The Ed Baker case was featured on Friday 03/17/06 and happened near Houston, TX in 1985. What are your thoughts on this case? He was a businessman who is believed to be found dead in his burned out Jaguar with a gunshot to the head, a .38 on the floorboard, and 3 gas cans in the car. Also, he was pocketing money from new investors to pay off his older investors, and when there weren't any newer investors he tried to borrow a considerable amount of money which was believed to be from the Mafia. He wrote a note to his attorney that says if you find this letter, I am dead. Also, there was a body dumped a short distance away from the body in the car that was dumped shortly before the body in the car was found. This body was handcuffed and beaten to death. The police say that the other body was a coincidence and it was related to a drug case. There is speculation that Baker set the fire and killed himself, or that Baker hired someone to torch the car after he killed himself. Baker called around to his life insurance agents and inquired about what would his family receive from his suicide in the death benefits. Baker was also, in essence, saying goodbye to his family in his last days. There is speculation that the Mafia finally caught up to him and killed him, after all, there were threatening phone calls right up until the death. Or, maybe it wasn't Baker's corpse at all. He could have killed someone in his place and took off with the millions that he hid in offshore accounts that was untraceable. Until a DNA analysis is done, no one can know for sure.

Well this was another strange on. At one time, Ed Baker was worth what 66 million dollars? Or was that at the time of his death? In 1985 his Jaguar was found burned out. A body that was identified as his was in the passenger seat burned obviously very badly. The body weight had been reduced to 32 pounds that is how much it was burned. Ed Baker had got into serious trouble because of trouble with his investors. He had started out really good but it was to the point he was borrowing money to keep paying his investors and he got into serious trouble and he was looking at most likely going to prison. Is it possible that this caused Baker to take his life? Sure. However people that know him have also said they wouldnt have put it past him to have had someone else killed and put in the vehicle and then burned up his own vehicle and fled the country to live elsewhere off funds that he had in offshore bank accounts. It is possible. It is also possible Ed Baker was murdered and the car burned up to cover up evidence. As the guy in the segment said suicide is possible but unlikely. The reason for this is the expert said and I believe that a person would have a hard time pouring gasoline on themselves, setting themselves on fire and then be able to sit there and point a gun at themselves and pull the trigger.

What is weird is that this case has evidence to support all of the theories: he torched the car around him, then shot himself; someone killed him and placed the gas cans in the vehicle; he killed someone else and fled; or he got someone to torch the car after he killed himself. I think the most far-fetched of those would be the last one about him killing himself and having them torch the car, but still could be possible. This case is featured in this book I've been reading called Murderers Among Us and mentions how one of the victim's rings got so hot that it fused itself to the metal of the interior of the vehicle and how another ring in the car had almost no damage to it. That would suggest someone tossing the barely damaged ring into the vehicle. Also from the book, it was his only his wife Sandy that suggested to investigators that it could have been suicide because she said to them that Ed was distraught. Another thing, she failed a lie detector and never showed up for a second one and she was the one pointing fingers at the mob for Ed owing them money. All this and there was $1.8 million dollars in 3 different life insurance policies (1 million; 500,000; and 300,000) where Sandy was the benificiary. Two of them balked and the third payed her the 300,000, plus she got 500,000 from his will. His daughters only got 225,000 each and his son got 150,000.
Sandy probably hired a hitman to take care of him. All of the evidence would fit that and that is the scenario that seems most likely. I wonder if there was a way to test the remains for DNA or if they were to degraded to get a DNA sample off of. That would answer whether or not it was Ed or someone else in the car.

And where was Sandy during the segment? Eds second wife participated but alls they said was that Sandy was in Europe.

Yeah, maybe she went to Europe to meet up with Ed and/or to escape the law. This is definitely one of the most baffling UM cases because of all the clues fitting many various scenarios.

My view is that Ed is alive and well.

