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11/18/2011 10:19 PM

Family of murder victim hopeful for justice after 24 years

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After 24 years of wrongful imprisonment for the murder of his wife Christine, Michael Morton walked free last month.

DNA evidence proved Morton's innocence and linked the murder to another man. Now, investigators say the new suspect may have also killed Austinite Debra Baker. Baker was also beaten to death, two years after Christine Morton.

For Baker’s children, Jesse and Caitlin Baker, the recent events have been bittersweet.

"The arrest the other day was not for our mother, so we were all a little conflicted about it," Jesse said.

A bandana found near the crime scene of Christine Morton’s murder matched 57-year-old Mark Alan Norwood. That DNA also matched the previously unknown suspect in Baker's murder.

"It's not done yet, so I am glad [Norwood] is off the street,” Caitlin said. “Of course we don’t know for sure. He is a suspect but he actually hasn't been charged or convicted."

District Judge Ken Anderson was the prosecutor in the Morton trial. He now faces accusations of holding back key evidence which supported Morton's innocence.

Wednesday, Anderson publicly apologized for what he called the "system failure,” leaving the Baker family torn with emotion and confused with the latest development in their mother's case.

Caitlin said she believes if Anderson would have done a more thorough job investigating Christine Morton's murder, her mother may still be alive.

"I did hope for more from that press conference that we didn't get, like an apology, or I thought he was going to resign. That would have been great," she said.

Jesse is more reserved in his search for the truth.

"I have a lot of questions about [Anderson's] involvement in the Morton case and how that has affected us, but I am trying, struggling, to give the process time to see his side of the story before I make a final decision about it," Jesse said.

The Travis County District Attorney's office continues to investigate Debra Baker's murder. Caitlin said she's grateful to both the Travis County DA and the Austin Police Department for their decades of work on the investigation into her mother's death.

Meanwhile, Norwood remains in jail in Williamson County, facing capital murder charges for the death of Christine Morton.

Check out the videos below for extended interviews with Caitlin and Jesse, as well as an interview with their attorney, Sam Bassett.

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