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

[Curly]

Put the father in the wood chipper and he'll start talking...guaranteed.

[mymonkey]

I have a hard time understanding why the father is at the searches...either he knows something or he does not know...like another monkey said perhaps LE is watching for reaction. 

[no rose colored glasses]

I have a hard time understanding why the father is at the searches...either he knows something or he does not know...like another monkey said perhaps LE is watching for reaction. 

I'm not understanding this either, that must be it, his reaction.

[pink angel]

Burke County Sheriff John McDevitt said investigators are conducting a "grid search" on Thursday of Real Tree Services in Morganton, N.C., where the girl's father, Adam Baker, works as a laborer.

McDevitt said the search has so far yielded no clues in the case, saying, "At this point we're just trying to eliminate spots."


http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/10/14/search-remains-missing-north-carolina-girl-turns-pond-near-fathers-workplace/?test=latestnews

[mymonkey]

 

[mymonkey]

My post went poof ::MonkeyTongue::I was trying to post...the two most horrific cases I have followed have both been in NC

[theboyzmom]

I hope everyone knows yo do not have to identify yourself in order to call and report suspected child abuse.  You can be completely anonymous.  Don't buy this dam story of, "Oh, I was on drugs so I couldn't call".  BS!!!  If I ever see someone hurting a child or make me believe that a child is in danger, you better believe I will call and give my name to boot!!!

I agree with you mariloo - but it is not always true. I reported one time and the workers came in and said "Hi I am ***** and I am here about TBM call about suspected child abuse"  This would not be a problem but I was at work in our restaurant and the person I called about was my hubby's ex!  Talk about feeling 2 inches high - while I was right in what I did I really did not want it broadcast all over the world!

[Kat_Gram]

Maybe it makes it look as if he is co-operating. To the one in jail.
Taking them all the place he worked, etc.
So, I wonder if he is visiting his lovely spouse ( gag me )  in jail ? 

[pink angel]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Though Zahra Clare Baker was battling cancer that forced her to wear hearing aids and a prosthetic leg, friends who knew her in Australia say she was an outgoing, caring, happy girl.

Then her lonely single father moved her halfway around the world to North Carolina so he could live with a woman he met on the Internet. Now the 10-year-old with the freckles and wide smile is missing and presumed dead, and friends and family thousands of miles away are waiting anxiously for word about her fate.

"She was one of the bravest little girls you'll ever have the pleasure of meeting," Kim Wright, 44, a close friend of the family, told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Giru, Australia, where Zahra lived until two years ago. "She was always thinking of others."

Zahra's father and stepmother reported her missing over the weekend, saying they had last seen her in her bed at their home in Hickory, about 50 miles northwest of Charlotte, early on the morning of Oct. 9.

Police say they don't believe them. They've had trouble finding anyone outside Zahra's house who has seen her alive in recent months. That's made it difficult to narrow down places to search.

"We've been going back and talking to everyone we can," Hickory Deputy Chief Clyde Deal said Thursday.

Zahra's stepmother, 42-year-old Elisa Baker, is jailed, accused of trying to throw off investigators with a fake ransom note. Her court-appointed attorney, Scott Reilly, says she is "scared to death" and very emotional about everything.

Zahra's father, Adam Baker, 33, hasn't been charged, but investigators haven't ruled him out as a suspect. Several telephone messages left for Adam Baker were not returned Thursday.

Wright said friends and family in Australia still hope Zahra is alive. She became friends with the little girl four years ago at a cancer fundraising event. She was sitting in a chair waiting for her head to be shaved to raise money when Zahra approached, took her hand and told her not to be scared.

Wright became something of a surrogate mother to the girl, whose biological mother left when she was a baby. Adam Baker raised her after that with help from his parents, Wright said, taking time off from the sugar mill where he worked so he could be with Zahra when she was diagnosed with bone cancer about five years ago.

Wright described a phone call from Zahra when she was in a children's hospital waiting to have her leg amputated.

"She told me they were having trouble with her leg because she was really sick. But then she said: 'It's OK because I'm going to be getting a Barbie leg so I don't want you to get upset,'" Wright said. "That little kid was more concerned about what I was feeling than what she was going through."

A few months later, doctors discovered tumors in her lungs. She had chemotherapy, but the treatment led to a partial hearing loss. Still, she remained upbeat, attending a camp for children with cancer and inspiring her fellow campers by taking part in all of the physical activities.

