Zahra Clare Baker #2 10/13/10 - 10/16/10

[cookie]

So, according to another post, possibly Elisa sold drugs.  Makes sense to me..doing drugs, drug addicted, what better way to pay for that habit then selling.   It also makes sense why she carried a taser and a gun..can't have things get'in out of hand now can we/

I think that it seems like someone reported her to DDS  about the abuse.  That didn't have any results..and it appears that then others filed LE reports against her to bring charges for other things.

Her neighbor calls to ask who the man was..her neighbor knew who the man was..these people were watching and waiting for her to be arrested.  When that didn't happen within the same month 2 others brought other charges against her.  I really think these people were trying the best they knew to put a stop to the abuse and to Elisa.  She obviously thought that too..moving..threats..then the final plea to drop the charges.

Sometimes people do the best they can in their situation.  This child is dead..they didn't do it or allow it...her parents did.

Why didn't her Dad ever report the abuse?  Why didn't he just leave and go back to Aussie?

very good post...you are right...they probably did the best that they could do...
Dad is the bottom line...he should have taken this little girl out of that house...he was her DAD! he knew what was going on..who knows if he beat this child himself...he is as guilty as SM cause he knew...

[Brandi]

Elisa and Adam couldn't even be bothered with giving their own dogs water according to that article.  A neighbor was giving them water.  Just Evil.

Right and WHY?  Elesa wasn't working, no reason for her not to feed/water the dogs.

When I first read about the neighbor "watering" their dogs over the fence yesterday, I got the impression it was because the dogs were not being given enough water by the owners.

I suspect that they (Elisa and Adam) neglected them.

 

[fatcatlurker]

So, according to another post, possibly Elisa sold drugs.  Makes sense to me..doing drugs, drug addicted, what better way to pay for that habit then selling.   It also makes sense why she carried a taser and a gun..can't have things get'in out of hand now can we/

I think that it seems like someone reported her to DDS  about the abuse.  That didn't have any results..and it appears that then others filed LE reports against her to bring charges for other things.

Her neighbor calls to ask who the man was..her neighbor knew who the man was..these people were watching and waiting for her to be arrested.  When that didn't happen within the same month 2 others brought other charges against her.  I really think these people were trying the best they knew to put a stop to the abuse and to Elisa.  She obviously thought that too..moving..threats..then the final plea to drop the charges.

Sometimes people do the best they can in their situation.  This child is dead..they didn't do it or allow it...her parents did.

Why didn't her Dad ever report the abuse?  Why didn't he just leave and go back to Aussie?

very good post...you are right...they probably did the best that they could do...
Dad is the bottom line...he should have taken this little girl out of that house...he was her DAD! he knew what was going on..who knows if he beat this child himself...he is as guilty as SM cause he knew...

Yup.  ITA.  He did nothing because he didn't care or he was doing it also?!  I'm sure she will sing that one eventually.  You can only keep calling and reporting and pray the child does not get it worse because of it.  jmo

[pfaubush]

I am curious about a post from yesterday. I cannot find it now, it may be in the last thread that said some hair, teeth, nails, and flesh had been found. Does anyone know if there is any validity to that? I haven't seen anything else with this info.

I believe that was describing another case where a woodchipper had been used, not his case.

Thank you, Klaas!

[4 Donks]

So she is going to claim munchausen syndrome?  I call bullshit!  And Bullshit on her family for even bringing it up on NG.  This was/is not munchausen this was plain out hated filled abuse for this child.  JMO.

Munchausen my azz...The faked illnesses were for drugs.

[fatcatlurker]

Elisa and Adam couldn't even be bothered with giving their own dogs water according to that article.  A neighbor was giving them water.  Just Evil.

Right and WHY?  Elesa wasn't working, no reason for her not to feed/water the dogs.

When I first read about the neighbor "watering" their dogs over the fence yesterday, I got the impression it was because the dogs were not being given enough water by the owners.

I suspect that they (Elisa and Adam) neglected them.

