Hair follicles main focus in day 5 of Tara Baker murder trial

Hair experts detail forensic science in Tara Baker case

The first week of the murder trial for Edrick Faust, the man accused of killing University of Georgia law student Tara Baker in 2001, has concluded in Athens-Clarke County.

ATHENS, Ga. - Day five of the trial of Edrick Faust concluded early Friday, February 6, 2026, following a dense day of testimony focused on the forensic evidence used to charge him with a 23-year-old murder.

 Coleman-Baker Act

The backstory:

Faust is accused of the 2001 killing of UGA law student Tara Baker, whose body was found in her burning Athens apartment just hours before her 24th birthday.

The trial, which is the first being prosecuted under the Coleman-Baker Act—a 2023 law that funded a specialized GBI Cold Case Unit—has become a clash between modern DNA technology and the preservation of decades-old evidence.

Testimony about hair

What we know:

A significant portion of Friday's testimony involved a hair expert who detailed the microscopic structures used to analyze evidence recovered in 2001. The expert broke down the three main parts of hair.

The expert noted that blonde hair with a fine diameter often lacks the unique observational features found in larger or more heavily pigmented hairs, making definitive identification difficult. This supported the defense’s earlier opening statements, where they claimed that Caucasian hair found in Baker’s hands does not match Faust and instead points to a different suspect.

Following the hair expert, a laboratory technician testified regarding the advanced DNA testing conducted in 2023. This testing isolated male DNA from a sexual assault kit that had been preserved for over two decades, which investigators say led to a direct match with Faust in the FBI's CODIS database.

Tense courtroom

Dig deeper:

The courtroom atmosphere remained tense on Friday, continuing a week of friction between Judge Lisa Lott and defense attorney Ahmad R. Crews.

Crews has repeatedly moved for a mistrial, arguing that "significant chain of custody issues" over the last 23 years have compromised the integrity of the DNA samples. He has characterized the state’s case as an attempt to "retrofit" a suspect into a cold case using DNA alone, while lacking fingerprints or eyewitnesses.

Judge Lott has denied all mistrial requests, previously telling the defense that having a "tantrum" over unfavorable rulings was inappropriate. Earlier in the week, Crews was held in contempt of court and fined $1,000 for violating the state’s rape shield law during his opening statements.

Tara Baker murder trial

What's next:

The trial will resume on Monday morning, February 9, 2026.