ATLANTA — Investigators say Georgia legislators deserve some credit for an arrest in a 23-year-old murder case in Athens.
The break in the case came after a cold case unit formed under a law passed last year to make it easier for families to try to nudge police into reexamining cases.
That law was called the Coleman-Baker Act, named in part for Tara Baker, whose 23-year-old unsolved murder was solved last week, according to police.
Rhonda Sue Coleman's 1990 murder in Jeff Davis County remains unsolved.
"To all the families that are out there still waiting, please do not give up. There is still hope you will get some answers," said Meredith Baker Schroeder, who had been a public voice for the unsolved murder of her sister.
Tara Baker was a UGA law school student who was found murdered inside her burned apartment in Athens.
Last year, Athens-Clarke County police formed a cold case until, enlisting the help of state and federal investigators – as part of a law passed at the state capitol in 2023. Their new look at evidence produced the arrest of a suspect, Edrick Lamont Faust last week.
Investigators say there is no indication the suspect and victim had been personally acquainted.
"Everything was reviewed, whether it was interviews, forensic evidence, whatever the case my be. And I will stop at that," said a guarded Chris Hosey, director of the GBI, at a news conference Monday afternoon.
Hosey would not reveal what specific evidence produced the arrest.
"Please think of our Tara sometimes and the remarkable woman she would have become. Hers was a life so full of promise," said Baker’s mother Virginia, saying the arrest answered years of prayer.
Police said there was no indication the victim was acquainted with the suspect arrested last week.
Athens-Clarke County District Attorney, Deborah Gonzalez, expressed optimism the newly analyzed evidence will be convincing in court.
"It is always more of a challenge when it’s an older case but we believe were going to be able to do what needs to be done in this case to get justice," said Gonzalez.
Tara Baker was killed 23 years ago at the age of 24. Had she lived, she would now be about the same age as the man charged in the case.