Yolanda Yvette Baker, a 35-year-old mother of twins, was last seen on August 1, 1999, at her residence in the 400 block of 44th Street northeast in Washington D.C.. She had been at a family reunion earlier and left with her boyfriend, Terrance Barnett, around 3:00 a.m.. Baker was reported missing on August 4, 1999, after she failed to pick up her children from the babysitter. Nearly a week after her disappearance, her 1999 Toyota Corolla was found abandoned with her blood in the trunk, which emitted a foul odor.
The investigation into Baker's disappearance soon focused on her boyfriend, Terrance Barnett, with whom she had a tumultuous seven-year relationship. Friends and family reported a history of domestic violence, stating they had often seen Baker with bruises and other injuries. Baker had previously sought an eighteen-month restraining order against Barnett, which expired shortly before her disappearance. She was also seeking child support from him for their twin children. In the days following her disappearance, Barnett gave conflicting accounts of her whereabouts and never reported her missing.
Years later, the cold case was reopened, and in June 2009, Terrance Barnett was charged with her murder. Investigators discovered that the carpet in the master bedroom of the home Baker and Barnett shared was missing, and there was evidence that the house had been cleaned with bleach. DNA evidence revealed blood spatter from both Baker and Barnett on the walls and ceiling of the bedroom. Despite the defense's argument that the DNA of two other men was found in Baker's car, a jury convicted Barnett of second-degree murder in March 2010. He was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. Yolanda Baker was declared legally dead in February 2009; her body has never been found.
Last Seen: Aug 01, 1999
