GUILTY GA - Tara Baker, 23, Athens, 19 Jan 2001 *Arrest 2024*

[Weki]

Judge threw the whole law library at defendant! Two life sentences + 2-3 consecutive sentences equalling 45 years.

Defendant and his attorney were chatting and acting unbothered. Wow. So innocent and so unbothered! The injustice! LOL

 

[concernedcitizen706]

Does Chris Melton get charged for lying about his alibi for 23 years to police?

 

[concernedcitizen706]

Watching the sentencing now and defense lied to the court and said they never got notice that the state was going to use prior convictions in its sentencing argument. When the prosecutor corrected him and said they had provided notice, the defense asked the judge to review the record (why isn't he reviewing the record to ascertain? It's not the judge's job!). Judge was ready though! She's used to this defense lawyer's games and she said she had reviewed the record and the state is correct. And he had to shut his mouth and sit down.

A few minutes later he got back up and argued again that there's a specific timeline for the notice that the state failed to meet in their updated notice and got overruled again!

Why are you focusing more on the defense lawyer than you are on the facts of the case? Who cares what the defense lawyer says. I mean yeah the uppity black guy I guess really enrages people. How about thinking about the mislabeled swabs? How about thinking about why didn't they test for Edward Fausts DNA 23 years ago? Why don't you think about why Tara Baker's DNA didn't show up on her own swabs? Why don't you think about how did police let Chris Melton get away with lying about his alibi for 23 years? You know those are the important things to think about. Not, wow, that black attorney has a snippy attitude.

 

[tricia]

​

We’re trying something new — a two-day Guardian Zoom.
Join us Today (Friday) and Saturday from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM Eastern. (Friday, Feb 20th, and Saturday, Feb 21st.)
You do not have to stay the whole time. Pop in, say hi, stay five minutes or stay all afternoon.
*We’ll talk moderation questions,
*Discuss anyone interested in becoming a volunteer mod?
*Cover whatever chaos the day brings. Former Prince Andrew arrested? Is the world losing its mind?
As always, it will be lively, unpredictable, and fun. You truly never know what will happen.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
If you want to become a Guardian member for 3 dollars a month and help keep Websleuths ad-free, CLICK HERE

 

[Rikissa]

Article from 19 February 2026:

On Tuesday, a Clarke County jury found Edrick Lamont Faust guilty of the 12 charges he faced, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated sodomy, burglary, tampering with evidence, and first-degree arson.

Man convicted of murdering UGA law student Tara Baker sentenced to life in prison

Edrick Faust, the man convicted for the 2001 murder of University of Georgia law student Tara Louise Baker will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[SeesSeas]

Another thing I learned in the trial today, from one of the lab techs Ashley Hinkle, was that this time around, they used a DNA lab test that was established in 2017. So we know that the DNA from this case could have been at least been tested in 2017. And I'm wondering why nobody tried to test it in 2017 with the latest tech. That was 6 years before he was arrested. If it was a money problem, I'm sure the family and others could have contributed with some donations to test the DNA. And I don't think DNA tests are that expensive nowadays.

But just because they used the latest tech from 2017 this time around, does not mean that that was the test that they 'needed' to use. Could they have used earlier versions of these tests? Because I still have not heard what exactly what new technology they needed back then, that they did not have back in 2001. I've listened to all the testimony and I'm still not clear on that yet. The state has just rested, and so maybe the defense will bring that up.

Because I think that's an important question. Why didn't they match the DNA back then? The first time. People are assuming it's because of new technology, but I have not heard one thing that's says that explicitly. I have not heard any tech say, well we needed to use this new specific type of test, and this is when this new test was established etc. One of the techs said that they used the ability to separate out male and female DNA to get the male DNA. And I looked that up and I saw they had that back in 2000. So I want to know what it was they needed, and when it was that that test was established. Because I find it highly unusual they could not match the DNA the first time around, since they said they got DNA, and because they had the match in the CODIS system back then. So what went wrong there.

I think this likely explains how they eventually matched the DNA:

Switching to 20 Core CODIS Loci and the Impact on SAKI Testing | Office of Justice Programs

This training and technical assistance resource for grantees of the federal Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) - which involves implementation of a model to reduce backlogs of untested sexual assault kits (SAKs) in local and state jurisdictions - provides information on and suggestions for...

