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Author Topic: Mark Norwood Indicted in 1988 Unsolved Murder of Debra Baker of Austin, TX  (Read 23465 times)
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« Reply #20 on: July 10, 2014, 10:37:10 AM »

five days in jail . . . good grief, he must be related to Casey Anthony!

 
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« Reply #21 on: August 15, 2014, 02:55:49 PM »

At least Mark Norwood is behind bars for the murder of Christine Morton.  However, if this case had been properly investigated/prosecuted, then he may have been behind bars much sooner.  This may have prevented the death of Debra Baker, because he'd have been jailed instead of being out committing another murder.  Not to mention the 25 years Michael Morton spent behind bars when he was in fact innocent.     He's serving a life sentence.  I hope he never, ever sees life outside prison.  JMHO

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2014/08/15/mark-alan-norwood-conviction-in-morton-murder-upheld/14112145/
Mark Alan Norwood conviction in Morton murder upheld
August 15, 2014

AUSTIN -- An appeals court has upheld the capital murder conviction of Mark Alan Norwood, convicted last year in the death of Christine Morton, according to KVUE's content partners at the Austin American-Statesman.

Morton's husband spent almost 25 years in prison before DNA evidence pointed to Norwood.

The appeals court rejected Norwood's arguments that the trial judge improperly admitted evidence in the case.

Norwood is serving a life sentence.

 



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« Reply #22 on: August 15, 2014, 02:58:43 PM »

http://kxan.com/2014/08/15/norwoods-appeal-denied-in-morton-murder-case/
Norwood’s appeal denied in Morton murder case
August 15, 2014

AUSTIN (KXAN) – An appeals court Friday upheld the murder conviction of Mark Norwood for the 1986 death of Christine Morton. Morton’s Husband spent 25 years behind bars for the crime before DNA evidence linked Norwood to the crime.

Norwood and his attorneys argued that the trial judge improperly admitted evidence related to the murder of Debra Baker because it was not related to Christine Morton’s murder. Norwood has yet to be tried for Baker’s death. The appellate judges ruled the evidence was related due to the similarities between the two murders.

Norwood was linked to Morton’s murder through DNA found on a bandana near the body. That DNA was eventually tested as part of the efforts to free Michael Morton.

Ken Anderson, the District Attorney who prosecuted Morton, was found guilty of withholding evidence. He lost his law license, resigned his position as a state District Judge in Williamson County and spent five days in jail for his part in Morton’s wrongful conviction.

John Bradley, the former Williamson County District Attorney who refused, for seven years, to allow the additional DNA testing that ultimately set Morton free, lost his bid for re-election.
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« Reply #23 on: August 15, 2014, 03:18:09 PM »

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/mark-alan-norwood-conviction-in-morton-murder-uphe/ng3gm/
Mark Alan Norwood conviction in Morton murder upheld
August 15, 2014

A state appeals court Friday upheld the capital murder conviction of Mark Alan Norwood, convicted last year in the 1986 beating death of Christine Morton, whose husband spent almost 25 years in prison for the crime before DNA evidence pointed to Norwood.
The 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin rejected Norwood’s arguments that the trial judge improperly admitted evidence related to the murder of Debra Masters Baker, who was killed 17 months after Morton in her Austin home.
Norwood is serving a life sentence for Morton’s murder but has not yet been tried in Baker’s death.
Michael Morton was freed from prison in 2011 and has since remarried, written a book and become an advocate for criminal-justice reforms aimed at protecting the innocent.
Norwood was identified as a suspect in Christine Morton’s death via DNA tests on a blue bandana recovered near the Morton home a day after the murder. Tests at the time confirmed only that blood was on the bandana. But in 2011, more sophisticated testing found that the blood belonged to Christine Morton and that the bandana contained DNA belonging to Norwood.
A short time later, Norwood was linked to Baker’s murder by DNA tests on two hairs found in her Austin home.
During Norwood’s trial in Morton’s death, District Judge Burt Carnes allowed prosecutors to discuss Baker’s murder because the patterns and characteristics “were so distinctively similar that they constituted a ‘signature,’” the appeals court said.
Both victims were white, in their 30s and had long brown hair. Both were attacked while lying in bed, struck in the head six to eight times with a blunt object and were covered with pillows. The killer apparently entered through an unlocked sliding glass door after jumping a backyard fence, and in both cases a single valuable item was taken — a gun from the Morton home, a VCR from Baker’s — while jewelry was left in plain sight, the court noted.
“We conclude that it was within the zone of reasonable disagreement for the district court to find that the Baker murder was sufficiently similar to Christine’s murder that evidence of the Baker murder was admissible to prove identity in Christine’s case,” said the opinion, written by Justice Bob Pemberton.
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« Reply #24 on: October 13, 2014, 04:47:04 PM »

