Lynn woman not criminally responsible for murder

SALEM – A Highlands woman was found criminally not responsible for the murder of her 89-year-old father in April 2013 because of “mental disease or defect” at the time of the killing.”The evidence is uncontroverted,” defense attorney Michael Natola said in Salem Superior Court Tuesday. “The conclusion of both the Commonwealth and the defense’s experts are uncontroverted, they are identical.”Nancy A. Baker, 68 at the time of the incident, waived a jury trial and appeared before the court for a brief bench trial Tuesday afternoon, by agreement of both the prosecution and defense. She was charged with murdering her father, Donald R. Baker Sr., and charged with two counts of animal cruelty for stabbing two family dogs to death.Police went to 109 Jefferson St. on April 21, 2013 for a well-being check after a neighbor reported mail piling up outside the home and a “mess” inside the kitchen, Massachusetts State Trooper Brian O’Neill testified Tuesday. A Lynn Police officer found a significant amount of blood in the kitchen and two dogs stabbed to death and lying on the kitchen floor, O’Neill said. Officers found Baker in bed and her father lying dead on the floor next to her.Baker told police “words to the effect that she went crazy and stabbed her father,” O’Neill testified the defendant said. “She said he woke up during the attack and said ?what are you doing?’ and she continued stabbing him.”Natola did not object to the testimony or cross examine the witness.Rather, Natola submitted a doctor’s evaluation concluding that Baker was not criminally responsible at the time of the incident due to a mental defect.For rebuttal testimony, Essex Assistant District Attorney James Gubitose offered a report from a doctor for the prosecution who concluded the same as the doctor for the defense.Both Gubitose and Natola agreed that Baker be committed for 40 days for a mental-health evaluation to determine if she needed further treatment.Judge Timothy Feeley accepted the agreement.Baker’s siblings declined to comment after saying goodbye to their sister as she was led from the courtroom.