NC - Zahra Clare Baker, 10, Hickory, 9 Oct 2010 - #16

[mytime]

Exactly and that's why I reposted it. It also appears they are more concerned with details about the prosthesis than anything else. I'm curious if whoever disposed of her and the leg even considered it is traceable? I hope not! MOO

It has a serial number! :waitasec:

 

[elepher50]

THE mother of missing 10-year-old Zahra Baker is devastated by fears her girl has been murdered in the US.

North Carolina police officer Clyde Deal told the Herald Sun he had spoken with the mother and her sister in Australia.

"Like any parent, she was extremely upset," he said.

Captain Deal said Zahra's mother and father, Adam Baker, separated when Zahra was a baby, but she maintained contact with her daughter over the years.

http://www.news.com.au/national/aussie-mums-fear-for-zahra-baker/story-e6frfkvr-1225939455790

 

[Sherbie]

Exactly and that's why I reposted it. It also appears they are more concerned with details about the prosthesis than anything else. I'm curious if whoever disposed of her and the leg even considered it is traceable? I hope not! MOO

That reminds me -- I had some questions on a previous thread you might be able to help with (think I saw you answering some prosthesis questions a few days ago). If you have time, here's what I was curious about:

I wonder whether Zahra never received a replacement prosthesis as she grew. Wouldn't enough time have passed and growth occurred that she would have needed a new one?

Do they make extendable ones so that the length as well as the top part where it joins the leg can be adjusted? If not, I don't see how she could still function with the original one, given that it would be too short and too small in diameter after several years.

Just a little confusing...on the one hand, if she still used the original one, they'd need all the manufacturing info. On the other hand, if she wasn't using the original one (and if they aren't adjustable, how could she have been?), why would they want that detail?

 

[darnudes]

Any of our legal eagles know if that would be true of getting records from Australia? Are they bound to comply with American LE Subpoenas or requests?

America can't subpoena records from Australia, they have no power of authority.

They can request.

 

[panthera]

If we find out that her leg really was eaten by an alligator, I will flip out! And not in a good way.

Someone would've had to travel outside the immediate area to get that lucky. MOO

 

[rbrnmw2]

Heartfelt plea to find Zahra

"Gabby and our family enjoyed many camps with Zahra. Nothing held her back.
"She had a smile that would light up the room and every person who met her was just amazed by her fantastic outlook on life.
"Precious, precious, little princess.
"I remember she had two Camp Quality companions, both beautiful ladies.
"After one camp, I printed out some photos Gabby had and wanted to send them to Zahra.
"I rang ... Zahra's grandmother and asked how Zahra was.
"She was so upset. She explained to me that her son had remarried and they had taken off overseas quite abruptly and she didn't have any idea exactly where they were.
"Over the last two years we have asked the Camp Quality organisers if they had heard where Zahra was, but she seemed to just drop out of all our lives.
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/10/19/178101_news.html

heartbreaking

 

[elepher50]

Ok so I am hours behind right now and you all are probably already off the topic but I just wanted to throw some things out there:

- in favor of dad being innocent (but in denial IMO) - perhaps he called his boss before the 911 call because he wasn't sure what to do in an emergency in the US and his wife was in hysterics and his boss was someone he felt comfortable calling about the situation, especially since he was involved in the ransom note earlier


- there was something else but I forget lol

You can listen to the 911 call by Dad to report Zahra missing here:

http://foxcharlotte.bimedia.net/docs/recorded_on_09-Oct-2010_at_13.58.58.mp3

Hark ... is that hysterical EB in the background or was it the dogs barking?

 

[panthera]

That reminds me -- I had some questions on a previous thread you might be able to help with (think I saw you answering some prosthesis questions a few days ago). If you have time, here's what I was curious about:

I wonder whether Zahra never received a replacement prosthesis as she grew. Wouldn't enough time have passed and growth occurred that she would have needed a new one?

Do they make extendable ones so that the length as well as the top part where it joins the leg can be adjusted? If not, I don't see how she could still function with the original one, given that it would be too short and too small in diameter after several years.

Just a little confusing...on the one hand, if she still used the original one, they'd need all the manufacturing info. On the other hand, if she wasn't using the original one (and if they aren't adjustable, how could she have been?), why would they want that detail?