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/court-throws-out-cold-case-murder-conviction/nZhMB/
Court throws out cold-case murder conviction
August 30, 2014

 
Last February, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office indicated that its lawyers would conduct an internal review of the evidence in the Antonetti case because of the striking similarities to two other murders from the late 1980s.
Christine Morton, 31, was killed by eight blows to the head as she lay in bed at her southwestern Williamson County home in August 1986, probably shortly after her husband, Michael, left for work at his usual time, 5:30 a.m. Investigators found wood chips from a blunt weapon, which was never recovered, embedded in her hair.
Debra Masters Baker, 34, was beaten to death in bed at her North Austin home in January 1988 with six blows to the head, also with a blunt object that was not recovered. Baker, who was home alone, was last seen by relatives around midnight.
The three slayings share numerous similarities. All three victims were Anglo brunettes in their 30s who were killed on the 13th of the month.
Mark Alan Norwood, a former carpet installer who had lived within two blocks of Baker, was found guilty of Christine Morton’s murder and has been charged with murdering Baker.
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« Reply #25 on: October 22, 2014, 09:34:01 AM »

Thank you for the updates Muffy 
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« Reply #26 on: October 22, 2014, 09:56:00 AM »

Thank you for the updates Muffy 


You're welcome Sister. 
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« Reply #27 on: November 25, 2014, 01:05:36 PM »

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/prosecutors-seek-to-dismiss-murder-case-against-de/njFqd/
Prosecutors seek to dismiss murder case against Dennis Davis
November 25, 2014

More than a year after a state appeals court overturned the murder conviction against Dennis Davis, who was found guilty in the 1985 death of Natalie Antonetti, a Travis County judge is weighing whether to dismiss the charges against him.

In a surprising move Tuesday morning, prosecutors requested that Judge David Wahlberg drop the cold case against the former Austin recording studio owner pending further investigation. But defense lawyers refused, saying that decision would not be fair to Davis, who served more than two years in prison and whose life has been wrecked by the allegations.

“There is nothing else left to investigate,” defense attorney Jackie Wood told the judge. “They have investigated this case to death. My client wants his day in court. He wants to be exonerated, which we believe will happen if this case goes to trial again.”

Davis, now 64, has been waiting for his case to go before a jury once more since last August, when the 3rd Court of Appeals threw out his 2011 conviction and 36-year prison sentence, ruling he had not been given adequate legal representation.

Wood and defense lawyer Tamara Needles last week filed their own petition — their second this year — to dismiss the charges on the grounds that the state has denied their client his right to a speedy trial. The lawyers say prosecutors have taken too long to hand over evidence and have since lost numerous items they need to prepare their defense.

The case has been scheduled for retrial Dec. 8.

But Wahlberg said Tuesday he would consider both state and defense requests and would need more time to come to a decision. He asked lawyers from both sides to meet with him in closed chambers to go through the evidence, which he said he found largely prejudicial in favor of the defense.

No physical evidence or witnesses directly tied Davis to the crime, and the case against him had relied largely on the testimony of witnesses given more than two decades after Antonetti, 38, was found beaten on the couch of her South Austin apartment in October 1985.

Since her death, six witnesses have died, including a neighbor central to the state’s case.

Another hearing has been scheduled Tuesday afternoon, but it is unclear whether a ruling will come at that time.

