NC - Zahra Clare Baker, 10, Hickory, 9 Oct 2010 - #13

[Nana46]

Again, trying to catch up, but I can't. Can someone let me know if anything new came out today? Thanks.

I don't think we have anything new other than maybe LE verified the siting of Z and SM at the furniture store...if I am wrong someone please correct me,lol.
Verifies at least she was alive at that time...I wondered myself how the furniture store folks were able to narrow exactly the time frame of their visit....seems kinda odd even if you remembered the little child what made them remember the date? IMO

 

[eyes4crime]

Exactly. Children are evaluated on their ability to be children. Are they able to reasonably succeed in school, can they socialize with peers, how do they do with authority figures. Kid stuff.

Homeschooling can throw a wrench in that, as input from the school is very important.

I would say step-mom was the key factor in Zahra's inability to be a child, socialize with peers, and succeed in school. Zahra seemed to deal with the medical obstacles in her life, it's the sadistic mothering that got her down. There's not a reimbursement large enough to compensate for that. moo mho

 

[audreyfan]

Everything I am reading says to get citizenship through marriage in the US you have to have been here for three years.

And I see nothing about not being allowed if you have a conviction in another country ? Might be there but I don't see it.

Finer point of law. I promise you it is so.

 

[Hopeful One]

Wow, that's extremely different to the living costs in Australia.

In Australia, AB would have earned really, really good money at a sugar mill. He would probably have received at least $60k - $70k per year (and that's a basic wage).

A Dr's visit would be $50 tops, not specialist appointments, just a general GP visit/check up. As previously mentioned, we received around half back through Medicare

Not sure on the cost of food and rent where AB and Zahra were living. Property in Australia is getting really, really expensive, so $600 per month is not much at all.

$12 per hour is so lousy, I can't believe it. But, it seems living costs in the US are substantially lower so I guess it's all relative. Just as an aside, my 17 year old daughter earns $14 per hour - she is still at school.

Thanks for the info.

Great info, thanks!!

I think a lot of it depends on the area that you live too. Living in NYC would be WAY more expensive than living in a small town in the upper midwest (like me), for example. However, we live close to the capital city and the cost of living here is more expensive than many other small towns. $12/hour is practically nothing where I'm from. I don't know how a person could survive on that, seriously.

 

[westsidefox64]

A trip to the doctor's with no insurance? Hmmm. 100-200, for something simple. God help you if you need xrays or even blood work.
Not familiar with the area, but I am guessing maybe 600/month for the house.
Groceries? 125 per week, I am guessing. But that would be for ample food, I think.
Guessing AB made 12/hour.

ITA unless you have no insurance and go to the emergency room...1 CBC, 1EKG, 1 x-ray, 1 antibiotic tablet ... 2 weeks ago $2443.86 we were there less than 2 hours.

 

[Ada]

that is fine I'll take my 23 years of experience working with SSI and shut-up.

Ok I wasn't going to get all TMI on you guys, but, I now feel it is only fair to kalekona to let you know that my job is processing claims for Social Security Disability, SSI and Medicaid and I've been doing it for a long time.

I'm sorry that I've upset you kalekona. I know that SSI can be an emotional subject. It's a frustrating and confusing system and it is often not fair. But it's what we have. :hug:

 

[panthera]

Oh that's so unfair....I just don't know how people cope without insurance in the states. I hope things improve soon x x x

Just to add on to this that nothing is covered 100% with employer-provided insurance plans. There's a deductible, only a percentage that's covered, and a maximum per year. MOO

 

[Hopeful One]

Oh that's so unfair....I just don't know how people cope without insurance in the states. I hope things improve soon x x x

I have insurance through my employer. I went to my doctor the other day for a "med check". That's basically going in, telling her the medicine is working fine, and then I'm out. The appointment is five minutes, literally. My co-pay alone was $30!!! I don't get the bills or anything so I have no idea what the actual cost of the visit was, no clue what my insurance picks up. It's sad! However, people with better insurance plans probably wouldn't have such a high co-pay.

 

[shefner]

I have medical insurance too....but my guess for a regular visit to the doctor would be $100-$200, depending on what is wrong. If you needed a specialist, such as an oncologist or rheumatologist, it would be much higher.

Rent is probably $400-$800 per month.
Groceries maybe $100. weekly
Utilities are probably not included in rent....especially if you're living in the City of Hickory and that would be a big expense, including power, water and sewage.

