TARA BAKER: Murdered in Athens, GA - 19 Jan 2001 *ARREST*

Watch as this 19 year old case is experiencing a resurgence by 2 very determined men who
remember the murder & seeing her burned home near their apartment.


TARA LOUISE BAKER

Tara was murdered in a heinous fashion on January 19, 2001 one day shy of her 24th birthday. The epitome of overkill: Tara was beaten, stabbed, and strangled. A sexual assault was not ruled out. The killer even went so far as to set her apartment on fire. Her laptop was stolen.

According to the Augusta Chronicle: "Investigators identified at least three possible suspects after the murder, including a man Baker was dating, a fellow law school student, and an attorney at a local firm Baker worked for. Authorities will not say if the men still are under suspicion or if there are new suspects."




Georgia Bureau of Investigation:
January 19, 2001, around 11:20 a.m., the body of Tara Louise Baker was found by Athens-Clarke County firefighters responding to a fire at her apartment located at 160 Fawn Drive, Athens. Subsequent investigation has determined that the fire was intentionally set and the manner of death is homicide. Tara was a first-year law school student at the University of Georgia (UGA). Tara, 23, was last seen alive by a friend around 7:30 p.m. on January 18 at the UGA Law School Library. The same friend received a call at 9:46 p.m. from Tara, who was still at the library. Tara phoned to make sure her friend arrived home safely and said she planned to leave the library around 10 p.m. Tara was born on January 20, 1977 in East Point, Georgia. She graduated Love Joy High School in 1995 and enrolled at Georgia College in Milledgeville. She graduated Cum Laude in 1998 with two bachelor's degrees. Classmates remember Tara as a caring person who would often champion the cause of the underdog and never allowed serious students to be excluded from study groups or class projects. Anyone who may have information about Tara's death should contact: The Athens-Clarke County Police Department at 706-613-3337 or the GBI's Athens Regional Office at 706-542-7901.

Unsolved Homicide: Tara Louise Baker

On January 19, 2001, around 11:20 a.m., the body of Tara Louise Baker was found by Athens-Clarke County firefighters responding to a fire at her apartment located at 160 Fawn Drive, Athens. Subsequent investigation has determined that the fire was intentionally set and the manner of death is...

gbi.georgia.gov

 

[noZme]

from 2017:
Still no arrest 16 years after UGA law student’s murder, but police believe the case can be solved
The commander of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division recently revealed that police have identified a viable suspect in the slaying that occurred Jan. 19, 2001, in the bedroom of Baker’s home on Fawn Drive.

Until now, police had not revealed whether they had any solid suspects in the case, but Capt. Jerry Saulters last month said police “had someone suggest this person could be involved” — a person who was subsequently interviewed by investigators and is now considered a potential suspect.

Baker’s case is currently assigned to Detective Chuck Ivey, one of the police department’s most experienced homicide detectives who firmly believes the case can be cracked. Even almost two decades since the murder, police still will not discuss details of the crime.

“The Athens-Clarke County Police Department steadfastly follows up on every lead in the Tara Baker homicide and safeguards the case knowledge with the hopes the perpetrator is brought to justice,” Saulters said.

Officers who assisted early on with the case have since retired, and would speak about the murder only on condition of anonymity. From those interviews, the Athens Banner-Herald and OnlineAthens learned just how brutally Baker had been killed. The first-year law student was beaten, stabbed, strangled and possibly sexually assaulted, which sources said indicated that Baker may have known her killer — perhaps someone who was enamored with her and flew into a rage when she spurned his advances. The student’s home in the Deer Park apartment complex off Lexington Road in east Athens was set on fire by the killer to cover his tracks. The only thing taken from Baker’s home was her laptop computer, which might have held e-mails that would have incriminated the killer .

The “person of interest” Saulters mentioned became a viable suspect around 2010, he said.

