After 12 hours of deliberations, jurors reached a verdict Tuesday afternoon in the cold-case murder trial of University of Georgia law student Tara Baker. Edrick Faust has been found guilty on all charges, including malice murder, felony murder, rape, arson, tampering with evidence, and all other charges in her death.
Baker was found dead in her East Athens home in January 2001 after authorities responded to a fire. Prosecutors alleged Faust, who had a previous criminal history, had raped and murdered her, then attempted to hide the evidence by setting fire to her apartment.
The case remained unsolved for years until a 2023 law established a Georgia Bureau of Investigation cold case unit specializing in DNA technology, which led to Faust’s arrest in May 2024.
Monday’s deliberations consisted of the jury re-watching GBI investigator William Ricketts’ testimony and reviewing DNA analysis. A sentence hearing is scheduled for 3 pm Thursday.