 

The black and white one - Sabbath looked a little thin to me - his chest bones were sticking out imo but could of been the picture.  Pits usually have muscled chests not bones sticking out.

[Brandi]

Elisa and Adam couldn't even be bothered with giving their own dogs water according to that article.  A neighbor was giving them water.  Just Evil.

Right and WHY?  Elesa wasn't working, no reason for her not to feed/water the dogs.

When I first read about the neighbor "watering" their dogs over the fence yesterday, I got the impression it was because the dogs were not being given enough water by the owners.

I suspect that they (Elisa and Adam) neglected them.

 

The black and white one - Sabbath looked a little thin to me - his chest bones were sticking out imo but could of been the picture.  Pits usually have muscled chests not bones sticking out.

A couple more pics of Sabbath here: http://tinyurl.com/2fwlw7s

[pfaubush]

So, according to another post, possibly Elisa sold drugs.  Makes sense to me..doing drugs, drug addicted, what better way to pay for that habit then selling.   It also makes sense why she carried a taser and a gun..can't have things get'in out of hand now can we/

I think that it seems like someone reported her to DDS  about the abuse.  That didn't have any results..and it appears that then others filed LE reports against her to bring charges for other things.

Her neighbor calls to ask who the man was..her neighbor knew who the man was..these people were watching and waiting for her to be arrested.  When that didn't happen within the same month 2 others brought other charges against her.  I really think these people were trying the best they knew to put a stop to the abuse and to Elisa.  She obviously thought that too..moving..threats..then the final plea to drop the charges.

Sometimes people do the best they can in their situation.  This child is dead..they didn't do it or allow it...her parents did.

Why didn't her Dad ever report the abuse?  Why didn't he just leave and go back to Aussie?

I totally agree. I feel that it the system failed this child. The family brought charges, but the DA dismissed them with the possibility of re-opening them later. DHS was called, but didn't press further than when Zahra wouldn't talk to them. I don't think that all of the family members are accountable. I think that the Rottenbury neighbor could have done more though!!!

[Lenie]

Just a little info. A lot of drug dealers treat their dogs like this. Very little food and water, not much human contact. Makes the dog much more aggressive and more likely to attack.

My heart is breaking for this child's life. So much pain and suffering in such few short years.

I hope they keep them alive for a very long time in prison and in general population. Prisoner's hate child killers.

[Northern Rose]

Prayers for Zahra Baker as crews drain pond in search for missing Hickory girl
Stepmother charged with obstruction after police say she admitted writing a fake ransom note to thwart investigation.





HICKORY -- Several hundred people gathered at a local church for a candlelight vigil for 10-year-old Zahra Baker Wednesday night, as police expanded their search for the missing girl and drained a pond near the tree-trimming company where her father has worked.

People sang and prayed for Zahra outside the East Hickory Baptist Church, their children playing on swings and a jungle gym nearby.

"We just want to lift up little Zahra as we think about the tragedies in her life," Deacon David King told the crowd.

Early Wednesday, Zahra's stepmother Elisa Baker made her first appearance in court on obstruction of justice charges after investigators said she admitted she wrote a phony ransom note found at the family's home on Saturday.

Police say the note was designed to throw investigators off-track in their search for answers in the girl's disappearance, a case they're now calling a homicide.

At the vigil, Lindsey Parker told the crowd that family members had reported suspected abuse of Zahra to the Department of Social Services on three occasions. She said she was speaking on behalf of Brittany Starbuck, one of Elisa Baker's three children from a previous marriage.

"DSS was called three times," Parker said of the family. "They tried. They really tried."

DSS officials in Caldwell County, where the family recently lived, have not responded to requests for information.

Elisa Baker, 42, dressed in a pink jump suit and shackled at her wrists and legs, quietly answered "yes" as Judge Gregory Hayes asked if she understood the charge against her. She's being held on a $40,000 bond.

The case has drawn nationwide attention to this community at the foot of the N.C. mountains. Reports of possible mistreatment of Zahra have raised questions about what should have been done to protect the little girl.

