Anatomy of Murder AKA 137F - Part 1 (Brook Baker)
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Aug 26, 2025 Hal Johnston, a retired prosecutor from Madison County, Indiana, shares his insights on the shocking murder of college student Brooke Baker. He dives into the eerie similarities between her case and another murder, sparking fears of a serial killer in the community. Johnston discusses the emotional toll cold cases take on families and the complexities investigators face, including local rumors and inter-jurisdictional challenges. His firsthand experience uncovers the meticulous efforts needed to bring justice for victims in a tight-knit university town.
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Brother Finds Victim At Home
- Brooke Baker lived off campus and often left her door unlocked for her brother Bron to visit.
- Bron found her in the bathtub area and immediately called police after discovering she was unresponsive and stabbed.
Mixed Organized/Disorganized Crime Scene
- The crime scene combined organized and disorganized elements: posing the body but leaving a bent bread knife and running water.
- That mixture suggested a killer who both sought shock and made mistakes, possibly indicating a first-time offender.
Pose and Injuries Signal Sexual Violence
- Brooke's body was posed and had defensive wounds, bruising, and bindings on wrists and ankles, pointing to a violent sexual assault.
- Those features strengthened the homicide investigators' view that the attacker knew the victim and intended domination or to shock discoverers.