The long-awaited trial of a man accused in the 2001 killing of a University of Georgia law student hit a snag Monday morning when an unforeseen juror issue led to a postponement just as opening statements were about to commence. The suspect, Edrick Faust, was arrested in 2023 in connection with the death of Tara Baker, whose lifeless form was discovered in the charred aftermath of her Athens apartment over two decades ago.
Baker, at the time just shy of her 24th birthday, had last been seen alive by a friend outside a library the evening before the fatal incident. She had indicated plans to return home from the library around 10 p.m., per a FOX 5 Atlanta report. Despite an exhaustive investigation by authorities, the case had gone cold, and the trail of her killer languished in uncertainty, until DNA evidence revived the pursuit of justice, prompting Faust's apprehension over 20 years later.
Faust faces a slew of charges including murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, arson, and aggravated sodomy, according to the WRDW report. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) also charged him with concealing the death of another, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, and tampering with evidence. In the wake of the case and its complexities, the GBI established a Cold Case Unit aimed at tackling the long-dormant files gathering dust and awaiting closure.