www.ojp.gov

Switching to 20 Core CODIS Loci
On January 1, 2017, laboratories participating in the national DNA Index System (NDIS) switched to a DNA amplification kit that types a minimum of 20 core loci from the CODIS to align with the FBI requirement that was enacted that same day. Expanding the CODIS core loci became imperative as CODIS continued to grow in size, so as to reduce the possibility of fictitious matches. Other benefits of expanding the core loci are also outlined in this paper. Regarding vendor response to this change, three main vendors dominate the U.S. market for amplification kit chemistry, and each designed kits to test, at a minimum, the 20 core loci; improve discrimination power; increase recovery of degraded and inhibited samples; and heighten sensitivity. Vendors also decided to include additional markers compatible with earlier versions of kits and/or adding in Y-STR markers, creating 24- to 27-locus kits. Some examples of the names of these locus kits are listed in this paper. This paper advises that collaboration with laboratory personnel is critical during this transition period. The laboratory can help in determining whether samples involved in CODIS hits that were processed with different kits would benefit from additional testing or explain when further testing is unwarranted or unnecessary. Profiles developed with the 13 core CODIS loci are valuable, and effort should be made to obtain the proper documentation for upload authorization.
:

CODIS and NDIS Fact Sheet | Federal Bureau of Investigation

A compilation of frequently-asked questions about the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and the National DNA Index System (NDIS).

www.fbi.gov

19. What are the CODIS core loci?​

Effective January 1, 2017, the CODIS Core Loci include the following 20 loci:
[...]

The Original CODIS Core Loci, required from October 1998 until December 31, 2016, included the following 13 loci:
[...]
^ ^ ^ At the FBI.gov link is a list of the current 20 core loci and the previous 13 core loci.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

I think this likely explains how they eventually matched the DNA:

Switching to 20 Core CODIS Loci and the Impact on SAKI Testing | Office of Justice Programs

This training and technical assistance resource for grantees of the federal Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) - which involves implementation of a model to reduce backlogs of untested sexual assault kits (SAKs) in local and state jurisdictions - provides information on and suggestions for...

www.ojp.gov

Switching to 20 Core CODIS Loci
On January 1, 2017, laboratories participating in the national DNA Index System (NDIS) switched to a DNA amplification kit that types a minimum of 20 core loci from the CODIS to align with the FBI requirement that was enacted that same day. Expanding the CODIS core loci became imperative as CODIS continued to grow in size, so as to reduce the possibility of fictitious matches. Other benefits of expanding the core loci are also outlined in this paper. Regarding vendor response to this change, three main vendors dominate the U.S. market for amplification kit chemistry, and each designed kits to test, at a minimum, the 20 core loci; improve discrimination power; increase recovery of degraded and inhibited samples; and heighten sensitivity. Vendors also decided to include additional markers compatible with earlier versions of kits and/or adding in Y-STR markers, creating 24- to 27-locus kits. Some examples of the names of these locus kits are listed in this paper. This paper advises that collaboration with laboratory personnel is critical during this transition period. The laboratory can help in determining whether samples involved in CODIS hits that were processed with different kits would benefit from additional testing or explain when further testing is unwarranted or unnecessary. Profiles developed with the 13 core CODIS loci are valuable, and effort should be made to obtain the proper documentation for upload authorization.
:

CODIS and NDIS Fact Sheet | Federal Bureau of Investigation

A compilation of frequently-asked questions about the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and the National DNA Index System (NDIS).

www.fbi.gov

19. What are the CODIS core loci?​

Effective January 1, 2017, the CODIS Core Loci include the following 20 loci:
[...]

The Original CODIS Core Loci, required from October 1998 until December 31, 2016, included the following 13 loci:
[...]
^ ^ ^ At the FBI.gov link is a list of the current 20 core loci and the previous 13 core loci.

Yeah it had such great new powers, but it didn't even detect Tara Baker's DNA on her own swabs. Do you have any idea why that happened?

Also I don't believe that it was stated in the trial that they actually needed this test to get the DNA match. Yes I'm sure a new test helped but do we know for certain that they could not have gotten it before? You know what would have been interesting, is to run the test with the old DNA test and see if they got the same match. I will bet 10 bucks that it would have been exactly the same.

But even still, then the Tara Baker investigators when they heard about a new DNA test in 2017, should have tested it in 2017. In fact every time there was a new style test they should have tested it again. If they were taking that case as seriously as they claimed to take it, they should have done that.

Apparently they had to wait for the Coleman Baker act to test the DNA again. I find it odd that they did not retest after 2017 or after new tech came out, instead they tested it after 2023 that 'required' that they reinvestigate the case. Which the family had to force through, through the governor. Because they didn't feel like the police were still investigating the case properly. I mean that's why that act came about, because the family and friends felt like they weren't getting good service from the police. So they had to make an actual LAW to get the police to act correctly and force investigators to test the DNA again. So everyone's acting like that new law was such a great thing, but it came about because there was a lot of frustration from the families.