Prior to that, the Baker homicide case file was reviewed by Dr. Henry Lee, the internationally renowned criminalist. The case was given to Lee at the request of Baker’s family, and he conducted his review at no charge to the family or county.

Baker’s case was also presented to a symposium at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., a gathering of leading homicide investigators from around the country.

Despite the best efforts of law enforcement, Lindsay Baker remained pessimistic about the chances his daughter’s case would be solved, particularly because he believed the investigation was botched in its early stages. He did not think the case was still being actively investigated. “The stagnation of the investigation has left us mystified, but we can rest in the assurance that it will play out in God’s time, not ours,” Baker said.

“We recently ran into one of her friends from school and her 15-year-old daughter. It seems Tara was everybody’s maid of honor in the months after graduation,” Baker recalled. “We were happy to see them, but it did sting a bit to see this pretty young lady who was not born when Tara was murdered. We are reminded that Tara’s killer not only took her life, but also a huge limb from our family tree. The next generation will never know the wonderful aunt that was stolen from them.”

A former UGA police officer who assisted in the homicide investigation defended the probe, saying detectives worked the Baker case tirelessly, but there was virtually no physical evidence to help piece together a case.

The crime scene was contaminated by more than a dozen firefighters who were there before authorities even realized Baker’s home was a murder scene, said the former UGA officer, Alex Morrow. He said water from fire hoses and a coating of soot made it impossible to lift fingerprints. “The fire damage was so extensive that it destroyed the crime scene, so there was very little to work with,” said Morrow, a former detective who recalled working up to 15 hours a day during the first six months after the murder. “We explored every possible avenue with the information and evidence we had.”

Despite the family’s misgivings, police remain confident they eventually will build enough of a case to slap handcuffs on the suspected killer.
“Some of the factors that make this case different are the time that has passed, the fire at the scene and the fact that, by all accounts, Tara Baker lived a low-risk lifestyle,” said Ivey, the detective now handling the case.

The most recent significant investigative activity in the case occurred in December 2013, according to Saulters, who said it involved interviewing a new witness. That activity breathed new life into the investigation, according to Saulters, who had a message for the killer:
“The Athens-Clarke County Policed Department has not forgotten what you did to Tara Baker,” he said. “We will continue to work on identifying and bringing you to justice.”

Still no arrest 16 years after UGA law student's murder, but police believe the case can be solved

No one has ever been arrested in connection with the brutal murder 16 years ago of University of Georgia law student Tara Louise Baker, but that doesn’t mean the homicide’s case file has been gatheri…

www.onlineathens.com

 

[noZme]

A Sister’s Search
Apr 23, 2019

After years of confusion and sadness, Meredith Schroeder is still fighting to know who murdered her sister, Tara Baker.

....... Although she has been telling the story of her sister, Tara’s unsolved murder for almost two decades, it’s still hard.
“I still have dreams about her as if she were here,” Schroeder said. “It’s like I understand it, but my brain just doesn’t want to accept it.”

...... January 19, 2001 began like any other day.... It was the day before her sister’s 24th birthday, and she was looking forward to celebrating with her. She attended school that day and remembers her mother picking her up.

“She said, ‘We’re gonna stop by Publix on the way home’ and, I remember asking her ‘Can I get a birthday card for Tara?’.”

The pair returned home to put the groceries away. Schroeder sat down and started eating a bowl of cereal when the phone rang.

“My mother’s voice completely changed… She hung up and looked over at me and said, ‘There was a fire at your sister’s house and her car is outside.”

A Sister’s Search

After years of confusion and sadness, Meredith Schroeder is still fighting to know who murdered her sister, Tara Baker.

medium.com

 

[Kimster]

I wonder how to make this suspect talk? What can motivate them?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Athens-based podcast sets out to ’bring light’ to unsolved murder of UGA student Tara Baker

It has been nearly 20 years since the murder of University of Georgia law student Tara Baker . And the mystery of...

www.onlineathens.com

Athens-based podcast sets out to ‘bring light’ to unsolved murder of UGA student Tara Baker

It has been nearly 20 years since the murder of University of Georgia law student Tara Baker. And the mystery of what occurred on that frigid January morning still haunts her family, friends, and former classmates and colleagues.

