A Waco judge Wednesday transferred the child-custody case involving the two daughters of convicted murderer Matt Baker to Kerr County, where the girls have been living with his parents.

Baker, a 39-year-old former Central Texas Baptist minister, was convicted in January of drugging and suffocating to death his wife, Kari Baker, in April 2006.

He was sentenced to 65 years in prison and has filed a notice of appeal.

Matt Baker is appealing his conviction and 65-year prison sentence.

James and Linda Dulin, Kari Baker’s Waco-based parents, are seeking custody of their granddaughters, Kensi, 14, and Grace, 9.

With the custody case moving out of county, 19th State District Judge Ralph Strother notified the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday that Baker is now eligible to be transferred from the county jail to state prison.

Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Randy Plemons said the office does not release specific times, dates or locations of inmate transfers. However, he said Baker will be moved to a prison processing facility within the month.

Linda Dulin, a speech communications instructor at McLennan Community College, has said the Bakers have “poisoned” the girls into believing their mother committed suicide and that their father is innocent.

Dulin, who pushed investigators to reopen her daughter’s death investigation after it was initially ruled a suicide, said she respects Strother’s decision.

“We have traveled much tougher roads these four years than the road to Kerrville,” Dulin said. “We love our granddaughters with all that we are. . . . We are committed to helping our granddaughters heal, and we will do what is required of us to reach this goal.”

Barbara Baker, who works in the media department at the Kerrville school district, said she sent Kensi a text message Wednesday morning to tell her the custody proceedings would be in Kerr County.

“She said, ‘Oh, happy birthday to me. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders,’ ” Baker said Kensi responded. “You don’t think a 14-year-old would be that worried about it, but both girls really are.”

Kensi turns 14 today. Barbara Baker said she and her husband, Oscar, plan to take the girls to Waco this weekend to visit their father.

It is unclear when custody hearings will begin. Under a mediation agreement last week between the parties and their attorneys, both sets of grandparents and the children first will attend therapy.

The therapist, Baker said, then will make a recommendation to the court.

equinn@wacotrib.com

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