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The upcoming episode of 20/20 on ABC is all set to cover the brutal murder of Kari Baker and how her husband, Matt Baker, a renowned Church minister, ended up nearly getting away with it. In one of the most shocking cases from Hewitt, Texas, Matt Baker was eventually found guilty of murdering his wife and the case went through some of the most shocking twists and turns.
This will be covered in detail in 20/20's latest episode, which premieres on Friday, March 21, 2025, at 9 pm EST on ABC. The episode promises to give deep insight into the case alongside some never-before-seen footage and testimonies.
As the case unfolded, Matt was arrested and charged with the murder. He was ultimately sentenced to 65 years in prison where he remains today. Ahead of the episode, let us go over the developments in the case and how Matt was eventually arrested.
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Who was Matt Baker and what did he do?
Matt Baker was born in 1971 in Kerrville, Texas, and grew up surrounded by foster kids as his parents tried to convert and use their house as a group home as a means of giving back to society. He, too, adopted a similar viewpoint that focused on giving back to society and soon chose to become a Church minister.
He studied at Baylor University in Waco as a Church Recreation and Athletic Training major. He met Kari Baker there and the two decided to tie the knot within three months of meeting each other. Matt Baker went on to father three children with Kari and attended the George W. Truett Theological Seminary to become a Baptist pastor, after which they settled in Hewitt, Texas.
It was seemingly an ideal life, apart from one massive tragedy- the death of one of their children. But few would have doubted that something even more sinister was coming toward the Baker family.
At midnight, on April 8, 2006, Matt called 911 to report that his wife was unresponsive. Kari Baker was pronounced dead at the scene and a typed, unsigned suicide note was found on a dresser along with an empty bottle of sleeping pills.
With the family's history of loss and Matt's reputation, there was no doubt about the death and it was ruled a suicide without an autopsy. But Kari Baker's parents knew something was wrong from the very start and decided to pursue the case by hiring a former assistant district attorney and assistant U.S. attorney, Bill Johnston, to investigate the case.
Kari's parents also found out that Matt Baker may have been having an affair and had made unwanted advances towards multiple women, with one of them even claiming he had assaulted her.
Soon, Vanessa Bulls' name came to the fore. She was the woman Matt Baker was having an affair with. Soon enough, Vanessa Bulls decided to confess the whole thing.
Where is Matt Baker now?
Vanessa Bulls not only revealed she was having an affair with Matt but also revealed that he had confessed to murdering his wife to her. She could even divulge the details of how he murdered his wife and how he staged the scene to get away with it.
Matt was arrested and charged on September 21, 2007. In his trial, Vanessa Bulls served as the key witness, and despite him claiming to be innocent, the jury found him guilty of murder and sentenced him to 65 years in prison.
As per reports, he remains incarcerated in the Michael Unit men’s prison in unincorporated Anderson County.
The upcoming episode of 20/20 will cover this case in more detail. Stay tuned for updates.
