In a courtroom in Athens, the quest for justice in a long-dormant case has stirred as jury selection began in the trial of Edrick Faust, the man accused of the brutal killing of University of Georgia law student Tara Baker in 2001. Faust faces a slew of charges including murder, felony murder, and aggravated sodomy – charges stemming from an investigation that saw new life thanks to advances in DNA technology, according to a report by FOX 5 Atlanta.
It was the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's assertion, as told by Atlanta News First, that revealed there was no known connection between Baker and Faust, which compounded the mystery of the case that had left a community looking for answers and a family in enduring pain for over two decades. It was new technology that ultimately led to Faust's arrest more than 20 years after the crime was committed.
The tragic series of events unfolded as firefighters discovered Baker’s body in her off-campus home, which had been set ablaze in what is believed to have been a move to conceal the heinous acts carried out there. As the trial commences, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Cold Case Unit, which was established as a response to the murder seeks to close a chapter that has long cast a shadow over the Athens community.
In the somber lead-up to the trial the Baker family has expressed their grief and their yearning for closure through a heartfelt statement released to the press. "We acknowledge that the trial related to the murder of our daughter, Tara Louise Baker, is now underway," the family conveyed in words that could not fully encapsulate their loss. "Tara was deeply loved. She was a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a bright presence in our lives," they added, as per a statement obtained by Atlanta News First. The family's wish for respect and accuracy in the media's handling of the trial was highlighted, as was their decision to forbear from media interviews until the proceedings conclude.