“I have some serious concerns about the state of this case and whether it is possible for anyone – the state or the defense – to have a fair trial before the community,” Wahlberg told lawyers Tuesday. “The dismissal pending further investigation would preclude him from attempting to assert his innocence.”

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Here is some background:
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/crime-law/judge-refuses-to-dismiss-murder-charges-against-de/nhhsB/#f51389f0.3708363.735562
Judge refuses to dismiss murder charges against Dennis Davis
Posted: 7:12 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, 2014

(There's a lot to read, but here is snippet at end of article)

 
Davis was sentenced not long before the exoneration of Michael Morton, who spent nearly 25 years in prison after he had been convicted in the 1986 murder of his wife, Christine Morton. New DNA evidence in that case linked another man, Mark Norwood, to the killing.

The Travis County district attorney’s office in February 2012 indicated that its lawyers would conduct an internal review of the evidence in the Antonetti case because of similarities to two other homicides from the late 1980s, including that of Morton’s. Buddy Meyer, the director of the office’s trial bureau, told the American-Statesman that review was conducted about a year ago and no connection was found between the Davis case and any other killings.

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« Reply #28 on: January 12, 2015, 09:29:55 PM »

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2015/01/12/trial-delayed-in-1988-murder-case/21657283/
Trial delayed in 1988 murder case
January 12, 2015

AUSTIN -- A judge Monday delayed the trial for 60-year-old Mark Norwood, the man who has pleaded not guilty for the 1988 murder of Debra Baker.
The trial was originally set for February, but is now expected to begin in September. Norwood's attorneys said they need more time for discovery, especially since the judge will allow evidence from Baker's case as well as evidence from the murder of Christine Morton, for which Norwood is already serving a life sentence.

Police said they found Baker inside her North Austin home beaten with some kind of wood, and they found Norwood's hair at the crime scene. Her death came two year's after Morton's, and prosecutors said the cases bear similarities. Police found both women in bed with pillows around them, jewelry left untouched on the bedside table and wallets on the floor with missing cash.

Morton's husband, Michael, spent 25 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted for the crime. DNA evidence eventually cleared him, and Norwood was convicted in April 2013.
Baker's family left the courthouse on Monday disappointed that the trial had been postponed, saying frankly, they're running out of time.

"We're ready for it to be over. We've been saying that for years. It is time," said Baker's daughter, Caitlin. "My grandmother, who is my mother's mother, is 91 and at this point, she doesn't expect to see the end of this and we need her to see the end of this."

Caitlin said nearly 27 years to the day after her mother's death, coming to court is a disappointment.

"We expected to go to court next month. They've already delayed it because Norwood has new lawyers now. It's a delay tactic," Caitlin said.

Norwood's next hearing is set for April.
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« Reply #29 on: January 14, 2015, 05:31:10 PM »

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/court-rejects-mark-alan-norwood-appeal-in-morton-m/njnjJ/
Court rejects Mark Alan Norwood appeal in Morton murder
January 14, 2015

The state’s highest criminal court Wednesday rejected an appeal from Mark Alan Norwood, a former carpet installer convicted of killing Christine Morton in 1986.

DNA tests pointed to Norwood and led to the exoneration of her husband, Michael Morton, who served almost 25 years in prison for the murder in their Williamson County home.

The Court of Criminal Appeals declined, without explanation, to review a 3rd Court of Appeals ruling that upheld Norwood’s murder conviction and life sentence. The court has discretionary review, meaning it can reject appeals deemed by its judges to lack merit or a legal issue that should be addressed.
The ruling is likely to be Norwood’s final appeal of the Morton killing, at least on the issues raised. Norwood’s lawyers can ask the Court of Criminal Appeals to reconsider its denial, but such motions are very rarely granted.

Norwood’s lawyers argued that the trial judge, Burt Carnes, improperly allowed prosecutors to admit evidence related to the murder of Debra Masters Baker, who was killed in her Austin home 17 months after Morton’s slaying.

Norwood was identified as a suspect in Christine Morton’s death through DNA tests on a blue bandana recovered near their home a day after the slaying. Tests at the time confirmed only that blood was on the bandana. But more sophisticated testing in 2011 found that the blood belonged to Christine Morton, and that the bandana contained DNA belonging to Norwood.

