Documents: Strangled woman's husband had love interest
WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. -- When deputies went to check on Kathie Ann Baker at her home, her husband told them she had traveled to Colorado on a work-related trip.
But it had been the 53-year-old woman's employer who had asked deputies to perform the welfare check. Baker, who telecommutes, had been unreachable for several days, her employer had said.
It was during that welfare visit that deputies saw through a window of the home a "full-figured woman" in Robert "Al" Baker's home, according to the statement of probable cause.
That woman later told investigators Al Baker had invited her, a resident of Alaska, to visit, and had even paid for her flight. The woman said she had arrived on June 3 -- the day after Kathie Baker was last seen.
The woman said Al Baker had "made it clear that he wanted a romantic relationship with her," and said his wife had not lived in the home with him since March. He had visited her in Alaska in March, then again in May, she told detectives.
The 61-year-old man later allowed deputies to search his home in the 800 block of Silver Cloud Lane.
"As soon as I entered the house, I could see a vivid stain on the light-colored carpet in the living room," a deputy noted in the statement, adding a view from the upstairs landing revealed the stain "continued across the kitchen floor and then down a small flight of stairs to the garage door."
Deputies also found "a small pool of blood on the master bedroom carpet that had been partially covered with a pillow," and a "comforter with what appeared to be blood on it," the document said.
Investigators returned to the home with a search warrant on Saturday, and uncovered a body in a small ravine near the back of the house. The body of a woman was wrapped in a tarp and bound with rope and bungee cords.
Detectives also found in a trash can in the garage a ball pen hammer with what appeared to be pieces of hair stuck to it.
The medical examiner identified the remains as Kathie Baker, who had died of blunt force trauma to the head with ligature strangulation.
A deputy who was present during the autopsy said he "observed the comparison of the hammer to the wound on the head and exposed skull," which led him to believe "the wound was consistent with a single blow from a hammer." He also noted seeing a ligature mark around the victim's neck.
It was not clear when Kathie Baker may have died; however, the medical examiner told investigators "the time of death was at least 72 hours prior to the time of discovery."
Al Baker was arrested and booked into Island County Jail. He made his initial court appearance on Monday.
He has not been charged, and has refused to answer investigators' questions.
Prosecutors have until Wednesday to file charges.
But it had been the 53-year-old woman's employer who had asked deputies to perform the welfare check. Baker, who telecommutes, had been unreachable for several days, her employer had said.
It was during that welfare visit that deputies saw through a window of the home a "full-figured woman" in Robert "Al" Baker's home, according to the statement of probable cause.
That woman later told investigators Al Baker had invited her, a resident of Alaska, to visit, and had even paid for her flight. The woman said she had arrived on June 3 -- the day after Kathie Baker was last seen.
The woman said Al Baker had "made it clear that he wanted a romantic relationship with her," and said his wife had not lived in the home with him since March. He had visited her in Alaska in March, then again in May, she told detectives.
The 61-year-old man later allowed deputies to search his home in the 800 block of Silver Cloud Lane.
"As soon as I entered the house, I could see a vivid stain on the light-colored carpet in the living room," a deputy noted in the statement, adding a view from the upstairs landing revealed the stain "continued across the kitchen floor and then down a small flight of stairs to the garage door."
Deputies also found "a small pool of blood on the master bedroom carpet that had been partially covered with a pillow," and a "comforter with what appeared to be blood on it," the document said.
Investigators returned to the home with a search warrant on Saturday, and uncovered a body in a small ravine near the back of the house. The body of a woman was wrapped in a tarp and bound with rope and bungee cords.
Detectives also found in a trash can in the garage a ball pen hammer with what appeared to be pieces of hair stuck to it.
The medical examiner identified the remains as Kathie Baker, who had died of blunt force trauma to the head with ligature strangulation.
A deputy who was present during the autopsy said he "observed the comparison of the hammer to the wound on the head and exposed skull," which led him to believe "the wound was consistent with a single blow from a hammer." He also noted seeing a ligature mark around the victim's neck.
It was not clear when Kathie Baker may have died; however, the medical examiner told investigators "the time of death was at least 72 hours prior to the time of discovery."
Al Baker was arrested and booked into Island County Jail. He made his initial court appearance on Monday.
He has not been charged, and has refused to answer investigators' questions.
Prosecutors have until Wednesday to file charges.
