Coleman-Baker Act

In March of 2023, Governor Brian Kemp signed into law the Coleman-Baker act. This act is named after Rhonda Sue Coleman and Tara Baker who were both murdered. The Coleman-Baker act provides certain designated persons a process under the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A. 17-21-3) to seek the review and reinvestigation of cold case murders by Georgia law enforcement agencies. 

Prior to acceptance of an application under the Coleman-Baker Act, the law enforcement agency shall verify:

  • The crime is a murder as defined by O.C.G.A. § 16-5-1.
  • The murder occurred on or after January 1, 1970.
  • The murder occurred three (3) years prior to the date of the application.
  • The initial investigation of the murder was completed by the GBI's Investigative Division.
  • All probative leads have been exhausted or no likely perpetrator has been identified.
  • The applicant is a designated person.*
  • All the application's required information is true and complete.

*A designated person is a parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandparent in-law, sibling, spouse, child, stepchild of a victim, any person who exercised in loco parentis control over a victim under the age of 18 years, or their designated attorney in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia.