Father of Missing Girl, Zahra Baker Arrested

The father of missing girl, Zahra Baker, was arrested October 25, 2010. Adam Baker was arrested on charges that are not related to his daughter's disappearance. Baker was arrested for writing bad checks and failure to appear in court.

Adam Baker, 33, was originally from Australia, but moved to the United States to marry his online pen pal, Elisa Baker, 46, thirteen years his senior. Adam Baker brought his daughter, Zahra, with him to the U.S. Zahra recovered from bone cancer and wears a prosthetic leg and hearing aids due to the disease.

Ten year old Zahra was last seen on September 25, 2010, by someone other than her parents. Her father, Adam Baker, reported her missing on October 9, 2010. Earlier that day he reported a fire in his back yard and a ransom note on the windshield of his car to the police. The ransom note was addressed to his boss and was regarding his boss' daughter. Authorities do not believe the time line provided by the parents and they think that Zahra may have been gone much earlier.

Later in the evening, Adam Baker reported his daughter missing and stated that the last time he saw her was about 2:30am. He stated that his daughter does not come out of her room very much. Police said that Zahra is presumed dead from the evidence that they have gathered.

Police have searched the property of the lumber company where Adam Baker works and also a nearby landfill. They recovered at least two mattresses that they believe came from the Baker household.

Police say that Zahra's hearing aids and prosthetic leg were found at the home.

Baker's wife, Elisa, was arrested almost immediately after Zahra was reported missing and has admitted that she planted the ransom note, but she denies that she is involved in Zahra's disappearance. She is still being held on felony obstruction of justice for trying to throw police off the trail of Zahra's disappearance.

The father of missing girl, Zahra Baker, was arrested and held on a $7,000 bond even though authorities have not said if he was a suspect in the case of his missing daughter.

After the end of the school year in June, 2010, Zahra was not registered for school again. Her stepmother, Elisa Baker, began telling people that Zahra was home schooled, but friends and neighbors said there was not any sign of home school. Home schoolers must be registered as such and Zahra was not.

Neighbors began suspecting Elisa Baker of physically abusing Zahra and eventually reported her to social services. Social Services did not have time to investigate before Zahra went missing.

Zahra's biological mother and other family members still live in Australia.

Sources:

FoxNews.com 10/25/10