Pastor and former political candidate David Mark Baker Sr. Unfortunately, he committed suicide just one day after being arrested on a felony charge. A charge of aggravated sexual assault led to Baker being booked into the Murray County Jail on Sept. 10.
He was arrested, given a $200,000 bond, and told to appear in court on October 9. But on September 11th, he tragically committed suicide at Murray Regional Medical Center, ending his life.
In a startling turn of events, Baker entered the medical center's bathroom and fired a gun twice into his chest, according to Columbia Police Chief Jeremy Alsop.
Although Baker's injuries proved fatal, the medical staff at Murray Regional Medical Center acted quickly to begin life-saving procedures. The hospital confirmed that no patients or employees were injured and that there were no other people in the bathroom at the time of the incident.
CEO Martin Chaney, MD, conveyed his deep sorrow for the incident and expressed his sympathy to Baker's friends and family as well as the medical staff who assisted in the response. He also praised the Columbia Police Department, emergency department staff and the hospital's security staff for their quick responses.
The circumstances surrounding Baker's passing made an already delicate subject much more complicated. Although they were looking into the matter, the Murray County Sheriff's Department had previously declined to provide additional information.
There are doubts about how Baker obtained the gun used in his death after Sheriff Bucky Rowland revealed that he was not allowed to have a gun under his bail conditions.
David Baker's life was characterized by several public appearances and conflicts. In addition to being the president of Independent Baptist Online College, he was the pastor of Family Baptist Church in Tennessee. Baker has entered the 2022 Murray County mayoral race.
He filed a defamation suit against Sheila Butt, the eventual mayoral winner, during his campaign. Allegations about Baker's history, including a text message that connected him to a man who later killed himself, were included in the complaint, which was eventually dismissed. Baker has also been involved in other legal disputes.
Baker founded the Restoration Jail Ministry, a Maori district prison ministry that offers spiritual support to prisoners, in addition to his pastoral work and political causes. Although he had personal and legal problems in his own life, his involvement in this ministry demonstrated his dedication to helping people who were going through hard times.
Baker's financial activities were also investigated. In 2011, Baker was identified as a signatory to the bankruptcy filing by Lighthouse Baptist Church, where he held a leadership role. In 2022, Baker gave Main Street Maury an explanation of the church's bankruptcy filing, stating that it was an attempt to address the financial challenges the institution was facing through debt restructuring.