Zahra, who is hearing impaired and has a prosthetic leg, was reported missing on Saturday. But police say they cannot confirm that anyone outside the household has seen her in the last month.

"She's a beautiful child," Milly Humphrey, a family friend said of Zahra at the vigil. "We don't know anything. We just hope she's found – and found safe."

Elisa Baker's attorney, Scott Reilly of Newton, said his client was "scared to death" and extremely upset about being held in jail.

He would not answer questions about whether Baker had discussed her stepdaughter.

The FBI has been called in to assist local police with the search and conduct any needed lab work.

Authorities worked late into Wednesday night to drain a pond near property owned by Real Tree Services, where Adam Baker, Zahra's father, is employed. The property includes large piles of wood chips and heavy equipment, and is surrounded by woods.

Lieutenant Becky Weatherman of the Burke County Sheriff's Office, said the lack of specifics on where to look was making the search more difficult.

"It's very hard," she said. "Especially if (someone) buried underground or you don't know where exactly to look."

In Hickory, police again visited the Baker's house on 21st Avenue NW. Officers and search dogs didn't turn up anything, although investigators removed a restaurant dumpster near the house to search it for evidence.

No one answered the Bakers' door Wednesday afternoon. Next-door neighbor Charles Bost said he hasn't seen Adam Baker in at least two days as news of his daughter's disappearance spread.

Adam Baker, 33, hasn't been charged in connection with the case and has remained largely out of the public eye except for a Monday appearance on Good Morning America where he acknowledged it was possible his wife might have been involved in Zahra's disappearance.

Douglas Proctor, who identified himself as Elisa Baker's son, contacted the ******* Wednesday to request privacy for his family and express gratitude to the dozens of people offering to help search for Zahra. He declined to discuss the case, but said finding Zahra is the family's top priority.

"Everyone has hope we'll find her," he said. "We're just trying to focus our attention on Zahra and trying to bring her home safe."

On Tuesday, Hickory police called off an AMBER Alert seeking help in finding Zahra alive and declared the case a homicide after cadaver search dogs detected possible human remains in the Bakers' vehicles parked outside their home, according to a search warrant.

Police were first called to the Bakers' home about 5 a.m. Saturday in response to a yard fire.

While they were there, police found a ransom note on the Bakers' SUV, demanding $1 million from "Mr. Coffey," who has been identified as Adam Baker's boss. The note suggested kidnappers had taken Mark Coffey's daughter, but when police checked they found the family was fine.

Zahra Baker was born in the southeast Australian town of Wagga Wagga, according to the Australian Daily Record. She lost her left leg below the knee to bone cancer when she was 5, and the disease also left her hearing impaired.

She moved to the United States last year with her father after he struck up an online romance with Elisa Baker.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/10/13/1758012/missing-girl-now-believed-to-be.html

[Northern Rose]

http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13318660

Zahra's stepbrother releases statement, asks for prayers
Posted: Oct 13, 2010 5:16 PM EDT
Updated: Oct 13, 2010 5:23 PM EDT
 
Late Wednesday afternoon Douglas Proctor, the son of Elisa Baker, released a statement to the media.

We have posted it here exactly as it was sent to the media:

Dear everyone, I would first like to personally thank all those who have and are continuing to helping locate Zahra Baker and i ask that everyone continue to please support my family during this difficult time.

Due to the fact i am still gathering facts right now i am unable to make any comment on anything regarding Zahra Baker as well as my mother Elisa Baker. I would also like to ask that everyone please respect my families privacy during this difficult and stressful time.

Once all the facts have been gathered i will issue another statement but until then i will refrain from saying anything else. Once again please keep Zahra Baker in your prayers and thanks to everyone who is helping.

 Sincerely, Douglas Proctor

Sounds like Lee Anthony.

Yep..he is LE ..but to his benefit he hasn't lived with his Mother or visited ...but I would think he would have heard the family gossip....

