11-21-2010, 06:45 AM
Nov 20, 2010
Zahra Baker memorial removed from home
HICKORY, NC (WBTV) - Attorneys for Elisa Baker were at her former in Hickory home Saturday.
There, they gathered the last of her belongings.
Also Saturday, the front yard memorial, including toys and cards people placed around the tree, is gone.
The tree was cut down, too.
It became a landmark in Hickory.
the property owner says it was time to take down after the home got vandalized last week.
The homeowner says he'll donate any toys still in good condition to Cops for Tots.
He's hoping others in Hickory do the same and take toy donations for Zahra to Hickory PD.
Saturday, Coffey was heard telling a small group of people at the house that he is considering bulldozing it. He said repairing the house would not be cost-effective because Hickory police did an estimated $30,000 in damage to the 900-square-foot house when they removed sections of the walls during their search for evidence of what happened to Zahra.
He added that he is angry with Hickory police for refusing to post a guard at the property, and he told those gathered at the house that they were in danger, because whoever broke the home’s windows could come back.