NEWS4U FEBRUARY 2022 | ENTERTAINMENT
TRUE CRIME JUNKIE WITH JOHNNY FLETCHER
THE MURDER OF KARI BAKER
W
PICTURED: KARI BAKER WITH HUSBAND, MATT BAKER
hile not one of the more high
daughter, this seemed especially cruel - but it
profile true crime cases over
provided the perfect cover for a staged suicide.
the last 15 years, the murder
Via Matt's devious plan, Kari would prematurely
of Kari Baker has nonetheless
say goodbye to the world in the hopes of being
been documented by Dateline and other
reunited with her child in the afterlife. After
programs for one very compelling reason: her
all, he claimed that she'd been depressed for
husband, Matt Baker, was a pastor at the time
some time, heartbroken over the tragic death.
who enjoyed flirting with young women and
Matt just needed to figure out a way to kill Kari
also engaged in extramarital affairs. That's
that wouldn't look suspicious, so he took to
the sensationalist side of it. And yet, there
the internet, searching for pills that could do
are plenty of other elements that make this
the job. And while it was never proven that he
case a fascinating study. For starters, Kari, an
actually purchased Ambien and Unisom (two
elementary school teacher and mother of two
medications found in Kari's system during the
daughters, was reportedly found unresponsive
autopsy) online, an examination of the couple's
in her bed - naked - with a typed suicide note
computer showed that Matt took the initial steps
nearby, something that is rarely seen; most
to do so before backing out of the sale. It was
notes of this nature are hand-written. And then
just more circumstantial evidence to connect
there's the odd 911 call placed by Matt, during
the dots.
which he claimed to have partially dressed his wife while on the phone. Investigators later
According to Matt, on the night of April 8,
determined that to be a virtual impossibility. But
2006, he left home to run an errand and upon
perhaps the most intriguing thing about Kari's
returning, discovered his wife Kari naked and
murder is the involvement of Matt's mistress,
unconscious in bed with the aforementioned
Vanessa Bulls. Here we have a woman who
typed suicide note on the dresser. He called 911
not only willingly entered into a relationship
and EMS arrived; however, she was pronounced
with a married man but ultimately knew about
dead at the scene. But there was so much more
the plan to eliminate her competition and did
to this story. The big breakthrough came when
nothing to stop it - and effectively suffered no
investigators uncovered his affair with Bulls,
consequences, legally speaking.
who, despite repeatedly denying an intimate relationship with Matt, eventually caved after
To set the scene, the year was 2006. Matt Baker,
multiple interrogations, divulging his murderous
a married pastor residing near Waco, Texas,
scheme - and yet escaping punishment herself.
was living a double life and plotting ways to rid
Thanks primarily to Bulls' testimony, Matt was
himself of his wife Kari. Considering that the
sentenced to 65 years in prison.
couple had recently suffered the loss of a baby
"
Via Matt's
devious plan, Kari would
prematurely
say goodbye to the world
in the hopes of being
reunited with her child in
the afterlife.
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