The Preacher's Wife

A Reverend's Wife Is Found Dead. Was It Suicide Or Was He Playing God?

(CBS)  This story originally aired on May 10, 2008. It was updated on June 9, 2009.

Ever since Matt Baker's wife Kari died suddenly in April 2006 at the age of 31, the Baptist preacher has lived under a cloud of suspicion. Is he an innocent man unfairly accused as his followers and friends believe? Or is he hiding a terrible dark secret? Correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.

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Kari was a popular third grade teacher. She and Matt had been together since meeting as counselors at a Baptist day camp in Waco, Texas, in 1994.

"I would have been 23 and she was 20," Matt remembered. "I met her and I thought 'This is the person for me.'"

Linda and Jim Dulin remember their daughter was instantly smitten with the Baylor University senior. "The thing she kept talking about was, 'Mom, this guy's a really good Christian,'" Linda said.

And just three months after meeting, Matt and Kari suddenly announced they were getting married. By their first anniversary, Kari was pregnant with daughter Kensi; a second daughter, Kassidy, followed a year-and-a-half later.

But right after Kassidy's first birthday, doctors discovered a brain tumor and she was hospitalized. "There'd be days that it looked really good. Prognosis was good. And then turned around and went right back down hill," Matt explained.

In late February 1999, after a 90-day bedside vigil, Kassidy was well enough to go home. But just after midnight on March 22, Kassidy was rushed to the emergency room. This time doctors couldn't save her.

"To sit there and struggle that far. To come what I thought was so far to watch her die. That was devastating. It really was a very hard, hard thing to cope with," Matt told Moriarty.

It was especially hard for Kari. "She lost her child and she grieved hard," Linda remembered.

A grief counselor helped Kari get through the first year. In 2000, a third daughter, Grace, was born. But according to Matt, his wife was never the same. "I don't think it was a split second, all of a sudden she was completely different. It was a gradual changing of the person," he said. "She had almost two personalities in a way. Not negative. But when she went to work she had the ability to put issues behind her and focus on work."

"The other personality was a little bit more withdrawn at home," he added.

The way Matt tells it, he became "Mr. Mom" to Kensi and Grace. And from the time Kassidy died, Matt said his wife relied on pills to sleep.

Matt told Moriarty Kari used Unisom, an over-the-counter sleep medication. But he said she sometimes borrowed something stronger from family and friends.

And the toughest time for Kari was always the March anniversary of Kassidy's death. "It was always two or three weeks leading up to it. 'It's coming, it's coming, I can't do this. I can't make it another year. I can't do this again,'" Matt recalled.

In April 2006, seven years after Kassidy died, Matt said Kari was still struggling with the loss. So he took her to the doctor, who diagnosed her as depressed and prescribed an anti-depressant.

As they left the clinic and headed onto the highway, Matt said Kari had a meltdown. "And I'm at about 45, 50 mph and she is hyperventilating. And she attempts to open the car door," he recalled. "She said she needed to get out, get some air."

According to Matt, he grabbed hold of her waistband until he could pull off the highway. He didn't think it was a suicide attempt. "I thought she just wanted fresh air and wasn't thinking. She lost it for a second," he said.

[janebug1]

I believe the preacher. His dead wife''s family doesn''t want to believe she would kill herself, but it is very possible she did. Her state of mind from the loss of her child could have pushed her over the edge.
It sounds like she told her grief counsellor that she thought her husband was trying to kill her because she was paranoid from post-partum depression and grief and drugs.
I did this over forty years ago,when my son died at the age of three. I was twenty. I was paranoid and unable to accept his death. I was on drugs, did not trust anyone. I literally lost my mind. I see that this is what might have happened to Kari Baker. I suffered from post partum depression but no one knew it. I was placed on drugs, and this was before my son died.
Kari''s family should realize that Matt also lost a child. I think they are cruel and heartless to not consider his grief, his other children. I think it is very possible she did kill herself. I survived but not from drugs, but God in his love and mercy brought me through. The loss of a child is unbelievable suffering, it is unbearable, one must trust in God or he will not make it.
I think he is innocent. The family is in denial not wanting to face the truth that their loved one very well could have left this world by her own hand.

