Dateline: Evil in a College Town — What happened to Brook Baker and Erika Norman? Disturbing details of the Indiana murders, revealed

Dateline: Evil in a College Town, Season 8, Episode 17 deals with the brutal murders of two Vincennes University students, Brook Baker and Erika Norman, in 1997 and 1999 respectively. The quiet town community in Vincennes, Indiana, was unsettled by the murder of Brook Baker, a journalism student, in 1997. Even though the crime scene showed signs of violence, and the investigators collected DNA evidence, no arrests were made, and the case was shelved.

Two years later, in 1999, the missing body of 21-year-old Erika Norman of Vincennes University was found in a cornfield in Lawrence County, Illinois. The two cases, nearly two years apart, were ultimately solved with forensic DNA analysis. This episode of Dateline sheds light on the sad reality that no matter how peaceful and safe an academic town is, it is not immune to dangerous crimes.

Dateline: The Last Day, Season 1 Episode 8, which aired on July 19, 2022, deals with the same case. The synopsis of the Dateline episode reads:

"Nineteen-year-old college student Brook Baker is killed in her off-campus home; two years later, 21-year-old Erika Norman goes missing from the same university, leading detectives to examine their last days and discover the killer."

Dateline: Evil in a College Town — What happened to Brook Baker and Erica Norman?

Brook Baker was an ambitious and sincere journalism major at Vincennes University in Indiana. Born on April 24, 1978, Brook was a lively and goal-oriented young woman. The outspoken and fun-loving 19-year-old dreamed of becoming a top journalist. She was even the editor of a student newspaper, The Trailblazer, at her University.

However, all her dreams were shattered. On September 7, 1997, her dead body was found in the off-campus residence by her brother. She was brutally assaulted and then murdered. As per Oxygen, she had "11 stab wounds" and bruising all over her body, referring to assault. The evidences from the crime site included no sign of forced entry, a bent kitchen knife, a bathtub with towels, and a soapy, overflowing kitchen sink. The investigators sorted out three suspects: A classmate, her landlord, and a student who had a crush on her. However, their DNA evidence did not match, and they were released. Following another lead, the investigators interviewed and tested the DNA of the frat brothers as Brook was investigating a r*pe case against one of them. However, they were cleared, and there were no immediate arrests made by the investigators.

The case was shelved for two years, until a 21-one-year-old university student was found assaulted and murdered in the same way. Born on November 13, 1977, Erika Elaine Norman attended Waveland Elementary and Southmount High School, and was an all-around student. Not only was she a part of the academic team, but she also excelled in co-curricular activities, including gymnastics and softball. She was also an active member of the science, drama, and Spanish clubs. Erika studied Radio and Television at Vincennes University and worked part-time as a server at Market St. Restaurant.

When Erika went missing on July 5, 1999, her friends and family alerted the authorities. As per Oxygen, the investigators found blood on the walls and dishes from her apartment, wet towels from a bathtub, and a running tab. These pieces of evidence were quite similar to the ones found in Brook's case. Upon further investigation, the detectives came to know that Erika was last seen on July 3, 1999, at a local bar. The witnesses told the investigators that they saw her with Brian Jones, an alumnus of Vincennes University. Erika Norman's body was discovered by a farmer in a cornfield in Lawrence County, Illinois, after 16 days.

Dateline: Evil in a College Town — The trial of Brian Jones

When Brian Jones was called in for an investigation, he agreed to give his DNA for the test. The investigators found bloodstains from a pair of shoes and his car. The forensic reports stated that the bloodstains were Norman's. Interestingly, his DNA also matched the ones from Brook Baker's body, thus finally solving the two-year-old case.

Brian Jones stood trial in 2000 for the 1997 r*pe and murder of Brook Baker, a VU student. He was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for the murder of Brook Baker. Prosecutors presented the DNA evidence and witness testimony, including Jones's facial scratches after Baker's death, and evidence under Baker's fingernails. The defense challenged the timeline, but the jury was convinced by the forensic findings and Jones's connection with both Baker and Erika Norman's murders. Previously, he had already pleaded guilty in Norman's case, receiving a 60-year sentence. According to a report by My Wabash Valley, Brian Jones is currently serving his lifetime sentence in Wabash Valley Correctional Facility.

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Also read: Dateline: The Other Side of Paradise - 5 harrowing details about Sandra Galas' murder explored

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