A short time later, Norwood was linked to Baker’s murder by DNA tests on two hairs found in her Austin home.

During Norwood’s trial in Morton’s death, Carnes allowed prosecutors to discuss Baker’s murder because the patterns and characteristics were so distinctively similar that they constituted a signature act.

In its ruling upholding Norwood’s conviction in August, the 3rd Court of Appeals listed the similarities. Both victims were white, in their 30s and had long brown hair. Both were attacked while lying in bed, struck in the head six to eight times with a blunt object and were covered with pillows afterward. The killer apparently entered through an unlocked sliding glass door after jumping a backyard fence, and in both cases a single valuable item was taken — a gun from the Morton home, a VCR from Baker’s — while jewelry was left in plain sight.

Norwood’s lawyer, Linda Icenhauer-Ramirez, argued that the similarities were more generic in nature and less of an indication of the killer’s “signature.”

Prosecutors devoted almost half their case to the Baker murder, a separate offense that shed little light on the Morton slaying but carried an emotional impact that was “horrific and devastating to any hopes (Norwood) had of a fair trial,” Icenhauer-Ramirez argued in a brief.

In declining the appeal, the court upheld the 3rd Court of Appeals finding that it was reasonable for Carnes to conclude that the crimes were sufficiently similar to allow evidence from the Baker murder to be admitted “to prove identity” in the Morton case.

The lower court also rejected Norwood’s claim that evidence of Baker’s murder improperly prejudiced the jury in Morton’s case.
 

Norwood has yet to be tried in Baker’s death.

Earlier this week, a Travis County judge delayed his trial until September at the request of prosecutors and defense lawyers.
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« Reply #30 on: February 05, 2015, 05:39:41 PM »

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2015/02/05/convicted-killer-mark-norwood-due-in-court/22914445/
Convicted killer Mark Norwood due in court
February 5, 2015

AUSTIN -- A convicted murderer is due in court Thursday for a second murder case against him.


Travis County court records show a hearing for Mark Norwood.

Williamson County convicted Norwood of killing Christine Morton in the late 80s. Her husband, Michael Morton, was originally convicted for her death. Morton spent 25 years in prison, until DNA evidence exonerated him and pointed to Norwood.

Thursday's hearing is for a different murder, the killing of Debra Baker, also in the late 80s.


Norwood's trial is expected to be delayed until September.
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« Reply #31 on: August 16, 2016, 07:32:30 AM »

http://kxan.com/2016/08/15/mark-norwood-appears-in-court-readies-for-capital-murder-trial/
Mark Norwood appears in court, readies for capital murder trial
August 15, 2016

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man charged with the murder of a young Austin mother is back in Travis County court before his trial begins next month.

Mark Norwood, 62, arrived in court Monday for his pre-trial hearing donning a gray and black out. He is charged with capital murder in the death of Debra Baker, who was beaten to death in her home in 1988.

The case went unsolved until 2011 when prosecutors say DNA evidence pointed to Norwood as a suspect.

The hearing discussed witnesses set to testify in the trial which is set to being Sept. 8. The trial, which was supposed to be tried in 2015, has been reset numerous times.

In 2013, Norwood was sentenced to life in prison for beating Christine Morton to death in her northwest Austin home in 1986. Her husband, Michael, was wrongly convicted of that crime and spent almost 25 years in prison before he was exonerated in 2011.
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« Reply #32 on: August 17, 2016, 08:26:03 AM »

This is an interesting read.  I used to put a lot of weight in the opinion of medical examiners and certain other professions that were expert witnesses.  Not so much anymore, especially after Caylee Anthony's case and the Willingham case, the later being Willingham executed in the death of his three young children based on burn patterns that ended up being junk.  Travis County is near to me and that is where some old cases have come up that indicate those accused were railroaded.  That includes Michael Morton, who did 25 years for the the murder of his wife even though he has shown to have been innocent.  Bayardo was part of that.     We are now looking at the case of the murder of Debra Baker, who is believed to have been murdered by Mark Norwood, the same man found guilty of the murder of Michael Morton's wife Christine.  Debra Bakers family believe if Michael Morton hadn't been so zeroed in on and and wrongfully  convicted of the murder of his wife, Mark Norwood might have been behind bars and not able to have murdered Debra.  You have to get the right person when a crime is committed!  I used to believe in the justice system, but lately I've been seeing some really shoddy work and a broken system. 


