The Misery Machine - The Case of Erica Baker

Starting point is 00:00:00 Kettering, Ohio is a small town of around 58,000 people that sits on the outskirts of the city of Dayton. It is your typical suburb filled with families and young professionals looking for a quiet area to live their lives. Kettering's proximity to Dayton attracts people from all walks of life, but in 1999 it was a family-oriented suburb with doctors' offices, schools, and youth centers. The suburb was considered safe and peaceful, and parents had no worries about letting their children roam free. Every weekend, dozens of children descended upon Indian Riffel Park to play amongst the trees and foliage. Nine-year-old Erica Baker was one of those children who enjoyed a peaceful existence away from city life. In early 1999, the lives of the Baker family would be ripped apart when Erica was snatched from the streets. The Kettering police would launch what would become one of the most extensive investigations in their history,

Starting point is 00:00:56 spanning decades and costing thousands of dollars. Despite the large-scale investigation and community cooperation, Erica's family are still without answers and are still without peace. On June 22, 1989, Melissa Misty Baker and Greg Baker welcomed Erica Nicole into the world. Erica was the couple's only girl after having three boys years earlier. Despite the bliss of the new arrival, Greg and Misty could not make the relationship. relationship work. Shortly after Erica was born, they divorced. Following their divorce, Misty, Erica, and her brothers moved in with her mother, Pam Schmidt. Greg picked up the children

Starting point is 00:01:38 on weekends. Erica continued to grow into a strong and independent little girl who loved the color pink and her best friend Katie. Erica was a friendly, sweet, and competent child. Her mother shared that she was a cheerleader, a social butterfly, and had many friends and people that she was dear to. The community showed up in mass to help search for her. While Erica loved making up dance routines and wearing pretty bows, she also wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. On the weekends, Greg would take Erica and the boys to Indian Riffel Park, which was close to his and Pam's homes. Greg taught Erica how to fish in the park, a memory he fondly reflects upon. When not fishing in Indian Riffel Park, Greg took his children into the wilderness for hiking and camping trips, ensuring that they

Starting point is 00:02:25 knew how to survive outdoors. By the age of nine, Erica was a self-sufficient and confident child. She knew not to speak to strangers or go off with someone she didn't know. Most of the children and families in Kettering knew each other one way or the other. Erica knew all of the children on her block, and they played in the streets together until the streetlights came on. Katie Wulford, who lived a few doors down from Greg Baker, recalled her childhood with Erica. The two would stay over at each other's houses, listening to music and making up dance routines well past their bedtimes. February 7, 1999 started like any other for Greg Baker. It was a Sunday, so when the kids woke up, Greg helped them pack their things ready to go back to their mother and grandmother's house

Starting point is 00:03:09 that afternoon. Greg remembered Erica begging and pleading with him for the entire morning to take her to the father-daughter dance that was happening later that night. Within Indian Riffel Park, there is a senior Center, a school that Erica attended, and a recreation center. The dance was being held in the rec center, but the tickets had been in high demands. By the time Greg inquired about them, the tickets had all sold out. That afternoon, after a morning of playing in rough housing, Greg packed his children into the car, ready to drive them back to their mother. Erica asked her father about the dance and was upset about not being able to go. After a short drive, Greg pulled into the driveway of Misty's home and said goodbye to his children. In their final moment together,

Starting point is 00:03:56 Erica hugged her father and told him she loved him that she'd see him later. We'll be back in just one minute. Please stick around for the following ad. It not only supports the channel, but it also supports charities in our area. This week's episode has been brought to you by our friends at shiny metal things, bringing you unique, ethically sourced, handcrafted jewelry. From turquoise to moonstone to onyx and even precious stones like rubies, you can find the perfect gift for your loved one, or even yourself. Shiny Metal Things has you covered. They also offer customized payment plans free from additional fees. Best of all, when you subscribe to their newsletter, you'll receive a coupon for free shipping. Check out Shiny Metal Things now and let them know that

Starting point is 00:04:34 Yergy sent you. Thanks, and back to the episode. By the time Erica had got home and unpacked her things, she had gotten over not being able to attend the dance. February 7th was a drizzly afternoon in Kettering, Ohio, but Erica was determined to make it a fun one. While her brothers opted to stay inside, Erica desperately wanted to head to Indian Riffel Park. At first, Misty and Pam told Erica no, as they didn't want her out in the rain, but that wasn't the answer Erica wanted to hear. To convince her mother further, Erica grabbed her favorite Winnie the Pooh sweatshirt and pink raincoat, showing her that she was dressed for the weather. They could see that Erica was growing Ancy indoors and relented. At around 3 to 3.30 p.m., Erica put on her shoes and leashed up her

