Man found guilty in UGA law student cold case murder trial

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A verdict has been reached in the case of a Georgia woman who was murdered more than 25 years ago.

Edrick Faust faced 12 felony charges related to the murder of UGA law student Tara Baker in January 2001 in Athens, Georgia.

On Tuesday, Faust was convicted on the following charges:

• Count one - malice murder: GUILTY
• Count two - felony murder: GUILTY
• Count three - felony murder: GUILTY
• Count four - felony murder: GUILTY
• Count five - felony murder: GUILTY
• Count six - burglary: GUILTY
• Count seven - aggravated sodomy: GUILTY
• Count eight - rape: GUILTY
• Count nine - aggravated assault: GUILTY
• Count 10 - aggravated sodomy: GUILTY
• Count 11 - arson in the first degree: GUILTY
• Count 12 - possession of a knife during commission of a felony: GUILTY

Faust’s sentencing is set for 3 p.m. Thursday.

“Today’s verdict does not restore Tara’s future. It does not erase the years of grief. But it does represent accountability through the legal system she believed in so strongly,” Baker’s family said in a statement. “Throughout this process, we have trusted the legal system to follow the evidence wherever it led. Today, that process has resulted in a verdict.”

“Tara believed justice required courage and patience. In this moment, that principle has been honored. We also know that through the Coleman-Baker Act, named in her honor, families will continue to get justice that has been delayed for far too long. Her life mattered. Her pursuit of justice mattered. And both continue to matter. We are grateful for this resolution after more than 25 years of searching for the truth.”

His trial took a full two weeks, with closing arguments ending on Feb. 13.

Tara Baker’s murder trial: Everything you need to know

In January 2001, Tara Baker, a 23-year-old UGA law student, was killed in her apartment in Athens.

Baker was last seen by friends around 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 18, 2001, at the UGA Law School Library. A friend called Baker around 9:46 p.m., and she said she planned to leave the library around 10 p.m. That was the last time anyone heard from Baker alive.

According to arrest warrants, Baker was killed sometime between 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 18 and 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 19, 2001. She was subjected to strangulation with an instrument, a knife wound to the neck, blunt force trauma to her head and sexual assault.

Baker’s body was discovered by Athens-Clarke County firefighters around 11:20 a.m. on Jan. 19, 2001. She was found in her burning apartment on Fawn Drive in Athens.

The murder remained unsolved for over 23 years.

The case gained renewed attention after podcaster Cameron Jay produced the “Classic City Crime” podcast, which covered the case from June 2020 to January 2021.

In April 2023, Georgia lawmakers passed the Coleman-Baker Act, which allocated over $5 million toward reopening cold-case murder investigations.

In May 2024, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Cold Case Unit arrested Faust, who was 50 at the time, after new DNA science and biological evidence allegedly linked him to the murder.

Faust has a criminal history and pleaded guilty to aggravated assault less than a month after Baker’s killing.

Faust had pleaded not guilty to Baker’s murder.

Many in Faust’s family were in tears, outraged after the verdict was read.

“This is wrong, when I tell you this is wrong. There is no other way to explain it,” said Tijuana Dubose, Faust’s cousin.

Faust’s attorneys argued Tara Baker’s boyfriend at the time, Chris Melton, was responsible for death. During the trial, Melton denied any involvement.

“You let a man walk free that you know who did this to your daughter. He has his life, now my cousin don’t,” said Dubose.

Jury selection in Faust’s trial began earlier this month.

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