I still try to find information on this case and it never ceases to amaze me the degree of dysfunction that still appears to be going on in it. I came across this article when trying to see what was decided with the precious children. http://tinyurl.com/34bfx2h
A few quotes:
Barbara added Matt’s 14-year-old daughter is expected to testify in Wednesday’s hearing after researching the amicus attorney aspect. “She’s ready to say I do not want an amicus, we have what we need,” Barbara said of her granddaughter. “She understands what she says is legal and will be written down, and is OK with it. She’s very mature for her age. “The Dulins have a feeling they cannot control Beverly Crowdin, and they like to control everybody in the case,” Barbara added. “If they can’t, they try to get rid of them."
What child would know or speak of this? Why are these children prepared to testify? Why are they not being shielded from adult matters? Why are they not being told that the judge will decide where you can best heal, grow, learn and flourish in spite of what has happened and either way-- you are blessed little girls with two sets of grandparents whom love you and want the best for you?
What bothers me is the way that matt and his mother have always attacked the Dulin family and continue to do so even in light of the trial. If they say these things publicly about the maternal grandparents and the victim - my God, I can only imagine what is said privately. Is this not alienation? I sure hope a court will see that these girls are in continuing danger and what appears to be brainwashing. Makes me want to ask barbara baker, is matt more important than these girls? Why try to take even more from them that what they have already lost? Why not allow them to love the grandparents whom they loved dearly (by all accounts) prior to all of this? I can only fear that one day these girls will grow up and resent the bakers for what they did to them, for their own gain.
What do you guys think? Anyone local who can give us insight? Is it just me or does anyone think that it is horrible for these children to be taken to a prison? Especially if they have not had counseling and come to their own decision of what happened? Is that not trying to make them believe their father is innocent and how can that be good for them right now?
I will never forget the words of Linda Dulin - thus, why it remains in my siggy line!
"However in order to heal, in order to point the way for our own granddaughters, in order to show God how grateful we are then we have to step out and forgive. So we do. We forgive, because that’s the only way Matt. The only way that love that makes the way, so that eventually, eventually just as in this case.. LOVE TRUMPS EVIL. That’s all."
I have spent a lifetime advocating for children and for the life of me I don't understand how these children are still in this home.
"Like I said, Kari and I were very close friends. We both moved and lost contact with each other. I only learned a year ago what happened to her. So I recently took a trip to Waco. I hadn't been there in 10 years. I wanted some closure to our friendship, or maybe just something that proved to me that she was really gone, so I decided to visit the cemetery. It took me an hour (even with directions) to find the spot. I walked around in the Texas summer heat! I could practically feel Kari laughing at me. When I did find "her", I stood peacefully for about 45 seconds trying to feel close to my dear friend. Out of the blue, the sprinklers turned on and literally drenched me from head to toe! An all-out forceful spray of water right at me! Of course I screamed and ran away. And then laughed. If Kari was there watching me, and I believe she was, I know she was laughing at me. I also think she was telling me that I don't need to go to a cemetery to feel close to her.She is right in my heart, forever. Just a reminder that Kari is still with us."
JAN AND TOM PURDY: Couple pushes for autopsy law
San Angelo Standard Times
"An illuminating article in the Feb. 7 Waco Tribune-Herald revealed that in the first year a justice of the peace receives only six hours of training in determining deaths. With all the other duties of a justice of the peace — performing marriages, issuing warrants, setting bail, conducting criminal and civil trials — it seems that determining death is one duty that should be void of discretion and ultimately up to a medical professional.I'm sorry. It seems my links to the letters you can write for Kari's Law up on the top right column are broken. I think I need to re-load the letters to GoogleDocs. Will do so and let you know when they are ready again. Passing "Kari's Law" would save sooooooo many families the years of angst and injustice that Kari's family had to endure. This is something worth printing and signing a letter for. Justice for Kari can equal justice for so many others!
Since causes of death are not always obvious, especially when criminals go to great lengths to deceive law enforcement officers, 'Kari’s Law' would require either a full or partial autopsy in cases where a person dies as a result of suicide.
