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In April 2006, Kari Baker—a 31-year-old teacher and mother of two—was found dead inside her home in Hewitt, Texas, just outside Waco. The scene was initially treated as a suicide. But almost immediately, questions surfaced: the timeline, the circumstances, and whether what looked like self-harm was actually a staged scene meant to conceal a homicide.

In this episode, we unpack the full true crime story of Kari Baker’s death and the investigation that ultimately led to the conviction of her husband, Matt Baker, a Baptist minister whose public image didn’t match what prosecutors later argued was happening behind closed doors. We walk through the murder-or-suicide debate, the turning points that shifted the case from suspicion to charges, and the courtroom narrative that ended with a murder conviction and a 65-year sentence.

In This Episode

• Who Kari Baker and Matt Baker were in the Hewitt/Waco community
• What happened the night Kari was found—and what raised red flags
• How the case evolved from suicide to a homicide investigation
• The prosecution’s theory, key evidence themes, and trial outcome
• Why this case remains a defining example of staged death investigations, coercive control, and intimate partner violence

Content Warning

This episode includes discussion of domestic violence, coercive control, and homicide. Listener discretion is advised.

If you or someone you know needs help: National Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.) 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.

Kari Baker, Matt Baker, Hewitt Texas murder, Waco Texas true crime, Kari Baker case, murder or suicide, staged suicide, minister convicted of murder, Texas true crime podcast, domestic violence true crime, coercive control, McLennan County, 2006 Texas murder, ABC 20/20 Kari Baker, 48 Hours Matt Baker.

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Sources used for this podcast: https://www.hitched2homicide.com/post/kari-baker-murdering-minister

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