http://kxan.com/investigative-story/body-of-evidence-forgotten-forensics/
Body of Evidence: Forgotten Forensics
As chief medical examiner for nearly 30 years, Dr. Roberto Bayardo examined thousands of sudden, violent and unusual deaths in Travis County
August 16, 2016

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« Reply #33 on: August 17, 2016, 08:26:56 AM »

This is an interesting read.  I used to put a lot of weight in the opinion of medical examiners and certain other professions that were expert witnesses.  Not so much anymore, especially after Caylee Anthony's case and the Willingham case, the later being Willingham executed in the death of his three young children based on burn patterns that ended up being junk.  Travis County is near to me and that is where some old cases have come up that indicate those accused were railroaded.  That includes Michael Morton, who did 25 years for the the murder of his wife even though he has shown to have been innocent.  Bayardo was part of that.     We are now looking at the case of the murder of Debra Baker, who is believed to have been murdered by Mark Norwood, the same man found guilty of the murder of Michael Morton's wife Christine.  Debra Bakers family believe if Michael Morton hadn't been so zeroed in on and and wrongfully  convicted of the murder of his wife, Mark Norwood might have been behind bars and not able to have murdered Debra.  You have to get the right person when a crime is committed!  I used to believe in the justice system, but lately I've been seeing some really shoddy work and a broken system. 


http://kxan.com/investigative-story/body-of-evidence-forgotten-forensics/
Body of Evidence: Forgotten Forensics
As chief medical examiner for nearly 30 years, Dr. Roberto Bayardo examined thousands of sudden, violent and unusual deaths in Travis County
August 16, 2016
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« Reply #34 on: September 06, 2016, 09:31:18 PM »

http://kxan.com/2016/09/06/judge-denies-motion-to-throw-out-mark-norwood-dna-evidence/
Judge denies motion to throw out Mark Norwood DNA evidence
September 6, 2016

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Mark Norwood, already serving a life sentence for the 1986 murder of a woman in her northwest Austin, was in court on Tuesday to determine the fate of a DNA sample that could link him to additional cases.

Norwood is about to go on trial for the alleged murder of another woman, Debra Baker, who was beaten to death in her home in 1988. The case went unsolved until DNA evidence pointed to Norwood as a suspect in 2011.

Defense Attorney Bradley Urrutia filed a motion to suppress the DNA taken from Norwood. Investigators had requested a sample from Norwood to compare to DNA in the other cases.

Urrutia argued that his client was under duress when he gave his consent for saliva and hair samples. The judge disagreed.

On Thursday, a final hearing will be held to make sure they’re on track for the trial start on Monday, Sept. 12. Urrutia says Norwood maintains his innocence.

The trial, initially planned for a 2015 start date, has been reset numerous times.
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« Reply #35 on: September 13, 2016, 12:19:11 PM »

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/1988-murder-trial-begins-tuesday/317871125
1988 murder trial begins Tuesday
September 13, 2016

TRAVIS COUNTY - The murder trial for Mark Norwood -- the man convicted of killing Christine Morton two years before he allegedly killed Debra Baker in 1988 -- begins Tuesday morning.

Norwood is facing a murder charge in the beating death of Baker. Prosecutors have linked Morton's and Baker's deaths, saying both women were young, brunette mothers killed with wooden objects while in bed. Norwood's DNA was also found close to each crime scene.

Jury selection began Monday. Defense attorneys told KVUE that finding an impartial jury in the case was especially challenging.

Baker's family is expected to testify at the trial which is said to last at least two weeks.
 
