Sandra Baker: Declared dead

Wow, I had heard that her car had been found, but I did not know the circumstances. Apparently it was not originally because she was missing.

I wonder why the fiance was never charged. Nowadays people do not always seem to need a body before they can be tried for murder.

Article from http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08040/856148-85.stm:

Missing woman declared dead after 7 years
Saturday, February 09, 2008
By Milan Simonich, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
MERCER, Pa. -- The case of Sandra Kay
Baker, who vanished more than seven years ago, officially became a homicide
yesterday.
Mercer County Common Pleas Judge Thomas R. Dobson declared Ms.
Baker dead after a somber 10-minute hearing in which her son and daughter were
the only witnesses.
The children, Shawn Krebs and Shedara Binkley, testified
that they had not seen or heard from their mother since May 25, 2000. State
police said Ms. Baker's bank account and credit cards were never accessed after
that day.
In 2005, police identified Billy Crea, Ms. Baker's fiance, as the
suspect in her disappearance and presumed murder. But they have not arrested or
charged Mr. Crea, a 52-year-old electrician who now lives in Ellwood
City.
Ms. Baker's children said they believe police have pinpointed the right
man, but lack hard evidence, including a body.
Mr. Krebs, 34, of Denver, said
Mr. Crea never called police to report Ms. Baker missing, even though they were
living together when she disappeared.
For his part, Mr. Crea declines to
speak about the case.
His lawyer, James Ecker, said yesterday that Mr. Crea
has never wavered in proclaiming his innocence.
Mr. Crea agreed to be
questioned by police after Ms. Baker disappeared. But soon after, he retained
Mr. Ecker as his lawyer and stopped cooperating in the investigation, state
police said.
Police learned that Mr. Crea had been deeply suspicious of Ms.
Baker, who was 46.
He hired a private detective to investigate Ms. Baker's
background after they became engaged. The detective, Clifford Aley, lied
repeatedly to police about his involvement and now is serving up to four years
in prison for hindering the Baker homicide investigation.
Among other things,
Mr. Aley found that Ms. Baker had been married six times, and was still married
to a Florida man when she accepted Mr. Crea's proposal. Mr. Aley also learned
that Ms. Baker was struggling financially. She was behind on car payments and
other bills.
On May 25, 2000, the day she vanished, Mr. Aley called an auto
finance company to report that Ms. Baker's 1988 Honda Accord was parked at the
Shenango Valley Mall. Soon after, repossession men hauled away her car and any
evidence it contained.
Mr. Aley told authorities he was only peripherally
involved in Ms. Baker's disappearance. He claimed Mr. Crea was the killer and
acted alone.
Mr. Aley said Mr. Crea told him he had strangled Ms. Baker after
an argument, then put her body in some sort of container and hid it in Mercer
County.
Pennsylvania law says a missing person can be presumed dead after
seven years.
Milan Simonich can be reached at msimonich@post-gazette.com or
412-263-1956.

If you know where Sandra might be, or have any other helpful information in this case, please call the Pennsylvania state police at (724) 662-6162.

You can print a poster of Sandra at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200300269W (It is apparently a little out of date because it says her car is still missing.)

Photo of Sandra from her poster.