In a significant breakthrough, law enforcement authorities have arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of University of Georgia student Tara Baker, more than two decades after her tragic death. Edrick Lamont Faust, a 48-year-old individual, has been charged with murder and is facing additional charges, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

The announcement of the arrest was made by GBI Director Chris Hosey, who emphasized Baker's promising future and described her as a dedicated and hardworking student. While acknowledging that the arrest cannot bring Tara back, Hosey expressed hope that it would bring closure to the Baker family, who have been on a healing journey since the devastating incident.

Tara Baker's body was discovered in her apartment by Athens-Clarke County firefighters in January 2001. The suspicious nature of the fire led authorities to suspect that it was set deliberately to conceal her murder. For the next 23 years, investigators diligently worked alongside the FBI, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, and the GBI to unravel the details of the cold case.

However, it was only after the enactment of the Coleman-Baker Act and a subsequent review of the case by the GBI Cold Case Unit in September 2023 that enough evidence was gathered to make the arrest. The legislation, named after Tara Baker and Sue Coleman, another University of Georgia student who was killed 21 years ago, established a dedicated unit within the GBI to investigate cold cases and mandated law enforcement to revisit unsolved cases if more than six years had passed.

Further details regarding the investigation will be unveiled in a forthcoming news conference organized by the GBI. In the meantime, Governor Brian Kemp expressed his support for the Coleman-Baker Act and called for Tara's memory to endure through the work of this specialized unit.

As news of the arrest spread, Tara Baker's family released a statement expressing their gratitude to law enforcement. They recognized the day as one they had long prayed for but acknowledged that it also brings forth feelings of grief and unanswered questions.

The arrest of Edrick Lamont Faust marks a significant development in the long quest for justice in Tara Baker's murder case. As the investigation progresses, authorities aim to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding her tragic death, providing closure to her family and ensuring that her memory lives on.