Accused murderer takes stand in Greene County
WAYNESBURG — After unexpectedly entering a guilty plea for a general count of criminal homicide, Scott Baker took the stand in Greene County Court Friday and testified that he “blacked out” when his wife was killed.
While Baker admitted that he caused the death of Melissa Baker, he testified under questioning by public defender Harry Cancelmi that he couldn’t remember the specific circumstances of her death.
Scott Baker entered a guilty plea following six days of prosecution testimony against him for the Nov. 20, 2009, murder of his estranged wife Melissa Baker. That plea was only for the homicide charge, and the plea was entered without the jury in the courtroom.
The jury must still determine the degree of homicide of which Scott Baker committed, as well as if he is guilty of the other charges against him, which include tampering with evidence, criminal solicitation to commit homicide and criminal solicitation to commit tampering of evidence and intimidation of a witness. While conviction of first degree, or premeditated, murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison, third degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and voluntary manslaughter convictions do not.
The body of Melissa Baker was found inside her Crucible mobile home when she failed to show up for work for her 4 p.m. shift at the Greene County Prison. At the time she was killed, she had separated from Scott Baker and filed for divorce as well as for custody of their then 20-month-old son, Brett Baker. An autopsy revealed that Melissa Baker died of manual strangulation and that her throat had been cut when she was either dead or dying.
Nathaniel Baker, Scott Baker’s son who was 12 at the time of the killing, testified during the trial that his father talked about killing Melissa Baker prior to committing the act, and his father instructed him to stay home from school on that day so he could be used as an alibi.
Scott Baker testified about what happened on the day of Nov. 20,2009, saying that he took his two sons to Melissa Baker’s trailer with the intention of leaving Brett, and taking Nathaniel with him to Uniontown.
While Nathaniel Baker had testified that he stayed home from school on the Friday under the direction of his father, and was told to go to the bathroom so his father could kill Melissa Baker, Scott Baker’s version of events varied during his testimony.
Scott Baker said Nathaniel Baker had to go to the bathroom and did so when they arrived. He said an argument ensued between Melissa Baker and himself about his wife dropping medical insurance on him during their divorce and he started throwing things before “getting more angrier and angrier.”
Scott Baker said he then told his wife that if she didn’t leave him alone he would make sure she never sees Brett. Then, Scott Baker testified that he “blacked out” and the next thing he remember was he was on top of her with his forearm around his wife’s neck.
Scott Baker said he climbed off the body of his wife and she was “purplish blue with her eyes open.” He said he put a comforter or her and then told Nathaniel Baker to get Brett and they left, and he advised his son not to look down.
Scott Baker testified that he later went back to the house, saw a gun and placed it on the floor and threw his wife’s purse on the floor and took her credit cards before going into the bedroom and taking her jewelry.
He admitted going to his parents former mobile home in Clarksville and burning a sheet he took from the Crucible trailer and later shredding the credit cards.
While Scott Baker testified that he went to the former All Star Express in Carmichaels because he was thirsty, Nathaniel Baker had testified that his dad said he went there so he could “be on camera” after the killing.
Scott Baker testified that he instructed Nathaniel Baker to throw the bag of shredded credit cards away at the Giant Eagle in Dry Tavern before taking his son to a school dance that night. Coincidentally, that location is the same site that Scott Baker was convicted of robbing following a jury trail in September 1996 in Greene County Court.
In that case, Scott Baker was found guilty of criminal conspiracy, theft by unlawful taking and burglary for forcibly entering a rear garage door window of the supermarket — when it was Davis Giant Market — and taking bags containing $13,478 between 11 p.m. and midnight on July 31, 1993.
In that case, Joseph Grash Jr. was granted immunity for his testimony. Scott Baker was sentenced to serve 11 1/2 months to 36 months in the Greene County Prison.
Scott Baker then testified that “pretty much what I told him was lies” of the statement he gave to investigating officer Trooper Mark Schmelzlen of the state police, when he was interviewed at the Waynesburg barracks the night of the killing.
He admitted putting jewelry owned by Melissa Baker in the duct work of his parents mobile home in Clarksville, but said he never had a conversation with Nathaniel Baker about hurting Melissa Baker.
“I told Nathaniel after the fact that I made it look like a robbery, never before,” Scott Baker said.
The other defense witness Friday afternoon was Dr. Michael Crabtree of Washington, a licensed psychologist.
He testified that he diagnosed Scott Baker with post traumatic stress disorder, major depression and alcohol dependence, but said he does not exhibit mental retardation or a personality disorder.
Crabtree said it is his professional opinion that because of Scott Baker’s diagnoses, along with his history of suffering abuse as a child, he couldn’t think clearly enough to develop a specific plan for any complicated part of his life. Crabtree said he didn’t specifically ask Scott Baker about what happened on Nov. 20, 2009.
Crabtree also said that while he didn’t think Scott Baker would be able to put together a plan that is rational and thought through, he is not delusional nor did he have psychosis, or could Crabtree think of an incident of a “blackout” in Scott Baker’s history.
Crabtree said Scott Baker’s self-admitted excessive drinking habits interfered with formulating a specific plan to kill his wife.
Testimony will continue at 9 a.m. Monday before President Judge William R. Nalitz which will include cross-examination of Scott Baker by District Attorney Marjorie Fox.