Elisa Baker sentenced 10 years in Federal prison

STATESVILLE, N.C. — On Monday, a judge added 10 more years to Elisa Baker's prison sentence for felony drug charges.

She is already serving time for killing her 10-year-old stepdaughter, Zahra, nearly three years ago.

Eyewitness News was there for the hearing and saw Elisa actually become ill when the decision was read.

She was so sick, the judge first called for a 10-minute break; then she was unable to stand when the judge announced his decision.

Ten years of federal prison time.

Elisa Baker wasn't talking as she was led in handcuffs into the federal courthouse in Statesville.

Shortly before her sentencing, members of her family arrived and said they wanted to be here for the woman convicted of one of the most notorious crimes in our area -- the murder and dismemberment of her 10-year old stepdaughter, Zahra Baker.

Elisa's father, Marshal Fairchild, spoke for the first time publicly about the case: "I just can't see her doing that to that young one. I can't believe it. I've been like that ever since she was arrested."

"You still don't believe she killed Zahra?" he was asked.

"Nope," said Marshal Fairchild.

But for Hickory police officers who investigated Zahra's disappearance and death, there is no doubt about who is responsible.

"We've done an exhaustive and thorough investigation, and at the end of the day what we have is what we have and we're glad to see it come to an end," said Capt. Thurman Whisnant of the Hickory Police.

As part of the investigation, police learned Elisa Baker was also selling tens of thousands of pain and anxiety pills out of the same house where Zahra lived.

That's what landed her in front of a federal judge Monday, where her attorney talked about her addiction to the drugs and a personality disorder.

But prosecutors pleaded for the 10-year sentence, reminding the judge about her heinous acts and the need to protect the public after the extraordinarily evil things she had done.

District Attorney Jay Gaither was pleased with the outcome, but added the case has changed all of those involved.

"The tragedy of what happened to Zahra Baker is going to stay with me and with everybody who is involved. Team Zahra, the chief, the family, the community. It is going to stay with us forever and there is nothing that is going to undo that," he said.

The most important decision was that the 10 years of federal time would start after the 18 years she got for killing Zahra, meaning Elisa could be in her 70s before she can get out.