Texas does not need to experience another State v. Baker, and Texas families should not have to request a formal inquest hearing to find the truth." (read more)
"In the second interview, Matt confirms for us, he does want an appeal. Then he says something chilling. He says, 'I honestly know, and I know it is hard to...to get it across, but I loved my wife, even though I made a mistake.'You can read past thoughts of Eyes for Lies:
That's the understatement of the century, Matt. Your mistake was that you got too cocky and confident and your behavior, words and history caught up with you and gave your lies away." (read more)
"So let me get this straight. Baker is asking us to believe that all of Kari's friends, co-workers, and her therapist, the Dulins and all their family, a majority of people who worked with Matt, his last four employers, the Hewitt Police department, JP Billy Martin, State experts who have never met Baker, Pharmecutical web site owners, the DAs office, a few former girlfriends and one mistress, his neighbors and co-workers, the news media from 4 different networks and all their independent experts, Lawyers Gray, Danforth, Schwieger and now Judge Strother.... All conspired to to get Matt convicted of a crime he says didn't happen."
"Questions:There will be a day when the evidence (lack there of) will be viewed and it will show that there was nothing but opinions in this case. If everyone that had affairs handled it by murdering their spouses, we would certainly lower the population. I guess it still isn't clean whether Kari meant for the death to happen, or whether it really was an accident. We may not ever know that. However, it is very obivious that she was not murdered. How was she murdered? Police showed there was "nothing" except wine cooler in bottles, Tox screen could not have been accurate or it would have shown the Xanex in her system that her mom gave her a week before. (as Xanex is a slow half-life) and ME from Dallas saw no marks on face, it was only after pictures got to Lubbock ME that the "marks" showed up??"
Sadie:Oooops! Somebody's caught the nasty little Fabrication Bug from the killer preacher. ~ "Nothing but opinions in this case?" FALSE. People don't get convicted on "opinions." Re-watch the trial. Loads of evidence. ~ Matt was convicted on an assumption that any cheating husband whose wife dies, killed her? FALSE. Infidelity IS a common motive for spousal murder, though, and appears to have been one motive in this case. He was a PREACHER. One who said, "Divorce was never an option." ~ It isn't clear whether the murder victim meant for the death to happen?! FALSE. And cruelly absurd. ~ "We may never know" whether it was an accident? FALSE. Ridiculous! A person who accidentally overdoses could not type up a fake, unsigned "suicide" note! And you can't "accidentally" show signs of having been dead for four hours, only 40 minutes after being alert and speaking. ~ Police showed there was nothing in the bottles? FALSE. ONE empty, clean bottle was found in Matt's trash long after Kari died. Why only one? Why clean? There were TWO bottles on the nightstand in the photos from that night. ~ Toxicology data from the autopsy was relied upon at trial as accurate? FALSE. As the expert witnesses testified, toxicology can't be accurate on an embalmed, exhumed body. ~ Marks on Kari's face only "showed up" after the Lubbock ME examined the photos? FALSE. Marks are plainly visible on Kari's nose/lip in police photos taken that night. The Dallas ME who conducted the exhumation autopsy examined a discolored, partially decomposed, exhumed body for gunshots, knife wounds, or blunt trauma. The Lubbock ME simply examined the Dallas ME's autopsy photos and saw the corresponding mark which matched the wound visible in the death scene photos. The jury saw it, too. ~ There really are not too many remaining unanswered "questions." A big one for me is, why would someone come here with lame and misleading attempts to defend a lying, cheating, scamming, sociopathic murderer at this point? What's in it for them?That's it for now. Really cool day coming up. Peace out.
"Matt Baker’s mistress lied. At least three other women who said he is a sexual predator lied. His lawyer sold him down the river and his trial judge committed judicial misconduct.
Baker’s appellate attorney won’t do what he says. His in-laws and their attorneys manipulated the legal system. The jury got it wrong.
All these factors aligned in a perfect conspiratorial storm to send an innocent man to prison. At least that’s what Baker, a former Baptist minister, said Wednesday." (read more)
Matt Baker speaks to News Channel 25 from prison
KXXV - Channel 25
"News Channel 25's Bruce Gietzen interviewed Baker for an hour Wednesday at his new prison home in Livingston, Texas where he is serving his 65 year sentence.
Baker discussed Vanessa Bulls testimony and their affair, problems with his attorney Guy James Gray, and some things he feels he should have done differently in that trial." (read more)
I find it very interesting that after extensive and specific physical, mental, occupational and psychological testing that they deemed the fields to be the ideal spot for Baker. A job requiring no education or specific skills at all. It's going to be one, long, hot summer!