I can't figure out the alledged prank phone calls he received shortly before his apparent death. "Ed Baker---TIME TO DIE!" That still resonates in my mind. If that was true his life would have been in immediate danger. Perhaps his company was nose-diving and he was unable to pay his investors as we have seen in a few UM cases so far. So, that being said, my theory is one of three things could've happened:

1. Simply, a hitman WAS hired to deliver the kill, then burn his car to cover up evidence (make it look like suicide or arson)

2. It actually WAS a suicide.

OR

3. The body in the car was of someone else and Baker faked his own death and is now alive and well in some exotic locale.

Those are just my 2 cents.

Just some thoughts.

Cheers

I rewatched this episode today and I cannot understand the speculation that his death was faked. Robert Stack says within the first minute of the episode that, "Forensic Tests indicated a near certainty that the body was indeed Ed Baker's." Now I know this was 1985 and forensic technology wasn't as advanced as today, but if they were that certain that it was his body then why is UM feeding the theory that he faked his death? Sounds like an open and shut case that Ed is dead.

I rewatched this episode today and I cannot understand the speculation that his death was faked. Robert Stack says within the first minute of the episode that, "Forensic Tests indicated a near certainty that the body was indeed Ed Baker's." Now I know this was 1985 and forensic technology wasn't as advanced as today, but if they were that certain that it was his body then why is UM feeding the theory that he faked his death? Sounds like an open and shut case that Ed is dead.

I agree.
A DNA test would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the body was Ed Baker. If authorities truly thought that there was any question, they would have sought a court order to test the DNA.

If they haven't, then they are confident that body is that of Ed Baker.

What is the consensus on the other body found near Ed's?

I am going to Jamaica in the winter,maybe their is an age enhanced photo so I recognize him if he looks like an old guys on the beach.

I am going to Jamaica in the winter,maybe their is an age enhanced photo so I recognize him if he looks like an old guys on the beach.


This case has been discussed at length in another thread, but I would be shocked if Ed Baker is still alive "and well" today. This incident was over thirty years ago and if Baker were still alive, I doubt he'd look even remotely the same as he did back then. I highly doubt we will ever know the full truth about this case.

This case has been discussed at length in another thread, but I would be shocked if Ed Baker is still alive "and well" today. This incident was over thirty years ago and if Baker were still alive, I doubt he'd look even remotely the same as he did back then. I highly doubt we will ever know the full truth about this case.

I've said this before in the Phillip Breen thread, but he would just need:

-some offshore accounts
-a willingness to let his family clean up after the havoc he wreaked at home
-a willingness not to return to the US

It would not be that hard to disappear.

I've said this before in the Phillip Breen thread, but he would just need:

-some offshore accounts
-a willingness to let his family clean up after the havoc he wreaked at home
-a willingness not to return to the US

It would not be that hard to disappear.

I don't disagree with you. I was just saying that even if he did fake his own death, he's probably dead by now just due to old age.

Recently saw the Ed Baker UM segment for the first time. Typical scammer/scum-bag. He ripped off a lot of people, and then when things were closing in on him probably faked his own death & fled with the money. There is no way to verify that his was the body that was burned up in his car; it could have been anyone.

I also question the "death threats" he allegedly got at his office & home. No one else heard them or was aware of them, so he could have made them up - just to add credence to his supposedly being killed & burning up in his car later.

So, yes - I do believe he faked his own death & intentionally fell "off the radar" so he could escape prosecution. Too bad, since he will probably never be caught at this point. And, going along with this - it's probable that he's passed on, given how old he would be now.

So, yes - I do believe he faked his own death & intentionally fell "off the radar" so he could escape prosecution.

I think the body was confirmed to be Baker's through dental records. Had the same blood type too, IIRC.

I think the body was confirmed to be Baker's through dental records. Had the same blood type too, IIRC.

I think the "highly suspect source" he was getting his bailout from either knew he was a bad risk and wasn't going to be able to pay back what he was borrowing -or- was afraid that he would end up going to prison and running his mouth about their dealings.....so, they had him whacked.