My daughter deserves justice

Upon last week’s 20th anniversary of Tara’s murder, her 44th birthday, and with reflection on my work with the podcast Classic City Crime, I wanted to share the following relfections with the community.

This journey to find “Justice for Tara” has been a very long road . It has encouraged , saddened and battered my emotions. I feel sure that I and my children would not have survived this journey without Cameron and each and everyone of you.

I have read so many comments and feel that you truly care about this young woman. Please know that I truly care about you. Those of you that I know and cherish as well as new friends who have walked along side us via the podcast mean more than you can ever know. We have taken Cameron Jay into our hearts as it seems he has taken us. This Christmas was made much more bearable because of you all and the TARA TREE. We have all felt your prayers and love.

Tara Baker's surving family members hold a photo of the slain UGA law student outside the University of UGA's School of Law's library on Jan. 20, which would have been Tara's 44th birthday. From left to right: sister Meredith, mother Virginia, and brother Kevin Baker.

We have together examined many suspects and scenarios. It seems that people are coming forward with details every day. To all those people , I say thank you and even if your story and details do not lead us to a guilty party you are to be applauded for your bravery in coming forward to speak what you know. All the details have helped put the puzzle together.

I applaud my brave children for their efforts. I am grateful that Kevin. who was just a child at the time of this horror, went to Fawn Drive to see the layout of the scene. I thank my son Adam even though unable to participate in person, gave me unmeasured love and support. I am extremely grateful to my COURAGEOUS daughter Meredith for going to meet with police and view the horrors of the crime scene for herself. Her STRENGTH and Cameron’s determination gave us the answers that police refused to for almost 20 years. I will always be grateful to my son in law for supporting her.

It appears that my beloved mother who is gone now, had some inkling into the Evil that crossed her precious granddaughter's path. She told me once that even though we can imagine horrible things that occurred on that January day, the truth might even be more horrendous. She said that she did not want to know and chose only to think of wonderful Tara as she was. I, on the other hand, have always felt it was a mother's right to know what happened to her child. I have grieved and imagined and had nightmares for 20 years .

We have learned so much through this journey with the podcast. We now officially know what happened to Tara. We now know of stories that have never been told to us in what became our own quest for the truth. It now appears that HORRORS that are beyond my imagination might well be the truth. The confluence of pure GOOD and pure EVIL took place on that cold and rainy day. I remember thinking when I heard the news of Tara's death that even the Heavens were weeping.

I am angry that with so many happenings in the Deer Park area, that the property management NEVER warned residents. These were mostly college students and should have been made aware. The police should have given more attention to people who came forward with information, even those that might have seemed far fetched. It appears that their collective minds were set on the obvious suspects and really did not follow through with any information that deviated. This is my own personal experience as a mother.

There are no words to express how this tragedy has affected my family. We are not the people we were for better or worse. Our lives are divided into before and after Tara's death. I know that without God's grace, I would not have survived. I say survived because that is how it feels.

Not lived through, but survived. I Pray that something positive can at last come from this. That is what Tara would have wanted.

Please do not forget the beautiful , kind and caring young woman whose promising life was taken in such an unspeakable way. Tara did not just die she was BRUTALLY MURDERED! I want to thank Cameron and Kyle for never keeping anything they found from our family and for bringing a community together, united by the cause of Justice for my daughter and for countless other victims of unsolved homicides.

Please listen to my daughter’s story at https://linktr.ee/classiccitycrime from the beginning and please contact us or the police, someone, if you think you can help us find the final few puzzle pieces we are missing.

Virgina Baker

(still Tara's mother)

Lovejoy, GA