Starting point is 00:05:21 family dog, Jamie, who was a shitsu. Together, the pair left home and headed toward the park. Indian Riffle Park was just a few blocks from Erica's house, and there were no concerns about her getting there and back safely. In fact, it was a journey Erica, her friends, and her brothers had made many times over, but this time, Erica would never be coming back. Minutes after leaving her home, friends and neighbors spotted Erica and Jamie in the park, giving her a friendly nod and a quick hello. Erica and Jamie played together in the rain, running laps through the fields and playing fetch with a soggy and muddy ball. Erica played with Jamie for what must have seemed like a few minutes. As the sun began to set on Kettering, Misty and Pam grew increasingly anxious.

Starting point is 00:06:07 Pam was in the basement doing chores when she peered out the window and realized that it was getting dark outside. When Pam ran upstairs, she noticed that the house was quiet, a little too quiet. Neither Pam nor Misty remembered Erica returning with Jamie that afternoon, and that is when their world changed. The two flew into a panic. Erica was notoriously scared of the dark and knew better than to be outside when the street lights came on. Misty's mother's intuition told her something was seriously wrong, and Pam shared her daughter's concern. They shouted to the boys to stay where they were and not to answer the door for anyone before throwing on their coats and heading out into the direction of Indian Riffel Park. The rain had continued to drizzle all afternoon, causing puddles to form on every street and fields.

Starting point is 00:06:57 Pam and Misty didn't care about the rain or the mud and frantically said about searching. Pam scoured every bush, tree, and greenery in the park. The pair spoke to the few people left in the park, but nobody had seen Erica. Their search radius expanded to cars, gardens, and abandoned buildings, thinking that Erica may have hidden from the darkness that was slowly encroaching on Kettering. During their search, Misty remember that Erica had been upset earlier that afternoon about being unable to attend the father-daughter dance. Perhaps she had headed to the rec center hoping to be allowed in. Misty and Pam burst into the rec center explaining their situation through hurried breaths. The staff on duty explained to Misty that Erica hadn't been in or near the rec center that afternoon.

Starting point is 00:07:40 and that she didn't even have tickets for the dance. It's confirmed Misty's suspicions that something terrible had happened to her daughter. In a panic and confusion, Misty and Pam ran home through the rain and mud, grabbed the phone and dialed 911. Within minutes, the Kettering Police Department had crowded into the driveway of their home. After making the call to 911, Misty now had to make yet another difficult call, this time to Greg. Greg remembered that shortly after 6 p.m.,

Starting point is 00:08:10 he received a call from his ex-wife. As Misty reeled off the details, Greg's stomach sank. Within a blink of an eye, he too had piled into the driveway of Misty's home, shoving his way past officers and detectives to head inside. A plan was quickly put in place, which saw Misty and Pam staying at the home just in case Erica returned. This aspect of the plan saw significant pushback from both women, who wanted to be out there on the street searching for Erica. Greg, too, wanted to be out looking for his daughter, and he wove himself into the search party. Staff at the rec center in Indian Riffel Park were notified of Erica's disappearance, and the father-daughter dance was cut short.

Starting point is 00:08:53 Neighbors of Misty and Pam rushed outside after seeing floods of blue and red lights. The neighborhood was close-knit, and it didn't take long for everyone to learn that one of their own had disappeared. An hour after the Kettering police had arrived, they and 300 other residents made their way to Indian Riffel. park for what would be the first of many searches. The search continued throughout the night with residents shining flashlights on any areas where a child could have hidden. Shouts of Erica rang through the park between raindrops, but there was no sign of her. By the next morning, February 8th, a command center had been created at the rec center, and Detective Bob Green had been called in to help. When Erica had failed to return home overnight, the residents of Kettering

