murder, but are also still looking for the white suspect that was seen running from the scene of the crime. Justice is not complete until all participants are apprehended.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

UGA cold case: Man arrested for student's murder has long criminal history

The man accused of killing a University of Georgia law student 23 years ago appears to have a lengthy criminal history.

www.fox5atlanta.com

Link above:

In 2001, Faust was arrested for aggravated assault after allegedly attacking another man with a knife. Initially pleading not guilty and demanding a speedy trial, he eventually accepted a plea deal on Sept. 6, 2001, and was sentenced to six years of probation with 1 year of confinement.

 

[dotr]

Aug 20, 2024
Tara Baker, a law school student at UGA, was killed in 2001

 

[fsngruv]

Tara Baker cold case: Man accused of UGA law student’s murder set to appear in court

Police found 23-year-old Tara Baker dead after a fire at her apartment in 2001.

www.wsbtv.com

I'm am watching courtv and hearing her sister speak for the family. God bless her.

The defendant has two tear drop tattoos cascading down his eyes, and his attorney makes various objections while she speaks at the defendants request for bond. The judge denies the defendants request for bond.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

That's interesting that he pled not guilty. That means there's not going to be a plea deal. Because don't they usually get those reached before they plead?And so that means there's going to be an actual trial. And we will hear some of the evidence for once. That should be interesting.

 

[dotr]

Aug 20, 2024 #TaraBaker #EdrickFaust #LawAndCrime
A judge denied bond for the man accused of killing University of Georgia law student Tara Baker. Edrick Faust pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday. Faust allegedly murdered and raped Baker then set her apartment on fire. Baker was just 23 years old when she was killed in January 2001.

Aug 21, 2024
Tara Baker, a law school student at UGA, was killed in 2001

Aug 20, 2024
48-year-old Edrick Faust was arrested in May in the 2001 killing of Tara Baker.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

Here's another article from the old days.

Not like the others

Meredith Baker is 22 going on 40.

www.redandblack.com

If I were the defense lawyer for this Faust guy, I would say that, for years, police reported a WHITE guy running from the scene. Police also interviewed many white people as suspects, like classmates and ex-boyfriends etc. From article:

"Here is what they said:

- A witness spotted a white male wearing jeans and a T-shirt running from the scene the morning of Jan. 19.

- A Compaq Presario Model 1200 XL 1800 laptop was the only item missing from the scene.

As of now, that is the extent of all leads released by police."

In addition, the coroner for Tara Baker, mentioned in article there, was a former police officer Bobby Tribble, and he was arrested over 10 years later, when he worked in a local gun shop, for stealing from the store, and spent time in federal prison. Can we trust this guy? And how much access did he have to the body.

"Former Athens coroner and ex-convict Tribble arrested again" https://www.classiccitynews.com/post/former-athens-coroner-and-ex-convict-tribble-arrested-again

 

[concernedcitizen706]

Wow I just read that article above about the Tara Baker coroner Bobby Tribble. There is more information in that article. I did not know he was accused of stealing guns, even before, he got arrested. From the house of a deceased man that he worked on as a case. And also later of harassing a man's truck by tampering with his truck in parking lots. That is really bizarre. I'm telling you, there is a lot of shady business going on here. And I really hope Faust has a good defense lawyer.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

Interestingly, the Tara Baker investigator, Sgt Courtney Gale, was stabbed at a store in 2007. Just as she claimed to be making more progress in the case. 2007 was the year Athens coroner Bobby Tribble was accused by a family member of stealing from a case victim.
"Off-duty officer stabbed at store" Off-duty officer stabbed at store

 

[fsngruv]

Here's another article from the old days.

Not like the others

Meredith Baker is 22 going on 40.

www.redandblack.com

If I were the defense lawyer for this Faust guy, I would say that, for years, police reported a WHITE guy running from the scene. Police also interviewed many white people as suspects, like classmates and ex-boyfriends etc. From article:

"Here is what they said:

- A witness spotted a white male wearing jeans and a T-shirt running from the scene the morning of Jan. 19.

- A Compaq Presario Model 1200 XL 1800 laptop was the only item missing from the scene.

As of now, that is the extent of all leads released by police."

In addition, the coroner for Tara Baker, mentioned in article there, was a former police officer Bobby Tribble, and he was arrested over 10 years later, when he worked in a local gun shop, for stealing from the store, and spent time in federal prison. Can we trust this guy? And how much access did he have to the body.

"Former Athens coroner and ex-convict Tribble arrested again" https://www.classiccitynews.com/post/former-athens-coroner-and-ex-convict-tribble-arrested-again

According to your article Bobby Tribble had zero access to Tara's body and didn't even perform the autopsy. "ACC Coroner Bobby Tribble said he has not received requests to release Tara's death certificate since he took the post in November 2004."
He sure sounds crooked imo but imo it doesn't appear to be relevant. Still, great sleuthing!

Faust did live close to her but that alone wouldn't fulfill the probable cause required to test his DNA if he didn't provide it voluntary.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

According to your article Bobby Tribble had zero access to Tara's body and didn't even perform the autopsy. "ACC Coroner Bobby Tribble said he has not received requests to release Tara's death certificate since he took the post in November 2004."
He sure sounds crooked imo but imo it doesn't appear to be relevant. Still, great sleuthing!

Faust did live close to her but that alone wouldn't fulfill the probable cause required to test his DNA if he didn't provide it voluntary.

Faust was arrested for a felony in May of 2001, only a few months after the murder. So the fact that he lived nearby and was arrested for a violent felony, should have been enough for them to test him back then. As a felon has to give DNA in Georgia, even back then.

Second of all, it does it say anything in the article about whether Bobby Tribble was involved in the autopsy or not. It said no one asked him to release the death certificate. That's different than the autopsy. The police did not release a death certificate for Tara Baker for 11 years. The only reason they released one was finally was because the family went to the governor and forced the police to release the death certificate.

If Bobby Tribble is not above stealing guns from deceased victims under his professional umbrella, is he trustworthy not to tamper with DNA in the case? For example if the white guy seen running at the crime, would maybe have evidence against him and others in police?

Edit - I just saw your line where he said he took the position in 2004. Well that's news to me. I have been investigating this case in media for years and I always saw him mentioned as the coroner during the murder. So I'm not sure which information is incorrect. I'm trying to Google it now.

 

[fsngruv]

Faust was arrested for a felony in May of 2001, only a few months after the murder. So the fact that he lived nearby and was arrested for a violent felony, should have been enough for them to test him back then. As a felon has to give DNA in Georgia, even back then.

Second of all, it does it say anything in the article about whether Bobby Tribble was involved in the autopsy or not. It said no one asked him to release the death certificate. That's different than the autopsy. The police did not release a death certificate for Tara Baker for 11 years. The only reason they released one was finally was because the family went to the governor and forced the police to release the death certificate.

If Bobby Tribble is not above stealing guns from deceased victims under his professional umbrella, is he trustworthy not to tamper with DNA in the case? For example if the white guy seen running at the crime, would maybe have evidence against him and others in police?

So you think Tribble could be the coroner who did Tara's autopsy even though he was employed by Walton county at the time of Tara's death?

 

[concernedcitizen706]

So you think Tribble could be the coroner who did Tara's autopsy even though he was employed by Walton county at the time of Tara's death?

Yes I just noticed that above and I edited my post above. Well every time I Googled this case, it said Bobby Tribble was the coroner. I never saw any other name mentioned. But I will try to Google it now and see if I can find some other name.