Police need help in Baker cold case

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Austin police need help closing a 23-year-old murder case.

Debra Baker was killed Jan. 13, 1988.

Police think Mark Norwood may be linked to the case but they need more evidence. He lived in Baker's neighbhorhood  in th 1400 block of Justin Lane at the time, and worked as a carpet layer. Norwood was arrested for two home break-ins and a car burglary a year before Baker's death.

Police hope to jog someone's memory who knew Norwood or had some work done by him.

"We do have some information that Norwood was working as a carpet layer around this time period, so any business or construction site or anyone else who might have worked in that field or related field that may have known Norwood, at any level, we'd like to hear from you," said APD Violent Crimes Commander Julie O'Brien.

Norwood has already been charged in the death of Christine Morton. Her husband, Michael, was wrongly convicted and spent 25 years in prison before DNA evidence cleared his name last month.

The Austin Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance and asking that anyone with information about any of the following to please contact detectives at 512-477-3588:

• Anyone who has any knowledge of the murder and the circumstances surrounding it.
• Any friends, associates, neighbors or co-workers of Norwood are asked to call.
• Items were determined to have been stolen from the residence following the murder. Anyone who received or bought any property from Norwood during this time frame are asked to contact the police.

The case remains under investigation by APD's Homicide Unit. Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide tip line at 512-477-3588, Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS or text "Tip 103" + your message to CRIMES.

Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 if a tip leads to an arrest or charges being filed.