NC - Zahra Clare Baker, 10, Hickory, 9 Oct 2010 - #6

[sunsetbeach]

http://www.wsoctv.com/video/25378443/index.html

Video of SM in court, also a comment from her son is reported.

 

[Cubby]

we don't know that they didn't, kids get black eyes for all sorts of reasonable reasons, we do know the one time cps spoke to zahra she wouldn't tell them anything

she is sick
she bruises easily
she fell
she is clumsy, she only has one leg

someone who does not want to see abuse could excuse it away


one photo, a child too terrified to talk, and a father too (I don't even know what to put her) to protect his child..... no abuse case

but we know from other reports there was more than just this one photo.
It saddens me to think combined calls to DFS/CPS from numerous people along with documented evidence of abuse couldn't save this child. Of course we have only had the report of one person making calls to DFS/CPS IIRC, I just wish more would have stepped up to the plate.

I'm sure CPS has professionals who know how to interview children who may be afraid to speak up and out against the abuse they are suffering.

A little OT, I can't say how often I have had conversations with my 8 yr old to TELL someone, no matter who it is who is hurting you.... to just tell. It is something we talk about occasionally so I know he doesn't forget....

 

[Sherbie]

I agree. She looks unwell overall, even her usually bright smile and sparkly eyes seem kind of dim in this photo. She actually looks a little jaundiced. I wonder if she became very sick and they didn't get treatment for her. OMG, that poor baby. Whatever it was, it was horrible.

So, thinking a little more about the above, what if Zahra became deathly ill the last month or so of her life. Parents didn't seek treatment. They heard her COUGH the night before she "disappeared." Could that have been a death rattle cough as she lay dying from medical neglect?

Did they want to let her die (even hasten her death) without ever reporting it so they could continue to collect any benefits she might be receiving? Or was that not a factor and they just realized they would be in trouble if someone found out she died that way?

Did hubby know she'd died? Did wife try to dispose of her while hubby worked the next day, but the wood chipper at home didn't work well enough? Did she have to confess to him then that Zahra had died and he'd better help her think of some cover-up or he would go down, too?

Had wife put remains in her car, trying to decide what to do, and they then decided to put them in hubby's vehicle and drive to the industrial chipper to finish the job? Did they then concoct that ridiculous story of her disappearance, fire, ransom note?

Is this a record for use of the question mark? If not, I can fix that! :crazy:

 

[nursebeeme]

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/...ncerned-about-welfare-missing-girl-ar-448453/

you can see her bilateral forearm tatts really good in the picture at this link (click on the picture of her standing behind Zahra)

 

[AliceInPain]

I feel very non-at-ease about the comments made about Zahra's looks in some photos. This is a tiny girl who fought cancer. Medicines and the rest may have made her look really strange, swollen face etc...

 

[Tikki]

http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13297637

court video

She scares me and I'm a grandma :furious:

that poor, sweet baby

Zahra, you are remembered and loved :Justice:

 

[Cubby]

Sorry, I knew as I was typing this it was going to cause frustration ....but it was on the news so I thought I should relay it on here.

No worries. The fury isn't at you, it is at the son.......

:blowkiss:

 

[laytonian]

This thread's moving so fast (and there's extraneous stuff), I can't keep up.

I don't know if there's discussion on these two, so I'll just throw my comments in here:

How on earth could you put a body in a wood chipper. I would think that would make such a mess and leave so much evidence. Not to be graphic, but how could you hid the mess that would leave.

Sorry, I can't help but be graphic. In the famous "Woodchipper Murder" case (Helle Crafts), her husband killed her, disected her body, and then put the pieces in the freezer. [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helle_Crafts"]MORE HERE[/ame]

Zahra had the bone cancer first (5ys) then recovered, two years later diagnosed with lung cancer and then recovered from that.

Most likely, that be mestastized cancer. Three years out from lung cancer, I wonder if she was being checked regularly. I'm still shocked that the child was brought to the US, when she could have continued to have Medicare in Australia.
The father worked as a landscaper, and the SM did....(who knows what)?

Wouldn't they have been classified as illegal aliens, with the SM not being able to sponsor them financially for a green card? (Disproves "anchor baby" beliefs, folks.)

I hope that all children, regardless of their citizen status, are able to have medical treatment via Medicaid and/or CHIPS.

 

[Mandy113]

Her attorney, Scott Reilly, told the judge he believes her $40,000 bond is too high.
Channel 9 spoke with Reilly and prosecutors about the case on Wednesday afternoon. "She is scared to death. She's worried if her families out here and she is still emotional. It's scary coming out here and seeing all the court reporters and courtroom of people who are so much against here right now," Reilly said.http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25368912/detail.html

The above quote just enrages me. I feel nothing but contempt for this woman. She will not suffer anything like what she (allegedly) put that poor, innocent child through.

(I have not read the entire thread. To be honest, I don't think I will be able to. Once I saw mention of a wood chipper ... I was just sickened. How can such evil exist in this world? I will never understand how any person is capable of doing this to a child/)

 

[nursebeeme]

When she appeared Thursday morning before Judge Greg Hayes for a first appearance on this charge, Baker kept her lips pursed much of the time, looking meek and timid.

