In her bedroom, a 19-year-old college student was found naked, brutally murdered on her bed.
The Beautiful Student
Brook Elizabeth Baker grew up in the small town of Vincennes, Indiana, USA, with dreams of becoming a writer. She hailed from a low-income, struggling family, being the first in her household to attend college.
In August 1996, Brook enrolled at Vincennes University, the oldest college in Indiana. Here, she joined the journalism program and wrote for the university newspaper. Described as beautiful, ambitious, and with grand aspirations, Brook was outgoing and easily made friends.
When Brook first enrolled, she lived with a few friends and started dating another student but focused more on her journalism career than romance.
Brook aimed to produce challenging, high-quality articles for the university paper and decided to focus on the “brotherhoods,” which were groups of male students. These brotherhoods held significant power within the university but had a less-than-stellar reputation.
Recently, Brook learned about a sexual assault committed by a member of one of these brotherhoods, but the incident was covered up. Some of Brook’s friends were members, and most were reluctant to speak up.
Brook discovered the identity of the girl who reported the sexual assault. Initially, the victim agreed to talk to Brook but eventually backed out due to pressure from the brotherhood members. Many of Brook’s friends expressed concern over her insistence on investigating, but Brook refused to give up.
In July 1997, the 19-year-old student left her shared accommodation and moved to a house off-campus.
The Horrific Murder
On Sunday, September 7, 1997, Brook’s brother arrived at her place, using his key to enter. The siblings were very close and often visited each other.
He called out for Brook, but received no answer, only the sound of running water from the bathroom. After turning it off, he ventured further into the house and made a horrifying discovery. In her bedroom, Brook was brutally murdered on her bed, naked.
Authorities determined the victim had been stabbed 11 times in the back and twice in the chest. Bruising and evidence under her fingernails indicated she had been restrained and sexually assaulted brutally.
There were no signs of forced entry into the house. Police believed Brook was acquainted with her killer.
During the crime scene investigation, authorities noted attempts to clean up. A towel was found in the bathtub, a bottle of bleach, and two empty dish soap bottles. Some knives in the dishwasher were considered murder weapons, including a large knife that was bent and still had bloodstains.
These knives, along with semen samples, were sent for analysis to the forensic laboratory.
The Suspicious landlord
The autopsy revealed that 19-year-old student Brook Elizabeth Baker died from blood loss due to 11 stab wounds. Furthermore, the report also confirmed that the victim had been restrained, raped, and strangled before being stabbed to death.
From the evidence at the scene, authorities concluded that the murderer attempted to clean up everything after the crime. Police also believe that Brook was acquainted with her killer because there were no signs of forced entry into the house.
Brook’s brother was deeply saddened by what he witnessed. Eventually, he regained his composure and provided information to the police, including Brook recently meeting a male student.
Brook’s boyfriend stated that the two attended a party the night before her body was found. The male student claimed that Brook left alone early while he stayed back at the party. However, the police couldn’t verify this alibi due to most attendees being heavily intoxicated.
The next person of interest investigated by authorities was Brook’s landlord. This man not only had keys to Brook’s apartment but had also been accused of stalking a girl before. Additionally, there was an instance where he unexpectedly barged into the apartment after Brook had just finished showering, causing her considerable distress.
During police questioning, the man denied entering the house without a valid reason. He claimed to have been there at the time to spray insecticide and insisted that he had been working all night on the evening Brook was murdered.
Nearly 2 years at a standstill
The third person considered by detectives was a student who had a one-sided affection for Brook. All three individuals agreed to provide DNA samples and were eventually ruled out as suspects since none matched the DNA found at the crime scene.
At this point, the police shifted their investigation towards the journalist work Brook was pursuing. They interviewed former teachers and classmates of Brook who were aware of allegations of sexual assault involving a member of one of the most powerful fraternities on campus.
Prior to her death, Brook was attempting to help the victim bring the incident to light. Brook’s friend revealed to the police that members of the fraternity were furious with Brook and had left a threatening message outside her house.
Authorities diligently interrogated and collected DNA samples from members of this fraternity. About 65 men provided DNA samples. However, none of them matched the evidence at the crime scene.
With no new leads, the case gradually went cold for nearly two years. However, it was reopened due to an investigation related to another student at Vincennes University named Erika Norman. The 21-year-old girl was reported missing on July 5, 1999.
Another Murder
Erika’s crime scene bore a chilling resemblance to Brook’s. There were no signs of forced entry, blood smeared on the walls, a shattered lamp, and an upturned table. A pair of blood-stained shorts lay nearby.
In the bathroom, investigators discovered a bottle of bleach and couch cushions soaking in the bathtub, reminiscent of Brook’s home. However, Erika’s body wasn’t found in her apartment.
Police learned that Erika had been at a bar the night before her death, accompanied by a man named Brian Jones, the same individual who was acquainted with Brook.
Brian’s DNA was rechecked from Brook’s case, though he hadn’t previously provided a sample. After leaving the area following Brook’s murder, he returned in 1999.
The Arrest
Brian was brought in for questioning and cooperated initially, admitting to being with Erika at the bar and returning to her apartment to watch a movie before leaving when she fell asleep. He consented to searches of his car and house and provided a DNA sample.
A comparison of Brian’s DNA with that found at Brook’s crime scene resulted in a match. Brian was arrested and ceased cooperating thereafter.
A week later, Erika’s body was discovered in an Illinois cornfield. Brian confessed to killing Erika but faced trial for Brook’s murder.
It’s theorized that Brian had been near Brook’s residence after a party and gained entry. Allegedly, he attempted sexual advances which Brook rebuffed, leading to his violent reaction, raping and murdering her, and then attempting to cover up the crime.
On December 14, 2000, Brian received a life sentence without parole for both murders.
