Zahra Baker's birth mother clueless about daughter's ashes

Posted on January 31, 2012 at 7:49 AM
Updated today at 8:05 AM

SYDNEY -- The Australian mother of 10-year-old Zahra Baker who was murdered by her stepmother in North Carolina said Tuesday she has no idea what became of her daughter's ashes since the child's father brought them to Australia.

Attorney Shell Pearce said Monday that his client, Adam Baker, left the United States roughly two weeks ago at the behest of U.S. federal immigration officials, bringing the remains of his daughter, Zahra, with him for burial in Australia.

However, Vincent Picard, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in an email Monday that Baker had "voluntarily departed" the U.S., which Pearce disputed.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement Tuesday that "Mr. Baker was deported from the United States to Australia in January." The department provided no other details.

Zahra's biological mother Emily Dietrich said her daughter's remains might have been buried in Australia without her knowledge.

Read more: http://www.wcnc.com/news/zahra-baker/Zahra-Bakers-birth-mother-138387724.html