Dad enlists help of 12-year-old son in murder of stepmom (Waynesburg, Pennsylvania)

It takes a special kind of scum to not only murder your wife, but recruit your 12-year-old son to help cover up the crime. It appears that this is what dad SCOTT J. BAKER has done.

http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/localnews/12-08-2009-new-charges-Baker

12/8/2009 3:31 AM

Police: Dad sought son's aid in killing
By Bob Niedbala, Staff writer, niedbala@observer-reporter.com

WAYNESBURG - Additional charges filed by state police against homicide suspect Scott J. Baker indicate that he told his 12-year-old son more than two weeks in advance of his wife's death that his wife, Melissa Ann Baker, was "going to disappear."

Baker, 37, of Nemacolin, is being held in the Washington County Jail on a charge of criminal homicide. He is accused of killing his wife last month in her mobile home in Crucible.

Melissa Ann Baker, 30, was found dead in the living room of her home the evening of Nov. 20 by her co-workers at the Greene County Jail, where she worked as a corrections officer. An autopsy indicated she had been strangled and her neck cut.

Police said a neighbor had observed Scott Baker's vehicle at the home twice during the day. Another witness, Scott Baker's son to another woman, also provided information leading to Scott Baker's arrest.

Nathaniel Baker told police he had gone to his stepmother's home that morning with his father and his 18-month-old stepbrother and saw his father assault Melissa Baker, police said.

He also told police that he and his father later returned to the home and his father went inside to make the home look like it had been robbed.

Additional charges filed against Baker Friday with District Judge Lou Dayich of Waynesburg include criminal solicitation to commit homicide, intimidation of witnesses or victims and tampering with or fabricating evidence.

Police allege Baker did "command, encourage or request" his son to accompany him to his wife's home on Nov. 20. He also enlisted the youth to help him remove or destroy evidence and to provide him with an alibi, and told him to to tell authorities what had happened, police said.

An affidavit filed with the complaint indicates Baker had told his son on about Nov. 3 that "Melissa is going to disappear." Baker told his son police would be called.

Baker also allegedly asked his son to notify him by text message on Nov. 15, a night the boy was to stay at Melissa Baker's house, if Melissa Baker was going to be alone because that was the night "it was supposed to happen."

The boy sent the message, but the father later told him "it didn't happen" because it took too long for someone to answer the door.

Charges against the boy have not been filed, according to District Attorney Marjorie Fox.

The affidavit indicates Scott Baker removed items from his wife's home, possibly a pillow and bedding, and burned them in an area off Miles Road in Clarksville. He also took his son to the Giant Eagle grocery store in Dry Tavern and had him dispose of a bag in a trash can at the store's entrance containing shredded papers and credit cards taken from Melissa Baker's home, police said.

A preliminary hearing on the charges has been scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday. The hearing will be held in the Greene County Courthouse.

Staff writer Cara Host contributed to this story.