Baker Returns Home to Warm Welcome

Article in the Hill Country Community Journal

By Tammy Prout

November 8, 2007

When Matt Baker got word his bond had been reduced and his parents were coming to get him, he only had one thing on his mind.“I wanted to hug my girls,” Baker said. And hug his girls he did on Oct. 25 in McLennan County.“We knew that there was going to be a lot of media there, so we were a little concerned,” Baker said. “But the jail administration allowed my family to drive right up into the covered area and the girls exited on the opposite side of the vehicle so that they were not exposed to the television cameras.”How did it feel?" “It was great. I needed that. We needed that,” he said.

An arrest warrant was issued for Baker in August, charging him with the death of his wife, Kari, who died in August of 2006. Her death was initially ruled a suicide by the Hewitt Police department, which then later assigned another investigator to the case and changed the ruling. Since he was arrested Aug. 21, Baker’s parents, Barbara and Oscar, have been caring for his children, ages 11 and 7, communicating with attorneys and trying to figure out how to come up with the funds it was going to take to get Baker home. The initial bond was set at $400,000, which was eventually reduced to $200,000.“I know this has been hard on them,” Baker said. “But keeping the girls routine was first and foremost on our minds.”While incarcerated, Baker spoke with his parents daily.“I called them every day and checked on the girls. We had to go over what was happening with the attorneys,” Baker said. “It cost $11 for 15 minutes.”Barbara and Oscar, like many area residents and students, are steadfast in their belief that Baker did not and could not have murdered his wife.“I have nothing to hide. I am an open book. I am accused of something I did not do,” Baker said. “I know that, and the people who know me know that.”

One of the decisions Barbara and Oscar made for their son was to seek the help of Guy James Gray, a 25-year veteran prosecutor, now operating a private practice.As was previously reported, it was Gray who was able to have Baker’s bond reduced.Barbara said she was apprehensive at first to make such an important decision on her son’s behalf.“My mom told me she had met with Mr. Gray and said she felt very good about him,” Baker said. “Her exact
words were that he was a ‘Godsend.’”After meeting with Gray, Baker said he agreed. “I know he would not have taken this case if he did not believe in my innocence,” Baker said.Keith Williams, a local attorney, family friend and Baker’s former Bible school teacher helped introduce the family to Gray. He will also assist Gray during the trial.Since returning home, Baker said he feels
loved. “I can see it in people’s eyes when I’m in the grocery store or dropping the girls off at school,” he said. “Sometimes they will just stop and let me know that they are praying for me and my family. That means so much."

”The Bakers will not publicly discuss Kari’s parents. However, it is they who filed and dropped a civil wrongful death suit against Baker, claiming he is the cause of the death of their only child. “We’ve been going through this now for a year-and-a-half. My girls and I have never been able to grieve,” Baker said. “I’ve lost my wife. My children have lost their mother.” To date, the case has not gone before a grand jury. Baker said he will trust Gray with his life.“There’s no evidence linking me to Kari’s death. I’ve taken and passed a lie-detector test,” Baker said. Patience, however, will have to be a virtue for the Baker family, as they put their trust in Gray and let the justice system work as it should.

I'm not positive....but I don't think that Kari was an only child. Doesn't she (didn't she) have a brother?