Zahra Clare Baker #9 11/27/10 - 1/5/11

[Northern Rose]

No Updates In Zahra Baker Case

There has been no release of new information pertaining to the Zahra Baker case for a while. To date no charges have been filed in her murder and authorities are keeping quiet. Local citizens have expressed that they feel there should charges be by now.

The eruption of media coverage after 11 warrants were unsealed has prompted Catawba County District Attorney, James Gaither Jr. to file a motion to extend the seal on the remaining warrants. He asked for a hearing during the week of Dec. 20th. He believes that unsealing the warrants could jeopardize the state’s prosecution and the right of a defendant to receive a fair trial. No date has been set at this time.

According to reports several media outlets have also filed a motion saying prosecutors have not sufficiently justified why the documents need to be sealed. They seek access to those documents. Warrants are public information except in certain circumstances when they can be sealed. There are approximately a total 37 warrants in the Zahra Baker case to date. The warrants could be unsealed if a judge decides not to extend the current order to seal.

Elasa Baker, Zahra’s stepmother, remains incarcerated. Adam Baker, Zahra’s biological father, remains out on bail.

http://radioamber.net/?p=3438

[pfaubush]

Am I the only one thinking that this may go much further than Elisa and Adam physically abusing and dismembering Zahra? It seems that if that were all there was to the story, there would have been arrests by now. The longer they wait to arrest someone, the more it seems something even deeper is going on. All of the DNA testing should be complete, the home has been released back to the owner, her body was found, how much more could there be that they are looking for? I'm just so baffled as to why the arrests should take so long and we, Joe Public, are hearing absolute diddly on progress towards said arrests. JMHO

[Northern Rose]

Zahra Baker's investigation file delivered to DA

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2010/dec/17/zahra-bakers-investigation-file-delivered-da-ar-627244/

[Brandi]

Zahra Baker's investigation file delivered to DA

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2010/dec/17/zahra-bakers-investigation-file-delivered-da-ar-627244/

Hickory --

Progress is being made in the Zahra Baker case.

Hickory police investigators have worked steadily since 10-year-old Zahra was reported missing on Oct. 9, and they delivered their findings to the District Attorney’s Office Thursday.

“Yesterday, we turned over a preliminary case file to the District Attorney’s Office for him to start reviewing and consider what course of action he wants to take concerning who he wants to charge and what charges he wants to pursue,” said Chief Tom Adkins of the Hickory Police Department.

Though Adkins did not provide details of his investigators’ findings, he did say their investigation is ongoing and additional information will be turned over to the District Attorney’s office as it is uncovered.

Adkins would not say whether his investigators had received any lab results back from the SBI lab or the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Zahra’s stepmother has been in the Catawba County jail since Oct. 10 when she was arrested on several outstanding warrants unrelated to Zahra’s disappearance. She was also charged with obstruction of justice two days later when she admitted to police that she’d written a ransom note demanding $1 million that was found Oct. 9 at the Bakers’ house at 21 21st Avenue NW in Hickory.

Elisa Baker was scheduled to be in a Newton courtroom Friday on four charges of worthless checks.

She did not appear in court and her case was continued until April 22.

Her next court date is scheduled for Jan. 27 in Lenoir on more than a dozen charges.

Her charges include fictitious tag, driving while license revoked, operating a vehicle with no insurance, unsafe tires, fraudulent disposal of rental property, failure to return rental property, four counts of communicating threats and six counts of worthless checks.

Zahra’s father, Adam Baker, cooperated with investigators throughout the early weeks of the investigation into his daughter’s death and dismemberment.

On Oct. 25, he was arrested on outstanding warrants for bad check charges and bonded out of jail two days later.

He, too, is scheduled to appear in a Lenoir courtroom Jan. 27, on charges of failure to return rental property, two counts of communicating threats, assault with a deadly weapon and four counts of worthless checks. He’s scheduled to be back in a Newton courtroom Jan. 21 on four worthless check charges.

These days Adam Baker is keeping a low profile.

“We have not requested any further information from him within the last month,” Adkins said.

[Monkey King]

Sounds possible they are building a case against AB, he's out of the loop. EB on the other hand seems to be the one making deals.

[4myjoey]

Zahra Baker investigation file delivered to DA
By Richard Gould
Published: December 18, 2010

Hickory --

Progress is being made in the Zahra Baker case.

Hickory police investigators have worked steadily since 10-year-old Zahra was reported missing on Oct. 9, and they delivered their findings to the District Attorney’s Office Thursday.

