Son pleads for info in woman’s killing as CMPD releases photos of suspect, vehicle

A broken-hearted son pleaded with the Charlotte community to help police catch his mother’s killer on Thursday.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers found Karen Baker, 48, fatally shot near an ATM at a shopping center in the 9600 block of University City Boulevard on July 13. She was robbed then shot after making a withdrawal, police said.

On Thursday, police released photos of one of two suspects and a vehicle in Baker’s killing. Detectives believe the vehicle is a 2011 or 2012 black Dodge Charger, Lt. Bryan Crum said during a news conference at CMPD headquarters.

Michael McClure, Baker’s son, urged anyone with information to contact homicide detectives.

“My family would appreciate it more than you know,” he said.

McClure said Baker and his family come from a small town that is nothing like Charlotte.

“My mom, she brought something to Charlotte (that) Charlotte ain’t never seen before,” he said. “She was the type of person it don’t matter whether you’re ... having a bad day, a good day, you know, she was just the type of person to make you feel better regardless of who you are, what you’re going through.”

Baker was from Waynesville in Western North Carolina, according to her Facebook page. Baker had three sons, a daughter and three grandchildren.

McClure said he had faith that CMPD would catch his mother’s killer.

“I know that at the end of the day, what sucks the most is that there’s not one damn thing I can do to bring my mom back,” McClure said.

Although the suspect in the photo is wearing a mask, “the positioning of the mask shifts” enough to reveal “distinctive” and recognizable facial features, Crum said.

The suspect in the photo is the passenger in the Dodge, Crum said.

A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest in Baker’s death, Crum said.

Anyone with information about the shooting can call 704-432-8477 (TIPS) and speak with a homicide detective. Information also can be left anonymously with Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or charlottecrimestoppers.com.

This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 4:51 PM.

Kallie Cox

The Charlotte Observer

Kallie Cox covers public safety for The Charlotte Observer. They grew up in Springfield, Illinois and attended school at SIU Carbondale. They reported on police accountability and LGBTQ immigration barriers for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. And, they previously worked at The Southern Illinoisan before moving to Charlotte. Support my work with a digital subscription