Re: ZAHRA CLAIRE BAKER - Aged 10 years - Hickory, North Carolina (USA)

**Twiglet** Tue Feb 22, 2011 9:53 am

Fox News

21 February 2011

Stepmom Indicted in Death of NC Girl as Autopsy Reveals Her Head Is Still Missing

Authorities have not recovered head of a disabled North Carolina girl whose stepmother has been indicted on a murder charge and accused of dismembering the 10-year-old's body.

An autopsy report released Monday shows that medical examiners say the cause of Zahra Baker's death was undetermined homicidal violence. Examiners say many bones were not present for the autopsy, most notably Zahra Baker's skull. Several bones show cutting tool marks consistent with dismemberment.

Documents show that police learned months ago that the freckle-faced little girl was dismembered after she died, but an exact cause of death has not been revealed. The lack of a head may help to explain that -- and why it took four months for a charge in her death.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/02/21/stepmother-indicted-death-disabled-north-carolina-girl/

**Twiglet** Tue Feb 22, 2011 9:55 am

San Jose Mercury News

21 February 2011

Stepmother indicted in death of disabled NC girl‎

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_17443480?nclick_check=1

**Twiglet** Tue Feb 22, 2011 9:55 am

ABC Online

21 February 2011

Zahra's stepmother charged with murder‎

After months of investigation the American stepmother of Zahra Baker has been charged with second degree murder.

Zahra, 10, was reported missing last October. Her stepmother Elisa Baker was arrested and charged with obstructing justice.

Police in North Carolina found the girl's remains in November.

Her Australian father has denied any part in killing or dismembering Zahra and authorities say at this stage there is no evidence to suggest anyone else was involved.

Now a grand jury has indicted the stepmother, charging her with second degree murder.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/22/3144964.htm

**Twiglet** Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:35 am

Herald Sun

22 February 2011

More gruesome Zahra details revealed‎

A GRAND jury in North Carolina has indicted Elisa Annette Baker for the second-degree murder of her stepdaughter, Zahra Baker, the cancer-stricken Australian child who came to live in the United States with her father, Adam Baker, 33.
The indictment states that Zahra, aged 10, was murdered on September 24, 2010, more than two weeks before her father placed an emergency call to authorities on October 9, saying Zahra was missing.

District Attorney James "Jay" Gaither told a media conference in the town of Hickory: "At this time the state has no credible evidence to suggest that anyone other than Elisa Baker was involved in the murder of Zahra Clare Baker," he said.

Mr Baker's name was not even mentioned during the press conference. He has not been charged but questions remain as to how it was he was unaware that Zahra was not in the house where they lived in Hickory for such a long time.

Claiming he was relieved at the charges against his wife, he told a local television station a short time ago that he was working long hours and believed Zahra was asleep in bed.

The indictment, which was brought down in the Superior Court of Catawba County, also charged Mrs Baker on aggravating factors, saying she "had a history of physical, verbal and psychological abuse" towards Zahra, whose cancer treatment in Australia had left her deaf and walking with a prosthetic leg.

"The defendant secreted the victim from the family and other prior to and after the offence, delaying detection of the offence," read the indictment.

"The defendant desecrated the victim’s body to hinder detection, investigation and prosecution of the offence."

An autopsy of Zahra’s partial remains was also released yesterday, in which the Chief Medical Examiner stated that many of Zahra’s bones were not present for examination, including her skull, which has not been found.

"Several of the bones exhibit cutting tool marks that are consistent with dismemberment," the report states. "The marks grossly appear to result from the use of at least two different cutting instruments.

"Two of the right ribs exhibit healed remote fractures which may be the result of prior surgical intervention. Based on the history and autopsy findings, it is our opinion that the cause of death in this case is undetermined homicidal violence."

Mrs Baker led authorities to parts of Zahra’s remains after she was found to have written a fake ransom note. Until today, she was also being held in Catawba prison on charges relating to obstruction, and bigamy charges.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/stepmother-of-zahra-baker-indicted-on-second-degree-murder-charge/story-e6frf7lf-1226009799347

**Twiglet** Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:37 am

Examiner

21 February 2011

Zahra Baker Autopsy Released‎

http://www.examiner.com/true-crime-in-midlandodessa/zahra-baker-autopsy-released

**Twiglet** Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:39 am

CBS News

22 February 2011

Zahra Baker Update: Stepmom only suspect in disabled NC girl's death, say police

HICKORY, N.C. - Police have named Elisa Baker the sole suspect in the murder of her disabled stepdaughter Zahra Baker, moments after a grand jury indicted her in the death and dismemberment of the 10-year-old girl last year, according to CBS affiliate WBTV.

Meanwhile, the state medical examiner's autopsy report was released regarding the girl's death, which was classified as "Undetermined - homicidal violence."

Hours after the indictment, officials held a press conference and talked about the indictment and the case.

"At this time the state has no credible evidence to suggest that anyone other than Elisa Baker was involved in the murder of Zahra Clare Baker," said Jay Gaither, prosecutor for the 25th District, which includes Catawba County, during a press conference Monday afternoon, according to WBTV.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20034728-504083.html

**merlynsam** Thu Mar 17, 2011 12:14 pm

Criminal Profiler - Pat Brown - comments on Zahra Baker case