Search teams Wednesday discovered a bone that may be linked to the disappearance of 10 year old Zahra Baker. The Hickory Police Department said the bone is being sent to the medical examiner’s office in Chapel Hill, NC for testing.
Police are not releasing details of where the bone was discovered, but they have been searching the area near where Zahra’s prosthetic leg was discovered last week. On Wednesday they began draining a nearby pond in the search for more evidence. The location is an area of Caldwell County where stepmother Elisa Baker once lived.
Deputy Chief Clyde Deal has downplayed the significance of the letters being claimed to be from Elisa Baker stating that the girl is dead and that her father did something horrifying to her. He has said there are things “more important than the letters”. The discovery of the bone led to his statement that apparently he was right.
Elisa Baker is currently in jail where she has been since October 10. She was arrested on unrelated charges and then charged with obstruction of justice for admitting to writing a fake ransom note found at the scene. She was indicted by a grand jury this week on the felony charge.
Adam Baker was arrested last week on unrelated charges but has posted bond and is out of jail.
Zahra was reported missing on October 9 but no one has seen the 10 year old since September 25. On October 12 police switched from a missing persons search to a homicide investigation. Last week investigators discovered a mattress believed to belong to Zahra prior to her disappearance. DNA tests are being performed on the mattress. They also discovered a prosthetic leg that has been matched as being the leg Zahra owned and wore.
