The Zahra Baker mystery (2011) - What really happened to the 10-year-old? | 60 Minutes Australia

the body of a little Australian girl is found dumped in the back blocks of America her dad has some suspicious holes in his memory her stepmother has been locked up but so far hasn't been charged with murder so what happened to ten-year-old Zahra Baker it's a crime that's horrified and fascinated people on both sides of the Pacific tonight for the first time Zara's dad tells his version of events it's no wonder police are having so much trouble solving the mystery [Music] the innocent smile of Zahra Baker doing the things most girls love to do [Music] although Zara was not your average little girl because in her short ten years she had endured two bouts of cancer battles that left her with a hearing impairment and a prosthetic leg but this gutsy little Australian girl survived it all until this Zahra Baker is now at the center of one of America's biggest murder mysteries sorry my life you know and now she's gone I don't know what to do I feel very very empty Adam Baker is a lonely man he raised Sara on his own nearly all her life two years ago he brought his daughter here to Hickory in America's south after meeting his new wife Lisa on the internet he now realizes it was a relationship doomed from the start what was it about Lisa do you think too was very caring then what were you hoping for what did you think your life was going to be like happy family a lot of love more children brothers and sisters bizarre didn't turn out that way / Adam Baker not only is Zara gone but nearly everyone here treats him with deep suspicion it's very hard to see people on the street even people in the cars drawing staring yelling what do they yell I need to be locked up I'm gonna go to hell then I'm a murderer are you guilty of anything Adam Baker and his wife Lisa became suspects when Zahra disappeared late last year it was a case that would take a gruesome turn when her tiny body was found dismembered this horrific story began last October here at Zara Baker's family home in the early hours of one Saturday morning authorities were called to a small grass fire at the back of the house but then a ransom note was found in one of the family's cars this would be the first in many bizarre twists in a case that would see lives unraveled husband pitted against wife and a father losing his only child nine hours after finding the ransom note Adam Baker reports his daughter missing four days into the search for Zara Lisa Baker made an extraordinary admission she had written the ransom note and after two weeks in custody came another major development Lisa led police to Zara's remains coming here was a gut-wrenching moment for everyone because the little girl that investigators had hoped to find alive was now obviously not knowing she was dead was distressing enough but what was truly shocking was that little Zara's body had been cut into pieces her remains in plastic bags some buried some strewn four acres across this bush land some of her body parts still haven't been found when you had heard that Zahra had disappeared can you recall your reaction I honestly believed I'd never see her again really I just had this feeling people might think it's silly but this little boy said to me don't worry now I'm all right I didn't want to believe it but I think deep down on you Karen Baker is Zara's grandmother because this is just her and her memories of her granddaughter are of a courageous little girl that was after her second lot of cancer she'd also had part of her lung removed but it didn't stop her this one she was so proud this was the day that Ellen was getting married and she was just so prayer Karen Baker has come to Hickory not just to support her sons she's here searching for answers I don't know what if I want to know all the ins and outs but I still want to know what happened you need to know you need to know what happened Lisa Baker reportedly told relatives that Zara died of an illness in these search warrants police allege she says that happened two weeks before Zara was reported missing Lisa Baker also alleges IRAs body was dismembered at the family home and that she and Adam had disposed of the remains it is effects that Zahra was dismembered and that is horrifying do you have any words for that it's um not something hard to think about it makes me sick if somebody could do that lisa alleges you were involved in that yeah that's what she says Lisa religious that you and she disposed of Zara's body is that untrue that's the biggest lie you've ever told the first Alice there's no way I could do that to my child for her to sit there and say that I dismembered my child there's no way on earth that I could do that do you believe that Lisa had anything to do with the disappearance of Zara I feel this year I had something to do with this and what do you think that is I'm not I'm not sure you know there's so many things that try to pop into my head then may have happened then I don't want to think about thinking about it's just too hard and heartbreak is it not possible that Zara died of an illness no you don't believe it no I don't believe that for a second is it not possible that Zara died two weeks before she was reported missing no you saw her not long before she disappeared but it's this question when did he last see his daughter that raises more questions at the time of Zara's disappearance Adam claims he was working long hours and though he hadn't seen his daughter his wife Lisa said she was in her room at the time of Zara's disappearance you seemed uncertain about when you last saw her are you able to clear that up it's very hard to talk about stuff with the case at the moment because it still is a ongoing investigation I really don't want to do anything that may impede any justice was our I guess it's the one thing that people have trouble with oh yeah and you understand that yes I understand that Adam bacon now knows Lisa is not the woman he thought he'd married since being arrested she's been charged with bigamy in fact she's had seven marriages at one stage she had three husbands at the same time and was already married when she Wed Adam Baker their marriage was never legal I suppose you're starting to wonder who this person is oh yeah I don't even know this person did you ever see Lisa mistreating Zahra no neighbors and relatives claimed they saw abuse and that Zahra had a black eye did you ever see that yes I saw the black guy and what did you ask about that I asked both Lisa Eames are how that happened well Lisa started saying Zahra slipped in the bathroom they hit a head on the cabinet Zahra back that up why do you think she said that right now what I think is she was told to her she was scared [Music] Hickory had been Sarah's home for only a short time but her death shattered the community they gathered to mourn her death and to celebrate what would have been her 11th birthday Zahra touched us her story her resilience her I will not quit attitude that we could see the wistful look on her face it touched us Mayor Rudy Wright says the community of hickory feared it had failed Sarah people came to me with tears in their eyes at times including from all walks of life from all socio-economic stations in life with tears crying saying how did this happen to that little girl it's been four long months since police began their investigations into this crime and did not be as much of the focus has been on Lisa Baker Zara's stepmother she admitted to writing the ransom note she led police to wear some of Zara's dismembered remains were dumped and according to police documents she failed a polygraph test on crucial questions related to Zara's death but Adam Baker is far from exonerated were still to see whether the district attorney believes he has a case to answer [Music] is there anything you haven't said that you're frightened to say oh you have no doubts that you will have no case to answer done darling you know I had no part in my daughter's death or dismemberment you can't watch any child go through all that Zara did and think that he could do that you just can't he wouldn't do it he just wants to know it's a Miss why you wanted to know what happened who did it do you think you know oh yes she's sitting in jail oh yeah that's my feeling that's my opinion what has been the worst decision you made now looking back bringing Lisa into our lives you believe that was the downfall you believe Sara would be alive today oh yeah therefore [Music] there will be no peace in this close-knit town until someone is held accountable for Zara's death the district attorney is now examining the evidence collected so far deciding if charges can be laid and when that happens Adam Baker's seems confident about how he'll be spending his time when this is all over what are your plans my plans are to take Sarah back to Australia yeah move back there try to put some pieces and one life back together hello I'm Liz Hayes thanks for watching to keep up with the latest from 60 minutes Australia make sure you subscribe to our channel you can also download the 9 now app for full episodes and other exclusives 60 minutes content

Channel: 60 Minutes Australia

Views: 1,167,760

Rating: 4.6957431 out of 5

Keywords: 60 Minutes, 60 Minutes Australia, Liz Hayes, Charles Wooley, Tara Brown, Liam, Bartlett, Allison Langdon, Tom Steinfort, zahra baker, mystery, crime

Id: P-hBmOyVMXo

Length: 16min 15sec (975 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 30 2018