Prosecutor wants dismembering a body to be a crime

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The prosecutor in the Zahra Baker case
wants North Carolina lawmakers to penalize the act of dismembering
a body in order to conceal a crime.

District Attorney James Gaither said Friday he’s working with
two state representatives to introduce a bill this session. It’s
already illegal to secretly bury a corpse or conceal a death in
order to cover up a crime. The bill Gaither wants would add
dismembering a body to the list.

Zahra Baker, a 10-year-old girl with disabilities, was reported
missing from her Hickory home last October. Police eventually found
some of her remains in searches around western North Carolina. Her
head remains missing.

Zahra’s stepmother, Elisa Baker, has been charged with
second-degree murder. Court documents say Elisa Baker told
investigators Zahra was dismembered after dying.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)