Athens-Clarke County Police Department investigators continue to work the open case, and plenty of questions remain as to what happened on Jan. 19, 2001 at Fawn Drive on the city’s eastside, and who’s responsible for the heinous crime.

Athens resident Cameron Harrelson has created the podcast “Classic City Crime” to disseminate information on Baker’s case and in the process has established close ties with the Baker family, who have for years criticized law enforcement’s handling of the investigation.

“I reached out to the family,” said Harrelson, who has produced eight podcasts on the case. “I figured if they’d talk, I’d do it and if they didn’t talk, I’d find another subject or find another case.”

Harrelson has spoken to some 40 sources and has about 36 hours of recorded interviews, although he said the police department – which in 2017 reported a viable suspect had been identified – declined to work with him on his own probe of the murder.

“I reached out to the police department and said ‘This is what I’m planning on doing and I would love your help’ or ‘I would love to be your help in this,’” said Harrelson, who goes by Cameron Jay on the podcasts. “That day, the public information officer reached out to me and said he talked to the team in charge of the case and they’re not opposed to participating.

“It sounded pretty upbeat. I waited about a week and didn’t hear back and then called them back and at that point I was told they had rescinded their decision and did not want to speak to me.”




PODCAST

Classic City Crime Podcast

A new crime podcast sure to take you through the twists and tales of crime in Athens, Georgia. Home to the state's University and a town with a lively music scene, there's a lot to uncover when it comes to crime in the Classic City.

classiccitycrimepodcast.com

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Athens podcast tracks murder of former UGA law student, autopsy released

"Classic City Crime," a true-crime podcast hosted by Cameron Jay, centers around the tragic death of Tara Louise Baker. The Athens Clarke County Police Department has released Baker’s autopsy as

www.redandblack.com

Athens podcast tracks murder of former UGA law student, autopsy released​

"Classic City Crime," a true-crime podcast hosted by Cameron Jay, centers around the tragic death of Tara Louise Baker. The podcast currently has over 1,000 followers on Instagram and has over 90,000 listens on Spotify.

The Athens Clarke County Police Department has released Baker’s autopsy as of Sept. 19. Meredith S., Baker’s sister, said in the release that the autopsy answered the question of precisely what happened to Baker and has given their family a clear answer after two decades of waiting and being misinformed by police and investigators.

"I have not seen the autopsy report as it is in care of the family," Jay said. "I asked not to see the details as it may threaten the investigation, and I don't think it is anything that would change the course of the podcast."

Knowing the case's main details is all the information Jay needs to keep the investigation going. The autopsy was mainly for the family to know specific information.

Jay said his listeners can eventually solve this case if people keep telling their truths, and any detail is a significant one because it can potentially lead to a new angle of the story. Baker's mystery has become such a big part of Jays' life, and he even quit his main job to continue telling it to his best ability.

Jay said he isn’t doing the podcast for his own benefit; he is doing it because people are finally starting to "really gain ground on the case and the investigation,” and are “finally getting answers to the family."

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Classic City Crime will look into other Athens murders after turning up new details in the Tara Baker case

When we last heard from Cameron Jay, creator of the “Classic City Crime” podcast, in August, he had...

www.augustachronicle.com

Classic City Crime will look into other Athens murders after turning up new details in the Tara Baker case​

When we last heard from Cameron Jay, creator of the “Classic City Crime” podcast, in August, he had produced eight episodes covering the 2001 murder of Tara Baker and promised he’d continue the podcast as long as there was interest and fresh information arising.

Much has happened in the last three months as Jay recently completed the 22nd episode of “Classic City Crime,” the most recent chapter featuring local attorney Ed Tolley.