 I would also like to ask that everyone please respect my families privacy during this difficult and stressful time.

Once all the facts have been gathered i will issue another statement but until then i will refrain from saying anything else.     That lasted long .....


The Zahra Baker case: family friends say social services were notified about alleged abuse, plus stepmom's son speaks - watch @gma tmrw
http://twitter.com/yunjid

[4 Donks]

O/T

Klaas Nightowl left a post in JSM about starting a thread for a missing child.  Thanks

[Monkey King]

Interesting, they took 3 PASSPORTS and 2 TOOTHBRUSHES from the home.

I really don't believe this child lived in this house.  Ever.

[Puzzler]

I just don't believe anyone would write a "ransom note" unless they knew what had happened to the missing one.  I mean Zahra could just step out from behind a tree or something otherwise, right?

To me, that's as good as a confession. 

 

This is sad beyond belief!  To think what that child went through just to survive cancer and then this!

Also I think the prosthetic leg would not all chip.  It would leave large metal parts.  Those are somewhere.  And horrible as it is to think, what else can we think with this wood chipper development other than it was used in some way to conceal their crime.  The father is totally complicit in all of this as well.

Anna - I agree with your entire post.

Ditto.

[Deenie]

Were back.  Just finished watching NG.
Listening to Marc Klaas, Ms. Lance/Reporter and *Carrie Fairchild * younger sister of EB.
Thinking out loud here. First I am tired, so if I am all over the place please forgive me. This is a long post too.. needs to be, so I can explain what I am thinking.

Elisa Fairchild Baker meets Adam Baker on line within in internet chat site 2007.

How did this relationship Spark?  Usually people go into chat rooms will go into to speak about a topic. Then meet a few people. Then little clutches of people start meeting at a certain time at night what have you. Happens 24/7 - Globally.  You then do find certain people who interest you more so, then that friendship starts. Again happens all the time.

Now this is what I am leading up to ..
Did Elisa CHOSE Adam because of Zahra ? because Zahra had Cancer ?

Social sites for Romance/Dating you do have to use some common sense. Women for example. It should be a known NO NO that you do not put on your profile. I am a lonely single broken heart and I have two little girls ages 4 and 6, Looking for any man that will treat me right. OK you just invited every perp and pedo into your world.. this Is where I am going with Elisa. 

Is she/Elisa a Predator? She read Adam's bio or was told by Adam he was a lonely man, raising a Daughter on his own that has Cancer, that her leg was amputated, she had lost her hearing.

Did this Elisa tell Adam " She too had Cancer? in 2007 " to gain his sympathy/friendship?
That it was her IN with him.  He was in AU, so she could manipulate him from afar ..not like he was going to show up on her front porch.

She " Elisa"  said by her own Sister and family that she is a pathological liar. Her charges standing of Employee Larceny/Fraud/Bad Checks = Criminal Mind.

Thinking about this. What the Sister said tonight on NG. She said that Elisa would make up stories of her/Elisa having Brain Cancer/Terminal illnesses.
 My brain is telling me, by the Sisters words, " I recall this one time" this was before Elisa met Adam, that the wheelchair event was concocted - attempted. Thankfully the Daughter had common sense enough not to go through with it. Again that Elisa would tell everyone she had terminal brain cancer .. 

NG asked Sister Carrie when was the last time "You" have seen Zahra? Sister replies its been a Year. Or possibly she said over a year. I know it was at least One year. That was 2009 presumably, was the last time she would have seen Zahra.

Did Elisa think in some sick way she could use Zahra for her own intensive purposes? Some sick Fantasy. That is why she went through with this romance and it led to marriage.  All this obsession with Cancer and Terminal Disease is frightening. NOT Munchhausen either.

I think she thought she would be able to Profit off of Zahra in some way, in the beginning.
For her to have a constant feed of Prescriptions .. something of that nature.  Once she married him, got him back to the States.. she Elisa went back to her normal routine. Drugs/Fraud/Abusive Behaviors.