“Yesterday, we turned over a preliminary case file to the District Attorney’s Office for him to start reviewing and consider what course of action he wants to take concerning who he wants to charge and what charges he wants to pursue,” said Chief Tom Adkins of the Hickory Police Department.

Though Adkins did not provide details of his investigators’ findings, he did say their investigation is ongoing and additional information will be turned over to the District Attorney’s office as it is uncovered.

Adkins would not say whether his investigators had received any lab results back from the SBI lab or the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Zahra’s stepmother has been in the Catawba County jail since Oct. 10 when she was arrested on several outstanding warrants unrelated to Zahra’s disappearance. She was also charged with obstruction of justice two days later when she admitted to police that she’d written a ransom note demanding $1 million that was found Oct. 9 at the Bakers’ house at 21 21st Avenue NW in Hickory.

Elisa Baker was scheduled to be in a Newton courtroom Friday on four charges of worthless checks.

She did not appear in court and her case was continued until April 22.

Her next court date is scheduled for Jan. 27 in Lenoir on more than a dozen charges.

Her charges include fictitious tag, driving while license revoked, operating a vehicle with no insurance, unsafe tires, fraudulent disposal of rental property, failure to return rental property, four counts of communicating threats and six counts of worthless checks.

Zahra’s father, Adam Baker, cooperated with investigators throughout the early weeks of the investigation into his daughter’s death and dismemberment.




“We have not requested any further information from him within the last month,” Adkins said.


Edit to add corrected link per 4myjoey, MB.   http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2010/dec/18/zahra-bakers-investigation-file-delivered-da-ar-627244/

[4myjoey]

Oops here's the correct link:

Edit to add correct link.  MB
  http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2010/dec/18/zahra-bakers-investigation-file-delivered-da-ar-627244/

[4myjoey]

Oops here's the correct link:


http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2010/dec/18/zahra-bakers-investigation-file-delivered-da-ar-627244/

[Curly]

Yeah, I caught that, too. Yesterday...uhm...WHAT?
What took so long?
And~ they haven't interviewed Adam in the past month.
OMG.

[Fanny Mae]

Yeah, I caught that, too. Yesterday...uhm...WHAT?
What took so long?
And~ they haven't interviewed Adam in the past month.
OMG.

It seems pretty clear to me that and Adam should be charged at least with child abuse or neglect. It is worrisome to me that as far as I know, Adam hasn't been seen in quite a while. I know the LE took his passport, but come on, we all know it is pretty easy to get new ID and documents. I hope the authorities are sitting on him hard. He has been slippery before, and may not be as dumb as he looks.

[Nut44x4]

 

[Kat_Gram]

I also think there is more going on than just EB and AB.
More persons with child porn. Anyone who would do what they did to Zahra, who was so well connected on the Internet and imvu, and so crazy, anything is possible. I do not know anything, although my helper told me she read on Topix, like that is the gospel truth, eh ?
that there was child porn, not Zahra on the home computer of EB.
Just putting it out there, been thinking about it for some time.
...
Maybe that is what is in those search warrants that they don't want released, yet. Names of the others.

[Wildingheart]

I don't often post unless I have something fairly newsworthy to share, mostly because you all do such a fantastic job, but I thought this might be relevant.

I probably shouldn't even post this because it is so depressing but here goes.

Last night I saw on the local news channel where they were talking about everything (so far) being presented to the DA and it's going before a grand jury (in fact, I believe the news was a re-run from several days ago as they seem to do that on weekends) and the newscaster said since there is no way to tell how Zahra died and a few other things, and that it was going to be very difficult to prosecute anyone for her death.

I don't know if that was the newscaster's opinion or something she was repeating from word of mouth, LE, or what, but it really made me sad to hear it. I really hope it was just her opinion.

I have a sinking feeling (now) that this will end up like the Haleigh Cummings' case and they will just have to go with what they already have on EB and AB. And maybe what they did to her after death and neglect, etc.

[melisb]

Thanks Wild!  I so hope that it is the reporters opinion but doesn't look that way!  We shall see and I hope they nail em both to the wall!

[starwynn]

I don't often post unless I have something fairly newsworthy to share, mostly because you all do such a fantastic job, but I thought this might be relevant.

I probably shouldn't even post this because it is so depressing but here goes.

Last night I saw on the local news channel where they were talking about everything (so far) being presented to the DA and it's going before a grand jury (in fact, I believe the news was a re-run from several days ago as they seem to do that on weekends) and the newscaster said since there is no way to tell how Zahra died and a few other things, and that it was going to be very difficult to prosecute anyone for her death.

