Zahra Baker Remembered; Even Though DSS Forgot

Hundreds Pack Town Square For Zahra's Birthday


Hundreds of people packed Hickory's Union Square Tuesday evening to remember Zahra Baker on what would have been her 11th birthday.

Though police now say Zahra is dead, the birth date of the once-missing child was an opportunity for the strangers who've been touched by the story of her disapperance to celebrate her life. Many people traveled from miles--even states--away to light candles in Zahra's memory at a vigil in central downtown Hickory.

"My wife and I just felt we had to be here," said Tom Trinchera, who came from Johnson City, Tennessee.

Hickory's mayor Rudy White spoke, as well as Hickory Police Chief Tom Adkins.

"39 days ago, most of us did not know Zahra Baker, but in this past month, we have fallen in love with her and we are better people because of it," Chief Adkins said. He relayed stories he's heard from Zahra's friends and family during the investigation into her death. "Nothing would slow her down. She wanted no pity. She wanted to be like every other child."

"As you pass that flame on to your neighbor," explained Adrienne Opdyke, of the Catawba County Children's Protection Council, as participants lit candles, "Promise not to forget Zahra's story and promise to make a difference in the lives of the children that you know."

Zahra's stepmother's sister, April Fairchild, was at the vigil. She says her rocky relationship with her sister kept her from knowing Zahra well, but she describes this time as "painful" for her family.

"All we have ever wanted is just closure," she said. She said her sister Elisa, suspected but not charged in Zahra's disappearance, deserves punishment if its due, but "Adam Baker deserves to be sitting right beside of her...I just pray that just like everything else, Hickory Police Department, all of the law enforcement, all of the people who have helped--shed tears--about this case, does not let this fall through the cracks like she fell through the cracks with DSS."





D.A. Won't Rush For An Arrest In Zahra Baker Case


On what would have been her 11th birthday there are cards, toys and flowers outside the home in Hickory where Zahra Baker lived. But there also some new banners and signs hung on the house, signs with an angry tone.

One calls for justice for her father Adam Baker and her stepmother, Elisa Baker.

Another sign demands to know why the girl was "thrown out like the trash."

District Attorney James Gaither, who is handling the Investigation, said in a lengthy interview Tuesday that he will not pressure Police investigators to make an arrest.

"It is not my responsibility to push them or make something happen when the investigation is ongoing," Gaither said.

Gaither says he understands the growing frustration over what happened to the 10-year old girl who so many feel they have come to know and wish they could have helped.

Certainly the recovery of the remains of Zahra Baker was a critical part of the investigation but it doesn't mean that investigation is complete or that we are ready at this point to go forward with charges.

Gaither also raised questions about Lisa Dubbs, the lawyer who has been appointed to represent Elisa Baker if she is charged with murder. Gaither questioned why Dubbs and a private investigator working for her went out and picked up important physical evidence in the case.

Dubbs told NewsChannel 36 that Gaither should know that the defense always has the right to look for evidence. She says that in this case the unspecified item was brought to Gaither himself to prove that Elisa Baker would cooperate truthfully.

Gaither says that is a matter he will continue to look into.

"I believe there are some reasonable minds that differ on whether that is an appropriate function of defense council," said Gaither.





Zahra Baker's Stepmom Gave Explicit Details In Death

Zahra Baker's body was dismembered and the remains hidden across several rural locations, a court document said for the first time Monday, days after police said that the 10-year-old cancer survivor is dead.

The court filing is a motion by Zahra's stepmother, Elisa Baker, asking the court to reduce her $65,000 bond for obstruction of justice. The motion, filed Monday afternoon in Superior Court, provides specific and at times grisly details of what Elisa Baker says happened to the young girl's body.

The document doesn't indicate how Zahra died or who may be responsible, but the motion argues that Baker's bond should be reduced because of her extensive and continuing cooperation.

"The only credible evidence released to the public by law enforcement related to this case is evidence that was collected after Elisa Baker told law enforcement where to look and what to look for," the motion says.

Elisa Baker's attorneys met with her for two hours Monday, but declined to speak with reporters. They couldn't be reached for comment Monday night.

It wasn't clear Monday why Elisa Baker, in admitted some knowledge of Zahra's death, could be asking for a lower bond. Police haven't given a motive in the case.

Speculation has centered around Elisa and Adam Baker, Zahra's father, since shortly after the girl was reported missing on Oct. 9.

A family member interviewed by CNN's Nancy Grace described talking with Elisa Baker in jail.

"As we talked with her, she cried over missing Zahra and how her husband has left her to take all the blame for what has happened when he played a big part in this terrible situation," the cousin said in the interview. The cousin spoke on condition of anonymity because of death threats the family has received.

The owner of a crime memorabilia website is selling two letters he claims he received from Elisa Baker saying her stepdaughter, Zahra, is dead, and that her husband did something "horrifying" to the girl after her death.

"We didn't really kill her but what he did after the fact is kinda horrifying," says one of the letters Eric Gein claims he got from Elisa Baker, who is in jail. "Makes me scared of him."