Dad probably made $10-$12 per hour, so I imagine money would be tight.
The headlines in my county, which is a neighboring county to Catawba, were all about how gas is 40cents more per gallon compared to one year ago this month...so gas is high.
Of course, as with all of us, these are guesses....

 

[lauriej]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/member.php?u=33868"][/COLO"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]
[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/member.php?u=33868"]passionflower[/COLO"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]
Just 1 tip to find a killer

Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: STEELER COUNTRY!
Posts: 15,372
If pix were taken in house after move this could be the last picture of little Zahra.
Wish someone could ID the pix as trailer or latest house.
​

...........replying to this from previous thread:

...if the "passport/white sheet" pic was taken in the trailer,where were they living on august 9th when this cell phone pic was taken?

 

[Choux]

I don't think we have anything new other than maybe LE verified the siting of Z and SM at the furniture store...if I am wrong someone please correct me,lol.
Verifies at least she was alive at that time...I wondered myself how the furniture store folks were able to narrow exactly the time frame of their visit....seems kinda odd even if you remembered the little child what made them remember the date? IMO

This reminded me, before my brain totally fizzles for the night, has it been said anywhere whether or not the furniture store had surveillance cameras that may have captured them inside the store or at the very least the parking lot?

Last I recall having heard was just a visual ID from some of the employees.

 

[Kamille]

Just some questions and thoughts…

Did Zahra sleep with her prosthetic leg on? I don't think this has ever been addressed. I wish a reporter would ask AB. I think it's very unlikely, so she was obviously not taken from her bed during the night. It would have made more sense for EB to have left the prosthetic in her room if she wanted people to believe that. Zahra also probably rarely wore the hearing aids when she was in the house/her room. Why would she want to hear her SM any clearer? So I think whatever happened was during the day/early evening or at least when she was up and had her prosthetic in place. I don’t think EB even thought of this when trying to make it look like she was taken from her bed by a stranger who thought she was someone else in the night. Since we have confirmation that Zahra and EB were seen in town, it’s obvious that the neighbours were not all that nosy because EB got Zahra out at least once in the daytime and no one noticed.

If AB is to be believed at all, this would have had to have happened on the Friday. She made a call to BB that day asking her to drop those threat charges just out of the blue. They hadn’t spoken for months prior to that. Maybe she was working on her plan that day and, in a panic, she realized how bad she would look in the press and to LE if those charges were still pending when Zahra was “kidnapped“. Not the picture of the nice, kind and grieving mom that she probably planned on portraying.

AB stated in his raw interview that he thought he saw Zahra asleep in her bed on the Friday night. He said he looked in and it appeared as though someone was in the bed. Then he said he didn’t want to disturb her. Sounds suspicious but maybe it’s the truth. Maybe EB had put pillows or something under the covers to make it appear as though she was there and told AB not to disturb her because of her “stomach virus”. Maybe those were the pillows and comforter that were found in one of the vehicles. She had to remove them to make it look like Zahra was missing.

EB has admitted that she was up at 2:30am on Friday night/Saturday morning. She claims that’s when she checked on Zahra who was “coughing”. AB has not admitted to being awake at this time. Why was EB up at that time of night? Do we really believe that she woke up when Zahra coughed and she got up to check on her? Very doubtful. But AB might have realized that EB wasn’t in bed at that time and might have asked her about it. The “checking on Zahra” excuse might be what she told him. Was EB setting up the backyard fire and writing the note at that time? Was she actually removing Zahra from the home at that time?

Posters have questioned why they decided to announce her disappearance now when she could have been missing for weeks. Maybe she wasn’t and EB knew she had to do something that morning/day because of AB. Maybe he really doesn’t know what happened…well in this instance anyway.

Do we have any confirmation of which car each of them usually drove? Which car were the comfortor, sheet and pillows found in?

What was Zahra supposed to have been wearing?

I’d still love to know what made LE change this to a homicide investigation instead of a missing person one. Even if EB admitted to writing the note, it doesn’t mean that she couldn’t have hid Zahra away so that she could make it look like a kidnapping. Might have sounded like a good money making and attention getting scheme in her drug hazed mind. Why do they believe that Zahra is deceased?


MOO

 

[Oriah]

Easy now, everyone. Don't want to give our mods more work than they already have.

 

[darlin gal]

She absolutely qualifies as a child for SSI.

