UGA cold case murder: Bond denied for suspect in murder of law student Tara Baker
Edrick Faust was previously denied bond in the 2001 murder of UGA Law student Tara Baker during a court hearing in Athens-Clarke County on Aug. 20, 2024. (FOX 5)
ATHENS, Ga. - The man accused of killing University of Georgia law student Tara Baker in 2001 has been denied bond again.
Edric Faust has been in custody at the Clarke County Jail without bond, facing charges that include murder and arson since his arrest in May.
It's been more than 23 years since Baker's body was discovered by Athens-Clarke County firefighters in a burning apartment on Fawn Drive. Investigators determined the fire was an act of arson and that Baker had been brutally murdered.
MORE: UGA cold case murder: Edrick Faust denied bond in 2001 murder of law student
Faust's attorney had asked that he be placed under house arrest until the trial, but prosecutors told the judge that his records showed he would be a threat to the public.
The judge in the case is expected to decide on a possible trial date in February.
Who is Tara Louise Baker?
Tara Baker (Georgia Bureau of Investigation)
Baker, born on January 20, 1977, in East Point, is remembered not only for her academic achievements but also for her remarkable character. A graduate of Lovejoy High School in 1995, Baker went on to attend Georgia College in Milledgeville, where she graduated Cum Laude in 1998 with two bachelor’s degrees.
Friends and classmates recall Baker as a beacon of kindness and inclusivity. Her commitment to social justice was evident early on as she consistently advocated for those less fortunate and often led efforts to include all students in academic activities.
Her academic prowess was matched by her dedication to making the university experience better for everyone around her. Baker was known for her ability to bring people together, ensuring that no serious student felt excluded from study groups or class projects.
UGA law student's murder
On the morning of Jan. 19, 2001, Athens-Clarke County firefighters discovered Baker’s body while responding to a fire at her Athens apartment located at 160 Fawn Drive. Investigations concluded the fire was an act of arson, part of a deliberate and heinous crime that abruptly ended the life of the 23-year-old student.
Baker was last seen by friends around 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 18, at the UGA Law School Library. That same friend got a call from Baker around 9:46 p.m. to make sure they got home safely. She told her friend she planned to leave the library around 10 p.m. That was the last time she was seen.
According to the arrest warrants, Baker was killed between 9:45 p.m. on January 18, 2001, and 11:30 a.m. on January 19, 2001. Faust allegedly used "an instrument, when used offensively against a person, [that] results in strangulation," and is accused of stabbing Baker in the neck with a knife with a blade longer than three inches and striking her head with a blunt object.
Additionally, the warrants say that Faust sexually assaulted Baker during the attack, hid her body, and tried to destroy evidence by setting her apartment on fire.
Who is Edrick Lamont Faust?
Faust has dozens of arrests documented in Athens-Clarke County. According to court records, less than a month after Baker was killed, Faust was arrested and pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for cutting someone's neck.
According to records obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta from the Georgia Department of Corrections, Faust was incarcerated between Aug. 21, 1997, and July 20, 1999, as well as between May 1, 2001, and May 28, 2003.
A search of the Athens-Clarke County court website also returned records for numerous arrests and probation violations dating back to at least 2001.
Prior to his arrest in the case, Faust had been arrested on March 3, 2022, when he was arrested for simple battery, disorderly conduct, and criminal trespass. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 14, 2022, and was given 50 hours of community service and 12 months' probation.