Killings of Jacqueline Lard and Amy Baker
The Killings of Jacqueline Lard and Amy Baker occurred on November 14, 1986, in Stafford County, Virginia, and in 1989, respectively. Jacqueline (aged 40) was murdered in 1986, while Amy Baker was killed three years later in 1989. Lard was employed at Mount Vernon Realty on Garrisonville Road. She was spotted around 9:00 p.m. when the business closed. The next morning, employees from nearby businesses discovered signs of a violent struggle at the realty office, but both Jacqueline and her vehicle were missing.
On November 15, 1986, two juveniles playing near Railroad Avenue in Woodbridge, discovered Jacqueline’s body hidden under a pile of discarded carpet. Investigators from Stafford County, Prince William County, and the FBI processed the scene. The body was identified as Jacqueline Lard, and an investigation into the case followed. Her vehicle was later found abandoned in Fairfax County on December 18, 1986. The causes of the murder were undetermined, and the investigation stalled.
Case of Amy Baker
Amy Baker (1970–1989) was an 18-year-old from Stafford County, Virginia. She disappeared on March 29, 1989, after visiting relatives in Falls Church. She left for home that night around 8:30 p.m. while driving her blue 1970 Volkswagen Beetle. The car ran out of gas on Interstate 95, close to the Backlick Road exit. At about 9:55 p.m., a state trooper found the vehicle pulled over on the shoulder with its flashers still on. Her belongings, including a knapsack and a pair of eyeglasses, were left inside.
When Baker did not return home, her mother, Sue Baker, called police the next morning and was told that the car had been towed. On March 31, her mother and aunt went to search near the Backlick Road exit themselves. In a wooded area nearby, they discovered her body, which had been partly hidden under leaves. The medical examiner ruled that she had been strangled and found signs of sexual assault. Police had already searched the location with officers, a dog, and a helicopter, but it was Baker’s family who located her.
Authorities later announced a reward of $27,000 for information in the case, with $1,000 offered through Crime Solvers and the remainder provided through private donations. Investigators followed leads in several states, but no one was ever charged in the case.