Starting point is 00:09:37 realized just how serious this situation was. Serious crime was rare in the suburb, let alone the disappearance and possible abduction of child. During the night, Pam and Misty had ignored the orders of the Kettering Police Department and had headed into the park to search for Erica. News of Erica's disappearance had now reached the local newspapers and TV channels. While eating their morning cereal, residents of Kettering learned the terrible news, and that is when the witness account started to flood in. The first account came from two joggers who were making their way around the park when they were called seeing Erica and Jamie. They remembered Erica for her pink raincoat and bright smile. They told the Kettering police that Erica seemed to be happy and in good spirits as she played

Starting point is 00:10:22 with Jamie. The second account painted a much darker picture than the first. This witness told investigators they saw Erica standing alone by the bleachers. Investigators began to wonder if Erica had been waiting for someone, but if so, who would it be? Ms. C.M. Pam stated they had no knowledge that Erica had planned to meet anyone in the park that afternoon, and none of Erica's friends knew of any plans. The third account would be the most terrifying of them all. An elderly couple came forward to investigators after seeing Erica's disappearance on the news. They told the police they saw Erica playing with Jamie whilst walking their own dog. The pair continued their walk, and as they looked back,

Starting point is 00:11:05 Erica was gone. Hours later, at around 5 p.m., they were leaving Indian Riffle Park when they came across a Shih Tzu. It was Erica's dog, Jamie. So where was Erica? The elderly woman stated that Jamie was scared and soaking wet. They called the dog pound and turned Jamie over to them. Jamie was eventually reunited with her family.

Starting point is 00:11:27 After receiving these tips, the Kettering Police Department began focusing their efforts on the bleachers, hoping to find even the slightest bit of evidence. Whilst officers searched the area of the park, Detective Bob Green concentrated his efforts on the pond. The pond in Indian Riffled Park is the size of a football field, measuring 360 feet by 160 feet. On February 8th, the water levels were high due to the heavy rainfall that area had seen over the last few weeks. Cam and Misty refuted any idea that Erica could have fallen into the pond. She was a strong swimmer with a keen sense of water safety, thanks to her years of fishing with Greg. Despite this, Detective Green wanted to work by process of elimination and began the process

Starting point is 00:12:13 of having the 2.9 million gallon pond drained. While specialists worked to drain the pond, Detective Green met with the FBI agents who had just arrived to the scene. Over the coming months, Detective Green and every other law enforcement agent involved would put in 16-hour days seven days a week. Every person involved was completely devoted to finding Erica. Their hope began to fade as days turned into weeks. Now because parents are usually the ones responsible when a child goes missing or is murdered, Greg was the first suspect to come to mind. The court of public opinion also held its own trial for Greg. People around Ketterane began to treat him like a pariah.

Starting point is 00:12:58 The Kettering Police Department and FBI questioned Greg at length and determined that he was not involved in his daughter's disappearance whatsoever. However, the damage was already done. It would take years for Greg to rebuild his reputation and assert that he had not killed his daughter. Greg Baker often finds himself wondering how different things would have been you had just gotten those tickets for the father-daughter dance. As the days passed, the search radius expanded around Kettering and into the more remote areas.

Starting point is 00:13:30 The rec center still served as the command center for the Kettering police, and it was also where Misty and Pam manned the tip line. The FBI in the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children had established a dedicated tip line, and while tips did pour in, very few of them were viable. days had suddenly turned into weeks and soon the day they dreaded the most came around. June 22nd, 1999 was supposed to be a day filled with joy, laughter, and presents. It was Erica's 10th birthday. Instead of celebrating and watching Erica blow out her candles,

Starting point is 00:14:07 Pam and Misty found themselves in the rec center. Misty made a cake and brought it with her. She caught off the first slice and said that she would freeze it so when Erica came home, she could eat it. Erica's birthday came and went without a word. Towards the end of June of 1999, a tip came in that would change the course of the entire investigation.

Starting point is 00:14:29 An anonymous caller urged the Kettering police to look into a man named Christian John Gabriel. The caller refused to elaborate, but Detective Bob Green finally had a name. Christian Gabriel was no stranger to the Kettering Police Department. Neither was his then-girlfriend Jan Frank. The two were known drug users and had been picked up on a myriad of charges.

Starting point is 00:14:52 They were also associated with unsavory characters in Kettering, which the local community were all too well aware of. Detective Green decided to pay Christian a visit off the back of this tip, but Christian managed to remain level-headed throughout the interview. Detective Green knew he had to change his approach if he wanted Christian to crumble. During this initial interview, Christian stated that on the afternoon of February 6th, 27th, 1999, he and Jan had been in a parking lot of the Meyer supermarket in Kettering. They weren't alone. They were with a man named Clifford Butts in his life.