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« Reply #36 on: September 14, 2016, 08:52:31 PM »

http://www.fox7austin.com/news/local-news/205428609-story
30 year old home burglaries linked to Mark Norwood
September 14, 2016

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« Reply #37 on: September 14, 2016, 08:55:51 PM »

http://kxan.com/2016/09/14/summer-87-burglary-connected-to-norwood-in-murder-trial-day-2/
Summer ’87 burglaries connected to Norwood in murder trial, day 2
September 14, 2016

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The jury heard testimony from six former neighbors in the second full day of the capital murder trial in the case against 62-year-old Mark Alan Norwood.

Norwood is charged with capital murder for the 1988 murder of Debra Masters Baker.

The prosecution called members of the Long, Monroe, and Jimenez families to testify Wednesday about burglary incidents reported during the summer of 1987 in their Brentwood-area neighborhood. Their testimonies surrounded at least three separate reports of burglaries during that summer. All of these reports were connected to Norwood when a portion of the stolen items were recovered.

Each of the six testimonies relayed similar experiences. The victims were often at work or out of town when the burglary crimes occurred.

“We went away for the weekend,” testified Ora Nell Jimenez Osmar. “My whole apartment was empty. I had no furniture, nothing in my house.”

“I noticed some things were out of place, and I knew something was wrong,” testified Jana Monroe, another neighbor who took the stand to respond to questions about her July 1987 burglary. “I just ran out, screaming.”

According to prosecutors, Norwood pleaded guilty to three felony offenses of theft in the late 1980’s, corresponding to the burglaries reported by witnesses who testified in court.

The prosecution argued that it’s no coincidence.

“Somebody with some experience and knowledge on how to do this, got into [Debra Baker’s] home,” said Gary Cobb, Travis Co. prosecutor, during opening statements.

Baker’s murder went unsolved until August 2011 when prosecutors say DNA evidence found in Baker’s home was a match to evidence found in the 1986 murder of another woman, Christine Morton. Norwood was linked to Christine’s murder through DNA found on a bandanna near the victim’s home.

Norwood faced a jury in 2013 and was convicted of Christine’s murder on March 27, 2013. He is currently serving a life sentence.
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« Reply #38 on: September 23, 2016, 08:31:11 PM »

http://kxan.com/2016/09/23/closing-arguments-jury-deliberation-expected-friday-in-norwood-trial-day-9/
Mark Norwood found guilty of 2nd murder, sentenced to life
September 23, 2016

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After nearly three decades since the brutal killing of Debra Masters Baker, a jury convicted 62-year-old Mark Alan Norwood of murder Friday. He was sentenced to life in prison, to be served consecutively with his previous murder sentence.

Baker, 34, was beaten to death in her home in January 1988. The case went unsolved until August 2011 when prosecutors say DNA evidence found in Baker’s home was a match to evidence found in the 1986 murder of another woman, Christine Morton.

The jury heard 9 days of testimony before reaching their decision Friday, marking the second time Norwood has been convicted of murder.

In March 2013, Norwood was sentenced to life in prison for the 1986 murder of Christine Morton – a crime for which her husband, Michael Morton, was wrongly imprisoned for 25 years before the DNA evidence match between Baker and Morton were discovered.

It took almost a quarter century to prove prosecutors hid evidence that could have cast doubt on Morton’s guilt and then years later, refused to test a piece of evidence that turned out to be the smoking gun in the case against the real killer–Mark Norwood–the man police say went on to kill Baker after Morton’s conviction.

Norwood was linked to Christine’s murder through DNA found on a bandana near the victim’s home. That DNA was eventually tested as part of the efforts to free Michael.

Michael Morton testified in the trial in Travis County. He addressed the media Friday after the verdict was read, saying today was about Debra Baker and her family.

“Most times, life is not fair. You don’t get what you deserve or you don’t get what you want,” said Morton. “Today’s a little bit different for the Baker family who’s waited so very long, and also for Mark Norwood, who’s waited so long for what he deserves.”

Morton continued, “Our government doesn’t always get it right, but today they did.”