"She was missing a limb but she could still do anything that the other kids could do," said camp manager Mark McGregor. "She was an unbelievable kid and we're hoping like hell that you find her alive and we can get her back here."

Police say that's not likely. Documents and interviews with friends and neighbors in North Carolina paint a starkly different picture of Zahra's life there.

They say Elisa Baker had a short temper and would hit Zahra, that Social Services was called to investigate, but nothing was ever done.

"I watched her beat her and tried to stop her," said former neighbor Karen Yount, who filed a complaint against Elisa Baker for threatening to harm her daughter and her friends.

Former neighbor Kayla Rotenberry said she saw Elisa Baker hit Zahra and noticed bruises on the girl's face and body. She also said that Elisa Baker told her that Social Services was investigating.

"She was angry that people were getting into her business," she said. "We all tried to stop her. That little girl was so sweet. Always smiling through it all. She just wanted to be loved."

Wright says friends in Australia were suspicious of Elisa Baker when Adam Baker met her online in early 2008 and invited her to visit.

Elisa Baker told them she was she was a police officer who was shot in the line of duty. She also said she was a bounty hunter and had met celebritites.

"She told a lot of stories that never quite rang true," Wright said.

They were married that July in a small ceremony in Adam Baker's parents' backyard. In November, they moved to North Carolina. The family was less than thrilled, especially since Zahra's medical treatments were free in Australia.

"Adam was on his own for eight years with Zahra before he met (her) and I think he was lonely and I think that was his biggest downfall, really," Wright said.

The last time Wright saw Zahra, the little girl said she didn't want to leave her grandparents and friends. Wright hugged her and told her she would get to go to Disneyland.

"But she was nervous," Wright said. "She said she wanted to go for a day, but wasn't sure she wanted to live there. But when you're a 7-year-old kid, you don't get a choice. Your parents tell you what to do and that's the end of that discussion."

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/friends-missing-girl-had-682395.html

[pink angel]

Investigators are searching 5 acres. From Chopper 9 you could see police using a bulldozer to look under a pile of wood, while nearby cadaver dogs try to pick up a scent.

"They've asked us today to eliminate this property to remove it from the suspect list and when we leave here today that will be done one way or the other," said McDevitt.

Earlier this week, a K-9 unit alerted police to a wood chipper on the property. A K-9 unit dog handler told Channel 9 that the hit was not on the wood chipper itself but the engine, and the blood could have come from a cut on a worker’s hand.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25389806/detail.html

[pfaubush]

Drug use kept relatives from contacting DSS about Zahra

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Two women who have spoken about the family stability involving a missing girl from Hickory now claim one of them was addicted to drugs – and that contributed to why they never directly called authorities about possible problems at the missing girl's home.

Brittney Bentley, who was married to the nephew of Elisa Baker, told WBT Radio on Wednesday that she was a drug addict and that she was sorry for not contacting the North Carolina Department of Social Services after allegedly observing problems pertaining to Zahra Claire Baker's home life.

Full Coverage: The Search for Zahra

Elisa Baker, the stepmother of Zahra, is considered a "person of interest" by police in the disappearance the 10-year-old child. Baker, also charged with felony obstruction of justice in the case, is being held in the Catawba County Jail on a $72,200 bond as crews search for her missing stepdaughter, Zahra.

Bentley claimed on WBT's Tara Servatius Show that she told her mother, Kim Drum, about issues that Zahra was subjected to, but Drum says she never contacted DSS either.

"No… I never called DSS," Drum said, adding that she regrets "…it very, very much" as authorities now fear Zahra is dead. Police called off an AMBER Alert Tuesday and now are investigating the case as a homicide.

Drum and Bentley surfaced in news accounts earlier this week as the first family members to talk about Zahra's family experiences. Bentley, who says she has been in drug recovery for 3 months, says she is no longer married to Elisa Baker's nephew. (Drum and Bentley said much more on WBT Radio -- listen to the audio file on this page)
http://www.wbtv.com/global/link.asp?l=461183

Bentley claims she told her mother, Drum, who was supposed to tell DSS about the problems. But, Drum, who said she knew her daughter was hooked on drugs, did not believe her daughter's claims of Zahra's home problems.

The two women claim that, although they never called DSS themselves, they did "make sure" DSS investigated the case. Although they did not actually explain on WBT Radio how they made sure that happened, they claim to have seen DSS agents at the Baker's house.

