Roommates, cold case investigators testify in Tara Baker murder trial
Roommate testifies in Tara Baker cold case murder trial
The murder trial of Edric Faust, accused of killing University of Georgia law student Tara Baker in 2001, entered its fourth day with pivotal testimony from Baker's former roommate.
ATHENS, Ga. - Thursday marked one of the busiest days of testimony so far in the trial of Edrick Faust, the man accused of killing University of Georgia law student Tara Baker in 2001.
Murder of Tara Baker
The backstory:
The trial follows the January 2001 discovery of Baker's body inside her burned Athens-area apartment. Investigators previously determined that the fire had been intentionally set and ruled her death a homicide. Despite the decades-long investigation, it would take until 2024 to arrest Faust.
Roommate testimony
What they're saying:
The day began with testimony from both of Baker's roommates. Much of their accounts focused on Baker’s behavior following winter break; they described her as being more quiet and private than usual, spending an increased amount of time at the house.
Defense Attorney Ahmad Crews and Judge Linda Lott ( FOX 5)
Defense attorney Ahmad R. Crews questioned the roommates about their schedules, highlighting that at least one person was typically home. Crews played a recording of a past police interview in which a roommate suggested the killer might have known the house would be empty. He also confirmed with the roommates that nothing had been stolen from the apartment.
Debate over sketches
What they're saying:
A fingerprint analyst testified that no fingerprints were recovered from the crime scene. Later, forensic artist Marla Lawson was called to the stand to identify sketches she created of potential suspects in 2001. However, prosecutors successfully objected to the sketches being entered into evidence, arguing they could confuse jurors because the witnesses who provided the descriptions for those specific sketches had not yet testified. Chief Judge Lisa Lott sustained the objection.
Cold case investigator
What they're saying:
John Newton, who worked cold cases for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, discussed taking over the investigation in 2005. He detailed the steps taken to identify a suspect and confirmed that officials had thoroughly investigated Baker's boyfriend at the time.
RELATED: Tara Baker friend, expert witnesses take stand in murder trial
Editor's note: The defense has indicated they are attempting to present the boyfriend as an alternative suspect. FOX 5 is not naming him as he has not been charged with a crime.
Evidence testimony
What they're saying:
The state then called Anne Kisler-Rao, a GBI biology expert, who discussed receiving a box of forensic slides in February 2024. She detailed the tests she performed on fluids recovered from swabs taken from Baker's body.
Tara Baker trial
Dig deeper:
The tensions have been rising since day one of the trial when defense attorney Ahmad Crews was held in contempt after several objections by the prosecution during his opening statements.
The defense says Faust is not guilty, and that police didn't investigate other people well enough before charging his client.
The prosecution says DNA evidence tested decades after the crime linked Faust to the crime.
What's next:
Testimony is scheduled to resume Friday morning at 9 a.m.
The Source: Information in this article came from FOX 5's Sam Daniel and Tyler Fingert watching the trial in real time.