Starting point is 00:15:27 The group had congregated to steal from the supermarket and then used crack together afterwards. Christian denied being responsible for Erica's disappearance, or having any knowledge of what happened to her that day. This wouldn't be the last time Detective Green and Christian would meet. After failing to get any information from him, Detective Green told Christian he was free to go. With the heat rising, Christian decided to leave Kettering for Jeffersonville, Ohio. On February 23rd, 1999, Christian sold the van to Kevin Smith, and soon after, the van was impounded by the Dayton Police Department. In July of 1999, the van was taken to the Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab. After the van was examined for evidence, forensic scientists found no DNA

Starting point is 00:16:10 evidence linking the van to Erica Baker. The van remains impounded to this day. Detective Green would later come to find out that both Christian Gabriel and Jan Franks were living double lives. Whilst Christian was dating Jan, she was actually married to another man. By late 1999, Christian was living a new life in Jeffersonville, and in the early 2000s, he had met yet another woman, and the two even had a child together. He enjoyed a fresh start while Misty and Greg were still searching for answers in Erica's disappearance. Detective Green decided to up the ante, sending hundreds upon thousands of flyers to be distributed around Jeffersonville, explicitly targeting the neighborhood where Christian lived.

Starting point is 00:16:57 Despite a change of scenery, Christian had been able to leave his old habits of crack smoking and stealing behind in Kettering. He was picked up on several charges there and thrown in prison, and here, Detective Green saw a perfect opportunity to corner Christian. Christian's girlfriend was interviewed at length and had no idea, that he had even been questioned in connection with Erica's disappearance. In 2004, Detective Green paid Christian another visit and his attempts to rattle him appeared to work. Christian was unaware that years earlier, his friend Clifford Butts had directly implicated him

Starting point is 00:17:33 in the murder of Erica Baker. Clifford told Detective Green that Christian had admitted to killing and disposing of Erica. This is why so much attention and pressure had been put on Christian. Detective Green knew that it was only a matter of time before Christian's conscious ate him alive. He was right. Shortly after exchanging formalities, Christian blurted out everything, Detective Green had been waiting years to hear. His initial statement had been riddled with lies for the most part. On February 7, 1999, he, Jan Frank's, Clifford Butts, and Clifford's wife were sitting in the Meyer parking lot.

Starting point is 00:18:12 But four of them had been in his van. not in separate cars and going their separate ways, as he initially said. After presumably smoking crack in the van, Christian sat behind the wheel and began driving to his apartments. As they were driving down the intersection of Glen Gary Drive and Powhatan, they felt something hitting the floor of the van. When he got out, he realized that he had just run over little Erica Baker. He would later state that she ran in front of the van,

Starting point is 00:18:41 although his versions of events were refuted. Instead of calling for help, they sent Jamie the Shih Tzu on her way and bundled Erica back into the van. It is presumed that Erica was dead at this point, as Christian did not mention hearing her stir in the van, nor did he discuss harming her in any other way. The group then decided that the best course of action would be to drive to Christian's apartment and formulate a plan, which was really code for more smoking crack. Erica's body lay in the back of Christian's van while they headed to his car. apartment. Hours later, the group emerged in a stupor and realized they still had a problem to deal with. During this part of the confession, Christian emphasized that Jan Franks took control of the situation, a very convenient angle for him to take. Why, you may ask? Well, Jan Franks died of an overdose in 2001.

Starting point is 00:19:37 Here is where the story takes a bizarre detour. As we mentioned prior, Jan Franks had been married in 1999, and it wasn't a Christian. Her actual husband had the right to break the attorney-client privilege she had with her lawyer, Beth Lewis. Despite Mr. Franks giving the green light, Beth Lewis refused to talk for one reason or another. The case was eventually taken to the Ohio Supreme Court, and everyone waited for the outcome with bated breath.

