A son is pleading with the public to help police find the suspect who shot and killed Karen Baker, a mother and grandmother, on July 13 in North Carolina, as police released photos of the suspect and a vehicle.
Just before 6 a.m July 13 on the 9600 block of University City Boulevard in Charlotte, an unidentified man approached the 48-year-old woman while she attempted to withdraw cash from an ATM.
She was robbed after making the withdrawal and shot to death by the man. He proceeded to jump into a vehicle, in what detectives believe is a 2011 or 2012 black Dodge Charger with factory rims, said Lt. Bryan Crum of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) at a conference.
“At the end of the day, what hurts most is there’s not one [explicit] thing I can do to bring my mom back,” said Michael McClure, Baker’s son, during the conference. “So I’m asking you guys, if anybody [can] reach out to these detectives and police department and give them any information y’all can, my family would appreciate it more than anybody would ever know.”
“So giving, selfless, is the biggest thing I would say to describe my mom. Most of her life she spent most of her time making other people whole,” said William McClure, another son of Baker. “Those people who robbed her, my mom would have given them money. She would have given them her last dollar if they needed it.”
Photos released by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police show one of two suspects involved in the killing and the getaway vehicle used in the robbery. The CMPD is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects.
Crum said despite the suspect wearing a mask in the photo, “the positioning of the mask shifts” enough to show “distinctive” and identifiable facial features. The suspect in question is the passenger in the car, Crum added.
According to a Charlotte Observer count, this recent murder marks at least the 57th homicide this year in Mecklenburg County. Compared to last year there’s been a 21 percent spike—63 homicides including at least six in the week since Baker’s death, one of which happened a few blocks from the spot she died.
William McClure said the violence was “evil and senseless” and that he has faith that CMPD will catch the murderer. “We’re hopeful that justice will be served,” he said.
If you have information about the case, please speak with a homicide detective at 704-432-8477 (TIPS), or leave information anonymously with Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or charlottecrimestoppers.com.
