ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, Georgia – Defendant Edrick Faust received two consecutive life sentences plus an additional 45 years after a jury convicted him on 12 charges related to the rape and murder of University of Georgia law student Tara Baker in 2001.
The sentences were handed down Thursday afternoon at the Athens-Clarke County courthouse, concluding a two-week trial for one of the cases that has shaken the Athens community for over two decades.
Emotional Testimonies in Court
The courtroom fell silent as the victim's family and the defendant's family each delivered statements before sentencing.
Tara Baker's mother, Virginia Baker, had her son-in-law read her statement. She described January 19, 2001, as "the collision of pure good with inexplicable darkness." She added that for 25 years, the question "why" has never left the mind of a mother who lost her child.
Faust's family maintained he was not the killer, stating that the wrong person had been convicted. Relative Tijuana Dubose said they would appeal.
DNA and an Investigative Turning Point
The jury deliberated for two days after hearing presentations on advanced DNA technology, which reportedly linked Faust to the case more than 20 years after the incident.
During deliberations, the jury requested to review the interrogation segment between Faust and a Georgia Bureau of Investigation detective, where he was questioned about his DNA appearing on the victim.
The defense argued there was no direct physical evidence placing Faust at the scene and suggested the perpetrator could have been an acquaintance of Baker's.
The 2001 Case
Tara Baker, a University of Georgia law student, was found dead in her burned apartment on Fawn Drive on January 19, 2001, just one day before her 24th birthday.
Faust was arrested in 2004 after DNA samples were re-tested using new technology.
The sentence of two consecutive life terms plus an additional 45 years leaves Faust with virtually no chance of release. The case is highly likely to proceed to the appeal stage in the near future.
