ZAHRA CLARE BAKER - 10 yo (2010) - Hickory NC

I can't believe they couldn't prosecute Zahra's father. It definately sounds like he had something to do with it. What father doesn't wonder where his daughter is over a few weeks. Too bad now he's been deported so they won't probably ever go after him. I hope his conscious kills him.

The Australian mother of a 10-year-old disabled girl who was murdered by her American stepmother in North Carolina said Tuesday she has no idea what became of her daughter’s ashes since the child’s father brought them to Australia.

Attorney Shell Pearce said Monday that his client, Adam Baker, left the United States roughly two weeks ago at the behest of U.S. federal immigration officials, bringing the remains of his daughter, Zahra, with him for burial in Australia.

However, Vincent Picard, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in an email Monday that Baker had “voluntarily departed’’ the U.S., which Pearce disputed.

http://articles.boston.com/2012-01-31/news/31009298_1_elisa-baker-zahra-australia

I can't believe Zahra's "dad" was never charged with anything and slithered out of the country.

HICKORY, N.C. -- Officials in Hickory are looking for volunteers to help build a playground to honor the disabled girl whose stepmother pleaded guilty to killing her.
The Hickory Daily Record reported volunteers will work with the Kiwanis Clubs of Catawba County and the city of Hickory on April 12-14 to build the Zahra Baker All Children's Playground.

The playground will include a 50-foot slide, a sand area, swings and more.

More than $200,000 has been raised for the project.

Zahra was reported missing in October 2010. Her body was found weeks later. Elisa Baker was sentenced to 15 to 18 years in prison in September after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and other charges.

Zahra wore a prosthetic leg, a result of her fight with two bouts of cancer.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8553255

Remains found in area previously searched in Zahra Baker case
Posted: Apr 17, 2012 1:20 PM CDT
Updated: Apr 17, 2012 1:47 PM CDT

LENOIR, NC (WBTV) - WBTV has learned that investigators have found human remains at Winkler Way and Highway 268 in Caldwell County.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hickory Police Department and State Medical Examiner's Office are on scene.

Sources tell WBTV's Steve Ohnesorge that they believe a skull is among the remains.

When asked if the remains could be those of Zahra Baker, a source told WBTV it is "crossing their minds."

Officials have said in the past that Adam Baker, Zahra's father, would be the first person eligible to ask for Zahra's remains. Baker, in several interviews with WBTV News, has said he wants to "Give Zahra a proper burial back in Australia."

Baker's attorney, Mark Killian, said he would be looking into what needs to be done next to accommodate Adam in that request.

Zahra's stepmother, Elisa Baker, pled guilty in September to second degree murder and was given an 18 year prison sentence.

Adam Baker was not charged in the Zahra case but does still face several unrelated misdemeanors and two felonies.

http://www.wbtv.com/story/17515491/remains-found-in-area-previously-searched-in-zahra-baker-case

Published: April 18, 2012
Updated: April 18, 2012 - 6:44 PM

LENOIR, N.C. --

The skeletal remains, which include a skull, that were found on a
road on N.C. 268 Tuesday morning are at the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s lab for testing.

Hunters found the remains mid-morning Tuesday on
Winkler Way off N.C. 268 just north of Lenoir and called the Caldwell
County Sheriff’s Office. They, in turn, alerted the Hickory Police
Department because the remains are near an area where Zahra Baker’s body was thought to be.

Following her arrest in October 2010, Elisa Baker showed investigators three wooded areas in Caldwell County where the remains of her dismembered stepdaughter, Zahra, may be:Christie Road, Dudley Shoals Road and Indian Grave Road. Although some of Zahra’s body
was recovered at the first two locations, nothing was found at Indian
Grave Road, which is about 4.5 miles from Winkler Way. Unlike the other
three locations Baker pointed out,Winkler Way is not used as a garbage
dump or a boneyard filled with animal carcasses.

Rumors are rampant that the remains found on Tuesday
are Zahra’s. Caldwell County Sheriff Alan Jones said it is too early to
speculate. He would not confirm whether the skull was that of an adult
or child.

“It’s possible it’s Zahra. We hope that it is. But we want to make sure,” Jones said.

Many residents along N.C. 268 have noticed the
increase in law enforcement vehicles, and are hoping the remains are
Zahra’s, so she can finally be put to rest.

“I hope it is her, to put some closure to this
thing,” said Jackie Woods, who lives about half a mile down the road.
“It’s sad for the little girl. She got lost in the system. People can be
so cruel as to do something like that.”

Officers planned to continue searching the area
Wednesday to look for additional evidence, but canceled due to the rainy
weather and occasional lightning. They will begin again at about 9 a.m.
on Thursday, with 40 to 50 officers searching a half-mile area, said
Sgt. B.J. Fore with the sheriff’s office.

They are canvassing the area to ensure there are no additional bones or other evidence that has been overlooked.

The remains were found about 20 to 30 yards off the
dirt road, Jones said. They weren’t buried, found when the hunters were
walking through the area.