"WACO - The former Waco-area pastor convicted of murdering his wife in 2006 has been moved to his permanent cell unit of assignment in the state prison system. ""He has been reportedly assigned to field duty, tending to crops at the 2,900 inmate facility." (read full article here)
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. Psalm 146: 3 NIV
faith: 2 b (1): firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2): complete trust. Merriam-Webster Online
The Bible seems to indicate that only God is worthy of our faith (belief without proof). Mortal men should have actions that merit our trust, and my understanding of scriptures is there should be limits when putting our faith in a man. There are many examples of people putting too much faith in someone believed to be “a man of God”: Jim Jones, David Koresh, child molesting priests, etc.
I suspect that most everyone reading this blog has a firm opinion concerning the guilt or innocence of Matt, and I doubt that anything written by me would change your opinion about that issue. Matt’s future does not seem to be the primary concern of current contributors to this blog. The futures of Kensi & Grace are now at issue.
The Friends of Kensi and Grace Baker Fund group is taking actions which could have an impact on their futures. This group seems to take it as a given that remaining with the Bakers is in the best interest of Kensi and Grace. I do not think that is correct. Thus, it seems to be appropriate to direct some questions and comments to a couple of the people listed as Co-Chairs in the brochure.
To the Co-Chair who testified in the sentencing phase of Matt’s trial that a man could be a “good” father even if he murdered his child’s mother, I have the following questions for your consideration and reflection. Do you still believe this? If you do, what act would a man have to commit for your value system to tell you he is a “bad” father?
To the Co-Chair who “stayed away from knowing the evidence on the case on purpose” concerning Matt? I hope and pray you are not taking the same approach in “knowing” what is best for the girls’ futures.
"Shannon,
I am the person who initiated the Friends of Kensi and Grace group. After reading the original email you posted from a person who received the mailing and the comments posted to date, I want to clarify some unfounded assumptions that unfortunately have been reached. First of all, Barbara Baker had nothing to do with the initiation of this effort. In fact, when first approached about the idea she expressed reluctance and continued to do so until the week of the mailing. The brochure was designed without any input from her and to my knowledge she didn’t see it until after it was finished. She also did not spend one penny of her resources for the mailing. I personally paid for every expense associated with the printing and mailing.
It saddens my heart to see the words, exploit and exploitation, appear in the commentary on your blog. The mailing was done from a heartfelt Christian perspective of helping someone in need, not exploitation of Kensi, Grace or their friends. The mailing went to a limited number of people, primarily to some members of two churches. The response has been very positive. Some of the donations have been accompanied with very sweet notes expressing their love and best wishes for the girls.
In closing I want to address the comments made in your 7:08pm post last night. Speaking for myself (and I’m sure for many, many others, including you), I do want what is best for the girls. I have not been brainwashed and am not being taken advantage of. I’ve known the Baker family for over twenty years. They are honest, hardworking, caring Christian people who have been a blessing to my family and many others in this community. I sincerely believe they will do a good job of raising Kensi and Grace and leading them into adulthood. These young ladies have already experienced more trauma than most of us have experienced in a lifetime. Adding an additional trauma by uprooting them from the community where they feel secure because of the wide and deep support system they have here will serve no purpose. I’m praying that something can be worked out between the two families. All we can do is pray and know that God is in control of all things and His will shall come to pass.
Posted by Founder of The Friends of Kensi and Grace to Don't Even Get Me Started at May 6, 2010 12:25 PM"
To those who support the Bakers fight for custody:
I don't think any of you are crazy or brainwashed but, I don't get it. I don't understand how anyone who truly loves those girls could keep telling them that their Mom killed herself leaving them to go to their dead sister? Like Kari picked Kassidy over them? NEVER!
And if you still think Matt Baker is innocent, tell me HOW? Do you not see how many totally unrelated strangers from all parts of the state and country would have had to get together and concocted a story, then perjured themselves in a court of law for Matt's story to even ring partly true? Why would they do that?
Do you not get that every person who knew Kari, EVERY PERSON, except Matt, says she was not depressed. NOTHING, no e-mail, no note, no plan, no
conversation, NOTHING in Kari's life pointed to suicide outside of Matt's story and a unsigned gramaticaly incorrect typed note.Aside from all that, can you not see that Matt's version of what happened that night is IMPOSSIBLE? Not only could Kari's death not have happened the way he said, from what he said, in the time he said, but Matt himself could not physically have done the things he said he was doing at the time.
