ATHENS, GA – A Georgia man, Edrick Lamont Faust, 48, is facing multiple charges in connection to the murder of a law student, Tara Louise Baker, 23, that occurred over two decades ago. Faust’s charges include murder, arson, aggravated assault, and tampering with evidence, among others. The court has denied him bond.
Baker, who was in her first year of law school, was found dead in her apartment on January 19, 2001. The cause of the fire in her apartment was later determined to be arson. Faust was recently arrested following a thorough review of the cold case by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and Athens-Clarke County police.
Chris Hosey, GBI Director, expressed his hope that the arrest would bring some closure to Baker’s family. He described Baker as a hardworking student with a promising future that was tragically cut short by a violent act.
Baker, a Cum Laude graduate from Georgia College with two bachelor’s degrees, would have turned 24 the day after her body was discovered. Her last known location was the University of Georgia Law School Library on the evening of January 18, 2001.
Jerry Saulters, the current Chief of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, expressed his relief over the progress in the case. Saulters, who was present at the scene in 2001, commended the efforts of the detectives who worked on the case over the years.
Governor Brian Kemp also acknowledged the investigators’ work in bringing a suspect to justice in this longstanding case.