NC - Zahra Clare Baker, 10, Hickory, 9 Oct 2010 - #11

[tehcloser]

I killed the thread?????????????????

 

[Velouria]

To get into the attic, you would have to go into the closet, pop out the part of the ceiling covering the hole to the attic, lift yourself up to the 8-foot ceiling and crawl inside.

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2010/oct/14/19/neighbors-wonder-if-zahra-kept-attic-ar-458767/

Just don't see it.

Yep. We had an attic access "door" just like that in our master bedroom closet. A few years ago, we finished out the attic for storage. I had them add a drop-down door in our hallway - the kind with folding stairs. My husband and I are not really big people, but my 9 year-old is the only one who could fit through that tiny hole in the closet ceiling.

My guess is they did hide drugs up there, and would hoist little Zahra up through the opening to "stash their stash".

 

[kalekona]

I just don't see her being in the attic.

Me either.... (catching up, we went to dinner)

I don't think it is possible for her to live in THAT attic- but beyond that I just don't believe that woman..

When asked how many people were on the lease she responds THREE then in the next breath says it names only EB and AB (who was the third then-- gotta love those unconscious slips)

At this point in time even if you lived next door to the family at one time would you seriously be coming out in the media saying you witnessed abuse, but you are just one more person who didn't report it? Who wants the willing tell the world you let a child die-- (plus claim the SM was evil but allow your kids to play over there? wouldn't you have the kids play at your place where there wasn't a crazy person?)

ok think i caught up to the point where i left....

 

[darnudes]

Dar, I'm local and as soon as I saw that interview with John Sharpe I knew he'd done it, he was really overacting in that "plea". I didn't get that with AB, but in his case I think he's just a sad, lonely, out-of-his-depth, "lights on nobody home" type of guy. Not that it excuses his behaviour, but I think he's more an "accessory after the fact" or whatever it's called.

Fair enough. Can't get that look out of my head though--- just fake to me.

OT - John Sharpe was a monster wasn't he?

 

[tehcloser]

Right, if you really believed it, you would just tell LE....not go on NG opening yourself up for criticism.

 

[eyes4crime]

I'm off to watch the ABC special about solving the 10yo murder mystery of Leah Freeman. See you sleuthers later.

 

[Bodhi]

I do think she probably hid a lot in each place they lived.... My dad had quite a temper, and when my parents were fighting, i had a spot in my closet that I hid, or in the backyard... But with her leg, how easy would it be to hide in the attic? But I wonder with how bad it was in her homelife if she wasn't hiding a lot... And thats why a lot of neighbors never saw her....

My neighbor, who has been here for 6 mos now has 4 children. We only knew of 2 until last week. The older 2 are outside for 8-12 hours a day at least. The younger twins are alwys inside with mom. There seems to be a bit of neglect on the older 2 to be out so long, no meals or anything, and I have even seen them "release themselves" outside. It seems to me they are hiding from their home life, just like Zahra probably did, she just found places inside. Sorry for the o/t

It would be worth a call to child protective services. I don't know what the climate is like where you are, but outside 8-12 hours a day wouldn't be proper care in most places.

UPDATE: Mommy23, I am just catching up after being out at school activities. After I replied to your post above, I can across one saying you had reported a neighbor today. Good for you! THANK YOU!!!

 

[froginTtown]

Pot smoking red head son.

Why mention the pot, why mention the red hair? Sounds like she had a grudge against Mr Coffey.

I sure hope that LE has talked to this red headed pot smoking son.... be it Mr. Coffey or her son... Does sound like a grudge... and why put him in the ransom note to begin with..??:waitasec:

 

[darnudes]

Check this video out (Oz 60 mins show on liars, featuring John Sharpe) then AB's video again and tell me what you see.

http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/stories/847286/unmasking-the-truth

http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/...tsToWritingRansomNote-Video-WSOCCharlotte.mp4

 

[tiredblondy]

Yep. We had an attic access "door" just like that in our master bedroom closet. A few years ago, we finished out the attic for storage. I had them add a drop-down door in our hallway - the kind with folding stairs. My husband and I are not really big people, but my 9 year-old is the only one who could fit through that tiny hole in the closet ceiling.

My guess is they did hide drugs up there, and would hoist little Zahra up through the opening to "stash their stash".

That is exactly what I think.

I think the door of the closet was taken off because when the adults lifted her up there they couldn't fit their big bodies in there to get her to the right place so she could pull herself through the hole with the door attached to the closet.

Mr. Simms last statement was something like "If she was up there somebody had to lift her up there.

 

[darnudes]

Updated map to include Hudson Elementary:

This is such a good map, I'm bookmarking this page. Don't want to lose it.

 

[tiredblondy]

That is exactly what I think.

I think the door of the closet was taken off because when the adults lifted her up there they couldn't fit their big bodies in there to get her to the right place so she could pull herself through the hole with the door attached to the closet.

Mr. Simms last statement was something like "If she was up there somebody had to lift her up there.

Sorry for the run on sentence above...I hope you know what I mean.