Elisa telling her Street Buds, Hey man my kid has cancer, she is in pain. We cannot afford Medical Insurance.  You need to sell me that oxycodone for 1/2.. type of thing.

Elisa then stays High at a low discount price. Every time they move she finds a new supplier, using the same " Sob Story" and she gets a bonus of having Zahra's scripts too. And has a personal punching bag to release upon 24/7.   All is pure Evil behavior & believable.

[Nana29]

Deeenie, your post said a lot. I think you are thinking some very good thoughts there.

I don't know if this is really how things came to be where they are today, but I would say she at the very least had ulterior motives.

[Deenie]

Deeenie, your post said a lot. I think you are thinking some very good thoughts there.

I don't know if this is really how things came to be where they are today, but I would say she at the very least had ulterior motives.

Her Sisters have said she uses Drugs/had addictions with " Scripts", and that one post/comment from January 2010 " her myspace"  that I posted earlier.

Was a younger woman, early 20's that posted the comment -"We need to get together and smoke some this week" .. I am paraphrasing. It was written in phonics . or misspellings what have you.   

[Deenie]

News article from AU

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/world/pond-drained-in-search-for-missing-zahra-baker/story-e6freoox-1225938728148

The only thing I wanted to share is:

The FBI has been called in to assist local police with the search and conduct any needed laboratory work.

--
I had not read that until now. That the FBI has been called in to assist.

[Deenie]

Deeenie, your post said a lot. I think you are thinking some very good thoughts there.

I don't know if this is really how things came to be where they are today, but I would say she at the very least had ulterior motives.

Watching Marc Klaas tonight was very powerful. Usually NG cuts him off. Or she doesn't respect his time or him for that matter.

When he is attempting to answer her questions, she normally has to intercede and talk about her Twins.. 

I was very impressed with what he said and clarified to the public about Zahra the Girl and her life.

Not everyone is a Monkey and has been following Zahra's case from the hour it hit the media.

I give Huge Props to Marc Klaas Tonight.

[Northern Rose]

Elisa Baker's son speaks out at vigil for missing Zahra

HICKORY, N.C. -- Zahra Baker's stepbrother made his first public statements Tuesday to a crowd of reporters at a candlelight vigil for his missing stepsister.

Douglas Proctor, the 22-year-old son of Elisa Baker, would not answer questions about charges against his mother, the ongoing homicide investigation, or allegations that Elisa Baker abused Zahra. "I can't really comment right now what's going on because I am still learning everything and it's a private matter right now between myself and my family," he said. "To all the people who helped us come out and look the other day, to all the messages that we've received, all the phone calls--it's not gone unnoticed."

He also thanked law enforcement officers investigating the case. "I just want everyone to know that we really appreciate everything and that we're not going to stop looking for Zahra. We'll go as long as it takes."

On Zahra, he said, "I think it would make her happy to see all this, but with that in mind, until anything changes, or we get any more facts, I am not really going to make any more statements."

Proctor personally thanked the pastor of East Hickory Baptist Church where about 300 people gathered on the lawn to pray for Zahra Baker.

Most people who attended--many with children--said they were strangers who'd been touched by the news of her disappearance.

"She lost a leg to cancer, she survived cancer twice," explained a tearful Teresa Brittain, who said she is currently having chemotherapy for cancer. "She was 10 years old, she had her life ahead of her, and we don't even know if it's taken away from her."

Debbie Fogle, whose son was murdered, urged the community to stand-in for Zahra's parents as this investigation unfolds. "This case is different. So I think as a community we need to rally around the child."

Lindsey Parker, a friend of Elisa Baker's biological daughter Brittany, took the microphone to tell the crowd that Brittany had often fought with her mother over Zahra.  She and other friends said the Department of Social Services was contacted.

"She was--she is--an absolutely beautiful child. And we don't know anything until she's found or she's found safe, and I pray that she's found safe," said another friend, Milly Humphrey.

http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Elisa-Bakers-son-speaks-out-at-vigil-for-missing-Zahra--104914834.html