Coleman-Baker Act

In March of 2023, governor Brian Kemp signed into law the Coleman-Baker act. This law creates a new unit within the GBI that specializes in unsolved cold cases where murder was involved. This act is named after Sue Coleman and Tara Baker who were both murdered.

Prior to acceptance of an application under the Coleman-Baker Act, the GBI 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.