Jonathan Baker allegedly abducted the seven-month-old from her mother, fatally shot her twice in the head, and then led police on a high-speed chase with her injured body still in the car.
An Ohio man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after the tragic shooting death of his seven-month-old daughter Emery after he allegedly kidnapped her from his girlfriend.
Jonathan Baker, 24, was found guilty by a jury on October 4 on charges of aggravated murder and kidnapping with a gun specification, per The Advertiser-Tribune.
In court on Monday, Seneca County Common Pleas Court Judge Damon Alt handed down a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murder charge, as reported by Toledo, Ohio CBS affiliate WTOL.
Baker was additionally sentenced to 16.5 years on the kidnapping charges, and 3 more years for the firearms specification. He will also receive credit for the 472 days he has already spent in jail. He will serve out his sentence at the Lorain Correctional Institution.
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Death of Emery
June 27, 2023 proved to be the final day of young Emery’s life after she was kidnapped from her mother’s home by her father, Baker. He took off in a bright yellow Camaro, which was spotted shortly after by an off-duty police officer in Tiffin.
That officer followed the vehicle, keeping other law enforcement personnel in the loop on where Baker was going. There was no clear indication at that time where Emery might be, per Law & Crime.
In a press release shared to the Tiffin Police Department Facebook page, officers said, “The male subject had indicated he was feeling homicidal and suicidal and had made a statement to the child’s mother that he killed the baby.”
Baker was reportedly able to evade initial attempts to stop his vehicle by Seneca County Sheriff’s Office deputies, as well as local officers. In the end, he stopped himself.
“The Camaro began accelerating and at a high rate of speed, erratically drove off the roadway through the front yard of one residence and crashing into another residence, knocking it off its foundation,” said police in a second statement on June 28.
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After the crash, police reported they were able to remove the suspect and toddler from the vehicle. Emery was reportedly alive when extricated from the vehicle, but shortly thereafter died from her injuries. Officers said she “was bleeding from the head and had labored breathing.”
An autopsy on the infant revealed she had been shot twice, according to WTOL. Baker suffered critical injuries in the crash, but was taken to an area hospital and recovered.
After Baker’s arrest, police released the 9-1-1 call where the North Baltimore Police Chief responded to what was described as a domestic dispute where Baker was homicidal and suicidal, threatening the child’s life, per ABC affiliate WTVG.
Audio from the call includes a moment where Baker had called the child’s mother while on the run. A third man on the call, who has not been identified, allowed 9-1-1 dispatchers to hear that call, leading to their recording of it.
In the call, the suspect is purportedly heard telling the mother, “Anything you’d like to say to me before I say my goodbyes?” The mother can be heard pleading for her baby’s life, while the suspect claimed to have already killed the child, per the outlet.
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Baker at Sentencing
Appearing in court on Monday before his sentence was read out, the Sentinel-Tribune reports that Baker said that killing his daughter was “completely evil.”
“I truly thought that day I was doing something good,” he said in court, per the newspaper, arguing that there was a sickness in his mind because he hadn’t found God yet at that point in his life.
He said what happened that day was “absolutely horrible,” per the outlet, and then said, “This can happen to anybody anytime.” He went on to say that bad things are happening in the world because people don’t have God, per the Sentinel-Tribune.
Baker had initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but a jury had discounted that defense. His attorney, Christopher Bucio, said that he didn’t believe Baker woke up intending to commit this crime.
“The mind is a tricky thing,” he said, per the news outlet. “Mr. Baker’s mind was not okay on the day in question. The defendant showed remorse by not testifying at trial and not fighting the charges.” He asked for a sentence that was not life.
Wood County Assistant Prosecutor Brian Boos, who tried the case alongside Seneca County prosecutors, discounted Baker’s comments, as well as the arguments of his defense. Instead, he argued that the defendant had shown no genuine remorse, saying he shot his daughter twice in the head at close range solely to hurt the mother.
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“That is a level of evil that is rarely seen,” he added, pushing for the maximum possible sentence.
Speaking to the judge, Baker asked for mercy, but said he would not refute whatever choice was made.
“Mr. Baker, you murdered your daughter,” Judge Alt told him on Monday, per the Sentinel-Tribune. “Throughout the day you were afforded every opportunity to prevent that crime from happening.”
“She was defenseless and trusted you to protect her and instead you took her life,” he continued, calling it a “senseless act.” He agreed with the prosecution that the court had seen no genuine remorse from Baker, and even argued that Baker’s statements in court that day minimized his actions.
A victim’s advocate read out a statement from Emery’s mother. “The day Baker took her little life, I died a little as well,” the advocate read.
They went on to emphasize, “She struggles every time she hears a baby cry or in distress, but she is not a victim, she is a survivor. Her daughter, Emery, was always happy, giggling and cooing, enjoying tummy time or bouncing in her bouncy seat.”
“She will never be able to watch Emery grow into a woman, fall in love, pick her career, grow old and have her own family to cherish,” the advocate continued. “but Emery is looking down from Heaven and never has to wonder why her father is so evil.”
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