Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of assault and murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Edrick Faust is a 48-year-old suspect who has been arrested on charges relating to the murder of Tara Baker, a case that had gone cold for over two decades. He has been charged with two counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated assault, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, arson, concealing the death of another, tampering with evidence, and one count of aggravated sodomy. Arrest documents revealed that Faust had been arrested in Athens-Clarke County several times before this.
Tara Baker’s murder case has remained unsolved since 2001. Edrick Faust was only caught long after the Coleman-Baker Act, which was brought into the picture. After the cold cases of Sue Coleman, another University of Georgia student, and Tara Baker remained unsolved, CBS News reported that this act was introduced and named after them. The legislation prompted the set up of a separate department within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which would be dedicated to solving cold cases. The GBI Cold Case Unit was formed in July 2023.
In September 2023, the GBI Cold Case Unit partnered with the Athen-Clarke County Police Department. They looked deeper into Baker’s killing. So far, existing information gathered from the investigation was combined with DNA science and biological evidence. They then narrowed down a suspect pool and charged Edrick Faust. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Cold Case Unit reportedly applies any advancement in technology to cases where any significant leads could be produced through science. They also review the existing information and whether any details were missed during the primary investigation.
When was Edrick Faust charged with the killing of Tara Baker?
The GBI announced on May 9, 2024, that Edrick Faust had been charged with Tara Baker’s murder. He had been arrested nearly 23 years after the killing. CNN reported that Faust remained in jail on a $15,000 bond. The report also revealed no relation between Baker and Faust, making it a random crime.
Tara Baker was found dead on January 19, 2001, in her apartment in Athens. She was a first-year UGA law student who was last seen on January 18 at the UGA Law School Library. Her friend, who last saw her, left at around 7:30 p.m. She then spoke to her over call at 9:45 p.m. Tara reportedly told her she would leave to go home at 10 p.m. However, she was found dead in her apartment the next day by firefighters who were responding to a fire in the house. Edrick Faust was arrested in a different case less than a month later, in February 2001.
According to Fox 5, an autopsy revealed that Tara Baker died by strangulation, blunt force trauma, and stab wounds to the neck. In the unrelated February 2001 case, Edrick Faust pleaded guilty to cutting the victim’s throat. Officials have not disclosed the exact forensic procedure that has led to Faust getting caught.
The Athens-Clarke County firefighters found Baker dead on the floor of her bedroom after they broke open the door to her apartment, which was locked and dead-bolted. They found that the four burners in the kitchen were on high and were the source of the fire. The bedroom where Baker was found was also locked and had flames coming out of it, WSAV reported.
