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

[fsngruv]

@concernedcitizen706 (sorry, I meant to reply to your comment!)

Randy Garrett.

UGA student's death a decade-old mystery

ATHENS, Ga. -- Tara Louise Baker's parents are resigned to the stark and disturbing fact that they may never know who murdered their pretty blond daughter 10 years ago today, while she was a student …

www.augustachronicle.com

From the article above.
"Athens-Clarke police Sgt. Randy Garrett, who was Clarke County coroner at the time, defended withholding the document.


"We sat down and decided it would not be in the best interest of the investigation if I signed the death certificate," Garrett said Tuesday. "Once it's signed the exact manner in which (Baker) died is going to be out in the public, and that's information only the suspect would know."

 

[fsngruv]

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

She went on to become police chief but recently resigned. Watkinsville announces Police Chief Courtney Gale has resigned

 

[concernedcitizen706]

Yes I just googled it I saw Randy Garrett too. Interesting I never saw his name mentioned in the older articles. So he was the one who decided not to release the cause of death.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

She went on to become police chief but recently resigned. Watkinsville announces Police Chief Courtney Gale has resigned

I wonder what the tea is behind that. Other than vague attitude differences.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

@concernedcitizen706 (sorry, I meant to reply to your comment!)

Randy Garrett.

UGA student's death a decade-old mystery

ATHENS, Ga. -- Tara Louise Baker's parents are resigned to the stark and disturbing fact that they may never know who murdered their pretty blond daughter 10 years ago today, while she was a student …

www.augustachronicle.com

From the article above.
"Athens-Clarke police Sgt. Randy Garrett, who was Clarke County coroner at the time, defended withholding the document.


"We sat down and decided it would not be in the best interest of the investigation if I signed the death certificate," Garrett said Tuesday. "Once it's signed the exact manner in which (Baker) died is going to be out in the public, and that's information only the suspect would know."

So here's the question. So you just corrected me and informed me that Bobby Tribble was not the coroner during the initial murder autopsy of Tara Baker. He showed up a few years later.

However he appeared to be into some shady business. So, was he the only one? And what access did he have to the Tara Baker forensics after he became coroner?

For example, if they had any connection to a different perp, theoretically the real one, could they have gone and tampered with the DNA evidence back then to protect themselves. What kind of access would he have with his position.

My point is, a defense lawyer could make some real hay with this point. If all they have is pretty much DNA evidence, can they defend the chain of custody of the DNA evidence, with a coroner arrested for felonies?

 

[fsngruv]

So here's the question. So you just corrected me and informed me that Bobby Tribble was not the coroner during the initial murder autopsy of Tara Baker. He showed up a few years later.

However he appeared to be into some shady business. So, was he the only one? And what access did he have to the Tara Baker forensics after he became coroner?

For example, if they had any connection to a different perp, theoretically the real one, could they have gone and tampered with the DNA evidence back then to protect themselves. What kind of access would he have with his position.

My point is, a defense lawyer could make some real hay with this point. If all they have is pretty much DNA evidence, can they defend the chain of custody of the DNA evidence, with a coroner arrested for felonies?

Sure, chain of custody would and should be questioned by the defense!

I'm not sure how or where they store the evidence collected from an autopsy, but from what I understand about chain of custody, items of evidence are stored and if anyone else wants to access the evidence it is recorded and checked in/out in the evidence log by the guard of the evidence storage lockers.

It's very possible coroner Tribble planted evidence, maybe there is a connection between him and Faust, and that's how Tribble got his DNA, not sure what type of DNA they tested, if it was semen, blood, or touch? Has that been shared? I'm not sure.

I guess another question would be, what's the motive of Tribble? While Tribble is a felon and definitely crooked it seems that greed is the motivator in his other crimes.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

Sure, chain of custody would and should be questioned by the defense!

I'm not sure how or where they store the evidence collected from an autopsy, but from what I understand about chain of custody, items of evidence are stored and if anyone else wants to access the evidence it is recorded and checked in/out in the evidence log by the guard of the evidence storage lockers.

It's very possible coroner Tribble planted evidence, maybe there is a connection between him and Faust, and that's how Tribble got his DNA, not sure what type of DNA they tested, if it was semen, blood, or touch? Has that been shared? I'm not sure.

I guess another question would be, what's the motive of Tribble? While Tribble is a felon and definitely crooked it seems that greed is the motivator in his other crimes.

I know for a fact they tell lies like water there over by some members of Athens police management. And tamper with evidence. Including one of the main Tara Baker investigators.

What would be the motive? They could be involved in illegal business. Drug selling, gun stealing, improperly using drug informants, and taking the money and distributing it to their friends. And this could go to the top. Its possible that this white guy that police reported for years running from the scene of the crime, was known to them. For example he could have been a young drug informant for them and he was involved in taking money and drugs from drug dealers like perhaps Faust, and giving it to them. So when they do the DNA test and they see that their little friend is involved, they don't want him to spill the beans, so they conveniently switch his DNA with the other guy after he got arrested. That's a theory. I mean is there a good reason they couldn't test the freaking DNA on file for 20 years? Maybe that's the reason. And if I were a defense lawyer I would start talking about that.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

Sure, chain of custody would and should be questioned by the defense!

I'm not sure how or where they store the evidence collected from an autopsy, but from what I understand about chain of custody, items of evidence are stored and if anyone else wants to access the evidence it is recorded and checked in/out in the evidence log by the guard of the evidence storage lockers.

It's very possible coroner Tribble planted evidence, maybe there is a connection between him and Faust, and that's how Tribble got his DNA, not sure what type of DNA they tested, if it was semen, blood, or touch? Has that been shared? I'm not sure.

I guess another question would be, what's the motive of Tribble? While Tribble is a felon and definitely crooked it seems that greed is the motivator in his other crimes.

Let's put it like this. I knew before the Tribble had been arrested for stealing guns from the gun shop he worked at, you know maybe some years after he stopped working at police. I read in the newspaper at the time he said something about having financial problems and his wife being sick etc. So you know, I kind of accepted that reason. I thought maybe he was under great financial stress, it was long after he stopped being a police officer, etc. But I just found out today it was alleged he stole guns from a deceased victim 'while' he was coroner. That's a whole different ballgame. Anybody who does that, can do a lot of stuff while they're on the job. If somebody tells a person like that, hey I'll give you this much money if you go sign this out and switch it, I don't think that type of guy would not do it.

 

[fsngruv]

I know for a fact they tell lies like water there over by some members of Athens police management. And tamper with evidence. Including one of the main Tara Baker investigators.

What would be the motive? They could be involved in illegal business. Drug selling, gun stealing, improperly using drug informants, and taking the money and distributing it to their friends. And this could go to the top. Its possible that this white guy that police reported for years running from the scene of the crime, was known to them. For example he could have been a young drug informant for them and he was involved in taking money and drugs from drug dealers like perhaps Faust, and giving it to them. So when they do the DNA test and they see that their little friend is involved, they don't want him to spill the beans, so they conveniently switch his DNA with the other guy after he got arrested. That's a theory. I mean is there a good reason they couldn't test the freaking DNA on file for 20 years? Maybe that's the reason. And if I were a defense lawyer I would start talking about that.

Interesting!

I wonder how it will all play out. Now, if the DNA tested was sperm, i would be very curious as to how they got ahold of that! Lol. But according to your theory nothing would put it past Tribble.

I'm more convinced of something far more conventional happening and I think they have the right guy but I really enjoy your theories and candor, I'm definitely not completely dismissing them, either!