In Monday's motion, they say she has been instrumental in the investigation into the death of the girl who moved to the United States from Australia in 2009, after her father Adam married Elisa Baker.

Zahra Baker, who was hearing-impaired and walked with the help of a prosthesis after losing her left leg to cancer, was reported missing by her father in a call to police.

On Friday, after more than a month of investigating, police said they had credible evidence that Zahra was dead, and had unearthed remains of a child they believe was Zahra.

Both Adam and Elisa Baker have denied any wrongdoing in the case. Elisa Baker was arrested on Oct. 10 on unrelated charges, then charged with obstruction of justice on Oct. 12 after investigators say she admitted writing a bogus ransom note.

According to Monday's motion to reduce bond, Elisa Baker told her attorneys on Oct. 22 that she had information about the disappearance and death of Zahra Baker.

Elisa Baker's defense attorneys notified police the next morning, indicating that Baker was willing to cooperate with investigators. But, they said, investigators had to move fast because weather could destroy evidence, according to the document.

Investigators were told that Zahra Baker was deceased, that her body had been dismembered and that body parts would be discovered at different sites. The defense team suggested that Baker needed to be present because of the remote locations of the sites.

Baker went out with law enforcement agents to three sites on Oct. 25, according to the court document. At each site, she described what would be found there and told officers where to look.

At one point, she was photographed by television news cameras inside a red SUV being driven by law enforcement agents.

The document says officers recovered the gel liner of the prosthetic leg near Christie Road in Hudson because of Baker. The site is near where Elisa Baker used to live.

Investigators also found evidence at two other sites because of Baker, the document says: a bone later identified as Zahra Baker's at the Christie Road site and remains believed to be those of Zahra Baker at another Caldwell County location along Dudley Shoals Road.

The document says Baker also directed investigators to other sites where possible evidence was located, including the dumpster where Zahra's mattress was discarded and undisclosed items found at the family's home.

Baker has continued to cooperate with authorities, the motion says. She was still in Catawba County jail Monday night. It was unclear Monday evening when a judge is expected to rule on the motion.


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, WCNC, Google Maps

Zahra Baker's 11th Birthday Gift: Swift Justice!!

D.A. Won't Rush For An Arrest In Zahra Baker Case


On what would have been her 11th birthday there are cards, toys and flowers outside the home in Hickory where Zahra Baker lived. But there also some new banners and signs hung on the house, signs with an angry tone.

One calls for justice for her father Adam Baker and her stepmother, Elisa Baker.

Another sign demands to know why the girl was "thrown out like the trash."

District Attorney James Gaither, who is handling the Investigation, said in a lengthy interview Tuesday that he will not pressure Police investigators to make an arrest.

"It is not my responsibility to push them or make something happen when the investigation is ongoing," Gaither said.

Gaither says he understands the growing frustration over what happened to the 10-year old girl who so many feel they have come to know and wish they could have helped.

Certainly the recovery of the remains of Zahra Baker was a critical part of the investigation but it doesn't mean that investigation is complete or that we are ready at this point to go forward with charges.

Gaither also raised questions about Lisa Dubbs, the lawyer who has been appointed to represent Elisa Baker if she is charged with murder. Gaither questioned why Dubbs and a private investigator working for her went out and picked up important physical evidence in the case.

Dubbs told NewsChannel 36 that Gaither should know that the defense always has the right to look for evidence. She says that in this case the unspecified item was brought to Gaither himself to prove that Elisa Baker would cooperate truthfully.

Gaither says that is a matter he will continue to look into.

"I believe there are some reasonable minds that differ on whether that is an appropriate function of defense council," said Gaither.




Zahra Baker's Stepmom Gave Explicit Details In Death


Zahra Baker's body was dismembered and the remains hidden across several rural locations, a court document said for the first time Monday, days after police said that the 10-year-old cancer survivor is dead.

The court filing is a motion by Zahra's stepmother, Elisa Baker, asking the court to reduce her $65,000 bond for obstruction of justice. The motion, filed Monday afternoon in Superior Court, provides specific and at times grisly details of what Elisa Baker says happened to the young girl's body.

The document doesn't indicate how Zahra died or who may be responsible, but the motion argues that Baker's bond should be reduced because of her extensive and continuing cooperation.

"The only credible evidence released to the public by law enforcement related to this case is evidence that was collected after Elisa Baker told law enforcement where to look and what to look for," the motion says.

Elisa Baker's attorneys met with her for two hours Monday, but declined to speak with reporters. They couldn't be reached for comment Monday night.

It wasn't clear Monday why Elisa Baker, in admitted some knowledge of Zahra's death, could be asking for a lower bond. Police haven't given a motive in the case.

Speculation has centered around Elisa and Adam Baker, Zahra's father, since shortly after the girl was reported missing on Oct. 9.

A family member interviewed by CNN's Nancy Grace described talking with Elisa Baker in jail.

"As we talked with her, she cried over missing Zahra and how her husband has left her to take all the blame for what has happened when he played a big part in this terrible situation," the cousin said in the interview. The cousin spoke on condition of anonymity because of death threats the family has received.