[janebug1]

Also, Kari''s family seems to not have great concern for the remaining children. They need their dad now more than ever and this family needs to help, instead of looking to cause more heartbreak.

[kdberry99]

My heart breaks for the girls. May justice come soon so that the girls may move on without the man who took away their mother. May they be surrounded by the memories of their mother, who loved them deeply. May everyone who has been touched by this case move towards healing and peace.

[kdberry99]

janebug1.....I''m so sorry you experienced such pain. However this is not the case of Kari Baker. She was not depressed, nor was she hiding it from anyone. She was a bright, confident, sprititual woman who lived life to its fullest and was not still grieving over the loss of Kassidy. In fact, it was the contrary. She had moved on with her life and was living for the future. Often times we visited about Kassidy and it was a joyfull time, not a mournfull one. It is your own misfortune that you didn''t know Kari because if you truly knew her, you would know she did not die by her own hand.

[janebug1]

One doesn''t just move on with their life, it cannot be the same. Even today forty-four years later, I still cry for my son.
I prayed and will pray for Matt for God to resolve this issue. His eyes are filled with pain.
I wasn''t hiding my grief back then,but was in great distress, which distress can manifest differently for different people.
I didn''t mean to offend this dear hurting family, but with my own broken heart, I pray God will give you more grace.

[guest173]

it looks like he did it to me. and the children should be taken away from a murdering father, it is in their best interest not to have a liar and probable murderer as a dad. also those past accusations against him are also disgusting, the bible says in Timothy a Christian leader must be a man above reproach, with a good reputation, he does not have a good reputation just by the couple other accusations, he shouldn''t be a christian leader either

[guest173]

also Kari even telling her counselor she thought her husband was trying to kill her is a big clue. as a survivor of domestic violence myself, I know that it is usually at a breaking point when women start telling others about the death threats, I''ve had that too, and that is a really dangerous time.

[ranger1948]

I believe that he may be guilty of this crime, but the law says we must let the course of justice prevail. I hope that justice does prevail in this case to prove if he is guilty or not so the survicving victims can move on with their lives.

[guest173]

and I wouldn''t put much faith in his "congregation" believing his innocence. there''s a couple stories on Abcnews about children getting caught trying to hire people to kill their parents, and the parents are in total denial about it, even with a mountain of evidence. some people like to live in fantasy world.

[nikki2ks]

I have dealt with depression and overwhelming grief. As hard as it is to believe that a bright, loving person could possibly take her own life I believe this is the case for Kari. Mental illness and severe grief can change a person''s state of mind. She was not herself. I am so sorry to her family and most importantly to her children.
The reason I am writing this comment is to tell 48 Hours I am ashamed of them for giving false information just to get better ratings and make a mockery of someone''s personal trauma for entertainment purposes. 48 Hours used %u201Cexpert testimony%u201D to prove the timeframe was wrong in the husband%u2019s story. It was stated that bodies do not get cold within 40 minutes. It does depend on the cause of death, but in most cases bodies begin to lose heat and are cold to the touch within 6 to 14 minutes of death. I have personal experience. As I mentioned before I have recently dealt with my own struggle with grief after losing my grandmother. She passed away in my arms. I left the hospital room and returned one last time after about 10 minutes had passed. I touched her arm and it was very cold. It does not always take over an hour for a body to get cold and this is not proof of anything. From now on, please report accurate information.

[blklips]

I disagree with everyone that thinks Matt is innocent.
He killed his wife, and I think he should pay for his crime.

First, the letter should be checked for oil marks or dye from the pills. Since there was a letter how was it printed and from what computer, The clothes place on the body by Matt where not the same clothes the victims wore earlier during the day.

Matt got her drunk, with wine cooler he had laced with pills that would put her sleep, he placed a plastic bag over the cloth he used to sofficate her, unisom was a guide to mislead or ensure dealth due to side effects, the body was removed from the bed to change the sheets, the body was kept code to slow down the bloodflow, the road trip was used to establish a time line and get rid of the evidence. Also, the wine coolers left on the nightstand were placed matt!