Hayes told Baker the charge of common law obstruction of justice, a class H felony, carries with it a maximum of 30 months in jail, and asked if she understood it. She quietly said yes.

Baker had with her two attorneys — Scott Reilly, who was court-appointed for the obstruction of justice charge, and Jared Amos, who was appointed for the larceny by employee charge in Burke County.

Reilly said he planned to file a motion for bond reduction.

“Forty thousand (dollars) is in far excess for this charge,” he said.

Reilly said he would like the bond to be set closer to the $10,000 guideline for an obstruction of justice charge. He hopes the bond reduction hearing will be set as early as Monday

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/...stepmom-has-first-court-appearance-ar-454588/




aside: wasn't the mulch pile search in Burke county (same place she had the larceny charge)?

 

[Velouria]

Her attorney, Scott Reilly, told the judge he believes her $40,000 bond is too high.
Channel 9 spoke with Reilly and prosecutors about the case on Wednesday afternoon. "She is scared to death<snip>l

GOOD!:furious:

 

[JoeFromLB]

I think they were doing that because they really don't know what area to search in or if evidence is buried deep. Once they found some evidence, they would sift very carefully I would think.

The race is on to find some evidence so she can be held on murder charges.
My fear is that if she posts bond on the obstruction/check kiting charges, she'll take off. I hope she would have to surrender her passport if she makes bail.

One of the articles stated there are possible bad check charges pending against AB, but the authorities are holding off on filing those right now. The police do not think he is being very cooperative with them.

 

[Kat]

http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13297637

court video

Thanks nursie!

(Defense attn is court appointed and even though defense attn's aren't my fav people in the world, as eyes4crime pointed out he has to do his job, bless his heart I can't imagine he relishes this case IMHO he got the short end of the stick on that draw ugh).

Okay I'm curious about the convo about the Class H felony common law.

The defense attn brought up that he is going to file a motion to have that bond reduced (not the charge a reduction in the bond) because it's excessive.

Is it for that charge and classification?

I took away when the Judge said "I looked it up and it is a Class H felony common law" that we probably aren't going to see a reduction in bond (just from the way the convo flowed).

She's back on court on Nov. 3? By that time there will more than likely be additional charges. JMHO.

 

[passionflower]

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/...ncerned-about-welfare-missing-girl-ar-448453/

you can see her bilateral forearm tatts really good in the picture at this link (click on the picture of her standing behind Zahra)

odd thing happened when I did this.........all pix came up but the one with mom's arms went totally black except for the writing uder it!

 

[darnudes]

This thread's moving so fast (and there's extraneous stuff), I can't keep up.

I don't know if there's discussion on these two, so I'll just throw my comments in here:



Sorry, I can't help but be graphic. In the famous "Woodchipper Murder" case (Helle Crafts), her husband killed her, disected her body, and then put the pieces in the freezer. MORE HERE



Most likely, that be mestastized cancer. Three years out from lung cancer, I wonder if she was being checked regularly. I'm still shocked that the child was brought to the US, when she could have continued to have Medicare in Australia.
The father worked as a landscaper, and the SM did....(who knows what)?

Wouldn't they have been classified as illegal aliens, with the SM not being able to sponsor them financially for a green card? (Disproves "anchor baby" beliefs, folks.)

I hope that all children, regardless of their citizen status, are able to have medical treatment via Medicaid and/or CHIPS.

They got married in Australia so probably came out on some sort of spousal visa. Step mother did nothing work wise, according to her in court this morning.

 

[Lori59]

WCNC had a short interview on a few min. ago with EB"s father. He was hard to hear and had a very strong accent but what I could understand was that he hasn't seen his daughter for a year. Also, said they both had really bad tempers.... Not posted on web yet.

 

[darlin gal]

The race is on to find some evidence so she can be held on murder charges.
My fear is that if she posts bond on the obstruction/check kiting charges, she'll take off. I hope she would have to surender her passport if she makes bail.

One of the articles stated there are possible bad check charges pending against AB, but the authorities are holding off on those right now. The police do not think he is being very cooperative with them.

They rent and she qualified for a public defender, she is not going to be able to make bail. I don't see any of her family bailing her out either. There is no love loss there.

jmo

 

[impatientredhead]

The defense attorney is doing is job by trying to get the bond reduced.
Even though it annoys everyone it goes to show she had adequate and competent representation from the get go, it is a good thing.

And while it will not be reduced, even if it was I promise you they have additional charges ready to be signed at a moments notice if they need to. She will just be rearrested and hauled right back in.

 

[big4dropout]

Reilly shouldn't call for lower bail. His client is safe in jail. If she was freed, she wouldn't last two hours.

And ditto, Darlin. No one's going to post bail for her anyway.

 

[passionflower]

If they were married in australia, is it legal here?
My husband and I were married 2 times because we first married out of USA.
Paper work not done right and had to get it done here.