The owner of a crime memorabilia website is selling two letters he claims he received from Elisa Baker saying her stepdaughter, Zahra, is dead, and that her husband did something "horrifying" to the girl after her death.

"We didn't really kill her but what he did after the fact is kinda horrifying," says one of the letters Eric Gein claims he got from Elisa Baker, who is in jail. "Makes me scared of him."

In Monday's motion, they say she has been instrumental in the investigation into the death of the girl who moved to the United States from Australia in 2009, after her father Adam married Elisa Baker.

Zahra Baker, who was hearing-impaired and walked with the help of a prosthesis after losing her left leg to cancer, was reported missing by her father in a call to police.

On Friday, after more than a month of investigating, police said they had credible evidence that Zahra was dead, and had unearthed remains of a child they believe was Zahra.

Both Adam and Elisa Baker have denied any wrongdoing in the case. Elisa Baker was arrested on Oct. 10 on unrelated charges, then charged with obstruction of justice on Oct. 12 after investigators say she admitted writing a bogus ransom note.

According to Monday's motion to reduce bond, Elisa Baker told her attorneys on Oct. 22 that she had information about the disappearance and death of Zahra Baker.

Elisa Baker's defense attorneys notified police the next morning, indicating that Baker was willing to cooperate with investigators. But, they said, investigators had to move fast because weather could destroy evidence, according to the document.

Investigators were told that Zahra Baker was deceased, that her body had been dismembered and that body parts would be discovered at different sites. The defense team suggested that Baker needed to be present because of the remote locations of the sites.

Baker went out with law enforcement agents to three sites on Oct. 25, according to the court document. At each site, she described what would be found there and told officers where to look.

At one point, she was photographed by television news cameras inside a red SUV being driven by law enforcement agents.

The document says officers recovered the gel liner of the prosthetic leg near Christie Road in Hudson because of Baker. The site is near where Elisa Baker used to live.

Investigators also found evidence at two other sites because of Baker, the document says: a bone later identified as Zahra Baker's at the Christie Road site and remains believed to be those of Zahra Baker at another Caldwell County location along Dudley Shoals Road.

The document says Baker also directed investigators to other sites where possible evidence was located, including the dumpster where Zahra's mattress was discarded and undisclosed items found at the family's home.

Baker has continued to cooperate with authorities, the motion says. She was still in Catawba County jail Monday night. It was unclear Monday evening when a judge is expected to rule on the motion.


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, WCNC, Google Maps

Zahra Baker Was Murdered & Dismembered; N.C. DSS Fully Responsible!

Zahra Baker's Body Was Dismembered


Court Documents: Read The Full Motion


Court papers filed by an attorney for Elisa Baker detail how the stepmother of Zahra Baker told police the 10-year-old had been dismembered and where to find her body parts.

The new revelations came in a filing by attorney Lisa Dubbs, requesting a reduction in the bond for Elisa Baker who, according to the documents, cooperated with Police.

The court papers say Baker's cooperation began Oct. 24 when her defense team turned over a piece of evidence to investigators to prove her information was reliable.

The papers go on to say "that Zahra Baker was deceased, that her body had been dismembered, and that it would be recovered at different sites."

The next day Baker accompanied investigators to three different locations, including Christie Road in Caldwell County where investigators later found a bone, identified as coming from Zahra, and a prosthetic leg that was hers.

Another site identified by Baker, according to the court papers, was the Dudley Shoals Road area in a remote area of Caldwell County. It was at that location where investigators found human remains last week that they say are believed to be those of a child.

The remains have not yet been positively identified as being those of the little girl.

Investigators also returned to the Bakers' home in Hickory where the court paper says, "Since Ms. Baker began cooperating with law enforcement they have thoroughly examined her home and collected evidence consistent with the information she had provided."
The document also says it was Elisa Baker who told investigators about a mattress they were looking for and directed them to a Dumpster where she said it had been disposed of.

It was the mattress that was later found at a landfill.

Lisa Dubbs spent two hours Monday afternoon with Elisa Baker at the Catawba County Jail. As Dubbs was leaving, she refused to comment in any way about the case.









Mystery Deepens Over Slaying Of Zahra Baker

Police were confident a freckle-faced disabled 10-year-old girl was killed, but the mystery of how she died deepened when police said a set of remains was uncovered five miles away 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 near where the family lived until mid-September. Zahra's stepmother, Elisa Baker, is currently 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.

It was then that police discovered a ransom note addressed to Adam Baker's boss on the windshield of Baker's car. Police went to that man's house, and found him and his daughter to be fine. Elisa Baker, 42, admitted writing the note and has been charged with obstruction of justice, police said.

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 Oct. 9. They said she was last seen in her bed at their home in Hickory, about 50 miles northwest of Charlotte.

Zahra was born in Australia and moved to North Carolina about two years ago after her father met his soon-to-be wife online. Zahra's friends and relatives in Giru, Australia, described her as an outgoing, happy girl despite the cancer, and said she didn't want to come to the U.S.

