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Child murder suspect Elisa Baker now in federal custody
NORTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Elisa Baker, the woman at the center of a child murder case that once made national headlines, has officially been transferred from a North Carolina state prison to a federal facility, officials confirmed with Queen City News.
Baker was moved on Wednesday morning, July 2, from Anson Correctional Institution in Polkton to begin serving a federal sentence related to a prescription drug conspiracy.
She had been serving an 18-year state sentence for the second-degree murder of her 10-year-old stepdaughter, Zahra Baker.
Federal Charges: Conspiracy with intent to distribute prescription drugs
Her federal sentence stems from a 2013 conviction for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and alprazolam.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, Baker distributed tens of thousands of pills across the state between 2006 and 2010, maintaining homes in Granite Falls, Hudson, and Hickory as part of the illegal operation.
Court records show Baker got the pills using multiple prescriptions and other sources in Catawba County. She pleaded guilty in 2012 and was sentenced in 2013.
At the time, the judge ruled that her federal sentence would begin only after completing her time for Zahra’s murder.
State Charges: Second-degree murder
Baker’s name became widely known in 2010 following the disappearance and death of her 10-year-old stepdaughter, Zahra. As FOX News reported at that time, Zahra’s dismembered remains were found scattered across multiple sites in Catawba and Caldwell counties. The little girl was reportedly a bone cancer survivor who wore a prosthetic leg and used hearing aids.
According to FOX News, Baker pleaded guilty in 2011 to second-degree murder, obstruction of justice, and unrelated charges in connection with Zahra’s death. The girl had reportedly moved to North Carolina from Australia after her father met Elisa online and brought her to the U.S.
Zahra’s death was ruled as the result of “undetermined homicidal violence,” and investigators never fully explained the circumstances surrounding how she died, multiple outlets reported.
Now that Baker’s transfer is complete, she will serve her 10-year federal sentence without the possibility of early release. Once her federal time is served, she will also face three years of court supervision, as outlined in the original 2013 sentencing.
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Elisa Baker, center, is helped from a van by U.S. Marshals as she arrives at the federal courthouse for a hearing in Charlotte, N.C. Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012. Baker is charged with distributing painkillers including oxycodone and anti-anxiety drugs in Catawba and Caldwell counties over four years. The charges could carry penalties of more than 100 years in prison and $4 million in fines. Baker pleaded guilty to the murder of her disabled 10-year-old stepdaughter, Zahra Baker, last year. Her trial on the drug charges is scheduled to start on Monday, Jan. 9. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) -
Elisa Baker arrives at the federal courthouse for a hearing on federal drug charges, in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012. Baker is charged with distributing painkillers including oxycodone and anti-anxiety drugs in Catawba and Caldwell counties over four years. The charges could carry penalties of more than 100 years in prison and $4 million in fines. Baker pleaded guilty to the murder of her disabled 10-year-old stepdaughter, Zahra Baker, last year. Her trial on the drug charges is scheduled to start on Monday, Jan. 9. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
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