Man Sentenced to Life in Prison After Murdering His Infant Son

By Cecilia Green

Published on August 22, 2005

In the Jackson County Circuit Court, Ernest Harold Baker III pleaded no contest to murdering his 7-month-old son, Ernest Harold Baker IV. Baker, who was under the influence of methamphetamine when he killed his son, showed no emotion in court and said he could not remember anything that happened that day.

22-year-old D'Ann Eloise Honea, the infant's mother, found her child inside Baker's home in an infant carrier, with a 4 inch-long cut across his throat and an 18-inch martial arts type sword lying nearby. Honea rushed her son to the Rogue Valley Medical Center, but the baby died of blood loss a few hours later.

The police later found Baker hiding naked in the woods. He had a poison oak rash, was covered in scratches from brushing against berry bushes, and had mud covering a cut on his own neck. When medical examiners took Baker's blood several hours later, the results showed methamphetamine.

Honea and her family did not want to pursue a death penalty case against Baker. The Circuit Court judge sentenced Baker to life in prison, with a 25-year minimum term before he is eligible for parole.

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Keyword Tags: criminal law, drug offenses, wrongful death

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1

wow this just go's to show you how much of a whole story is never put out by law officilals for the public to see.for those of us that know ernie and d'ann and baby ernie also know that the mothes sotry is not true.fyi she told her best friend who did it and why,it wasnt ernest,he tood the deal to avoid death and because his mother begged him to do it so she wouldnt have to see him just behind glass the rest of his life.and no she didnt drive the baby to the hospital,lets get facts strait before you print them please,did you know that she put the baby n her car,drove around looking for ernie??! then after about 20 or more minutes of that bs she drove him down the hill past a police station,fire dept,and more!! to her best friends house!!!!!!!!!! now get that right!!! she took him out of his car seat laid him on the trunk of her car,never put pressure on his little neck,the wife of a paster at the church accross the street seen her and acording to a poplice report that was never put out in the open,the ladt stated that she told d'ann wht are u doing? put pressure on his neck,all d'ann would say is how could i do this to my baby!! the lady is the one who called 911 who also tried to stop him from bleeding out not the mother!when she heard her say what she didthe lady said what? d'ann said oh look what that basterd did to my baby!! now that along with the confesion she made to her friend later on was told to ernie's older sister amanda,who then called detectives,it was never investigated...hhhmmm?? she was given a donation to help pay for baby ernies service,did she use it for that? um no! she tinted the windows of her car to include a lazer printed tint on th back window of the baby,not alive,but dead.i wasnt there when he was cut,but i do know alot more of this case then any reporter,its sloppy and lazy detective work i will say that much,as well as eries stupidity trying to also protect d'ann so he took the rap.drugs or not they wer both on them,she told stories that didnt add up,even going back to the trailer in rogue river the family found things the police didnt bother to collect.pointing to d'ann her causin and her boyfriend who by the way is who her best frind told ernies sister actualy killed the baby and tried to kill ernie also.on op of that if you would have dug much deeper on the mother you might have found out threw mental health records that d'ann was on the highest doas of prozac allowed,she also tried to Kill the baby before he was born a few times.she never realy wanted him,he was a tool to hold on to ernest,when he found a girlfriend and let her go,she lost it.she found a man finaly and told a friend she wanted a new life,this is third party info right here but she soposedly said she wish she could get rid of ernie and the baby.those of us that knew her mental status know she woluld say something like tat and she had tried.she also kne that her attempts to hurt ernie after the brake up no longer had any effect the only way she could effect him in any way is with his son.now ernie was a good father he took care of that baby when she was on her rants.i cant say for sure he did it but i do know she eather did it or she had it done the way she herself told her best friend that she did or her and ernie wer both high.i doknow that even on a drug he had never hurt that baby.this story was never fully delved into before bits and peices wer released.i think next time something like this happens more investigation into a story should be done before posting a title that says after murdering his 7 month old son....i clearly didnt expect the detectives to release thr sloppy work report to the news,its just sad that as the public we are forced to form our opinions and make up our minds on only the limited info we are given and you never notice it untill it hits as close to home as this did us.

no ones business, 10 months ago

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