"Investigators, agents, officers and staff who worked on this case are devastated that we were not able to find Zahra alive and bring her home safely," said Adkins, who wouldn't answer any questions at a news conference.

District Attorney James Gaither Jr. refused to say if the girl was dismembered or if any more charges were imminent.

"I'm not going to discuss that right now," Gaither said.

Neighbors and relatives have said that Elisa Baker had a short temper and was abusive toward her stepdaughter. Caldwell County Department of Social Services investigated the family because Zahra went to school with bruises and a teacher alerted school officials, who have said they are prohibited by law from discussing the case.

Zahra's friends and family in Australia were less than thrilled when she moved away, especially since her medical treatments were free there. Kim Wright, who became something of a surrogate mother to Zahra in Australia, told The Associated Press they became friends four years ago at a cancer fundraising event. She was sitting in a chair waiting for her head to be shaved to raise money when Zahra approached, took her hand and told her not to be scared.

Zahra was diagnosed with bone cancer about five years ago. She had her leg amputated and a few months later, doctors discovered tumors in her lungs. She had chemotherapy, but the treatment led to a partial hearing loss. Still, she remained upbeat, attending a camp for children with cancer and inspiring her fellow campers by taking part in all the physical activities.


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Sources: WCNC, WRAL, Google Maps

Who Killed Zahra Baker? N.C. DSS & Family Responsible

Mystery Deepens Over Slaying Of Zahra Baker

Police were confident a freckle-faced disabled 10-year-old girl was killed, but the mystery of how she died deepened when police said a set of remains was uncovered five miles away 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 near where the family lived until mid-September. Zahra's stepmother, Elisa Baker, is currently 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.

It was then that police discovered a ransom note addressed to Adam Baker's boss on the windshield of Baker's car. Police went to that man's house, and found him and his daughter to be fine. Elisa Baker, 42, admitted writing the note and has been charged with obstruction of justice, police said.

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 Oct. 9. They said she was last seen in her bed at their home in Hickory, about 50 miles northwest of Charlotte.

Zahra was born in Australia and moved to North Carolina about two years ago after her father met his soon-to-be wife online. Zahra's friends and relatives in Giru, Australia, described her as an outgoing, happy girl despite the cancer, and said she didn't want to come to the U.S.

"Investigators, agents, officers and staff who worked on this case are devastated that we were not able to find Zahra alive and bring her home safely," said Adkins, who wouldn't answer any questions at a news conference.

District Attorney James Gaither Jr. refused to say if the girl was dismembered or if any more charges were imminent.

"I'm not going to discuss that right now," Gaither said.

Neighbors and relatives have said that Elisa Baker had a short temper and was abusive toward her stepdaughter. Caldwell County Department of Social Services investigated the family because Zahra went to school with bruises and a teacher alerted school officials, who have said they are prohibited by law from discussing the case.

Zahra's friends and family in Australia were less than thrilled when she moved away, especially since her medical treatments were free there. Kim Wright, who became something of a surrogate mother to Zahra in Australia, told The Associated Press they became friends four years ago at a cancer fundraising event. She was sitting in a chair waiting for her head to be shaved to raise money when Zahra approached, took her hand and told her not to be scared.

Zahra was diagnosed with bone cancer about five years ago. She had her leg amputated and a few months later, doctors discovered tumors in her lungs. She had chemotherapy, but the treatment led to a partial hearing loss. Still, she remained upbeat, attending a camp for children with cancer and inspiring her fellow campers by taking part in all the physical activities.








Remains To be Confirmed As Zahra Baker

A source close to the investigation tells NewsChannel 36 Hickory Police will hold a 4 p.m. news briefing on Friday in which investigators will announce that remains found are in fact that of Zahra Baker. NewsChannel 36 and WCNC.com will carry the event live on television and online.

Hickory police confirmed that they will hold a press conference, but did not say anything specific about the reason or topic of the conference.

Zahra Baker was reported missing by her father and stepmother, Adam and Elisa Baker, on Oct. 9.

As police moved further into their investigation they discovered that no one, except for Adam and Elisa Baker, could confirm seeing Zahra after Sept. 25.

Elisa Baker was arrested on Oct. 10, the day after reporting Zahra missing, on charged unrelated to the child’s disappearance. She was charged with obstruction of justice in connection with the case on Oct. 11. Police say Elisa Baker wrote a bogus ransom note and refused to cooperate with investigators.

Adam Baker was arrested on Oct. 25 on five counts of writing worthless checks, two counts of communicating threats, assault with a deadly weapon and failure to return rental property.

Hickory Police Chief Tom Adkins said at the beginning of the investigation that Adam Baker had outstanding warrants for worthless checks and that officers would execute those warrants at the appropriate time.

Police said Elisa Baker began talking to investigators on Sunday, but would not say if it was information from Elisa Baker that lead them to the search sites where they found evidence.