“We’ve been really busy,” Jay said last week. “When I started the podcast, I thought it would be one episode, and then we got to eight and now we’re up to 22, all surrounding the same story. Some episodes have been 20 minutes, some 30 minutes and some an hour. Every week with us having a real-time investigation there’s more than comes out, or we have slow weeks. It’s been really interesting.”

Besides the creation of an additional 14 episodes of “Classic City Crime,” perhaps the most noteworthy occurrence in the last three months concerns Baker’s autopsy report, which until recently her family had never seen.

“For 20 years, the Baker family did not know how Tara died,” said Jay, who created the podcast earlier this year to disseminate information on the case. “They had a death certificate, but they had not been issued the autopsy report. With pressure from me and the podcast and all of my listeners, after 20 years the Baker family got to see the autopsy report for the first time. Now there’s no question in their minds about what happened to their daughter and the extent of her injuries.

“While some people might not want to know that...that’s for every victim’s family to decide for themselves. I think that’s been one of the most amazing things. There might be some suspicion and there might be a cloud surrounding who did it, but there’s no cloud for the family anymore surrounding what happened. That’s a huge thing for us to have accomplished.”

Jay, who said the podcast has also been able to clear one suspect (Baker’s boyfriend), has interviewed about 100 people, creating hours of content for the podcast. He said three months ago that the Athens-Clarke County Police Department agreed to work with him, but then rescinded the offer.


“The only time the police department calls me is when they think I have something they do not,” he said, noting the podcast has had some 175,000 “listens.” “I’ve tried to work with them from the beginning and I still try to work with them, and when they call me to ask a question about someone or something, I give them the answer. I’ve often found that the answer already exists in their investigation, but they just don’t know it does.

″... What this case has lacked for 20 years is the time, the energy and the ability to ask for help. I’m not an investigator and I’ve never claimed to be. But I am a podcaster that has uncovered a lot of information that has been news to the Baker family, and for some of this to be news to the Baker family would make me believe it’s probably news to police, too.”


“I hope and pray something will come about for the Bakers so they don’t have to go through that 20-year mark not knowing what happened,” he said. “And if I have anything to do with it, that won’t be the case.”

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Remembering Tara Baker: A savage crime remains unsolved after 20 years

Twenty years ago, a killer took the life of a young University of Georgia law school student on the day before her 24th birthday.

www.onlineathens.com

Remembering Tara Baker: A savage crime remains unsolved after 20 years​

Twenty years ago, a killer took the life of a young University of Georgia law school student on the day before her 24th birthday.

To celebrate what would have been her 44th year on Earth, the surviving family members of Tara Louise Baker, along with friends, gathered shortly before noon Wednesday in front of the UGA Law School, where more than a dozen bundles of flowers were laid beneath a wreath placed in her memory.

“She did not deserve this,” said Baker’s sister, Meredith Schroeder, as she recalled the violent crime in the company of her brother, Kevin Baker, and mother, Virginia Baker. Tara Baker’s father, Lindsay, died two years ago.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

UGA law student’s homicide: Cold case of Tara Louise Baker

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – It’s been over 20 years since Tara Louise Baker was found dead in her Athens apartment on the day before her 24th birthday. According to an incident report provided by …

www.wsav.com

UGA law student’s homicide: Cold case of Tara Louise Baker​

It’s been over 20 years since Tara Louise Baker was found dead in her Athens apartment on the day before her 24th birthday.

WSAV NOW reached out to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department on Baker’s case. They confirmed the case is still open and they will follow up with more details.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Cold cases | Proposed bill would reopen investigations in Georgia

Families would get a chance to see case files.

www.11alive.com

Cold cases | Proposed bill would reopen investigations in Georgia​

Georgia lawmakers will consider a bill this year that could nudge law enforcement agencies to look at cold cases again.

There is so much crime, in Atlanta and elsewhere, that cases can get lost in the sheer volume of investigations. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's website shows more than a hundred unsolved murder cases.