Drum also said that she kept Zahra on weekends about every six weeks. Drum told WBT Radio that Zahra never complained about Elisa Baker and that all she ever saw wrong with Zahra was a very faint black eye. Drum said that Zahra told her the injury was from running into a doorknob.

"I didn't know what to believe at the time," Drum said, about conflicting information from her daughter and Zahra.
"At that time in Brittney's life… she … Brittney was on drugs."

http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13324177

I have 2 comments that I would like to make...first I want to say that I am not defending the mother of this girl (the drug addict).

1. I had a neighbor that I was vaguely aquainted with. Another neighbor that I know called and was telling me horror stories of the aquaintance and her children being beaten and verbally abused by her husband. Every time I was told something, I would call DHS to register a complaint. I am a mandatory reporter, since I was a foster parent and still hold my license (though, common sense say to report anyways). On each of those calls, I would recieve a call back saying that they decided not to follow up, since I didn't have first hand knowledge. It was all considered hear-say and I was not a witness to it. I told them on one occasion that I did see bruises on the woman. Still couldn't do anything. This happened 4 times. They did tell me that I needed to keep calling every time I heard anything, and just encouraged me to have the neighbor that witnessed this call. She wouldn't do it, because she was afraid that if she did and the cops went and checked, nothing would happen to him and he might end up killing her. Eventually these people moved and I quit talking to the neighbor that wouldn't report him.

2. Who in their right mind wouldn't call because they are using drugs??? I admit that as a teen, I was a user of many drugs. I had to hit rock bottom before I turned my life around and even at my worst, I would never have stood around with my thumb up my a$$ while some poor child was abused or neglected. It wouldn't have mattered who was doing the abusing.

[pink angel]

CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. -- New details are emerging into 10-year-old Zahra Baker’s life before she was reported missing last Saturday.

The Baker family lived in Caldwell County before moving to Hickory about six weeks ago.

According to Caldwell County school officials, Zahra attended Hudson Elementary School at the end of her 3rd grade year, in 2009.

She began 4th grade in August 2009 at Granite Falls Elementary School and stayed there until March 9, 2010. At that point, she was pulled from Granite Falls and placed back at Hudson Elementary School. Authorities believe Hudson Elementary is the last school that Zahra attended.

A source told NewsChannel 36 that the staff at Hudson did see signs of trouble in Zahra’s life and even visited her home.

"They utilized every resource within the school and any referral process that was available in the school for the well-being and welfare of Zahra," says Libby Brown, with Caldwell County schools.

Those staff members reported their concerns to the Department of Social Services, who then visited the Baker home.

http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Caldwell-school-officials-tried-to-help-Zahra-Baker-104985934.html

[no rose colored glasses]

What in the world does it take for the department of social services to take care of an abused child? 

[cw618]

http://www.wsoctv.com/slideshow/news/25392609/detail.html

2nd pic in slide show the caption reads, NOTE the caption
did not use punctuation

police said they have searched four properties in caldwell
where the family lived over the last couple of days
------------

http://www.wsoctv.com/slideshow/news/25392609/detail.html

pic 5 caption reads
 police said that the father, adam baker,has been 100 percent
cooperative and has spent the majority of his time with
investigators
-------------

[pink angel]

Crews searched a large Burke County property off and on Thursday trying to determine if it still is a valid part of the homicide investigation involving 10-year-old Zahra Baker.

K9 crews indicated earlier in the week that traces of human remains were found on wood processing equipment in an area where Baker's father once worked, but detectives with the Burke County Sheriff's Office said that is no longer a solid lead.

On Wednesday, crews drained a small pond using fire tanker trucks. They were digging through a large wood pile the night before. The search team, which consists of two K9 crews and 45 people, say they will leave no stone unturned.

“Just to be able to say that she's not here, or if she is here, be able to locate her and give the family some type of closure,” said Detective Michael Ollis, of the Burke County Sheriff's Office.

Ollis says the search has been on again-off again as the get information, exhaust the lead, get more information, come back and follow new leads.

The Hudson community will hold a vigil for Baker on Thursday night. She attended Hudson Elementary through June 2010.

http://charlotte.news14.com/content/top_stories/631503/crews-come-up-empty-so-far-as-zahra-search-continues

[Bearlyhere]

Drugs are always most important 

That is why drug addiction is not a victim-less crime as some claim.

[Jerseygirl345]

Picking up pieces of the puzzle
ANDY TOULSON  |  October 13th, 2010


SO what do we know about Adam, Elisa and Zahra Baker?