* On Oct. 25, a mattress was found in the Caldwell County landfill. It's still being tested for DNA, but police believe it belonged to Zahra.
* On Oct. 27, investigators uncovered the girl's prosthetic leg in the brush off Christie Road in Caldwell County.
* On Nov. 3, investigators discovered a bone at another search site. The bone is still being tested to determine if it belonged to Zahra.

The search for Zahra has grabbed international attention. The 10-year-old was born in Australia and lived there until moving to North Carolina two years ago. Zahra battled two forms of cancer before moving to the United States, bone cancer at age 5 and lung cancer a few years later.

Zahra's biological mother, Emily Dietrich, arrived in Hickory this week.







Zahra Baker's Biological Mom Arrives In Hickory


When Eddie Mitchell saw a woman with a camera crew kneeling outside the makeshift memorial at the Baker's home on 21st Street Ave. NW across the street from his, he didn't know what to expect.

When he walked over to speak with her, he says it was unnerving to see her face.

"When she got up and turned, it was like looking at Zahra," he said.

That woman was Emily Dietrich, who traveled to Hickory early Thursday from Australia with a camera crew from Channel Seven News in Australia. Dietrich is Zahra's biological mother. She tells Channel Seven she gave custody to Adam Baker when Zahra was a baby because she was suffering from post-partum depression. She says she'd been trying to locate her ex and their daughter when she learned that Zahra had disappeared.

"She was so emotional about the whole thing and she just said to tell the people that she's very, very grateful," Mitchell said.

It is not clear where else Dietrich visited, or if she is talking with investigators.

Hickory Police Thursday were tight-lipped about the investigation, though a source has confirmed that human remains discovered Wednesday are being tested at a state lab.

NewsChannel 36 has confirmed that Zahra's father Adam Baker, who is free on bond on unrelated charges, spoke with investigators at the Hickory Police Department Thursday. His lawyer, Mark Killian, was present. He says Baker is and has always been cooperating with the investigation.





Investigators Looking Into Elisa Baker's Finances


Nearly a month since 10-year-old Zahra Baker was first reported missing, her stepmother, Elisa Baker, remains in a jail cell.

Elisa Baker was charged with obstruction of justice in connection with Zahra's disappearance.

According to a cousin who paid a visit a visit to the Catawba County jail, Elisa Baker is upset and not doing well.

Baker’s cousin did not want NewsChannel 36 to use her name.

“This is very sad for us,” she said. “Our first concern is finding Zahra, the second is finding out the truth.”

Investigators say Elisa Baker has been cooperating in the investigation. She has been taken to sites where investigators have searched in the past weeks, including Christie Road in Caldwell County. Zahra’s prosthetic leg and a bone that could be human were both found in that area.

Baker’s cousin wouldn’t discuss any of the specifics of her conversations with Elisa.

"Sorry, but what our conversations are about have to be private. She's very upset."

Investigators issued a subpoena for Elisa Baker's financial records. The subpoena was issued to a bank branch located in a Wal-Mart in Granite Falls.

The subpoena says she may have used as many as eight different aliases and also requested any financial transactions made by Baker's daughter from a previous marriage, Amber Fairchild.

Baker's attorney would not comment on the subpoena. Police will only say it is part of the investigation.


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Sources: WBTV, WCNC, WRAL, Google Maps

Zahra Claire Baker's Remains Found By Hickory Police: R.I.P.

Remains To be Confirmed As Zahra Baker

A source close to the investigation tells NewsChannel 36 Hickory Police will hold a 4 p.m. news briefing on Friday in which investigators will announce that remains found are in fact that of Zahra Baker. NewsChannel 36 and WCNC.com will carry the event live on television and online.

Hickory police confirmed that they will hold a press conference, but did not say anything specific about the reason or topic of the conference.

Zahra Baker was reported missing by her father and stepmother, Adam and Elisa Baker, on Oct. 9.

As police moved further into their investigation they discovered that no one, except for Adam and Elisa Baker, could confirm seeing Zahra after Sept. 25.

Elisa Baker was arrested on Oct. 10, the day after reporting Zahra missing, on charged unrelated to the child’s disappearance. She was charged with obstruction of justice in connection with the case on Oct. 11. Police say Elisa Baker wrote a bogus ransom note and refused to cooperate with investigators.

Adam Baker was arrested on Oct. 25 on five counts of writing worthless checks, two counts of communicating threats, assault with a deadly weapon and failure to return rental property.

Hickory Police Chief Tom Adkins said at the beginning of the investigation that Adam Baker had outstanding warrants for worthless checks and that officers would execute those warrants at the appropriate time.

Police said Elisa Baker began talking to investigators on Sunday, but would not say if it was information from Elisa Baker that lead them to the search sites where they found evidence.

* On Oct. 25, a mattress was found in the Caldwell County landfill. It's still being tested for DNA, but police believe it belonged to Zahra.
* On Oct. 27, investigators uncovered the girl's prosthetic leg in the brush off Christie Road in Caldwell County.
* On Nov. 3, investigators discovered a bone at another search site. The bone is still being tested to determine if it belonged to Zahra.