Then surprise surprise they finally find the DNA on it. Once they made an actual law saying that the family now had access to all the information. And I would assume that would include even the DNA samples.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

Another thing I was thinking about was the order of the injuries.

In the trial, they showed that she was stabbed from above while she was standing. Then we know she was sexually assaulted. She was beaten and strangled. And then there was the fire, and we know she was alive during start of the fire, because they said she had some smoke evidence in her throat or lungs.

So how did this work exactly? I'm assuming he sexually assaulted her first. Because it would be kind of rare to assault a stabbed woman. That would be a really sick and rare person. So he sexually assaulted her and then she stood up, and then he stabbed her? Was she trying to run away? But then wouldn't there be blood on the floor? And if he stabbed her in the chest like they showed at the trial, why did he beat her afterwards? And strangle her. Why didn't he continue stabbing her until she was dead? Like you stab somebody and then you go, oh wait, hold on let me go get a cord to strangle this person. I would think you would just finish stabbing them.

Or if he beat and strangled her first, how did she get up on her feet, for him to stab her standing up? I don't know if she would be able to after that.

And then after all that, she was still alive when the fire started. To get the smoke in her lungs. Even though the perp was supposed to have left around 8:30, and the fire was not really visible till 11:30. I mean we know these things work, things increase with speed. So the fire was probably still pretty mild, until shortly before it was visible. Maybe like at 11:00 it was still mild. So she stayed alive after all that, for like 3 hours? The perp went to all that trouble to start a fire, but he didn't check to make sure she was deceased before he left?

I mean if the fire did not set for 3 hours, how did he even know the fire was going to work? So the perp took a pretty big chance there. He didn't check to make sure the victim was deceased before he left. And he started a pretty iffy fire. He would have been in a world of trouble if the fire did not take. Because the victim would still have been alive. If the victim survived for 3 hours, then chances are, she would have survived longer if there was no fire. Her roommates could have come home for lunch. Discovered her alive, she could have been saved. And she could have testified against him. So my point is it doesn't make sense to do all those things the perp did, like stealing the stove knobs, and not check to see if the victim is deceased and starting some pretty rickety fire, that takes hours to take. The two things don't match.

Also the perp doesn't take the time to make sure the victim is deceased before he goes. But he does take the time to crawl out of the back kitchen window. Instead of just walking out the back door, right next to it.

I don't know, it seems very confusing to me.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

I was also thinking by the time the perp left according to the state, it was after daylight. I guess like 8:45 am, according to one witness who testified. That is a busy time of the day. And that is a pretty condensed apartment complex. Why would he crawl out the back window, when that would probably look pretty suspicious? Some of the neighbors in the back or side could have seen it. Which would look pretty weird for an observer. It would look a lot less suspicious to just walk out the back door right next to it, and shut the door afterwards.

Nothing really looked disturbed apparently. If he crawled out the window, he would have to put whatever was on the other side of the window back into place. He would have to stand there outside and lean in through the window to do that. I think a witness said there was something on the floor and plus there was like some blinds or something. So he would have to put all that back. Which would again look kind of suspicious. Then he would have to have to shut the window. Then he would have to put the outside screen back into place as best he could. Not to mention the time it took to crawl out of the window. So that's a lot of time. And looking suspicious and visible to the neighbors the whole time he's doing it. Instead of just walking out the back door.

I think that's highly unusual. And of course not knowing if the roommates will come back at any second. That just almost seems too bizarre to be real for a random intruder.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

DNA results and GBI testimonies mark eighth day of Tara Baker murder trial

The eighth day of the Tara Baker murder trial began with a debate over whether accused killer Edrick Faust’s DNA evidence from prior criminal convictions is relevant to this case.

www.redandblack.com

Here's something interesting in this article.

It says they got a sample of Faust's DNA in May of 2024. They got it, after they interviewed him. And by the way, I read that they tailed him before this interview and tried to get his saliva DNA secretly, but apparently could not get it. So then they brought him in for the interview. Or I think they arrested him on some kind of warrant.

And they did not test the DNA for the case until August 2024.

So they got Fausts DNA FIRST, and THEN they tested the swab DNA from the case??

Well that doesn't sound suspicious at all, right?

I'm going to have to go back to the trial video to make sure that actually happened.

- Also this article explains that Tara Bakers DNA was found on the first section or fraction of the test. So they test them in two parts I guess.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

Okay I looked up the above information on the DNA testing in the trial to confirm it. And yes it is true. The info is on day 8 of the trial, with the interview of gbi investigator on the case, Jeremy Howell.

But looking over the testimony more closely, I kind of learned something kind of bombshell.

It was very subtle in the wording in the testimony, but if you listen to it more closely, you can hear the prosecutor ask Howell if that, the suspect Edric Faust entered the case, because of a National database of DNA. Which is CODIS. And Jeremy Howell says yes.