Adam, 33, is a Sydney-born landscape gardener, who along with his baby daughter, followed his parents to the tiny North Queensland township of Giru, approximately 56km south-east of Townsville, in mid-2004.

Adam, his father and one other brother gained employment at the CSR Invicta Sugar Mill at Giru, while young Zahra was looked after by his mother Karen.

Little is known about Zahra's biological mother, but neighbours said Adam had told them she had not been involved in her daughter's life since she was eight months old.

Adam reportedly met the older Elisa, now 42, a native of North Carolina, about four years ago over the internet.

Associated Press reported that Elisa had two daughters and a son from a previous marriage, with the mother and son maintaining very little contact.

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/10/13/176631_news.html

[Monkey King]

I have a hard time understanding why the father is at the searches...either he knows something or he does not know...like another monkey said perhaps LE is watching for reaction. 

I'm not understanding this either, that must be it, his reaction.

They don't want to let him go- who knows where he'd disappear to.  They don't want to arrest him, he'd lawyer up and they wouldn't get anything from him- not like they are now.  But, once they find Zahra, they'll have his reaction and maybe he'd breakdown and confess.

[pink angel]

CALDWELL COUNTY., N.C. -- On Thursday, Channel 9 investigated why someone hadn’t notice Zahra Baker was missing sooner.

A lot of times, the schools are the first ones to pick up on these things, but in this case no education officials at any level, in any county, knew where Baker was.

Channel 9 learned that Baker finished last school year in Caldwell County, but then she didn't show up for the first few days of school this year.

Channel 9 spoke with a school spokesperson, Libby Brown, on Thursday. She said a school counselor called Baker's parents and that Baker's parents said they moved to Hickory and were probably going to home-school Baker.

Brown said, "There was no more contact with the family. They refused to speak to the school."

If the Bakers were home-schooling, they would have had to file papers with the state. Channel 9 talked to a state school official, Jill Lucas, Thursday. She handles home-schooling and private schools. She said the state doesn't have any records of either parent setting up a home school or any home school at Baker's address.

Someone else could have been teaching Baker, but the state couldn't say for sure because the state doesn't track the students.

North Carolina has a law requiring school attendance, so Channel investigated who enforces that, who was making sure Baker was attending some school. Perhaps that person would have seen a change.

It sounds like, in a case like Baker's, no one knew to check.
http://www.wsoctv.com/zahra-baker/25394665/detail.html

[pink angel]

MORGANTON --

Officers spent Thursday searching for Zahra Baker’s remains.

Teams reconvened north of Morganton for what they hope will be a final search of Fred Causby’s property.

A celebration of life will be held in Zahra’s honor at 7 tonight at First Baptist Church in Hudson. The church is at 345 Main Street in Hudson.
 
The vigil will be held on the field at the church. If it rains, they’ll move the event inside the church.

By then the Causby property search is expected to be over.

Burke County Sheriff John T. McDevitt said his deputies joined forces with Hickory police officers, EMS crews, firefighters and rescue workers from several agencies to search Causby’s three acres along with about 60 acres surrounding it off Hartland Road.

“Our goal is to assist them (the Hickory Police Department),” he said. “They’ve asked us today to eliminate this property.”

McDevitt said he expects the search to end by 7 p.m. He said there is a “high probability” that Zahra’s body will not be found on the property and the search will not continue Friday.

Causby is a foreman with Real Tree Services and employs Adam Baker, Zahra’s father. He has given officers to search his property. Several surrounding neighbors have also allowed their property to be searched.

Searchers spent the day moving wood and debris by hand. Hickory police officers searched with K-9 units.

Causby’s property has been searched several times since Zahra was reported missing Saturday afternoon. A pond at the site was drained and search dogs have been used to search near piles of brush, wood chips and a wood chipper.

Hickory police chief Tom Adkins announced Tuesday that his agency is no longer considering the 10-year-old girl a missing person. It’s a homicide case now.

Zahra’s stepmother, Elisa Baker, has been in the Catawba County jail since Saturday afternoon. She was charged with obstruction of justice after admitting she wrote the ransom note demanding $1 million, Adkins said. She is also charged with more than a dozen unrelated crimes stemming from nine outstanding arrest warrants. Her bond is $72,000 secured.
http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2010/oct/14/vigil-begins-burke-county-search-wraps-ar-458348/