The search for Zahra has grabbed international attention. The 10-year-old was born in Australia and lived there until moving to North Carolina two years ago. Zahra battled two forms of cancer before moving to the United States, bone cancer at age 5 and lung cancer a few years later.

Zahra's biological mother, Emily Dietrich, arrived in Hickory this week.





Zahra Baker's Biological Mom Arrives In Hickory


When Eddie Mitchell saw a woman with a camera crew kneeling outside the makeshift memorial at the Baker's home on 21st Street Ave. NW across the street from his, he didn't know what to expect.

When he walked over to speak with her, he says it was unnerving to see her face.

"When she got up and turned, it was like looking at Zahra," he said.

That woman was Emily Dietrich, who traveled to Hickory early Thursday from Australia with a camera crew from Channel Seven News in Australia. Dietrich is Zahra's biological mother. She tells Channel Seven she gave custody to Adam Baker when Zahra was a baby because she was suffering from post-partum depression. She says she'd been trying to locate her ex and their daughter when she learned that Zahra had disappeared.

"She was so emotional about the whole thing and she just said to tell the people that she's very, very grateful," Mitchell said.

It is not clear where else Dietrich visited, or if she is talking with investigators.

Hickory Police Thursday were tight-lipped about the investigation, though a source has confirmed that human remains discovered Wednesday are being tested at a state lab.

NewsChannel 36 has confirmed that Zahra's father Adam Baker, who is free on bond on unrelated charges, spoke with investigators at the Hickory Police Department Thursday. His lawyer, Mark Killian, was present. He says Baker is and has always been cooperating with the investigation.





Investigators Looking Into Elisa Baker's Finances


Nearly a month since 10-year-old Zahra Baker was first reported missing, her stepmother, Elisa Baker, remains in a jail cell.

Elisa Baker was charged with obstruction of justice in connection with Zahra's disappearance.

According to a cousin who paid a visit a visit to the Catawba County jail, Elisa Baker is upset and not doing well.

Baker’s cousin did not want NewsChannel 36 to use her name.

“This is very sad for us,” she said. “Our first concern is finding Zahra, the second is finding out the truth.”

Investigators say Elisa Baker has been cooperating in the investigation. She has been taken to sites where investigators have searched in the past weeks, including Christie Road in Caldwell County. Zahra’s prosthetic leg and a bone that could be human were both found in that area.

Baker’s cousin wouldn’t discuss any of the specifics of her conversations with Elisa.

"Sorry, but what our conversations are about have to be private. She's very upset."

Investigators issued a subpoena for Elisa Baker's financial records. The subpoena was issued to a bank branch located in a Wal-Mart in Granite Falls.

The subpoena says she may have used as many as eight different aliases and also requested any financial transactions made by Baker's daughter from a previous marriage, Amber Fairchild.

Baker's attorney would not comment on the subpoena. Police will only say it is part of the investigation.


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Sources: WBTV, WCNC, Google Maps

Zahra Baker: North Carolina Police Search Landfill For Body

Investigators In Zahra Baker Case Continue Sifting Through Trash


North Carolina Investigators have examined mattresses found at a Caldwell County landfill during their search for clues into the disappearance of Zahra Baker.

Hickory police confirmed the information Friday, but investigators would not say if the mattresses were the key piece of evidence that they've been searching for at the landfill this week.

Dozens of investigators returned to the Foothills Environmental Landfill in Lenoir Friday to continue combing through trash.

The landfill is 40 acres, but investigators are focusing on an area that is 100 feet by 200 feet. It contains about 5500 tons of trash.

"Obviously, you know, you've got these dozers moving things around so it's difficult to pinpoint it exactly. But we've got the rest of this area to finish, as to where it could have been put. We'll just keep working until we've exhausted all the possibilities," said Major Clyde Deal with the Hickory Police Department.

Crews began searching there Wednesday, looking for a piece of evidence that's critical to establishing a timeline for Zahra's disappearance. The girl was last seen in public Sept. 25.

Investigators aren't saying what they're looking for, but they do say that it is not Zahra's body.

Finding something in a huge landfill isn't easy. Searchers say it could take five days to comb through an area where they're looking.

"You got everything in there that you could imagine and then some things in there that you couldn’t imagine," said neighbor Butch Bollinger, who has been to the landfill several times.

"It's a bad place, smelly place. You can't stand to go through it," neighbor David Crisp said.

"I wouldn't want to try to do it. It would be a difficult job," said Brent Miller, who manages the recycling site next to the landfill.

Neighbors are hopeful the search will pay off. They also wonder if finding one thing that could have been thrown away weeks ago is simply too much.

"I don't think they would. I really don't think so because it's too big," Crisp said.


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, WCNC, Google Maps

Elisa Baker's Bond Increased: Zahra Baker's Body Still Missing

Judge Raises Bond For Elisa Baker


A judge increased bond for Elisa Baker on Wednesday after a hearing that included testimony from Baker’s biological daughter.

Her voice was hard to hear, but her words were powerful.