Debra Baker’s daughter, Caitlin, read a statement to Norwood after his sentencing:

Mr Norwood,

My name is Caitlin Baker. Debra Baker was my mother. I am here on behalf of my grandmother, my brother, my mother’s siblings, and my father. I was just shy of 4 years old when she was murdered, and so I have spent the majority of my life waiting for this day.

I am often told that I look like her. I hope that when you find the courage to look at me you will see my mother staring back at you. Today, I am my mother’s voice.

My mother was a selfless, generous, and loving woman. From an early age she had a passion for writing and earned a degree in journalism from the University of Texas. She was hard working and dependable, and would never back down from a challenge. When something needed to be done, she did it. If she didn’t know how to do it, she learned.

Mom loved Barbara Streisand, dramatic movies, and Dr Pepper. She lived on coffee, always had a cigarette, and was a night owl. She always had her liquid black eyeliner with her, and it was always applied perfectly. That is not a skill shared by her sisters or her daughter. She had been teaching her sisters, but didn’t get the chance to teach me. She was a big fan of technology like the early Apple computers, and she thought her massive car phone was the coolest thing ever.

She was the “ultimate big sister” who took care of everyone. She was very close with her siblings and her mother. Everyone hung out at her house to drink coffee and talk or watch movies. Her living room was grand central station for the family.

I remember watching a movie called The Goonies with her. It wasn’t a particularly scary movie but she would pretend to be afraid so that I could be big and tough and protect her. I have only a few memories of her, but in all of them she was being playful and silly with me. I have had to rely on stories to know most things about my mom, but I don’t need anyone to tell me that she was a wonderful mother to my brother and I.

Her death was absolutely devastating to everyone who knew her. It was a gut wrenching, never-ending ache that was made exponentially worse by the senselessness of the murder. The only thing we ever knew for sure was that she didn’t deserve it. She was a good woman who lived for her children and her family.

But her story did not end there. She has never truly left us. She has been with us, all of us, at every moment in our lives. She has been that voice that assures us everything is going to be okay, and that reminds us to be kind to one another.  She will not be remembered as a victim, or a case number. She remains our mother, our sister, our daughter, and our friend.

Mr Norwood, I have seen no expression of remorse from you for the choices that you have made that have ultimately led us all to this courtroom. I have heard no compelling evidence that indicates to me that you are not the man responsible for my mother’s death. I accept the conclusion found by this jury, and I now recognize you as the person who stole my mother from me.

You are a murderer. You are a thief. You are a coward.

We will be grateful to leave this room and never see your face again.
Responding to the verdict on camera, Caitlin Baker said, “This doesn’t change anything. She’s still gone. This is just what we always wanted. We wanted mom to have her day in court. We wanted everyone to be here, and now we’ve had it.”

“She’s put a big hole in all of our lives. Of course her children weren’t raised by their mother, which you can never change that. You can never put that back together,” added Judie Baker, Debra’s sister. “She was a great mom. That was her total focus.”

The defense also spoke with the media Friday and said they are disappointed with the verdict.

“Every case that you do that’s hard like this, you feel it,” said Brad Urrutia, Norwood’s lead defense attorney.

Sentencing guidelines

Due to the sentencing guidelines in the 1980’s, Norwood’s conviction for the Baker murder means he could be sentenced to life, with the option of parole after serving 15 years — the statute as it was outlined in 1988. Because Norwood is already serving life for the Morton murder, a crime committed in 1986, he is serving life with the possibility of being eligible for parole in 20 years. He’s already served five years in jail for the Morton murder, meaning he could be eligible for parole in just 15 more years when he is 77-years-old. The prosecution asked Judge Kocurek to stack the sentences,

Because Norwood is already serving life for the Morton murder, a crime committed in 1986, he is serving life with the possibility of being eligible for parole in 20 years. He’s already served five years in jail for the Morton murder, meaning he could be eligible for parole in just 15 more years when he is 77-years-old. The prosecution asked Judge Kocurek to stack the sentences, essentially asking for the sentence for the Baker murder to kick in when his life sentence for the Morton murder ends, ensuring Norwood would stay in jail even if off chance he is granted parole in the Morton case.

 
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  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
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