Unless former Baptist pastor Matt Baker can post $200,000 bond after his arrest in the death of his wife, he’ll be returned to McLennan County within the next week.

Baker, 36, remains in Kerr County Jail, arrested Friday on a murder charge in the April 2006 death of his 31-year-old wife, Kari Lynn Baker, the mother of his two daughters.

He was notified that a warrant had been issued for his arrest Friday afternoon as he taught at Kerrville Tivy High School. He surrendered himself at Kerr County Jail several hours later after making arrangements for his parents to care for his daughters, his attorney, James Rainey, of Waco, said Monday.

Kerr County Chief Deputy Clay Barton said Monday that McLennan County officials have up to 10 days after his arrest to come get Baker unless he’s able to post bail, set Saturday by Kerr County Justice of the Peace Bill Ragsdale.

Kari Baker’s death initially was ruled a suicide by overdose by Hewitt police investigators and McLennan County Justice of the Peace Billy Martin. After prodding from her parents, James and Linda Dulin, Hewitt police reopened the investigation, got an order from Martin to exhume her body for autopsy and, with the assistance of Texas Ranger Matt Cawthon and the Dulins’ civil litigation team, gathered evidence that led to Baker’s arrest.

The Dulins filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Baker in July 2006, alleging he drugged her and made her death appear to be a suicide. The Dulins and many of Kari Baker’s friends say she was excited about a new job possibility, was not depressed — as Baker told police — and would not have killed herself, leaving her daughters.

Days after his wife’s death, Baker, former chaplain at the Waco Center for Youth, was spotted at a jewelry store looking at engagement rings with another woman, Hewitt police allege in the arrest complaint. Evidence from his computer reportedly shows Matt Baker researched overdoses with sleeping pills on the Internet, records filed in the case state.

Because of a scratch on Kari Baker’s nose and an abrasion on her lip, authorities now believe Matt Baker drugged her by putting crushed sleeping pills in her drink, then smothered her with a pillow or other object.

Matt Baker moved to Kerrville, population 20,400, with his daughters after his wife’s death. He began substitute teaching in the Kerrville school system in October 2006, teaching 111 days in 2006-07, said school spokeswoman Lisa Winters.

He has worked 15 days since school began in August, she said.

“He is very well-liked throughout the district, so any campus was likely to call him to work,” she said.

Baker was removed from the district list of substitute teachers after his Friday arrest, Winters said.

twitherspoon@wacotrib.com

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