Thanks for the confidence although the only people I've known with a prosthetic leg are adults, and received the prosthesis as such. I do know they have to be refitted as a person gains or loses weight and the same would apply as a child grows, imo. There may be (depending on the type of leg she has) an extension in the leg that could adjust, however the foot part would have to be replaced as the other (human) foot grew. And generally the plastic part just wears out from everyday use.

By LE requesting the records of the prosthesis, what it tells me, more than anything is she didn't have it replaced since leaving Australia, and they need the information in the event all or part of it is found. MOO

 

[lucimhome]

ETA In response to Eileen re: grandma raised AB

Sorry, I think that's kinda harsh.

We don't know, but all reports say Zahra adored her grandmother and her grandmother her. We also have the statements from people who knew Zahra during her medical treatments in Australia and were touched at how loving, caring, etc. the grandmother was. Grandma was raising her during the scariest, and yet happiest times of her little life.

Even wonderful people sometimes raise children whose crimes they cannot comprehend let alone defend. Parents whose children are involved in illigal activities, drugs, abuse, murder, coverup of murder and all the other things that we are speculating about AB have not necessarily done something to cause that. Once they are grown, the sad fact is, you still love em, but you may not like em or their actions. KWIM?

It would seem from the falling out that Grandma tried to convince AB that EB was bad news and tried to convince him to leave Zahra with her (the only mother figure this child had ever had from what we are told).

I think grandma gave AB some choice words and AB left OZ and left grandma there with no recourse and no Zahra. I also think he hasn't contacted his family from OZ so that he didn't have to hear them try to reason and plead with him or badmouth his new love.

I can't find anything so far to cause me to think Grandma is anything other than a traumatized grandmother who may blame herself. Why didn't I stop him? Why did I leave things the way I did? Maybe if I'd been held my tongue a bit I would at least get to talk to Zahra on the phone. Maybe I would have known she was in trouble.

I cannot imagine what it is like to be in this woman's shoes. I got nothing bad to say about her.

I may feel this way later. I think her son is NOT "normal" I still think he is challenge. I think the trial will tell.
I'm a mother, if my child was not able to care for his child, I would do what ever I had to stop him from leaving the country with my grand child who had cancer.
Which I wonder, who took her to the doctors to find out she had cancer. It surely wasn't her father. If he was so concern with her well being they would have all her medical records here in the US.
I may have miss where they are wanting the dental records from.?

 

[panthera]

It has a serial number! :waitasec:

Oh absolutely!!! Just like any other "replacement" parts or additions put into a human body!

 

[4090812]

By listening to the 911 call Adam Baker says he and his wife last seen her at 0230 AM. By hearing him he does not seem overly concerned she has been possibly kidnapped sounds more like a normal conversation.

The comment about puberty and a 10 year old has to be the most out of the air crap I have heard from his mouth yet and he even laughed.

 

[darlin gal]

Thanks for the confidence although the only people I've known with a prosthetic leg are adults, and received the prosthesis as such. I do know they have to be refitted as a person gains or loses weight and the same would apply as a child grows, imo. There may be (depending on the type of leg she has) an extension in the leg that could adjust, however the foot part would have to be replaced as the other (human) foot grew. And generally the plastic part just wears out from everyday use.

By LE requesting the records of the prosthesis, what it tells me, more than anything is she didn't have it replaced since leaving Australia, and they need the information in the event all or part of it is found. MOO

Children have many unique prosthetic needs. As their minds and bodies are growing, so are their residual limbs. Frequent socket revisions or replacements are necessary to accommodate this growth. Lambert has reported that children followed at the University of Illinois required a new lower-limb prosthesis annually up to the age of 5 years, biannually from 5 to 12 years, and then one every 3 or 4 years until 21 years of age.

The need for frequent and regular checkups by the clinic team is obvious.


http://www.oandplibrary.org/alp/chap31-01.asp

 

[Pondering Mind]

Me too. I'm a mother of a daughter of a violent crime. Along with needing to know where she is all the time.

My 2 living children are 34 and 25 y/o now and if I didn't know that it would probably drive them absolutely crazy, I would call them every single night about 10pm to make sure everyone was home safe and sound.. just for my own peace of mind. I don't do that, but if they have been here and are on their way home (and they live in the same city!) or have been on a trip, I do call..or they call me to let me know they made it home or to their destination. Kinda silly I know because w/5 grandbabies between the 2, they are all over the place everyday..the difference is I just don't know it.