The motive...Matt killed his wife because her faith was more powerful than his being a preacher, it was retaliation for the dealth of the second child due to her prayer. To catch him...the cell phone bill and credit card transactions can be used as guides to tract locations where Matt has visited. I believe you will find the labtop,or clothes or the computer used to print the letter. Also, don''t forget to look for evidence at the Church, or in the victim''s computer, in the dirty clothes! I''m convinced Matt did this crime because most preacher begin writing sermons at home

[peachysquirt]

This guy is so guilty. Crime scene photos are telling. There is a bottle of unisom sitting out on the night stand. There were no remnents of pills found in Kari''s stomach. A suicide note placed on the table which is typed out. Most suicide notes that I have seen have been written out by hand. Seems odd to type it. There were pens laying on that table as well yet the sucide note was all typed up & never signed. Matt''s computer got replaced with his secretary''s. Matt''s home computer no longer was usable cause the hard drive crashed. Seems way too much of a coincidence to me. Matt had done a search for Ambien & it''s overdose. His reason for that is weak. Kari is telling her concelor that she fears her husband is trying to kill her. She also suspects he is having an affair. She finds this bag in his briefcase of crushed pills. Don''t buy his reason for that. Bag of crushed pills has vanished. The only type of sleeping aid found in Kari''s system was Ambien & was found in her muscle tissue. She had no prescription for this & there was no Ambien found in the home. Here is what I think happened. He slipped that bag of curshed pills into a drink for Kari & her not knowing it. Staged the scene to look like she had taken a bunch of Unisom. He typed up the sucide note cause there was no way he could write it. Made sure that his home computer was not accessable & that the other one he used was replaced. There is too much in this case for me that stands out & is a red flag.

[frog_angel]

On this Mother''s Day, I feel for these children and the family. All I can say is "GUILTY" as too many facts do not show innocence. One important point I wish to bring out is that the suicide letter and Matt''s letter are written in a similar format including using all caps to emphasize points- Suicide letter uses all caps for VERY and Matt''s letter uses all caps for WAS. The suicide letter is too short and apologitic as well as not stating clear reasons for such extreme actions. I don''t think that someone commiting suicide would type it up so nicely, using caps for emphasis and not choose to sign the letter when pens are laying beside the nightstand.

[clarencebev-2009]

The Coroner is "Undetermined". That blocks everything. They have enough to go to trial. Get a second opinion by a more qualified Coroner that uses better equipment.

[janebug1]

THOU SHALL NOT KILL, PERIOD.

All followers of the three (3) great Abrahamic religions, Judaism,
Christianity and Islam believe in the Ten (10) Commandments. In our humble
opinion, if anyone killed another innocent human being or himself, he is neither
a Jew, nor a Christian, nor a Muslim, because he disobeyed one of the
most important Commandments of Almighty God (Allah): Thou Shall Not Kill.
%u2026%u2026..

Given below are some of the verses from the Holy Qur%u2019an in support
thereof, referring to the number of Surah (Chapter) first followed by
the number of Ayah (Verse), later (from an English translation of the
Holy Qur%u2019an by Mr. Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall).

Yet ye (Children of Israel) it is who slay each other and drive out a
party of your people from their homes, supporting one another against
them by sin and transgression, and if they came to you as captives ye
would ransom them, whereas their expulsion was itself unlawful for you.
Believe ye in part of the Scripture and disbelieve ye in part thereof?
(2:85)

Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah (God Almighty), and
slay the Prophets wrongfully, and slay those of mankind who enjoin
equity: announce them a painful doom. (3:21)


This is totally irrelevant to this case.

[fush2]

he is so guilty of killing his wife. i dont understand why someone like this whose suppose to be a man of god would do something this crazy. i think that if a relationship isnt working you have to talk to god and he will help,but killing is taking it to the extreme.

[Sherylspeaks]

Maybe the reason Kari was naked was perhaps, Matt got her drugged, showered her off the evidence, and left her naked due to the time factor. Was her hair wet when they found her? He could have blown it dry. He may have used a weapon to force her to take the pills. I wonder if he has a gun?

