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ATHENS, Ga. - Tuesday marks day seven of testimony in the murder trial of Tara Baker, and the prosecution is expected to continue presenting its case against Edrick Faust.
Faust is charged with malice murder and other counts in connection with Baker’s 2001 killing. Her body was discovered inside her burning Athens apartment one day before her 24th birthday.
What they're saying:
Prosecutors say advances in DNA testing in recent years conclusively link Faust to the decades-old cold case. Testimony last week focused heavily on hair follicles, which prosecutors say are central to the DNA evidence tying Faust to the crime. However, the defense has argued there were significant chain-of-custody issues and that police failed to thoroughly investigate other potential suspects.
Dig deeper:
The man the defense has identified as another possible suspect took the stand Monday. Chris Melton, Baker's boyfriend at the time of the murder, testified as a witness for the prosecution.
Melton discussed his distress following the murder and confirmed he was the person who identified Baker's body. He testified that police showed him a digital photograph of the victim after he arrived to speak with detectives in Athens. Melton also spoke about his relationship with Baker and how her law school studies and his own job impacted how frequently they saw each other.
The defense questioned Melton about his alibi and whether he knew Baker would be alone on the night of the murder. They also questioned how he could recall specific details of his alibi decades later while failing to remember other events. The judge threw out that question after ruling it was argumentative.
Melton was also questioned about his DNA being found in Baker's body. He testified that he saw Baker the weekend before her murder and stated they had never engaged in anal intercourse. Following Melton's testimony, the prosecution called three witnesses who supported his alibi, including that he was working at a bank and a vehicle repair shop on the day of the murder.
What's next:
Testimony is set to resume Tuesday at 9 a.m.
The Source: Information in this article came from the FOX 5 Digital Team watching the trial in real time.