By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
CULLMAN — A 74-year-old Alabama attorney accused of repeatedly poisoning her husband is now at the center of a widening criminal investigation that also involves a key witness who allegedly swallowed fentanyl in an attempt to destroy evidence, according to newly released court documents.
Sara Baker, a longtime Cullman lawyer, was taken into custody Tuesday night and charged with 11 felony offenses, including conspiracy to commit murder, three counts of attempted murder, second-degree domestic violence, elderly abuse, four counts involving controlled substances, and unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.
Court filings made public Wednesday outline an alleged poisoning scheme authorities say played out over nearly three months. Between Sept. 1 and Nov. 25, Baker is accused of conspiring with at least one other person to obtain and provide fentanyl with the intent to kill her husband, James Doyle Baker.
According to the complaint, investigators say Baker put fentanyl in her husband’s food and drinks on at least three occasions — Sept. 4, Sept. 12, and Sept. 20 — leading to the attempted murder and domestic violence charges.
A 39-year-old Hanceville woman, identified as Baker’s client and listed as a witness in the case, is also facing serious charges of her own. In a separate August indictment, she was accused of possessing burglary tools and swallowing fentanyl to destroy evidence, further complicating a case already stacked with allegations of conspiracy and concealment.
Due to the nature of the charges and Baker’s standing as an attorney, the Alabama Supreme Court appointed a special judge, Franklin County District Judge Jamie Sumerel, to preside over the proceedings.
Baker was granted a $400,000 property bond and has since been released from the Cullman County Detention Center. Her legal team has not yet issued a public statement, and attempts to reach her attorneys on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
The investigation continues to unfold as prosecutors prepare for what could become one of North Alabama’s most high-profile criminal cases in recent years.