I don't know if that was the newscaster's opinion or something she was repeating from word of mouth, LE, or what, but it really made me sad to hear it. I really hope it was just her opinion.

I have a sinking feeling (now) that this will end up like the Haleigh Cummings' case and they will just have to go with what they already have on EB and AB. And maybe what they did to her after death and neglect, etc.

I've had that terrible feeling, too.  Based on what is just given out to the public information-wise, realistically we have to be prepared for that possibility.  AB and EB can't be convicted on "but it's obvious".... UNfortunately!     There has to be a manner of death, otherwise it's just corpse tampering and covering THAT up.  If they can't determine a cause of death, and if she was buried long enough that's possible, then they can't pin it on them.

That being said, it's still possible (and I hope it's likely) that the LE has a bunch of information they were fine-tuning all this time to make certain that they can and will charge the guilty parties with Zahra's death, and all the other horrors that accompanied it.  In the mean time I pray, hope, beg God, and cross my fingers (anything to "tug the fabric of the universe" as my friend says) that we will find out who did this, and that there will be enough evidence to prosecute, and that they will be held accountable fully with a life or death sentence with no possibility of parole.

[pfaubush]

I don't often post unless I have something fairly newsworthy to share, mostly because you all do such a fantastic job, but I thought this might be relevant.

I probably shouldn't even post this because it is so depressing but here goes.

Last night I saw on the local news channel where they were talking about everything (so far) being presented to the DA and it's going before a grand jury (in fact, I believe the news was a re-run from several days ago as they seem to do that on weekends) and the newscaster said since there is no way to tell how Zahra died and a few other things, and that it was going to be very difficult to prosecute anyone for her death.

I don't know if that was the newscaster's opinion or something she was repeating from word of mouth, LE, or what, but it really made me sad to hear it. I really hope it was just her opinion.

I have a sinking feeling (now) that this will end up like the Haleigh Cummings' case and they will just have to go with what they already have on EB and AB. And maybe what they did to her after death and neglect, etc.

I've had that terrible feeling, too.  Based on what is just given out to the public information-wise, realistically we have to be prepared for that possibility.  AB and EB can't be convicted on "but it's obvious".... UNfortunately!     There has to be a manner of death, otherwise it's just corpse tampering and covering THAT up.  If they can't determine a cause of death, and if she was buried long enough that's possible, then they can't pin it on them.

That being said, it's still possible (and I hope it's likely) that the LE has a bunch of information they were fine-tuning all this time to make certain that they can and will charge the guilty parties with Zahra's death, and all the other horrors that accompanied it.  In the mean time I pray, hope, beg God, and cross my fingers (anything to "tug the fabric of the universe" as my friend says) that we will find out who did this, and that there will be enough evidence to prosecute, and that they will be held accountable fully with a life or death sentence with no possibility of parole.

So, how is it that the state can prosecute without a body, but not if they can't determine cause of death on a corpse? Could someone explain this to me? I would still think that this can go beyond resonable doubt if they dismembered. The only hang up I can think of is who did it. Since EB knows all these details, wouldn't it go to show that she was there and played a major role. This boggles my mind and I'm not understanding the difference in these scenarios.

[4 Donks]

I don't often post unless I have something fairly newsworthy to share, mostly because you all do such a fantastic job, but I thought this might be relevant.

I probably shouldn't even post this because it is so depressing but here goes.

Last night I saw on the local news channel where they were talking about everything (so far) being presented to the DA and it's going before a grand jury (in fact, I believe the news was a re-run from several days ago as they seem to do that on weekends) and the newscaster said since there is no way to tell how Zahra died and a few other things, and that it was going to be very difficult to prosecute anyone for her death.

I don't know if that was the newscaster's opinion or something she was repeating from word of mouth, LE, or what, but it really made me sad to hear it. I really hope it was just her opinion.

I have a sinking feeling (now) that this will end up like the Haleigh Cummings' case and they will just have to go with what they already have on EB and AB. And maybe what they did to her after death and neglect, etc.

I've had that terrible feeling, too.  Based on what is just given out to the public information-wise, realistically we have to be prepared for that possibility.  AB and EB can't be convicted on "but it's obvious".... UNfortunately!     There has to be a manner of death, otherwise it's just corpse tampering and covering THAT up.  If they can't determine a cause of death, and if she was buried long enough that's possible, then they can't pin it on them.

