Sara Baker (Cullman Police Department).
In a shocking case from Alabama, prosecutors claim a veteran attorney made multiple attempts to murder her husband by lacing his food and drinks with fentanyl. In a twist, a client allegedly tried to destroy the evidence by ingesting the poison herself.
Sara Baker, 74, who has been married for about 30 years, is accused of planning her husband’s murder last September.
Baker, known for her extensive experience in criminal defense, divorce, and custody law, reportedly tried to poison her husband by adding fentanyl to his meals or beverages on three occasions between September 4 and September 20, according to a criminal complaint acquired by ABC affiliate WBMA.
The complaint details that Baker allegedly conspired with others to commit murder, administering the fentanyl for reasons that were neither medical nor therapeutic.
She is accused of deliberately impairing her husband’s physical and mental state by giving him a harmful substance without his knowledge, as outlined in the complaint.
Baker’s husband, who suffered a stroke several years ago, was under her care full-time when these poisoning attempts were made in September, reports local NBC affiliate WVTM.
The husband suffered “physical impairment” as a result of the attempted slayings, but managed to survive. Baker first started plotting to murder him on Sept. 1 when she met with someone to start planning how it would go down, the complaint says.
The first alleged attempt came on Sept. 4, followed by attempts on Sept. 12 and Sept. 20.
“It’s just sad … that someone has gone that far and is willing to go to those lengths to do something, you know, especially when they know all the consequences of the laws,” said fellow Alabama attorney Will League in a statement to local NBC affiliate WAFF.
A woman who allegedly helped Baker, Felisha Nichole Cofield, is listed as a witness in the criminal complaint and was indicted in August for allegedly attempting to destroy evidence related to Baker’s case, WBMA reports. Cofield was charged with tampering and accused of swallowing fentanyl that she believed could tie her to the alleged murder attempts.
Baker was representing Cofield during the criminal proceedings before her arrest last Tuesday, Nov. 25, in Cullman County. It’s unclear if Cofield was the person who Sara is accused of conspiring with to obtain the fentanyl that was allegedly used on her husband.
The couple celebrated their 29th anniversary together in August, according to reports and Baker’s Facebook page.
“Twenty-nine years of marriage to this super guy has been quite a ride,” Sara wrote in an Aug. 11 post. “But through the great times and the bad his smile and sweet spirit have remained. I love you.”
In 2021, Baker posted, “Crazy about this guy.”
The septuagenarian is charged with attempted murder, elder abuse, and domestic violence. The Cullman Police Department said in a press release that she was being held at the Cullman County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing.