Now, some state lawmakers are planning a bill that would give the family of victims a way to reopen cases that have gone cold. That could include the unsolved case of Tara Louise Baker – killed in Athens 21 years ago. Her sister Meredith Baker Schroeder would like it reopened.

"This was in 2001 when DNA evidence was the new hot technology and nobody knew how to process DNA properly or even apply it to a database to make it useful," Schroeder said.

She said updated technology can give cold cases new life.


Schroeder and Harrelson have been pushing for a new law to give crime victims' families a look at case files if six years have passed. It would also fund a cold case unit at the GBI.

"Not only are these cold cases, but there are violent criminals attached to these cases. This isn’t just a matter of figuring out who did it, but to get these violent criminals," Schroeder said.

 

[Mel70]

Cold cases | Proposed bill would reopen investigations in Georgia

Families would get a chance to see case files.

www.11alive.com

Cold cases | Proposed bill would reopen investigations in Georgia​

Georgia lawmakers will consider a bill this year that could nudge law enforcement agencies to look at cold cases again.

There is so much crime, in Atlanta and elsewhere, that cases can get lost in the sheer volume of investigations. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's website shows more than a hundred unsolved murder cases.

Now, some state lawmakers are planning a bill that would give the family of victims a way to reopen cases that have gone cold. That could include the unsolved case of Tara Louise Baker – killed in Athens 21 years ago. Her sister Meredith Baker Schroeder would like it reopened.

"This was in 2001 when DNA evidence was the new hot technology and nobody knew how to process DNA properly or even apply it to a database to make it useful," Schroeder said.

She said updated technology can give cold cases new life.


Schroeder and Harrelson have been pushing for a new law to give crime victims' families a look at case files if six years have passed. It would also fund a cold case unit at the GBI.

"Not only are these cold cases, but there are violent criminals attached to these cases. This isn’t just a matter of figuring out who did it, but to get these violent criminals," Schroeder said.

A case should never be closed unless it's solved. There is no excuse for the lack of funding when billions are spent on other programs that don't need to be. These are people's lives.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Gov. Kemp signs cold case investigation bill into law on Friday in Athens

It was a hope that the families of Tara Louise Baker and Rhonda Sue Coleman, for which the act was named, held on to.

www.11alive.com

Author: 11Alive Staff
Published: 11:37 AM EDT April 28, 2023
Updated: 5:28 PM EDT April 28, 2023

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed legislation on Friday that would help cold case victims and their families.

The ceremonial signing of HB 88, or the Coleman-Baker Act, now lets families of homicide victims request law enforcement agencies to review cold cases, according to a release from the governor's office.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Arrest made in 2001 cold case murder of University of Georgia law student Tara Baker

Edrick Lamont Faust, 48, was charged with murder, and various other charges in connection with the 23-year-old first-year law student's death, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced.

www.cbsnews.com

Arrest made in 2001 cold case murder of University of Georgia law student Tara Baker​

More than two decades after University of Georgia student Tara Baker was murdered, authorities announced they arrested a suspect.

Edrick Lamont Faust, 48, was charged with murder and faces various other charges in connection with the 23-year-old first-year law student's death, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced.

"Tara Louise Baker was a hardworking student with a bright future ahead of her," GBI Director Chris Hosey said Thursday in a news release. "Tara's life was stolen from her in a horrific act of violence. While this arrest does not bring her back to us, I pray that it helps bring closure to the Baker family as they continue their healing journey."


But it was only after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Cold Case Unit reviewed Baker's case in September 2023 — after the Coleman-Baker Act was signed into law — that authorities were able to bring together enough evidence to make the arrest. GBI said a news conference would be held to provide further details on the investigation.

The Coleman-Baker Act — named after University of Georgia student Sue Coleman, killed 21 years ago, and Tara Baker — was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2023. The legislation established a new unit within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to investigate cold cases. It also required law enforcement to look into unsolved cases if more than six years had passed.

