Police have not found head of dismembered NC girl

HICKORY, N.C. (AP) — Authorities have not recovered head of a disabled North Carolina girl whose stepmother has been indicted on a murder charge and accused of dismembering the 10-year-old’s body.

An autopsy report released today shows that medical examiners say the cause of Zahra Baker’s death was undetermined homicidal violence. Examiners say many bones were not present for the autopsy, most notably Zahra Baker’s skull. Several bones show cutting tool marks consistent with dismemberment.

Documents show that police learned months ago that the freckle-faced little girl was dismembered after she died, but an exact cause of death has not been revealed. The lack of a head may help to explain that — and why it took four months for a charge in her death. Stepmother Elisa Baker was indicted earlier Monday on second-degree murder.