[what-about]

Sounds like he promised a night of romance and a mending of their relationship in order to get her to drink the alcohol laced with sleeping pills. That would be the reason she was undressed. Was she trying to find a telephone to call for help while he was gone and fell out of bed; thus the carpet burn on her nose and her on the floor? Was there usually a telephone on the night stand, and had it been removed? Did any one drive the route he said he took to time the trip? Did anyone check the other offices at the church to see if the missing computer was in another room, or was it donated to a charity or school? Also, check with the lady friend of his to see if her computer had e-mail messages from him.

[rpuh01]

One thing they didn%u2019t mention in the show, not unless I missed it. The suicide note which was typed out, did ever check for her finger prints on the paper?

[masama27]

This guy is so guilty! I noticed him stumbling over his own words several times. To answer one of the previous posters, maybe his wife was never naked. Maybe that is part of his "story." In one of the crime scene photos, you can see that on the top of one of her shoulders, her shirt looks wet. Maybe this happened during a struggle or while her life was diminishing. Also, her friend said in one of the interviews that was Kari was really upset, but it wasn''t over the loss of their daughter, it was because Matt was blaming her for their daughter''s death and her fears of him having an affair. But Matt tries to say that she was upset because of the anniversary of the death of their child. His story just doesn''t add up. This guy murdered his wife and justice needs to be served!

[bdrlnt4rl]

This guy murdered his wife and justice needs to be served!

Posted by masama27



this guy is a preacher! of course he is guilty! after all look at how evil huckabee is.....and not to mention rev. al sharpton, rev jesse jackson, and list goes on and on!

[bdrlnt4rl]

wolf in sheeps clothing, god knew exactly what he was talking about.

[bdrlnt4rl]

has anyone ever heard of ''dead weight''?????? think of how hard it would be to dress a dead body, on a bed that is soft, with the pooling of blood already taking place......sound suspecious to me

[redhead78629]

As I read page 6 something really sticks out in my mind. He says they talked and made a list of what he was supposed to do, then he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead AND SHE ROLLED OVER AND WENT BACK TO SLEEP. Was she nude at that time first of all? Second the preacher said earlier that when he got back which seems took him an hour and a half to fill up a vehicle and pick up a movie two miles away per his statement, but when he got back the bedroom door was locked??? After she rolled over and went back to sleep, she then got up, took off her clothes(?), typed a suicide note that she didn''t sign, took enough pills to kill herself completely to the point of her body being completely cold by the time he returned an hour and a half later AND locked the bedroom door so he had to get a screwdriver to open the door and he called EMS at 12:01??? Puhlezzzz! I can''t believe anyone could possibly believe that kind of story! This Texan sure doesn''t, but many times, this is the stuff a jury is missing when they are trying to make a decision in a case.

[masama27]

Also, I think he locked the bedroom door before he left so their daughters wouldn''t be able to walk in the room while he was gone and find their mom dead. It makes perfect sense. The only thing doesn''t make sense of all of this is Matt Baker''s story. "Charlie''s Angels" need to keep fighting. May justice be served and you all get what you have longed for!

[graceesmom]

I wondered too about Kari''s family''s concern for her children. Not one time did I hear them mention the children. They had filed a civil suit and dropped it after Matt was arrested. Does anyone know of the circumstances with the girls?? If my daughter was murdered by her husband, her children would be my #1 concern. They could be next on his list!!!

[ijwtpac]

He did it but his watery eyes showed his repentance. Things did not actually go as he planned. He killed his wife but failed to develop an expected relationship with the other woman as he planned. Of course he is remorseful. He tried to incriminate his wife for being out of control after the death of one of their daughters. However, his overly exaggerating gesture simply exposed his outcry for seeking justification for killing her. We all have emotional ups and downs let alone for someone who lost her beloved daughter. His accusation was baseless and very inhumane. If he gets away with what he did, there is no justice served for the victim.

[kdberry99]

to graceemom....one thing the show did not address was the amount of effort the Dulins have had to put into just to get a visit with their grandchildren. Those girls mean the world to them and yes their well being is one of their top prioties. This has all be covered in the local news.

[sueneely]

This story is so poorly written that it is impossible to tell what the story might be.