 

[dragonfly28601]

Question for the locals:

Are there many storage facilities for rent in the areas where SM, dad, and Zahra lived? Any with electrical outlets? Any you can fit a freezer in, a refrig with a freezer? Where are the drugs step-m was selling. Where is Zahra? moo

I know of several, and some are climate controlled. There is one about 3 or 4 streets North right behind the Ace Hardware on the NE side of 127. That's the closest. But as far as outlets? I have no idea. Electrical outlets would run up the cost of a storage unit possibly or be a fire hazard? Just thinking.

 

[AbbieNormal]

I personally don't think anyone crawled up there - it was were they kept their "product" - I will bet the farm on that.

I wonder if there was a "back" door to that apt where Zahra could have come and gone without that couple ever seeing her. She was probably VERY VERY quiet when she was home and especially when they were fighting - probably cowering in the corner.

But that is JMHO

I wonder, when they were heard fighting by other people, what were they saying? What were they fighting about? Did they seem to be drunk or stoned or under the influence of something?

Also, that SM does not look like the "type" to be into goth, dark music, etc. If I saw her in a grocery store I would think she was a grandmother, FGS.

Wonder what her previous history was? And why the bad check writing on the part of both the "parents"? Where were they spending their money that they had to write bad checks, move frequently?
I would think a kid who had all the health challenges this child had would have been followed by a SW from her time of discharge for any problems. No way those parents appeared normal while they were at the hospital and interacting with professionals, the slow dad and the "goth" stepmother...you would think it would have raised someones hinky flag and they would have warranted follow up. Jus sayin.

abbie

 

[cyberborg]

I am heartbroken.

Part of me hopes that Zahra is still alive and o.k., another part feels that if we have lost her then at least she is at peace and no longer is abused, neither emotionally or physically.

Despite her health challenges my family would have taken Zahra in a heartbeat and provided her a stable home with plenty of love and respect.

I fear that this is a case of abuse so became so bad that Zahra ultimately lost her life, or gave up. She is/was a beautiful person.

In my book the perp(s) would get no less than the DP if found guilty and would get 3 years to appeal before being summarily executed.

Nancy Grace has a new Swift Justice show (I have not seen) and in cases that harm children the perps should be dealt with quickly and forcefully. We need to eliminate these types from our society to protect our children and their future. IMO.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

When I was in my late teens the room I had had a "drop ceiling". You know the kind that has a small metal grid frame and you fit "tiles" into the squares. Anyway, I did have a squirrel get in there through a small hole in the outer roof's corner. It was a female and she ended up having her babies up there.

When I first heard the sound it scared me to death and then gramps and I did a whole lotta investigating. She would go out during the day and I only heard it at night. I had figured out it was an "animal" before we actually found out it was a squirrel. You could tell - it sounded like little tiny iddy biddy feet running. We let her and the babies stay until it was time for them to leave the nest and once they were gone we closed up the hole in the corner.

Point being - if there had been a person in that attic (even a child) it would have made a whole lot more noise than just a squirrel. What those two described they were hearing was the moving around of small rubbermaid containers (the containers of choice when storing drugs - they are watertight - keep moisture out and almost airtight - especially the ones you can "burp" that air out.

Ok - I've rambled enough.....but you get my idea.

 

[AbbieNormal]

I do think she probably hid a lot in each place they lived.... My dad had quite a temper, and when my parents were fighting, i had a spot in my closet that I hid, or in the backyard... But with her leg, how easy would it be to hide in the attic? But I wonder with how bad it was in her homelife if she wasn't hiding a lot... And thats why a lot of neighbors never saw her....

My neighbor, who has been here for 6 mos now has 4 children. We only knew of 2 until last week. The older 2 are outside for 8-12 hours a day at least. The younger twins are alwys inside with mom. There seems to be a bit of neglect on the older 2 to be out so long, no meals or anything, and I have even seen them "release themselves" outside. It seems to me they are hiding from their home life, just like Zahra probably did, she just found places inside. Sorry for the o/t

You can report anonymously. I hope you will keep an eye out on the new neighbors. You would never be able to live with yourself if something happened to them, right under your nose.

 

[Bodhi]

Wasn't it the closet door that was removed? That wouldn't have been in the attic. The neighbors said they heard "squirrel " noises, a child would make more noise than that. The heat alone in an attic would have killed her. I just don't see it. And then you throw in that they never saw her even though we know she was enrolled in school at that time....nope it don't pass my smell test. But that's just me....lol. I think they wanted their 15 minutes.

I wondered about how they could have never seen Zahra if she was attending school at the time. So I was going to look back and see where and when they were neighbors of the Bakers. Thanks for the timesaver, tehcloser!

 

[pinkpuddytat]

OMG... I don't know why this struck me so hard right now, but the woman on Nancy Grace just was talking about Zahra and the fact that she had battled bone cancer and was deaf... the fact that her hearing aids were left at home, if this happened elsewhere, that she couldn't hear what happened to her.. just see and feel...



This is not a direct quote, I paraphrased since I'm too lazy to find the remote to rewind... But wow. That I never thought about that.
I thought she had some hearing though...

She was not deaf. She had some hearing loss in the high frequency range only. She'd have heard plenty without her hearing aid.

 

[Bodhi]

You can report anonymously. I hope you will keep an eye out on the new neighbors. You would never be able to live with yourself if something happened to them, right under your nose.

I posted something similar, AbbbieNormal, then I saw another post from Mommy23 saying that she'd reported her neighbor today.