The thing you have to understand is that no one wanted to believe that Matt killed Kari. No one. It's been a 4 year nightmare. But the facts, they just didn't add up. With that note, Matt's weird behavior after Kari died, his impossible whole-filled account of that night, his multiplying lies, horrible things surfacing from his past....Matt left us with no other option. NONE! He killed Kari and then he took her girls away from their lives.
How can you think that living with the Bakers, the people who want the girls to think their mother left them, the people who perpetuate Matt's lies everyday, the people who try to slander Kari's good name are a good for Kensi & Grace? How?
Despite what you believe or want to believe, do you realize how much more harm YOU = you personally, will bring to these girls by helping the Bakers if
you are wrong? If you are wrong the girls entire life in Kerrville is based on a lies. Knowing, as we all do, that the truth always comes out, can you imagine how horrible it will be for those girls to learn that the people who raised them were lying to them and everything they thought was true isn't? No matter what your feelings are towards the Bakers, are you willing to risk that for these two little girls who have lost so very much already?Maybe you don't know the Dulins, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that they are and will be the best family for Kensi and Grace. They can give them a great life and bright future, without handouts might I add. They are Christian people who love God. They are successful, stable, loving people who will fight for what is right and move heaven and Earth to give Kensi and Grace the very best life possible! Our community will also do whatever we can for Kensi and Grace, just as you in Kerrville have done for these last 4 years. Those girls are so loved and continually prayed for by multitudes of Kari's friends and family.
That's what the main point of getting justice for Kari was...to let her girls know what really happened and to give them the best life possible. We owe Kari and her girls that. To love Kensi and Grace, we know how important it is to let them love both of their parents, as hard as that might be. Tell me, do the Bakers let the girls love Kari?
Please, please, please, step back and really, really think about this. AND please pray for God to honor only what is right and true in Kensi and Graces lives. Surly that is a prayer we can all share.
PS none of my questions were meant to be rhetorical. I really would like to know what you think.
Posted by A friend of Kari's to Don't Even Get Me Started at May 7, 2010 12:52 AM
I actually got wind of this last week. Was disgusted. Not sure what to do, if anything. But when I received another email from the Kerrville area about this and it included the attatchment, I felt that I need to say something. Not only disgusted, but angry. It's a little long and I considered just posting excerpts but decided that all of it was pertinent. So with permission, I will share this email with you here:
"Dear Shannon,
I decided to e-mail you because of something I got in my mail yesterday. It made me terribly mad at first and now I am more sad. If you haven’t seen this then I think you will be upset too at what the Bakers are doing because we were shocked by it. They have mailed out this brochure that has pictures of the girls all over it. They are using the girls pictures to collect money for their custody fight. They have a return address on it that says Friends of Kensi and Grace Baker Fund. It tells people to encourage the girls when they see them around town and talks about their sports and youth groups. They are writing about how much money they need and there is a bank fund set up for donations. If they are so hard up for money then how can they afford to print the color brochures and postage to mail them out to everybody? I have never had any face to face dealing with the Bakers. However I have seen how things have been with this case. I started hearing about it in the news and later read this blog after Matt moved back to Kerrville . I was pretty sure he was guilty then, but when I saw the trial on In Session and it was so obvious. I never understood why he wasn’t really working. Matt was asking people for money then too, as you know. He even had the children sign their names on a letter he wrote begging for money. He took everybody’s money but why wasn’t he working a regular job to pay his own legal costs? Or even support his family like any decent man would. He wanted people to feel sorry for him. A lot of them who helped him don’t feel good about that now, trust me. Some gave money only because he was a preacher. Or they felt sorry for his parents. Well anyway he was found guilty regardless, and people are glad about that at least. I think if his mother loved him in the right way she would make him take responsibility. She would love him but not take up for him. This is crazy what she is doing. I am not giving one dime and I wish nobody else would, either. You should know there are many people in the Kerrville community who feel this way. It’s the same thing as taking the girls to court in Waco where they had no business being. And speaking for them to the newspaper. Why wasn’t he protecting them from all of this? It makes me so sad."