[ranger1948]

Most people do not havce the knowledge needed to plan and commit a murder and get away with it. They overlook obvious things that will give them away. I think the fact that her body was cold and the blood was settling in her body is what gave him away. This process takes hours to happen, not an hour and a half.

[ranger1948]

From the way the story reads the police didn''t do any kind of investigation. They found the note and just assumed it was suicide. Very poor police work indeed.

[skidee27]

All the circumstances look pretty bad....but: the victim''s mother said there were worse things than suicide. She is right. It is a HORRIBLE THING to be falsely accused of murdering a spouse.

I''m not saying that Matt did not do this. I cannot tell. I did not know either Matt or Kari and I don''t necessarily believe that one could "know" the truth of this case from merely knowing one of these people.

Someone spoke of Kari''s mom as being "in denial". I think that is possible. But it is also true that most of us are in denial about what anyone is capable of. Kari was capable of committing suicide. Matt was capable of murder. We are all vulnerable to rationalizing horrible actions if we allow our emotions to rule our behavior.

I think it terrible to publically "try" this man outside of a court of law. If he is guilty, I pray that he will be found out. But what we ALL need to desire is that TRUTH is found.

My heart breaks for all those involved. What a mess. I can pray for protection for those dear little ones. God can protect them with or without Kari''s mom. And no one need fear Matt''s "getting away with murder". No one ever does. Ever. Regardless of whether or not they are found out in this life, murderers will not escape justice. With Matt''s background, he is well aware of that so if he is guilty, he not only will pay, he KNOWS he will pay.

[obamaslady]

How many more men will try to get away with murdering their wives? It appears to me that almost weekly there is another case of "my wife just up and left me", or "my wife committed suicide". This guy thought he had it all figured out, but when these circumstances appear to show the deceit of his "facts not matching the evidence", we can generally chalk it up to "murder". I know one cannot assume guilt, but for too long and too many, it looks just like another case of "trying once again to date again without the divorce first" and since they had children he would be required by the courts to support, it''s cheaper and faster to just murder the wife! And the worst thing is those men are "always" the innocent-looking, but ''most dangerous'' of all!

[quetzalcrist]

So the Guy is a creep, but it still does not probe he did it.
Depression is a horrible thing,

[yikisha82]

It seems very strange that Matt claims his wife killed herself, when it seems that he was the one that actually drove her to the point of madness. Many men I have seen on 48 hours have killed their wives just to be with another woman. I don''t think Matt is any different.

[hugginc4]

I understand that the information provided to us was limited due to time. However, he has proved he is a predator with a lot of young girls and women. He has also proved to be mentally abusive by blaming her for the death of their daughter. Abusive men are all the same. Of course he comes across charming to the outsiders, they always do! I do not believe she killed herself. I KNOW FOR A FACT that she wouldn''t have died that quickly by over dosing on Ambien let alone turn cold in 40 minutes. Is that medically possible even? I would like to get that out to the family working on this case. I would like to help anyway that I can. I have read the comment regarding him getting what he deserves weather of not he is convicted. That is very true, but someone else will become his next victim and we need to prevent that from happening.

[fortruth1]

To: QuetzalCrist
Yep, depression can be difficult. However, the guy accused of murdering his wife is the only one who claimed she was depressed. As the show revealed, Kari had gone for a job interivew on the day of her death. This doesn''t take a rocket scientist to figure this out. He found a new woman and plotted the death of his wife. Come on, the Internet searches were pretty incriminating. Kari knew/suspected an affair but only "typed" a sweet farewell??? Give me a break!!!
The stolen office computer and the crashed harddrive on his home computer. Getting fishier and fishier. And the toxicologist who commented that her body would not have been cold by that time unless she has been killed in Antartica!

By Baker''s own timeline (he said he left at 11:11) he was gone less than an hour. Do a little forensic research on this with a google search. This story of his is bogus.

What kind of crappy DA does this county have??? They need to do some work here and indict this guy!!!

[bdrlnt4rl]

has anyone ever heard of ''''dead weight''''?????? think of how hard it would be to dress a dead body, on a bed that is soft, with the pooling of blood already taking place......sound suspecious to me

wolf in sheeps clothing, god knew exactly what he was talking about.

