The jury is now in deliberation in the murder trial of Steven Wiggins, the man charged with killing Dickson County Sergeant Daniel Baker in 2018.
On Tuesday, two officers who discovered Baker’s body provided emotional testimony. The first came from Nathaniel Proctor with the 23rd Judicial District Drug Task Force. He is the one who opened the door to Sgt. Baker’s vehicle, discovering his body.
“I moved to the back door on the driver’s side and his legs and feet come out into my chest. And.. “What was your reaction when you opened that rear door? As a father I thought about his little girl,” said Proctor.
Proctor went on to say he saw Baker was burned under his arm to his waist area. Another 23rd Judicial District Drug Task Force officer, Darrin Adams, responded to the scene. He also provided compelling testimony in court.
“I realized this crime scene might be the only thing that would lead us to his killer. I looked at the backseat where Sgt. Baker’s body was. I noticed a body camera wedged in the backseat. It was hot,” explained Adams.
On Wednesday, the courtroom heard from Dr. Edmund Hadley, MD, of Sumner Regional Medical Center who treated Wiggins upon his arrival to the Horizon Medical Center. Wiggins was admitted on June 1, 2018. Hadley went over the medical documents created for Wiggins’ visit.
Hadley stated Wiggins told staff he had a history of low blood sugar. He also complained of weakness and fatigue. The doctor said did not find any signs of acute psychosis, something both the defense and prosecution asked him about.
Also on Wednesday, jurors watched body camera footage of Sgt. Daniel Baker’s last moments.
Wiggins was seen on the footage refusing to open the car door and then shooting at the officer multiple times before putting his body in his patrol car and setting it on fire.
The body camera footage playing before the court heard the accused killer’s side of the story. In a taped interview, Steven Wiggins is heard crying, saying he was scared and didn’t want the officer to die. Wiggins said he gave Sgt. Baker CPR.
Sgt. Baker was killed on May 30, 2018, after responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle in Dickson County. An indictment states Sgt. Baker determined the car Wiggins was occupying was stolen and ordered him and his passenger out of the car.
Investigators said Wiggins fired several shots at Sgt. Baker, striking him, then dragged his body to the patrol car and placed him in the back seat. Wiggins then drove the patrol car several miles, parked it, and set Sgt. Baker’s body on fire, court documents allege.
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