"If she was to get out I'd have to leave the state,” Amber Fairchild testified, speaking about her mother, Elisa Baker.

The setting was Baker's bond hearing on a felony obstruction of justice charge.

Prosecutors want Baker kept in jail.

Her attorney asked the judge to lower the bond, saying that even if Baker did obstruct justice, she'd probably only get probation as a punishment.

Police say Baker wrote a bogus ransom note the day Baker reported 10-year-old Zahra Baker missing from the family's home in Hickory.

Police think Zahra has been murdered. However, they haven’t found her body or charged anyone with murder.

"Feigning this kidnapping, starting this investigation is certainly enough for a jury to find beyond a reasonable doubt of intent to deceive and defraud,” said prosecutor Eric Bellas.

The bond hearing quickly became an evidentiary hearing.

It included Fairchild testifying about what she says Baker told her the day Baker was arrested for outstanding warrants, unrelated to Zahra's disappearance.

"She said she wished she could leave the state,” Fairchild said.

Fairchild also says that Baker was in contact with a man in London, England. She says her mother met him online and he’s sent Baker a lot of money.

"Over $10,000,” Fairchild said.

Baker's attorney Scott Reilly says he was hoping for fairness, not a bond hearing becoming an evidentiary hearing.

"Never happens,” Reilly said.
This is why he says it did.

"Because there are cameras and because this case is getting a lot of attention. No other reason,” Reilly said.

If Baker does make bond, which is now $65,000, she will have to wear an electronic ankle monitoring bracelet.









Excerpts Of Two 911 Calls From The Baker Household

Hickory Police released a 911 call from Elisa Baker reporting a fire at the family home and a later recording from Adam Baker reporting 10-year-old Zahra missing. Here are excerpts from those calls:

Call from Elisa Baker, Oct. 9, about 5 a.m.

Operator: 911 what’s the address of your emergency?

Elisa Baker: My husband works for a tree maintenance company and our backyard’s on fire.

Operator: Your what’s on fire?

Elisa Baker: The backyard. We’ve got big mulch piles and wood piles and firewood and stuff.

Operator: OK. What’s your address ma’am?

Elisa Baker: It’s 21 21 Avenue northwest Hickory.

Operator: We’ll get them (firefighters) out there ma’am.

Call from Adam Baker, Oct. 9, 1:58 p.m.

Operator: Hickory police, where is your emergency?

Adam Baker: Yeah, my daughter is missing.

Operator: What is your address?

Adam Baker: - - 21st Avenue NW. The police were out here last night over a fire and ransom note for my boss’s daughter. I got up a little while ago and it appears they took my daughter instead of my boss’s daughter.

Operator: OK, how old is your daughter?

Adam Baker: She’s 10. She’s handicapped. She has a prosthetic leg.

Operator: How long has she been missing?

Adam Baker: We checked in there (her bedroom) last night about 2:30 (a.m. Saturday, Oct. 9) and she was there. And all this happened last night about 5 o’clock.

Adam Baker: I don’t know if they set a fire in the yard to distract us to go out and they snuck in the door. I don’t know.

Operator: I’m not familiar with what happened last night. What happened last night?

Adam Baker: Last night my dog woke me up and I had a fire in the backyard. And somebody had poured gas in my company vehicle that I drive for work.

Adam Baker: They left a ransom note on the company vehicle to my boss saying they had his daughter and his son was next.

Adam Baker: It appears they may have taken my daughter instead of his daughter. …

Operator: So no one has seen your daughter since 2:30 this morning?

Adam Baker: No, like I said, we had all that drama last night. And me and my wife went back to bed. And my daughter is, I think, coming into puberty. So she’s hitting that brooding stage (chuckles). So we only see her when she wants something. That’s about it.

Operator: And did you say she was handicapped?

Adam Baker: Yes, ma’am. She has an above-the-knee amputation.

Operator: She has one leg that is partially amputated?

Adam Baker: Yeah. She has a prosthetic leg that apparently they’ve taken with her. …

Adam Baker: We had an officer here last night. And (my boss) ran through who he thought it might be, like an ex-employee.

Operator: OK, we’re getting the police on the way out there.

Operator: If you find out anything at all in the meantime, before we get the officer out there, call me back. That would help us toward finding your daughter.

Adam Baker: Thank you ma’am.




N.C. Authorities At Caldwell Landfill For Zahra Baker Clues

Calling her a "significant flight risk" and alluding to the "particularly disturbing allegations" against her, a judge on Wednesday increased the bond for Elisa Baker, who is accused of writing a phony ransom note concerning the disappearance of her stepdaughter, Zahra.

Meanwhile, a team of local, state and federal authorities is searching at a Caldwell County landfill for possible clues in the disappearance of 10-year-old Zahra Baker of Hickory, according to a police report.

Hickory police said their agents have joined those from the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI in searching for what authorities called "a piece of evidence."

The search is under way at the Foothills Environmental Landfill, on Cheraw Road in Lenoir.

Authorities are not permitting the media near the search site, but they said they will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. today.

