ATHENS — The trial of Edrick Faust, accused of murder in the 2001 death of University of Georgia law student Tara Baker, has been pushed back until early next year.

Originally set for October, the trial instead will begin Jan. 26, Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge Lisa Lott ruled Thursday. Faust, arrested in May 2024 after a decades-long investigation, faces charges including malice murder, felony murder, arson and aggravated assault.

During a status hearing, defense attorney Ahmad R. Crews asked for more time and additional resources to manage what he described as “voluminous” amounts of case files and evidence.

Faust, with Baker family members also present in the courtroom, mostly sat quietly, occasionally leaning in to listen as Crews whispered to him during the proceed

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