Missing Girl Declared Dead; Stepmother Implicates Father
10 year old Zahra Baker was declared missing over a month ago when her father and stepmother noticed she was gone following a fire in their yard. Once Hickory police began investigating, however, they could not determine the exact date of her disappearance because she had not been seen by anyone other than her family members for a month. Zahra, who had lost a leg and much of her hearing to cancer, was described as a quiet girl whom neighbors believed was beaten by her stepmother. After a month long search, police found her remains and her prosthetic leg in various areas after Elisa Baker, her stepmother, told them where to search.
Elisa Baker is in jail on felony charges of obstruction of justice. She has implicated in letters that she and her husband, Adam Baker, did not kill Zahra, but that he dismembered her after. Her father has not been charged with anything relating to his daughter's death. Elisa's family has stated that they believe they are safer with her in jail and that the family is not supporting her. They have expressed grief over Zahra's death and were not surprised that Elisa was named as a suspect.
Contact a Raleigh Criminal Defense Attorney at Hopper Law if you have been charged with a crime.