Shivangi Sinha
In January 2001, a fire broke out at Tara Baker’s apartment in Athens, Georgia. Police found her remains inside and determined that the fire had been set intentionally, and that she had been killed in a violent attack. At the time, she was dating a man named Chris Melton. As the investigation began, police looked at him closely and searched for any evidence of his potential involvement, but found none. NBC’s ‘Dateline: A Window of Time’ not only showcases his cooperation in the case but also highlights how, during the trial of Edrick Faust, his statements became important to the prosecution.
Chris Melton Had Been Working for a Plumbing Business at the Time of the Crime
Chris Melton was born and raised in Loganville, Georgia. He attended Loganville High School and graduated in 1996. He then joined Georgia College, where he first met Tara Baker. Their first date was at a sorority formal, and they were introduced by mutual friends. Chris and Tara were serious about each other, and even after they left college and moved back in with their parents, they remained in an exclusive relationship. He shared that Tara was excited about starting law school and had dreams of building a successful career. Because Tara moved away, the couple had to carefully plan how they would meet, and it was not as easy.
Chris had started working for McCart Plumbing and was living with his parents, but he would often travel to Athens, Georgia, to meet his girlfriend. On January 19, 2001, he was in Loganville for work and had left his house as usual at 6 in the morning. In the afternoon, his pager rang. It was Virginia Baker who informed him about the fire and Tara’s passing. The next day, when the police called him in for questioning, Chris had visible bruises on his knuckles, which he said were the result of punching a wall in grief. Chris fully cooperated with the investigation, and as Tara’s boyfriend, he was heavily scrutinized. He later spoke about how intrusive the police work felt, but maintained that he was willing to help in any way he could.
Chris Melton Testified for the Prosecution Against Edrick Faust
Chris Melton testified for the prosecution in February 2026 during the trial of Edrick Faust. He spoke about how the 2001 investigation had largely centered on him, with everything from his finances to his personal life being closely examined and scrutinized. He also provided a detailed account of how he received the call about Tara and his exact movements on that day. The defense argued that detectives had failed to properly consider other suspects, even mentioning Melton by name. However, his solid alibi and the thorough investigation had long since cleared him as a suspect. He has otherwise kept a low profile and prefers not to speak about the case in the media. However, he continues to remember Tara with fondness and seems to recall her as the wonderful person she was.
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