Crime & Safety

Judge Approves Doctor Visit for Deerfield Murder Suspect in Jail

Daniel Baker moved to segregated unit because of misbehavior.

Accompanied by two armed guards, 23-year-old appeared before Judge Fred Foreman in Lake County court Wednesday.

“The jail has had some disciplinary issues with him,” Assistant State’s Attorney Patricia Fix commented about the Deerfield native who faces first-degree murder charges. 

According to TribLocal, Baker has been moved to a segregated unit at the Lake County Jail because he threatened to kill corrections officers on June 26. That's why he was wearing a red shirt in court on Wednesday.  

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A decision on whether there would be a mental fitness hearing for Baker was scheduled for Wednesday but that decision has been postponed until July 7.   

Baker is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Vernon Hills resident Marina Aksman in 2010. Authorities claim Baker beat Aksman to death with a baseball bat. At the time of the murder, he was dating her daughter Kristina.

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“We have expressed our concerns to push this out much further,” Fix said. “We’d like some movement on this.”

Baker’s attorneys asked Judge Foreman for more time on Wednesday to allow their experts to review a court psychologist’s report that previously deemed Baker mentally fit to stand trial.

“Our doctor would like to go into the jail and observe us working with Mr. Baker,” Defense attorney Mike Nerheim told the judge.

Judge Foreman approved an order from Nerheim to allow a doctor to go into the jail on Saturday.

Baker is scheduled to be back in court on July 7. 


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