Missing girl's death puzzle
Source: Agencies |
November 14, 2010, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
POLICE in the United States were confident a disabled 10-year-old girl was killed, but the mystery of how she died deepened when police said a set of remains was uncovered 8 kilometers from where one of her bones was found.
The bone, discovered in some brush alongside Zahra Baker's prosthetic leg, was discovered in an area in North Carolina near where her family lived until mid-September. Zahra's stepmother, Elisa Baker, is in jail, charged with trying to throw off investigators with a bogus ransom note. Her father, Adam Baker, has been arrested on charges unrelated to Zahra's disappearance and is free on bail.
Recently, Elisa Baker began cooperating with police and led them to the areas where the remains and the bone were found, though she has not been charged in Zahra's death.
"I've been dreading this moment from early on in the investigation," said Hickory Police Chief Tom Adkins, who explained that investigators matched the bone with the child's DNA. "We have recovered enough physical evidence to think we have found Zahra."
Soon after Zahra was reported missing, investigators cast doubt on accounts given by her father and stepmother.
Police had trouble finding anyone other than Zahra's parents who had seen her alive in the weeks before her disappearance, and a suspicious early morning fire occurred at the family's home several hours before she was reported missing.
Adam Baker, 33, is facing one count each of assault with a deadly weapon and failure to return rental property, two counts of communicating threats and five counts of writing worthless checks, authorities said.
Zahra, whose cancer forced her to use a prosthetic leg and hearing aids, was reported missing by her parents on October 9. They said she was last seen in her bed at their home in Hickory, about 80 kilometers northwest of Charlotte.
The bone, discovered in some brush alongside Zahra Baker's prosthetic leg, was discovered in an area in North Carolina near where her family lived until mid-September. Zahra's stepmother, Elisa Baker, is in jail, charged with trying to throw off investigators with a bogus ransom note. Her father, Adam Baker, has been arrested on charges unrelated to Zahra's disappearance and is free on bail.
Recently, Elisa Baker began cooperating with police and led them to the areas where the remains and the bone were found, though she has not been charged in Zahra's death.
"I've been dreading this moment from early on in the investigation," said Hickory Police Chief Tom Adkins, who explained that investigators matched the bone with the child's DNA. "We have recovered enough physical evidence to think we have found Zahra."
Soon after Zahra was reported missing, investigators cast doubt on accounts given by her father and stepmother.
Police had trouble finding anyone other than Zahra's parents who had seen her alive in the weeks before her disappearance, and a suspicious early morning fire occurred at the family's home several hours before she was reported missing.
Adam Baker, 33, is facing one count each of assault with a deadly weapon and failure to return rental property, two counts of communicating threats and five counts of writing worthless checks, authorities said.
Zahra, whose cancer forced her to use a prosthetic leg and hearing aids, was reported missing by her parents on October 9. They said she was last seen in her bed at their home in Hickory, about 80 kilometers northwest of Charlotte.
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