Since my oldest child died of SIDS, from the time my other children were born until they were probably around 16...when I woke up at night for any reason and no matter how many times, I ALWAYS had to get up and go check on them...physically put my hand on their back to make sure they were breathing. Absolutely could not go back to sleep otherwise. Obsessive, I know, but it's the 'what if's' that will do you in. I realize that everyone isn't that way, but considering that Zahra is only 10 and it hasn't been that long ago since her last bout with cancer, I just can't imagine any parent not being on pins and needles and checking on her much more often than 'normal'...JMO though..

 

[tlcya]

I may feel this way later. I think her son is NOT "normal" I still think he is challenge. I think the trial will tell.
I'm a mother, if my child was not able to care for his child, I would do what ever I had to stop him from leaving the country with my grand child who had cancer.
Which I wonder, who took her to the doctors to find out she had cancer. It surely wasn't her father. If he was so concern with her well being they would have all her medical records here in the US.
I may have miss where they are wanting the dental records from.?

sokay I enjoy the posts of those whose opinions differ as much as those who are in agreement. Debating the angles helps me to more firmly understand/rationalize how I reached my own conclusions

As to the dental records, I do not know, but the article we have all been discussing said the sheriff would not confirm if they had requested dental records or not. That question was posed to him right after the statement he made about requesting medical records from Australia so many of us are assuming they would be from Australia if requested.

 

[Amster]

Can't AB request the medical records for his daughter??

 

[panthera]

Children have many unique prosthetic needs. As their minds and bodies are growing, so are their residual limbs. Frequent socket revisions or replacements are necessary to accommodate this growth. Lambert has reported that children followed at the University of Illinois required a new lower-limb prosthesis annually up to the age of 5 years, biannually from 5 to 12 years, and then one every 3 or 4 years until 21 years of age.

The need for frequent and regular checkups by the clinic team is obvious.


http://www.oandplibrary.org/alp/chap31-01.asp

Thank you for finding the additional information. I wasn't sure if refitting (i.e. socket revisions, etc) could be possible or if an entirely new limb would be necessary as she grew. It does seem she definitely would've been due for a new prosthesis if she hasn't had any treatment since leaving Australia, and I can only imagine how much pain she must have been in. MOO

 

[Sherbie]

Thanks for the confidence although the only people I've known with a prosthetic leg are adults, and received the prosthesis as such. I do know they have to be refitted as a person gains or loses weight and the same would apply as a child grows, imo. There may be (depending on the type of leg she has) an extension in the leg that could adjust, however the foot part would have to be replaced as the other (human) foot grew. And generally the plastic part just wears out from everyday use.

By LE requesting the records of the prosthesis, what it tells me, more than anything is she didn't have it replaced since leaving Australia, and they need the information in the event all or part of it is found. MOO

Oh, dear...that's what I was afraid might be the case. Poor little Zahra. I wonder if she ever got any type of consultation or treatment for her leg while here.

I mentioned this early on and hate to sound so gloomy in bringing it up again, but I wonder if she maybe had a recurrence and her health was neglected to the point of death.

Thank you so much for your response!
:hug:

 

[Claudette]

I just remembered my other probably dated thought:

I remember reading articles where people said that any time they saw Zahra she was smiling and clean and neat and didn't look hurt (I specifically remember the furniture store lady saying this). We also know she wasn't seen very often. I bet that EB's (physical) abuse style was severe (outbursts) but happened only occasionally and then they hid her until she was 100% healed. By that time Z was probably "convinced" EB was sorry and it would never happen again.

 

[Kat]

You can listen to the 911 call by Dad to report Zahra missing here:

http://foxcharlotte.bimedia.net/docs/recorded_on_09-Oct-2010_at_13.58.58.mp3

Hark ... is that hysterical EB in the background or was it the dogs barking?

Hysterical EB IMHO.

I only hear it a few seconds a few times.

 

[lucimhome]

sokay I enjoy the posts of those whose opinions differ as much as those who are in agreement. Debating the angles helps me to more firmly understand/rationalize how I reached my own conclusions

As to the dental records, I do not know, but the article we have all been discussing said the sheriff would not confirm if they had requested dental records or not. That question was posed to him right after the statement he made about requesting medical records from Australia so many of us are assuming they would be from Australia if requested.

Debating? I enjoy the same. As soon as we have the facts we can really debat. LOL
Your right with the assuming part. Makes me wonder.
Time will tell......