"May Tara's memory live on through the good work of this Unit," Kemp posted on social media after the announcement of the arrest.

Her family thanked law enforcement in a statement, reported WGAU, and said, "While this is a day we have long prayed for, it is not a day without grief and unanswered questions."

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

UGA law student's horrific 2001 murder at Athens apartment finally solved, GBI says

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday they had arrested an Athens man and charged him with three counts of murder.

www.11alive.com

UGA law student's horrific 2001 murder at Athens apartment finally solved, GBI says​

Back in 2001, a University of Georgia law student was found dead inside her burned apartment in Athens after she had been brutally killed.

Over the last 23 years, Tara Baker's case has been ice cold -- until now.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday that they arrested 48-year-old Edrick Lamont Faust of Athens and charged him with murder, two counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated assault, concealing the death of another, arson, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, tampering with evidence and one count of aggravated sodomy in connection to Baker's killing.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Tara Baker murder suspect was convicted of assault with deadly weapon a month after the UGA law student’s 2001 death

By Joe Johnson When 25-year-old Edrick Lamont Faust stabbed a man in the neck on Baxter Street, it was less than a month after he allegedly murdered Tara Baker on the other side of town on January 19, 2001.Like the earlier victim, Baker had been stabbed, but also beaten, strangled, and sexually...

www.classiccitynews.com

Tara Baker murder suspect was convicted of assault with deadly weapon a month after the UGA law student’s 2001 death​

When 25-year-old Edrick Lamont Faust stabbed a man in the neck on Baxter Street, it was less than a month after he allegedly murdered Tara Baker on the other side of town on January 19, 2001.

Like the earlier victim, Baker had been stabbed, but also beaten, strangled, and sexually assaulted.

Faust would serve a year in prison for the stabbing while investigators began a decades-long investigation trying to find the person who killed the 23-year-old University of Georgia law student.

Authorities have yet to disclose how the Baker case was finally cracked.

Nevertheless, in the ensuing years, Faust went on to compile an extensive criminal record that includes crimes involving drugs, weapons and violence. According to the George Department of Corrections, he served four different prison terms beginning in 2001.

The GBI said a press conference concerning the Baker case wil be held the coming days, with additional information to be released.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

New attorney takes over representation of suspect charged in Tara Baker death

The suspect in the 2001 slaying of UGA law school student Tara Baker has a new attorney resulting in a delay of his bond hearing.

www.onlineathens.com

New attorney takes over representation of suspect charged in Tara Baker death​

The suspect in the 2001 slaying of University of Georgia law school student Tara Baker made an appearance in Clarke County Superior Court on Thursday where he was granted a continuance in a hearing for bail.

The continuance was made because the suspect, Edrick Lamont Faust, 48, of Athens, has a new attorney after he was previously represented by lawyers in the Western Circuit Public Defender’s Office.

Ahmad R. Crews, a criminal defense lawyer from Atlanta, announced he was taking over the legal representation of Faust, who is charged with murdering the 23-year-old first-year law student in January 2001 at her home on Fawn Drive in east Athens.

Faust faces numerous charges including murder, aggravated sodomy and arson.

No evidence was presented due to the defendant’s attorney waving the hearing for a bail status.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Athens man indicted for 2001 murder of UGA law student Tara Baker

By Joe Johnson A Superior Court grand jury has indicted 49-year-old Edrick Lamont Faust for the murder of University of Georgia law school student Tara Louise Baker that had gone unsolved for 23 years until the Athens man was arrested in May of this year.On Friday the grand jury returned a...

www.classiccitynews.com

Athens man indicted for 2001 murder of UGA law student Tara Baker​

A Superior Court grand jury has indicted 49-year-old Edrick Lamont Faust for the murder of University of Georgia law school student Tara Louise Baker that had gone unsolved for 23 years until the Athens man was arrested in May of this year.

