Verdict Announced in Rekha Kumari-Baker Murder Trial

September 22, 2009

Last week I brought you the story of Rekha Kumari-Baker, a 41-year-old woman from the United Kingdom who recently went on trial for the 2007 murders of her two teenage daughters. The jury finished its deliberations in the case, and a verdict was announced yesterday.

During the two-week trial, prosecutors told the Cambridge Crown Court jury how Kumari-Baker murdered 16-year-old Davina Michelle Baker and 13-year-old Jasmine Baker in cold blood on the morning of June 13, 2007. Prosecutor John Farmer said that Kumari-Baker had launched a "frenzied" attack on the girls while they slept, stabbing them multiple times.

Farmer told the jury that Kumari-Baker killed her daughters because she was unhappy over the custody arrangement she had with her ex-husband. She disliked his new partner, and she resented the close relationship he had with the girls. The murders were, according to Farmer, intended to "wreak havoc in [David Baker's] life."

Kumari-Baker's lawyers did not attempt to deny she had killed her children. Instead, they argued that she suffered from a mental abnormality, which diminished her responsibility. They hoped she would be found guilty of nothing more than manslaughter.

The jury in the case deliberated for just 35 minutes yesterday before announcing that they had unanimously found Kumari-Baker guilty on both counts of murder.

During today's sentencing hearing, Farmer read extracts from a victim impact statement that was written by the girl's father, David Baker. It read in part:

"My words may not be sufficient. Having them taken away from me in such a brutal way and by the woman who was their mother has had an incalculable effect. I am haunted by the horror of the events of that night and probably will remain so for a long time."

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Rekha Kumari-Baker on Trial for Murder of Teen Daughters

September 14, 2009

One of the cases I covered for CourtTV in 2007 involved Rekha Kumari-Baker (photo here), a 39-year-old woman from the United Kingdom, who was arrested for allegedly stabbing her two teenage daughters to death as they slept. That case finally went to court earlier this month in Cambridge Crown Court. The jury is still hearing the evidence; however details that have since been released paint a very bleak picture of the events leading up to the girl's deaths.

On the morning of June 13, 2007, Kumari-Baker called a friend, Natalie Boyes-Bartlett - who also happens to be a police constable – and allegedly told her: "I've killed the kids. The children are dead."

Not long after the call, Boyes-Bartlett and a colleague, Sgt Jenny Johnstone, arrived at Kumari-Baker's three-bedroom home in Stretham. When they entered the home they discovered the bodies of 16-year-old Davina Michelle Baker and her sister, 13-year-old Jasmine, in an upstairs bedroom. Both of the girls had been stabbed repeatedly. Following the discovery of the bodies, police arrested Kumari-Baker on suspicion of murder. 

According to a 2007 online report by The Guardian, Detective Superintendent Jeff Hill described the murders as a "terrible, tragic situation," adding, "We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this inquiry."

Kumari-Baker and her husband, David Baker, had divorced in 2003. According to friends, Jasmine lived with her mother and Davina lived with her father.

In the wake of the girl's deaths, it was discovered that they had both created profiles on the social networking Web site Bebo.com. 

Using the screen name "lil-davvi" Davina wrote:

"My family means more than life its self to me, but I don't always show it … everything happens for a reason … Plenty of time to sleep when I die. Never look forward. Never look back. Have respect. Be a dreamer and believe. Jasmine is my number one."

On her own Bebo.com profile, Jasmine went by the screen name "THiis is Thee SHHIIZZLE du-de." She listed some of her likes as, "people, make-up, family, meeting people, being happy, child hood, imagination and life."

On June 10, 2007, Jasmine left the following unedited comment on Davina's Bebo.com profile:

"Missing youu. its soo gay. momz like why do i alwayz have to take you jasmine, why cant yur dad take you and all this bllaa bllaa bllaa. you know how it is. lovee you soo muchh and really want to see you.  Jaziixxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx w//b."

Davina then responded with her own comment to Jasmine's profile:

"u can cum dis weekend if mum will bring u or sumfin … see you soon.  i love you so much more that words can say."

Jasmine had left several other comments for her sister.  Many of them described her sadness regarding their separation—"I miss you soooooooooo muchhhhhh"—and in others she expressed her feelings: "I love you to so unbelivablyy much -- you know that."

She had also created a photo album on her profile, which included 26 photos of the two girls. One of the most touching is a photo of the girls holding hands, which they titled, "Will never let go."

So while it is obvious the girls had a solid relationship, what of their mother and what was the motive behind the murders? Those are two key questions that prosecutors have been addressing since the start of Kumari-Baker's trial.

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Brazilian prosecutor accuses crime TV Host of plotting judge's murder

August 27, 2009

Earlier this month, police in Brazil accused Wallace Souza, the former host of the true crime television show "Canal Livre," of commissioning a variety of criminal acts - including at least 5 murders - to bolster the show's ratings. Since that time, officials have filed multiple charges against Souza and prosecutors are now saying that he even attempted to have a federal judge assassinated.

The most recent accusation in the case was made yesterday by Ronaldo Andrade, the lead prosecutor in the case. According to Andrade, Souza tried to orchestrate the murder of Judge Jaiza Fraxe in 2007, because of Fraxe's role in the arrest of one of Souza's associates. Andrade said the assassination plot was ultimately foiled when Souza's alleged gunman, Luiz Joao Macedo, refused to participate. Macedo was later murdered, leading to speculation that Souza was behind his killing.

Andrade also announced yesterday that his office suspects Souza was involved in as many as 19 killings.

Souza has yet to be arrested on a single murder count; however police have charged him with other crimes; including drug trafficking, gang formation and weapons possession. Despite those charges, Souza, a state congressman, remains free because of legislative immunity. Nevertheless, police say he is still under investigation and a state judiciary committee is expected to determine whether he should face further charges.

Prior to becoming a media personality and congressman, Souza worked as police officer. That career, which began in 1979, came to an abrupt end in 1987, when, according to state police intelligence chief Thomaz Vasconcelos, Souza was fired for his alleged involvement in a series of scams involving fuel theft and pension fraud. Souza has always denied the allegations, claiming that he was forced to resign because of a fraud scheme he was investigating. 

Ten years later, in 1989, Souza launched "Canal Livre," a TV show intended to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what he once described as "naked and raw reality" – everything from police pursuits and arrests to homicide cases.

The original reporting, along with Souza's outspoken personality, proved to be popular with viewers, and the show was soon a hit. Banking on his new-found fame, Souza was eventually elected to the state legislature; however, even after winning the position, he continued to host the program.

Souza's TV success did not go unnoticed; eventually, authorities began to question how he was able to get to so many crime scenes ahead of anyone else – including the authorities.

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