That's kind of bombshell people. Because that kind of answers our questions. Or at least my questions.

What that means is, they did not retest the DNA samples with great new modern technology to get a new DNA sample. And then that's how they got to Edric Faust's name. Nope. Contrary to popular opinion, that's not what happened.

What they did is, they checked CODIS with the DNA they ALREADY HAD!!! In May of 2024.

Because Howell says later the DNA was not retested until August of 2024.

So what that means is, they already had the functional DNA result,.. already! Which I guess they had since 2001, since the crime took place. Or maybe they tested it some other time, I think I heard something around 2008. But either way they already had the functional DNA test results for YEARS already. And they never bothered to try CODIS to match it. Or so they tell us anyway.

Now that is very strange.

Then after they supposedly matched it in May of 2024, I guess because they finally entered it in CODIS, they went around undercover trying to take Edrick's Fausts DNA without his knowledge. And they said they weren't successful. So they arrested him for some outstanding warrants and took his oral DNA that way.

And then in August of 2024, then sent out the old DNA swabs and they retested the DNA on the swabs again. With a match on two orals, that one was supposed to be vaginal for some reason.

Well again, that is very very strange.

And they said it's so subtly in the trial there, nobody noticed. I didn't notice. But when I went back, I noticed it.

So they had functional DNA the whole time, they had the CODIS match 3 weeks later, and for 23 years, police never even bothered to check it under Codis. One of the biggest murder cases of the day. Police had the DNA, they had codis, but police never even bothered to check out the two together.

Does anybody wonder why? Does anybody else think that's a little bit weird? I mean what are we paying these people to do? They couldn't even enter the DNA into CODIS? Were they that lazy? Or was there something else going on here..

 

[concernedcitizen706]

Okay I looked up the above information on the DNA testing in the trial to confirm it. And yes it is true. The info is on day 8 of the trial, with the interview of gbi investigator on the case, Jeremy Howell.

But looking over the testimony more closely, I kind of learned something kind of bombshell.

It was very subtle in the wording in the testimony, but if you listen to it more closely, you can hear the prosecutor ask Howell if that, the suspect Edric Faust entered the case, because of a National database of DNA. Which is CODIS. And Jeremy Howell says yes.

That's kind of bombshell people. Because that kind of answers our questions. Or at least my questions.

What that means is, they did not retest the DNA samples with great new modern technology to get a new DNA sample. And then that's how they got to Edric Faust's name. Nope. Contrary to popular opinion, that's not what happened.

What they did is, they checked CODIS with the DNA they ALREADY HAD!!! In May of 2024.

Because Howell says later the DNA was not retested until August of 2024.

So what that means is, they already had the functional DNA result,.. already! Which I guess they had since 2001, since the crime took place. Or maybe they tested it some other time, I think I heard something around 2008. But either way they already had the functional DNA test results for YEARS already. And they never bothered to try CODIS to match it. Or so they tell us anyway.

Now that is very strange.

Then after they supposedly matched it in May of 2024, I guess because they finally entered it in CODIS, they went around undercover trying to take Edrick's Fausts DNA without his knowledge. And they said they weren't successful. So they arrested him for some outstanding warrants and took his oral DNA that way.

And then in August of 2024, then sent out the old DNA swabs and they retested the DNA on the swabs again. With a match on two orals, that one was supposed to be vaginal for some reason.

Well again, that is very very strange.

And they said it's so subtly in the trial there, nobody noticed. I didn't notice. But when I went back, I noticed it.

So they had functional DNA the whole time, they had the CODIS match 3 weeks later, and for 23 years, police never even bothered to check it under Codis. One of the biggest murder cases of the day. Police had the DNA, they had codis, but police never even bothered to check out the two together.

Does anybody wonder why? Does anybody else think that's a little bit weird? I mean what are we paying these people to do? They couldn't even enter the DNA into CODIS? Were they that lazy? Or was there something else going on here..

So I'm thinking there's three possibilities why police did not match the DNA on the Tara Baker case. Considering they had both testable DNA and a CODIS match early on in the case, 23 years before.

One, there was a technical mistake of some sort. For example, either the lab sent them the wrong DNA result, or somebody entered the wrong result in CODIS, or the Codis database glitched even with the right info, and gave them the wrong result.

Two, police never entered the DNA result into CODIS for some reason.

Three, police did enter the DNA result into CODIS and got a match for it. And for whatever reason police chose not to reveal that result, for 23 years.

I'm thinking it has to be one of those three.

Edit- I remembered there's also a fourth possibility. Police did enter the DNA into CODIS early on, and there was no match. Because Faust's DNA was not on the initial samples.