On Friday the grand jury returned a 12-count indictment charging Faust with malice and felony murder, rape, aggravated sodomy, arson, and other crimes associated with Baker’s death on Jan. 19, 2001.

The indictment alleges that Faust broke into Baker’s home in the Deer Park neighborhood and killed the 23-year-old student by stabbing her with a knife and strangling her with a cord. He also allegedly raped and sodomized Baker and set fire to her apartment in an attempt to conceal his crimes.

The case went unsolved for over two decades —mostly because the arson fire destroyed the crime scene and physical evidence — until after the Athens-Clarke County Police Department in September of last year partnered with the newly-formed Georgia Bureau of Investigation Cold Case Unit for a comprehensive review of the case.

Biological evidence and DNA science along with new technology all played a role in solving the case, according to GBI Director Chris Hosey.

At the time of the murder, Faust was living just a couple blocks away from Baker’s apartment on Fawn Drive.

Faust is being detained without bail and is to return to court on Sept. 17 to be arraigned.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Suspect in Tara Baker murder pleads not guilty, is denied bond

Edrick Lamont Faust, who is accused of murdering Tara Baker, a University of Georgia law student, in 2001, appeared in an arraignment on Aug. 20 at the Athens-Clarke County Courthouse.

www.redandblack.com

Suspect in Tara Baker murder pleads not guilty, is denied bond​

Edrick Lamont Faust, who is accused of murdering Tara Baker, a University of Georgia law student, in 2001, appeared in an arraignment on Aug. 20 at the Athens-Clarke County Courthouse. Faust pled not guilty and was denied bond.


The defense, represented by Ahmad Crews, presented witnesses to support Faust’s character, including Faust’s fiancée, to argue for a bond. Crews requested a $100,000 bond, 24-hour house arrest and GPS tracking for Faust and offered $85,000 worth of property as collateral for Faust, meaning that if he violated his bond agreement the state would claim that property.

The state, represented by District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez, responded by presenting evidence of Faust’s extensive criminal record, which includes offenses such as aggravated assault, public indecency, battery and other crimes. He has also violated parole over 20 times, which the state argued shows that Faust is at risk of fleeing the area before his trial date.

Following the presentation of witnesses and evidence, Judge Lisa Lott denied Faust’s bond request.


Faust is charged with murder, two counts felony murder, one count aggravated assault, concealing the death of another, arson, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, tampering with evidence and one count aggravated sodomy, and had been held without bail.

Following Tuesday’s arraignment and bond hearing, Faust will remain in custody as the trial proceedings begin, starting with the state providing a witness list to the defense within 30 days and starting the evidence discovery process. A future hearing will be held to set a trial date.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Suspect in Tara Baker slaying again seeks bond, offers reasons for release

The lawyer for Edrick Faust, the man charged with killing Tara Baker in 2001, has filed a motion asking his client be released on bond.

www.onlineathens.com

Suspect in Tara Baker slaying again seeks bond, offers reasons for release​

The suspect in the Tara Baker homicide case is asking a judge to give him a bond and a chance to leave jail pending his trial on a murder charge.

Western Circuit Superior Court Judge Lisa Lott supported a bond denial from the state in August by noting the suspect’s long criminal history.

But Ahmad R. Crews, the attorney representing Edrick Lamont Faust, 49, of Athens, filed a new motion on Oct. 4 renewing a request for bond for his client who has been in the Athens-Clarke County Jail without bond since May 9.


Crews noted in his bond motion that although Faust does have a criminal record, he will establish that prior to his arrest he was “redirecting his life in a positive direction.”

The attorney asserted that Faust had opened a small business and had a “stable support system and network of friends in Athens-Clarke County that are interested in his success.”

He suggested that if Faust is released on bond, that he receive 24-hour home confinement with GPS monitoring along with pre-trial supervision. These conditions should alleviate any concerns about the safety of the community, according to the lawyer.

 

[noZme]

No bond! He is not jailed for recently turning his life around, but for murder in 2001