Starting point is 00:20:04 Beth Lewis's silence, everyone, including Detective Green, believe that Jan Franks had left behind the missing piece of the puzzle. But this is where things would get weird. After being dragged through the Supreme Court and having her career and reputation tarnished, Beth Lewis was found to have no viable or important information about the Erica Baker case. So why did she fight so hard to remain silent? The story of Beth Lewis is a weird sidebar in an otherwise bizarre case, and Detective Green is still unsure why Beth Lewis didn't want to tell the courts everything she knew,

Starting point is 00:20:38 which ended up actually being nothing at all. So, after smoking crack and piling back into the van, this time with Jan Franks driving, Christian claimed the group drove to Huffman Dam, 15 miles from Kettering. However, Christian had yet to learn Detective Green was aware of one fatal flaw in this version of events. Christian's van was manual, and Jan Franks couldn't drive a stick. So what was the real truth? Despite knowing this, Detective Green allowed Christian to cancel. carry on with his confession.

Starting point is 00:21:13 Christian went on to explain how the group walked 30 minutes into the woods of Huffman Dam with Erica's body in their arms. They buried her in an undisclosed location, which he promised he could take them to. Christian would flip-flot between different versions of events, and at one point, he told Detective Green he had actually stayed behind in the van while the others were out burying Erica. Detective Green continued to press Christian for hours, seeing just how many versions of events he had. would give and where precisely the truth lay in all of them. Christian said that if Erica's body couldn't be found at Huffman Dam, as he had promised, and he swore it would be at Caesar Creek State Park. He explained to Detective Green that he couldn't be sure where she had been buried because it was dark outside when they drove there. The entire interview process was causing Christian to grow weary.

Starting point is 00:22:03 He and Detective Green had been back and forth for hours without end in sight. As Christian got up to have a bathroom break, he turned to Detective Green and asked, What would I get for tampering with evidence gross abuse of a corpse and vehicular manslaughter? Finally, Detective Green had gotten everything he needed from Christian Gabriel. Christian was held in the Jefferson Prison while the Kettering police processed his confession. December 13, 2004, Christian officially provided his confession, writing, while we were driving down a street, probably 25 to 30 miles per hour. I was talking to Jan looking over at her and then heard something hit the van.

Starting point is 00:22:46 We got out and didn't see anything around the van until I looked under it and discovered it was a little girl. This has been hurting me for so long. I am really sorry Mr. and Mrs. Baker for what has been done. Nothing was done to her after she was hit. She wasn't or anything like that. I'm not that sick of a person. I could just hurt some that is so precious in God's eyes. Again, I am sorry.

Starting point is 00:23:12 Detective Green and the Kettering Police Department now found themselves embroiled in a race against time. The statute of limitations was slowly approaching. They needed to file the paperwork to have Christian Gabriel indicted. Just three days before the limitation was up in October of 2005, Christian Gabriel was indicted for tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse. weeks later Christian Gabriel was found guilty on both counts sentenced to serve six years in prison for Missy, Greg, and Pam

Starting point is 00:23:42 six years was not enough for the pain he had caused them unfortunately police were not able to proceed with charges of vehicular manslaughter as Erica's body was never found in accordance with Ohio law her body would need to be located before those charges could be filed Pam and Misty and Greg

Starting point is 00:24:02 were overjoyed the Erica's killer had finally been caught. However, they still desperately wanted to know where Erica's body was so they could give her a proper funeral. Christian cooperated with authorities and took them to the places he claimed he visited on the evening of February 7, 1999, but no sign of Erica has ever been found. In the years since her disappearance, the Kettering Police Department and volunteer units have scoured Huffman Dam in the Caesar Creek State Park using state-of-the-art equipment and forensic techniques. Still, no sign of Erica Baker has ever been found. Her family is vowed to never rest until she was brought home. Disturbingly, in June of 2011, Christian Gabriel was released after serving

Starting point is 00:24:46 his six-year prison sentence. In October 2023, he pled no contest to an unrelated assault charge in Oregon. Erica's case is no longer being actively investigated, but the Kettering Police Department is willing to act on any new tips or information that comes to light. Texas Equusurch has since offered its time and resources to the Baker family. Per their press release, their canine units alerted twice within a creek between Huffman Dam and the Caesar Creek State Park, although no further information has been released. Pam and Misty no longer live in Kettering and who could blame them after all they've been through. Greg Baker continues to advocate for his daughter and works close to with law enforcement to help bring his little girl home. Let's just hope that one day

Starting point is 00:25:36 Erica will be found so that her family can finally have closure and so that she can be properly laid to rest beneath her beautiful headstone engraved with butterflies.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Erica Baker

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