Zahra, a cancer survivor, was 10 when she was killed
in September 2010. Baker pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the
death of Zahra in September 2011. There are several pieces of Zahra’s
body that were not recovered, but her skull is the most notable one.

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2012/apr/18/5/update-search-more-bones-suspended-in-caldwell-ar-2177919/

Zahra movie in the works
By: Richard Gould | Hickory Daily Record

Published: April 21, 2012

HICKORY, North Carolina -- The story of Zahra Baker’s murder is about to become a feature film. Independent film producers have teamed with a local screenwriter known as Douglas Whittington who penned “The Last Autumn …. The Zahra Baker Story,” in January.

The story is, “based on real facts of the case, from public records and newspaper articles,” according to a media release issued by producer Dorothy Houston. “This is a story in honor of Zahra Baker, to be told nationally, in hope to raise awareness of such horrific abuse, to bring attention to the importance and help improve laws regarding such horrible crimes against children.”

Ralph Singleton has signed on to produce and direct the movie. Singleton has produced several movies including “Because of Winn-Dixie,” “Last Man Standing” and “Clear and Present Danger.” He was an assistant director on multiple films including “Taxi Driver,” “Three Days of the Condor” and “Death Wish.”

Maxann Crotts-Harvey will be producing as well. Crotts-Harvey is best known as a casting director and has cast actors in nearly 40 films including, “Juwanna Mann,” “The Patriot” and “Black Dog.”

Dorothy Houston owns Connections Model & Talent of Hickory. She’s producing on “The Last Autumn” as well.

The movie is in pre-production. The producers are finding financial backers, scouting locations and starting casting. Filming will be in North Carolina and it’s slated to begin in October and November of this year.

Crew resumes are being accepted and can be submitted to thelastautumnmovie@gmail.com. Casting dates have not been announced.

The film’s producers plan to donate a percentage of the proceeds to charity.

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2012/apr/21/zahra-movie-works-ar-2191539/

they need to give all of the proceeds to prevention of child abuse. somehow making money off of the death of a child seems immoral to me.

flash0115 wrote:they need to give all of the proceeds to prevention of child abuse. somehow making money off of the death of a child seems immoral to me.

I notice they didn't say what percentage. They are probably giving one half of one percent.

It is unseemly.

Zahra park nearly done, ribbon cutting Saturday

By: Richard Gould | Hickory Daily Record
Published: May 17, 2012
Updated: May 18, 2012 - 10:56 AM

Hickory, N.C. -- The grand opening of the new Hickory playground inspired by and named after Zahra Baker will be on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Buzz Bakewell Jr., of Morganton-based Protect it First, spent Thursday morning making some final preparations to the park’s equipment at the Zahra Baker All Children’s Playground.

The Protect it First crew applied a long-lasting anti-microbial spray to all of the surfaces that children will come in contact with.

“What drew us here is the horrific nature of this crime and the fact that we’ve got a product that will help protect these kids,” Bakewell said. “We did this at no cost to anybody.”

The crew recently returned from Chicago where they applied their product, known as Sterile Coat, to the White Sox facilities including the team’s training room and locker room.

If an adult or child with a cold touches any of the treated surfaces, the chemicals are designed to break down any microbes left behind. The surfaces are safe to eat off after the application is dry and the coating is expected to continue working for two to four years, Bakewell said.

The cost for applying Sterile Coat to the Zahra Baker playground would normally run about $3,500, he said.

The community is invited to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Kiwanis playground at 805 6th Street SE, Hickory, NC 28602. A celebration will be held immediately following the ribbon cutting ceremony.

“We are looking forward to the official ribbon cutting. The time has now come to get the playground open for the children to enjoy it,” said Steve Aaron, a Western Catawba County Kiwanis Club member and a co-chair of the Zahra Baker All Children’s Playground Campaign. “This facility is the first public playground in this area that allows all children to be able to play together.”

The playground amenities accommodate special needs and handicapped children. The facilities include a 50-foot slide, a play web with interactive features, a sand area and much more.

The community, businesses, foundations and grant funds have collectively donated more than $200,000 for the playground for Zahra. The community effort was spearheaded by the Kiwanis Clubs of Catawba County.

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2012/may/17/4/final-preparations-zahra-park-ar-2289604/

No answers yet on what may be Zahra Baker's skull
Deputy: “... If it’s not her then we’ve got a whole new problem on our hands.”

By: Richard Gould | Hickory Daily Record
Published: May 17, 2012

HICKORY, N.C. -- It’s been a month and we still don’t know if the skull and bones found in Caldwell County are Zahra Baker’s remains.

“They’re still working on it, and we’re still waiting,” said Sgt. B.J. Fore of the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office. “We’re on pins and needles, too, because if it’s not her then we’ve got a whole new problem on our hands.”

A turkey hunter found a small skull and bones about 20 to 30 yards off Winkler Way off N.C. 268 on the morning of April 17. The skeletal remains were sent to the Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s lab for testing. The remains had not been buried.

