‘Cold Case Cracked!’ Suspect Arrested In 2001 Murder Of UGA Law Student

DEBARYLIFE – Authorities declared they had detained a suspect over twenty years after Tara Baker, a University of Georgia student, was killed.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said that Edrick Lamont Faust, 48, was charged with murder and is also facing many additional charges related to the death of the 23-year-old first-year law student.

“Tara Louise Baker was a dedicated student who had a promising future,” GBI Director Chris Hosey stated in a press release on Thursday.

“A horrifying act of violence robbed Tara of her life. I hope that this arrest helps the Baker family find closure as they continue their healing process, even while it does not bring her back to us.”

In January 2001, Athens-Clarke County firemen discovered Baker’s death inside her flat. Investigators believed the fire was suspicious and had been started to hide Baker’s death.

To solve the cold case, investigators collaborated with the FBI, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for the following 23 years, trying to substantiate their suspicions.

However, the Coleman-Baker Act had not yet been enacted when the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Cold Case Unit examined Baker’s case in September 2023, which is when the authorities were able to gather sufficient evidence for the arrest. The GBI announced plans to hold a press conference to give further information on the investigation.

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Governor Brian Kemp enacted the Coleman-Baker Act in 2023, honoring Tara Baker and University of Georgia student Sue Coleman, who passed away 21 years prior.

A new unit dedicated to looking into cold case files was established under the legislation within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Additionally, if more than six years had elapsed, law enforcement was compelled to investigate unresolved cases.

“May Tara’s memory live on through the good work of this Unit,” Kemp wrote on social media upon the news of the arrest.

In a statement, her family expressed gratitude to the police, mentioned WGAU, and stated, “Although we have long prayed for this day, it is not a day without grief and unanswered questions.”