EP. 38-Unlocking Justice: The Tara Baker Murder Case

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One day before her 24th birthday, promising law student Tara Baker's bright future was violently stolen from her. A deadbolted door, a deliberately set fire, and an apartment in flames created a perfect storm that nearly erased all evidence of what really happened that night in January 2001.

Tara was the embodiment of what makes an exceptional lawyer - brilliant, compassionate, and committed to fighting for the underdogs of society. Her fellow UGA law students remember her as the person who brought people together, ensuring no one felt excluded. She had just finished another late night at the law library, calling a friend at 9:46 PM to make sure they'd arrived home safely. Hours later, firefighters would make the devastating discovery that would haunt Athens, Georgia for more than two decades.

For 23 years, the case remained unsolved despite several promising leads: a boyfriend (quickly cleared), a suspicious classmate, a local criminal spotted nearby, and a former colleague who mysteriously left town after her murder. The crime scene itself presented nearly insurmountable challenges - water from firefighting efforts washed away crucial evidence while the deliberately set fire destroyed other potential clues.

The breakthrough finally came through the power of modern forensic science and a newly established cold case unit named partly in Tara's honor. In May 2024, authorities arrested Edric Lamont Faust, a man with a violent criminal history but, surprisingly, no connection whatsoever to Tara. The DNA evidence collected at the original crime scene, preserved for over two decades, had finally spoken. This wasn't a crime of passion between acquaintances as initially theorized - it appears to have been a random attack, a devastating moment of opportunity that robbed the world of a promising advocate for justice.

Listen as we unravel how this case finally found resolution, the complicated emotions faced by Tara's family, and how her legacy lives on through Georgia's dedicated cold case unit that bears her name. If you have information about this or any unsolved case, consider reaching out to authorities - your tip could be the missing piece that brings a family the answers they've waited decades to hear.

Sources:

Last updated: October 20, 2024
https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/classic-city-crime-1332721/episodes/introducing-classic-city-crime-69782265

https://gbi.georgia.gov/cases/unsolved-homicide/tara-louise-baker


by: Hollie Lewis
Posted: Jun 1, 2022 / 05:45 PM EDT

Updated: Jun 1, 2022 / 05:23 PM EDT
https://www.wsav.com/now/uga-law-students-homicide-cold-case-of-tara-louise-baker/


https://www.onlineathens.com/story/news/state/2017/02/26/still-no-arrest-16-years-after-uga-law-student-s-murder-police-believe-case/15433794007/

By Kim Leoffler and FOX 5 Atlanta Digital TeamUpdated  May 10, 2024 5:08pm EDTAthens-Clarke County
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/athens-man-charged-with-murder-in-2001-murder-of-uga-law-student-tara-louise-baker