By Claire Taylor
The Lariat
February 24, 2010
http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=69692
TEXAS -- Nearly four years after he killed his wife, Matt Baker, former Baptist pastor, was finally convicted and sentenced to 65 years in prison last month.
Baker drugged and suffocated his wife, Kari Baker, then made it look like suicide. It was only after his former mistress testified before the court, admitting her four-month affair with Matt and her knowledge of Kari's murder, that Matt was charged with her death.
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| Image by Claire Taylor |
Families shouldn't be forced to live with the uncertainty Kari's parents were left with for years after their daughter's death. If an autopsy had been performed on Kari's body in the first place, the truth of this case could have been revealed much sooner.
Tom and Jan Purdy, a retired Waco couple, are working to ensure this for the future. They are pushing Texas legislators to pass "Kari's Law"-- a state law that would make autopsies mandatory in cases of suspected suicide. They wrote a letter last week to 14 local and state officials urging them to adopt a policy similar to other states, such as Florida, that requires an autopsy on every apparent suicide.
Lawmakers should seriously consider this plea and take the measures necessary to begin making this law a reality. There would be benefits across the board for everyone from the family to the jury to the justice of the peace -- who, under the current law, has sole discretion about whether to order an autopsy.
Matt Baker is the perfect example of the relative ease it takes to manipulate a scene to make a murder appear to be a suicide, complete with a note and all. Without a law in place making autopsies mandatory, this becomes too simple for someone like Matt.
In this case, the justice of the peace didn't even see the body himself before ruling in 2006 that Kari had committed suicide. Those who hold the position of justice of the peace are elected into office and are obviously competent individuals.
However, many times their position comes with cumbersome other duties, and despite their undoubtedly wide-ranging knowledge, they simply may not be equipped to make decisions that seem more appropriate for a medical examiner.
The question of how many other similar cases exist and have been overlooked as a result of the current Texas law is an unsettling one. While an autopsy cannot provide all the answers needed in a murder case, it can at least serve as a deterrent to those thinking of masking a murder as a suicide in the future.
Regardless of what the "right" answer may be, this is an issue that needs to be addressed. Citizens are concerned enough about it to bring it to the attention of legislators, and our lawmakers should ensure that the proper consideration be given to it. It is obvious that the current system has failed, so a healthy dialogue about this is certainly in order.
Every law has its roots somewhere, and the Purdys should be commended for their determination to fight in honor of Kari Baker. Rather than continuing to leave these literally life and death matters up to the judgment of a justice of the peace, why not let science step in every time?
Matt Baker almost got away with the perfect murder; we should ensure that no one else has the opportunity to do the same.
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