Judge Robert A. Mullinax raised Baker's bond from $50,000 to $65,000 at this morning's hearing in the Catawba County Courthouse in Newton. Baker faces a probable cause hearing Nov. 3.

During the hearing, Baker's grown daughter, Morgan Fairchild, told the judge she would fear for her safety if her mother were released.

"If she gets out, I would have to leave the state," she said.

Typically, defendants must pay a bail bondsman 10 to 15 percent of the bond set by the court, in order to get out of jail. The bondsman then guarantees to pay the court the full bond if the defendant fails to show up for trial.

That means Elisa Baker would have to come up with between $6,500 and $9,750.

Her attorney, Scott Reilly, said after the hearing that he doubts she will be able to raise that money -- or enough to cover the $30,000 bond set for her in Burke County, where she faces charges for allegedly writing bad checks.

Reilly said he and his client are looking for consistency and fairness.

"We haven't seen the first piece of evidence," he said after the hearing.

There was one other interesting development at the hearing this morning. Details were released that Elisa Baker has received more than $10,000 from a man in London, including money received as recently as the past week. The man was referred to as "Carlisle Fullman" during today's bond hearing.

It's unclear what relationship, if any, the two have. Baker met her husband, Zahra's father Adam, as part of an online relationship in Australia.

These latest developments follow a report by CNN that authorities have asked Zahra Baker's family members in Australia for medical information that might help them find out what happened to the girl. Hickory police have said they believe Zahra is dead.

Among the evidence being sought, CNN reported, is information about the prosthetic leg that Zahra used. She lost a leg to cancer while living in Australia.

Hickory police on Tuesday released recordings of two emergency calls made from Zahra Baker’s home the day the 10-year-old girl was reported missing.

The calls shed new light on what Zahra’s parents claim happened Oct. 9, and how an early-morning fire and a phony ransom note might have been linked to her disappearance.

The Bakers’ description of events suggests that Zahra may have been kidnapped while her father and stepmother were dealing with a fire in the back yard of their Hickory house. The Bakers also reported that kidnappers might have taken Zahra by mistake in their attempt to actually abduct the daughter of Baker’s boss and landlord, Mark Coffey.

“I don’t know if they set a fire in the yard to distract us to go out, and they snuck in the door,” Baker said of possible kidnappers in his 911 call.

“It appears they may have taken my daughter instead of his daughter.”

The release of the recordings came on the 10th day of the search for the little girl with freckles who was hearing impaired and lost part of one leg to bone cancer. The case has drawn international attention. Newspapers in Australia where Zahra was born have been publishing daily updates.

Zahra’s stepmother, Elisa Baker, has been charged with felony obstruction of justice and is now in jail. She was arrested after police say she admitted writing the phony ransom note, which they say was intended to throw off the investigation into Zahra’s disappearance.

Investigators continue to seek the public’s help in piecing together a timeline of events surrounding the girl’s disappearance. The last person outside Zahra’s family whom police can confirm saw the girl alive was an employee at a Hickory furniture store, who reported seeing Zahra shopping with her stepmother on Sept. 25.

Zahra wasn’t reported missing until two weeks later.

The first 911 call from the Bakers came around 5:30 a.m. that Saturday, when Elisa Baker sounded anxious as she asked for help.

“Our back yard is on fire,” she told dispatchers. “…We have mulch piles and wood piles because we sell firewood and stuff.”

Firefighters and police responded, and while they were there found a handwritten ransom note on the windshield of the Bakers’ SUV parked at the house. The note was addressed to “Mr. Coffey” and said kidnappers had his daughter and wanted $1 million.

When police checked, they found Coffey’s family was unharmed.

The second 911 call came from Zahra’s father at 1:58 p.m. that same day.

He was polite and calm as he spoke to the dispatcher.

“Hickory police, where is your emergency?”

“Yeah, my daughter is missing,” said Adam Baker, 33.

“What is your address?”

“21st Avenue Northwest. The police were out here last night over a fire and ransom note for my boss’s daughter. I got up a little while ago, and it appears they took my daughter instead of my boss’s daughter.”

He explained how someone had poured gasoline on a company vehicle that he parked at his house, and that it might have been a diversion so kidnappers could enter his home.

Adam Baker told the dispatcher that maybe the kidnappers were confused.

“I guess they thought he (Coffey) lives in this house” Baker said.

Coffey owns the house, rented by the Bakers. Adam Baker worked for Coffey at a tree-trimming business that has a storage lot in Burke County – a site authorities have repeatedly searched for signs of Zahra.

Baker went on to tell the dispatcher that he last checked on his daughter about 2:30 a.m. that day – twelve hours before making his 911 call.

“We had all that drama last night,” he said. “And me and my wife went back to bed. And my daughter is, I think, coming into puberty. So she’s hitting that brooding stage (chuckles). So we only see her when she wants something.”

Adam Baker has not been charged in connection with his daughter’s disappearance.


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Sources: AP, McClatchy Newspapers, Myspace, WAFB, WCNC, Youtube, Google Maps