Man found guilty in murder of Opelika toddler
An Opelika man has been found guilty by a Lee County jury Friday in the murder of 2-year-old Ivy Baker.
Ivy Baker was pronounced dead on November 12, 2021 in Opelika, and was taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy.
Following the autopsy and investigation, Ivy’s mother, 28-year-old Chasity Umeko Baker, and the mother’s boyfriend, 28-year-old Jamario Emanuel Mitchell, were charged on November 15, 2021 for murder.
Image: Lee County Detention Center
This week, Mitchell’s trial began in a Lee County courtroom. Mitchell was found guilty by the jury on Friday, March 28, 2025. He was found guilty of Felony Murder-Child Abuse, also known Ava’s Law.
“Ava’s Law, enacted in 2016, was named in memory of four-year-old Ava Zapata, a Lee County child who died in 2012 due to severe abuse by her mother’s boyfriend,” Lee County District Attorney Jessica Ventiere said. “The legislation allows for individuals to be charged with murder if they commit aggravated child abuse that results in a child’s death. Ava’s Law was created to hold those accountable who commit unthinkable acts of violence against children.”
“Today’s conviction is a testament to the hard work of our prosecutors and law enforcement officers who stand up for victims who can no longer speak for themselves,” Ventiere added.
Chasity Baker, Ivy’s mother, will be tried during a future trial term. Mitchell’s sentencing hearing will be held on a later date.
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