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ATHENS, Ga. - Thursday marks day four of the trial against Edrick Faust, the man accused of killing University of Georgia law student Tara Baker in 2001.
What we know:
On Wednesday, testimony began with a fire expert who concluded that the blaze in Baker’s apartment was intentionally set, likely starting on a bedroom mattress. The defense moved for a mistrial over a "demonstrative" photo of the burned building, but Chief Judge Lisa Lott denied the request.
Witnesses Karen Williams and Kelli Shroder also took the stand, describing a "suspicious" man in a bright orange sweatshirt seen near the neighborhood at the time of the crime. These descriptions led to the creation of two police sketches in 2001, which were presented to the jury. The defense attempted to impeach these witnesses by highlighting inconsistencies between their current recollections and the original sketches.
Defense Attorney Ahmad Crews and Judge Linda Lott ( FOX 5)
Tensions peaked when defense attorney Ahmad R. Crews requested another mistrial, comparing the proceedings to "practicing in communist Russia" after the judge blocked his line of questioning.
Forensic evidence followed as a former GBI criminologist discussed processing DNA from the sexual assault kit and knives found at the scene. She noted that while technology has significantly improved since 2001, the original evidence remained a focal point of the investigation. The defense centered its cross-examination on the chain of custody and the handling of samples over the last two decades. The trial is expected to continue into next week as the prosecution concludes its case.
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.
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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.
The Source: Information in this article came from FOX 5's Sam Daniel and Tyler Fingert watching the trial in real time.