That being said, it's still possible (and I hope it's likely) that the LE has a bunch of information they were fine-tuning all this time to make certain that they can and will charge the guilty parties with Zahra's death, and all the other horrors that accompanied it.  In the mean time I pray, hope, beg God, and cross my fingers (anything to "tug the fabric of the universe" as my friend says) that we will find out who did this, and that there will be enough evidence to prosecute, and that they will be held accountable fully with a life or death sentence with no possibility of parole.

So, how is it that the state can prosecute without a body, but not if they can't determine cause of death on a corpse? Could someone explain this to me? I would still think that this can go beyond resonable doubt if they dismembered. The only hang up I can think of is who did it. Since EB knows all these details, wouldn't it go to show that she was there and played a major role. This boggles my mind and I'm not understanding the difference in these scenarios.

Natalie and Chase Deblase had been buried since March and June and I don't believe they have determined a cause of death but dad has been charged with 2 counts of murder and abuse of a corpse so it can be done. IMO

[Curly]

Chit. My mind can't even go there that these 2 monsters could possibly get away with this.

[Wildingheart]

They mentioned several things besides lacking the cause of death, like no exact time and several other things.

I really hope it isn't true. And it wasn't on national news, just this little rag of a local station that can't even get the weather right. So who knows..

I've seen many cases that were stalled..then all of a sudden resumed like gangbusters and LE ended up having all kinds of evidence. I've also seen cases that just went away..like Haleigh's did.

I live just close enough to hear it on local news. I've never lived even in the general area. And I've seen all sorts of justice here as well as injustice. But I've also seen that basically everywhere.

And I realize that no one crime committed against any one child is worse that one committed against another one. But it seems to me that Zahra is different because of all she had to endure in her life, health, and then in death. I've followed crimes against children a long time and know from reading here that many of you have too. And I've never seen anything like this.

Someone needs to pay. And if they didn't already know and have proof of who abused and neglected her, or know who just stood by and let it happen, I could kind of understand why nobody has been arrested.

It's Christmastime and Zahra is in a better place. But someone should at least be in jail for something at least pertaining to her neglect.

OT I'd like to say that I love SM. I've never seen such compassion for children as I've found here. I've also never seen such beautiful graphics. I've sat here and cried before, especially over the graphics that include Zahra.

To think that complete strangers spent all that time and effort trying to place her in happy, peaceful scenarios that she never had a chance to experienced in life, is completely overwhelming and speaks much to the character of the members here.

[starwynn]

They mentioned several things besides lacking the cause of death, like no exact time and several other things.

I really hope it isn't true. And it wasn't on national news, just this little rag of a local station that can't even get the weather right. So who knows..

I've seen many cases that were stalled..then all of a sudden resumed like gangbusters and LE ended up having all kinds of evidence. I've also seen cases that just went away..like Haleigh's did.

I live just close enough to hear it on local news. I've never lived even in the general area. And I've seen all sorts of justice here as well as injustice. But I've also seen that basically everywhere.

And I realize that no one crime committed against any one child is worse that one committed against another one. But it seems to me that Zahra is different because of all she had to endure in her life, health, and then in death. I've followed crimes against children a long time and know from reading here that many of you have too. And I've never seen anything like this.

Someone needs to pay. And if they didn't already know and have proof of who abused and neglected her, or know who just stood by and let it happen, I could kind of understand why nobody has been arrested.

It's Christmastime and Zahra is in a better place. But someone should at least be in jail for something at least pertaining to her neglect.

OT I'd like to say that I love SM. I've never seen such compassion for children as I've found here. I've also never seen such beautiful graphics. I've sat here and cried before, especially over the graphics that include Zahra.

To think that complete strangers spent all that time and effort trying to place her in happy, peaceful scenarios that she never had a chance to experienced in life, is completely overwhelming and speaks much to the character of the members here.

It was also my understanding that in some cases they will pull the "no cause of death" card and no prosecute for murder.  I don't know how they do it, particularly when you have a situation like this, but IIRC I had heard that very scenario mentioned by legal beagles.  I really pray that they can find a way to prove that these two had something to do with it, especially since the whole rape allegation seemed to take the murder-attention off of AB and EB.  (Maybe that was its purpose?)

By the way, I totally agree with the <3 for SM.  My boyfriend makes fun of me (kindly) about how much time I spend here.  I have spent so much time reading about a few of the cases here, reading on my own, and feeling quite helpless/hopeless about mankind.  It really does give me relief to think that there really are good, caring people out there who are as outraged at these cases of these missing kids/adults like I am.  There is hope, so much hope!