With this email was an attachment with the flyer/brochure. I won't post the flyer because it just completely exploits the girls. I am angered that Kensi, Grace and all the other Kerrville children in these pictures are being used in this manner. I heard via a third-party-Kerrville person that thier friend's daughter's picture was used in the brochure WITHOUT permission and that she was livid. Not only was it without permission but it implied their family supported the Bakers and their fundraising and they 100% do NOT. Even after all that has been done, I can't believe they would take pictures of other people's children and use them in their money quests.
I, too, question why Matt didn't "man up" and work over the last 2-3 years to support his family and take care of business. He can't claim that he couldn't get a job because of these horrible allegations because he and his family claimed (and still do) that he has the overwhelming support of the Kerrville community. If that's true and he was actually looking for work, you'd think people (business owners and managers) would be clamoring to help the "innocent, falsely-accused minister" in his time of need. So either he didn't want to work OR he doesn't have the support in Kerrville that he claimed/claims. Either scenario means Baker lied. Instead of working for funds for his defense and/or to raise his children, he wrote letters and made phone calls hounding people for hand-outs. A couple of these have been emailed to me in the past. The court documents show that Matt had a pickup payment of almost $700/month.....that he bought after he killed Kari. No job. $700/month for a big, nice truck? Instead of getting a job and/or selling the truck for something practical and affordable and being able to actually take care of his family, he continued driving that big, nice truck around to pick up his handouts.
Now that Matt no longer needs that truck, what's become of it? Has it been sold for much-needed funds for the custody matter or even to simply take care of the girls' basic needs? No. It's being driven by his parents. Did someone pay it off? Or are they still making payments on it? How are they affording this? Solicited funds??? What money being solicited for with flyers and brochures will actually go to benefit the girls? And are the people in charge of this fund capable of knowing and doing what is truly right for Kensi and Grace?
I feel the Bakers are exploiting their granddaughters and other community children to get the good people of Kerrville to give them more money. Question is: Will they give this time?
I did want to share with you the other night I was possiby going too fast, and well a local trooper pointed it out to me. Seems he was touched by the sticker on the back of my truck. He wanted to know about what this "Justice for Kari" was all about...I was happy to share and just get a warning. He knew about "the preacher" and could hardly contain his irritation with the saga. He was definitely pro-Kari.
Andrew Nelson
Baker transferred from county jail to prison to begin 65-year murder sentence
Erin Quinn
WacoTrib.com
"The former Central Texas Baptist minister will spend the next few weeks to few months at the Byrd Unit, a diagnostic intake facility where he will go through the prison-classification process, Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark said.
As part of the process, staff at the prison will evaluate Matt Baker’s educational background, mental history, medical files and work skills, Clark said." (read more)
"Baker will likely spend two to four weeks in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison where he will be evaluated physically and mentally, as well as for his education and skills before it is determined where he will serve the remainder of his sentence." (read more)
"Friday Baker filed two motions. One, is for a mistrial due to alleged judicial misconduct. Baker claims judicial misconduct occurred during his trial when one of the witnesses on the stand was saying Baker had an alibi -- that he was at Hollywood video when Kari died. During the witness' testimony, Judge Ralph Strother called for a break because a juror had to use the bathroom. Baker's motion says the judge interrupted the detective's testimony, and when the the break was over the judge did not have the court reporter read where the court left off.
The other, is for a new trial entirely. The motion for new trial says Baker, 'prays this court set this motion for new trial for hearing and that as a matter of law, the motion be granted and defendant be given a new trial in this case.'
However Baker's court-appointed lawyer says Baker missed the 30-day filing deadline, after he was sentenced. The lawyer, Stan Schwieger says both his motions are irrelevant, and he says Judge Strother isn't taking any action."
“We have traveled much tougher roads these four years than the road to Kerrville,” Dulin said. “We love our granddaughters with all that we are.
. . . We are committed to helping our granddaughters heal, and we will do what is required of us to reach this goal.” (read more)
"After Matt Baker’s request last week to replace his court-appointed appellate attorney was rejected, the former Baptist minister and convicted murderer sent the lawyer a letter saying he wants to serve as his own legal counsel.
"I guess I didn’t make it clear enough at the hearing,' Baker’s letter to Stan Schwieger reads. 'I am firing you as my attorney. . . . I will represent myself, Pro Se.'
The law does not allow for Baker to represent himself during the appellate phase, Schwieger said." (read more)
