Elisa Baker, originally from western North Carolina, had a tumultuous personal history marked by multiple marriages and legal issues. She reportedly married seven times, sometimes overlapping, without formal divorces. In 2008, she married Adam Baker, an Australian man, and became the stepmother to his daughter, Zahra Clare Baker. 

The family settled in Hickory, North Carolina. Neighbors and acquaintances reported concerns about Elisa's abusive behavior toward Zahra, including physical and psychological mistreatment. Prior to Zahra's death, Child Protective Services had visited the Baker residence multiple times due to reports of abuse and neglect.

On October 9, 2010, Elisa Baker reported a fire in the backyard of the family residence in Hickory, North Carolina. Later that day, she and her husband, Adam Baker, reported Zahra missing, claiming a ransom note had been found. Investigations revealed inconsistencies in Elisa's accounts, and she admitted to writing the ransom note, leading to her arrest on charges of obstruction of justice. Subsequent searches uncovered Zahra's dismembered remains in various locations, including her prosthetic leg and other bones. 

Elisa was indicted on charges of second-degree murder with aggravating factors, including a history of abuse and desecration of the body. In September 2011, she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. In 2013, she received an additional 10-year sentence for unrelated drug charges. While Elisa implicated Adam Baker in the crime, authorities found no evidence linking him to Zahra's murder.​