SSI rules about disability

Your child must meet all of the following requirements to be considered disabled and therefore eligible for SSI:

• The child must not be working and earning more than $1,000 a month in 2010. (This earnings amount changes every year.) If he or she is working and earning that much money, we will find that your child is not disabled.
• The child must have a physical or mental condition, or a combination of conditions, that results in “marked and severe functional limitations.” This means that the condition(s) must very seriously limit your child’s activities.
• The child’s condition(s) must have lasted, or be expected to last, at least 12 months; or must be expected to result in death.

If your child’s condition(s) results in “marked and severe functional limitations” for at least 12 continuous months, we will find that your child is disabled. But if it does not result in those limitations, or does not last for at least 12 months, we will find that your child is not disabled.
Providing information about your child’s condition

When you apply for benefits for your child, we will ask you for detailed information about the child’s medical condition and how it affects his or her ability to function on a daily basis. We also will ask you to give permission for the doctors, teachers, therapists and other professionals who have information about your child’s condition to send the information to us.
If you have any of your child’s medical or school records, please bring them with you. This will help speed up the decision on your application.

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10026.html#ssi-benefits

She could apply, would she get it?

Based on the above criteira. No.
AY said she get's around better than kids with two legs, so she doesn't have mobility issues.
Her cancer was in remission.
Her hearing difficulties were corrected with aides.


Only these below get automatic benefits and those are STILL conditional on the review of the SSI board/doctors.
We may make immediate SSI payments to your child

It can take three to five months for the state agency to decide if your child is disabled. However, for some medical conditions, we make SSI payments right away and for up to six months while the state agency decides if your child is disabled.
Following are some conditions that may qualify:

• HIV infection;
• Total blindness;
• Total deafness;
• Cerebral palsy;
• Down syndrome;
• Muscular dystrophy;
• Severe mental retardation (child age 7 or older); and
• Birth weight below 2 pounds, 10 ounces.

If your child has one of the qualifying conditions, he or she will get SSI payments right away. However, the state agency may finally decide that your child’s disability is not severe enough for SSI. If that happens, you will not have to pay back the SSI payments that your child got.


http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10026.html#ssi-benefits

 

[Hopeful One]

I don't think we have anything new other than maybe LE verified the siting of Z and SM at the furniture store...if I am wrong someone please correct me,lol.
Verifies at least she was alive at that time...I wondered myself how the furniture store folks were able to narrow exactly the time frame of their visit....seems kinda odd even if you remembered the little child what made them remember the date? IMO

That does seem odd, IMO. I guess I'm a little jaded, just thinking these people want their "15 minutes of fame". How can you tell who is being honest and who isn't?? I think in a high-profile case, it must be a lot harder for the cops to find witnesses who are credible.

 

[Nana46]

ITA unless you have no insurance and go to the emergency room...1 CBC, 1EKG, 1 x-ray, 1 antibiotic tablet ... 2 weeks ago $2443.86 we were there less than 2 hours.

True...and if you have insurance, they still charge out the butt 'cause they know they have to adjust some in the end....the insured is still hung for it though especially if you have not met your deductible yet....hubby had right colon removed and hospital alone was over 85,000.00. sickening.

 

[darlin gal]

This reminded me, before my brain totally fizzles for the night, has it been said anywhere whether or not the furniture store had surveillance cameras that may have captured them inside the store or at the very least the parking lot?

Last I recall having heard was just a visual ID from some of the employees.

They did have cameras and of course they were NOT working at that time.

 

[darlin gal]

That does seem odd, IMO. I guess I'm a little jaded, just thinking these people want their "15 minutes of fame". How can you tell who is being honest and who isn't?? I think in a high-profile case, it must be a lot harder for the cops to find witnesses who are credible.

I am thinking she (SM) may have bought something, so they had a receipt to verify the date.

 

[Kamille]

This reminded me, before my brain totally fizzles for the night, has it been said anywhere whether or not the furniture store had surveillance cameras that may have captured them inside the store or at the very least the parking lot?

Last I recall having heard was just a visual ID from some of the employees.

That last video that was posted about the furniture store siting indicated that unfortunately there was no video surveillance pictures.

 

[panthera]

This reminded me, before my brain totally fizzles for the night, has it been said anywhere whether or not the furniture store had surveillance cameras that may have captured them inside the store or at the very least the parking lot?

Last I recall having heard was just a visual ID from some of the employees.

"The store has surveillance video but it was not turned on at the time."

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