Zahra Baker

Zahra Clare Baker (November 16, 1999 – September 24, 2010) was a schoolgirl in Hickory, North Carolina, United States, who was reported missing on October 9, 2010.

Zahra Baker was born on November 16, 1999, to Emily Dietrich and Adam Baker, who both lived in Wagga Wagga in New South Wales.

Dietrich, who had postpartum depression after Zahra's birth, gave up custody to Adam.

Reports of Elisa's abusive behavior were investigated by the Department of Social Services in regards to her own biological children dating as far back as 1999.

She has a daughter from a previous boyfriend, and a son and a daughter from a previous marriage.

Adam took Zahra and moved with his parents to Giru, Queensland in 2004 to work for a sugar mill.

Zahra, who was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2005, later developed lung cancer as well.

As a result, she had the lower part of one leg amputated and had to wear hearing aids.

Adam Baker reportedly met Elisa Fairchild (originally from western North Carolina) online on an IMVU website.

Elisa Fairchild visited Adam Baker in Queensland and they were soon married.

Elisa had been previously married six times and was still married at the time she married Adam Baker.

Zahra's cancer went into remission in 2008, shortly before she moved to the United States from Australia with her father and new stepmother.

After moving to North Carolina, the Bakers settled in Hickory where Zahra attended public school until she was removed to start homeschooling.

It is not known, though, if she was ever actually homeschooled.

It is suspected Zahra was taken out of public school because reports of child abuse were made to the school, implicating Elisa.

Many neighbors of Zahra's claimed that Elisa was physically and mentally abusive, and neglected the child.

Two teachers visited Zahra's home, after Zahra came to school with a black eye in a public school in Hudson while she was in the fourth grade.

Child Protective Services from both Caldwell and Catawba counties visited the various residences of Zahra multiple times before Zahra died.

The Bakers had moved a few times in both those counties before settling in Hickory.

Only 10 years old at the time of her death, her dismembered remains were found in November 2010.

Because of the crime's gruesome nature and the series of events leading up to her death, Zahra's murder received worldwide media coverage.

Elisa made a 911 call at 5:30AM on October 9, 2010, to report a fire in the back of the family residence in Hickory.

The police arrived to find a ransom note and the smell of gasoline coming from Adam's company truck, a Chevrolet Tahoe.

In a second 911 phone call made to report Zahra missing at 2PM the same day, Adam Baker explained that during a fire in their backyard a $1 million ransom note was found on his company truck the night before, addressed to Adam's boss and landlord, Mark Coffey.

Adam explained that they called 911 earlier that day about the fire and implied that whoever started the fire, may have done so to distract the family in order to take Zahra.

Adam explained the purported kidnapper mistakenly confused Zahra for Mark Coffey's daughter.

Coffey's daughter was unharmed and with her family, Adam stated.

Adam said the last time he saw his daughter was at 2:30AM.

Apparently, Adam Baker left for work early in the morning and did not return until after Zahra went to sleep.

Elisa failed a polygraph test she had taken early in the investigation.

She was asked if she had hurt Zahra, if she knew of anyone who had harmed Zahra, and if she knew who wrote the ransom note.

On October 10, 2010, search and rescue dogs were sent to search the Bakers' house and cars.

The dogs gave positive alerts to the scent of human remains on both of the Bakers' cars, the Chevrolet Tahoe and a sedan.

The police took swabs of what they thought might be blood from the car.

Elisa Baker was also arrested for various crimes unrelated to the death of Zahra, including communicating threats, writing bad checks, larceny, and driving with a revoked license.

Baker, who was jailed, was next charged with obstruction of justice after admitting that she wrote the ransom note, which led the police astray.

In late October 2010, a Catawba County judge raised Elisa's bond from $40,000 to $65,000 at a bond hearing, believing that Elisa was a flight risk.

In September 2011, the victim's stepmother, Elisa Baker, pleaded guilty to murdering Zahra, and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

In 2013, she was given an additional 10 years for drug-related charges.

While Baker told investigators that Zahra's father Adam Baker was involved in the crime, he was not charged, and the District Attorney has said that the state had no evidence linking anyone but Elisa Baker to the murder.