[joj1s1944]

It appears to be the best way to get by with
murder is to be a preachers wife or just be
the slick talking preacher. Either one works,
or so it seems.

[leaflove1234]

Family and friends need to understand that "yes" there are those that commit this act and "can" pull off being normal in front of friends and family right down to the last moment.
I''ve experienced this by watching a co-worker/friend who was cheery, up beat and bouncy during the entire week while she bought a handgun and prepared for her own self inflicted death.
Whether this be murder or suicide is difficult to say and difficult to swallow. We always want to understand why. Even if the husband is the one that did this its not going to end the pain and the wondering why, it will just be in another context.
Prayers to all involved.

[roscoezzz]

This is a mystery and the Preacher created the Mystery. It''s interesting that both his home computer and his Church office computer crashed and disappeared at the same time. The Preacher also changed his statements on camera. Does he realize those statements are damaging to him?
Interesting interview on this Preacher who at one point stated that he LOST HIS FAITH. He''s no longer a Pastor and it would seem to me that HIS FAITH AFTER ALL OF THESE YEARS should give him spiritual guidance and comfort. He lost a child, his infidelity, his wife''s depression and supposed suicide. Where''s the FAITH my Brother to find the answers to your troubles????

[bdrlnt4rl]

roscoezzz

apparently he really had no faith to begin with. when such tragidy hits a person, faith is usually what they hang on to.

to say you have lost your faith, it shows how weak you really are, and if you are that weak, there is no tell what you are capable of, as we see here with preacher baker.

[bar-t-girl]

i am in the same position as this family but its my sister and i would like to talk to this family and see if they can give me some insight on what to do about checking into my sisters murder i may be missing something and our stories are almost the same. please help me if you can. thanks lady edwards

[pensacola88]

Something isn''t flying out of the barrel very straight on this story. The story released by the pastor seemed very eloquent and controlled....too controlled. I don''t believe everything was as this story reads.

[pensacola88]

Pastors often know the details that surround homicide investigations, such as - no medical examinor, which is crucial to supplying evidence for a prosecution. Where did the pastor go for help? He didn''t. He was too controlling. The pastor murdered his wife and got away with it. Another Walker Railey just got away with murder!!

[fortruth1]

To: Posted by bar-t-girl at 06:32 PM : May 12, 2008

Go to this site and the person who runs this blog may be able to put you in touch with the family. She seems to know them. I found this blog while I was searching for more information on this case. It is in an excellent source of information, and you really get to know Kari (the victim).

http://www.dontevengetstarted.blogspot.com/

I am so sorry for Kari''s family and her daughters. I am sorry for Matt Bakers'' parents and all those people in his hometown who believe in him. But this guy is guilty and needs to go to prison. I hope the justice system doesn''t fail.

[ranger1948]

pensacola88
I have never heard of a case where a murder or a suspicious death has occured that a coroner isn''t called to pronounce the person dead. The police are not allowed to move the body until this has been done everywhere i have lived.

[ranger1948]

bdrint4rl
YES I LEARNED ABOUT IN IN FORENSIC CLASS IN COLLEGE. THE SETTLING OF THE BLOOD OCCIRRS AS THE BODY COOLS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.

[ranger1948]

HUGINC4
He claimed he went 2 miles from his house to fas the car and rent a movie and it took an hour and a half. That alone is suspicious. Also it takes longer than 40 minutes for the persdon to die from that type of overdose unless there was an allergic reaction to the medication. It also takes longer than an hour and a half for the body to turn cold and the blood to settle. Also dressing a dead perso is not easy and being a man he probably wouldn''t do it without leaving signs that he was the one who dressed her. There are a lot on inconsistencies in this story, and i also ask why the coroner did not respond to the scene. Everywhere i have been it is law the coronoer is the one to pronounce death of a victim.

[ranger1948]

Quetzalchrist
Your right. It is up to our legal system to bring charges and prove a crime has been committed. Maybe we are getting a slanted story here fom the press. Wouldn''t that be a surprise ? (haha)