“The age and condition of the items to be tested dictate the kinds of testing procedures that have to be done and some tests take longer than others,” said Deputy Chief Clyde Deal of the Hickory Police Department.

Initially, some thought that the DNA test results would be complete within two weeks of the discovery, but that timeframe has proven overly optimistic.

“We thought it would be at least a month before we would know because DNA takes a while to come back,” Fore said. “We’re in contact with our resident SBI agent three or four times a week, and he checks with the lab for us.”

Zahra was 10 years old when she was murdered in September 2010. Her stepmother, Elisa Baker, pleaded guilty to the crime in September 2011. As a part of her plea agreement with prosecutors, Elisa led investigators to the rural locations where she dumped Zahra’s dismembered body. Investigators never found the girl’s skull – the body part many felt certain would confirm that the girl died of blunt force trauma to the head.

The skull was located 4.6 miles north of Indian Grave Road where Elisa had led officers on a fruitless search for her stepdaughter’s remains.

If the small skull the hunter found fails to match Zahra’s DNA, the sheriff’s office will work to identify the remains and determine why they were in the wooded area. If they do match Zahra’s, it will bring closure to the case that began in October 2010.

Elisa Baker was sentenced to a maximum of 18½ years in prison for Zahra’s murder. She has since pleaded guilty to several drug trafficking charges in federal court relating to the sale of prescription painkillers. Baker has yet to be sentenced on her federal charges.

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2012/may/17/no-answers-yet-what-may-be-zahra-bakers-skull-ar-2289580/

Hickory unveils Zahra Baker memorial playground

By: Richard Gould | Hickory Daily Record
Published: May 19, 2012
Updated: May 21, 2012 - 10:35 AM

HICKORY, N.C. - - The city held a ribbon-cutting to dedicate the Zahra Baker memorial playground’s official opening Saturday morning. As soon as the ribbon was cut, dozens of children flooded onto the playground. They laughed and played as the adults lingered at the entrance to read the bronze plaque. It is inscribed with her portrait and the words, “Zahra, You Touched Us 1999 – 2010.”

Some children sprinted and others rolled their wheelchairs over the spongy rubber safety surface covering the ground under the new bright equipment. The initials ZB marked the entrance to the play structure. Up to four children slid down the 50-foot-long hillside slide at once.

The children may have been unaware that the playground’s namesake was a cancer survivor who lost her left leg, part of her lung and much of her hearing to the disease. It was in recognition of her struggles that the playground amenities were designed to accommodate both able-bodied and special-needs children alike.

A pair of wheelchair-bound sisters, Megan, 16, and Morgan Bibbee, 9, sat side-by-side with matching grins as they took a ride in a giant purple boat-shaped piece of equipment as their father rocked it back and forth. From there, it was on to the wheelchair-accessible swings.

“They were the first ones on the boat – they loved it,” said their father Kevin Bibbee. “There’s nothing like this in the area. This is really special.”

He reflected for a moment as his daughters enjoyed the swings: “Zahra wanted to be like the other children even though she was different, and that’s just how we want to be treated.”

People from across the city, county and region volunteered their time, efforts and money to make sure the playground got built. Once the funds and equipment were in place, the Hickory city public service workers and the engineering staff shouldered the burden of making sure everything was in place and done right.

Zahra was 10 years old when she was murdered in September 2010. Her stepmother, Elisa Baker, pleaded guilty to the crime in September 2011. She was sentenced to a maximum of 18 years and six months in jail. As a part of her plea agreement with prosecutors, Elisa led Hickory police and SBI investigators to the rural locations where she dumped Zahra’s dismembered body.

“This is just another example of a community coming together and remembering Zahra,” said Hickory Police Chief Tom Adkins. “We have been able to turn something negative into a positive for this area’s children.”

At first, the goal was to raise $85,000 to build the park. When that goal was achieved and surpassed, the new goal was $150,000. As each subsequent goal was met, hopes and efforts increased. In the end, $200,000 was raised for the park.

The money paid for the park’s equipment including a play web with interactive features, a sand area and much more.

“One single piece of the special-needs equipment cost $25,000,” Hickory Mayor Rudy Wright said.

The brightly colored equipment brings new life to one of Hickory’s lesser-known parks.

“This was a perfect way to rejuvenate this park,” said Hickory’s Ward 2 Councilman Bruce Meisner. “The key word is commitment – this just shows that Hickory is a can-do area. When we put our minds to it, we can do anything.”

It took the efforts and gifts of thousands to make the dream of a park in honor of Zahra’s memory a reality.

“This is the culmination of the way Hickory does things,” said Wright. “That little girl is going to be remembered. People are going to come here and say, ‘I’ve got to do something to make sure no other children are abused.”

Adkins agreed.

“I can’t think of a better tribute to Zahra than this playground,” he said.

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2012/may/19/4/hickory-unveils-zahra-baker-memorial-playground-ar-2293961/