Latest news with #LaurenBaker
Daily Record
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Channel 4's Crime Scene Cleaners shines light on hidden world
Channel 4's latest series Crime Scene Cleaners gives viewers an insight into the dangerous lives of cleaners who head into crime scenes dealing with the aftermath. This month, Channel 4 offers viewers a rare glimpse into one of the most harrowing yet under-appreciated professions - crime scene cleaning - with the launch of its gripping new series, Crime Scene Cleaners. Airing at 10pm on Monday 30 June the series invites audience to step behind the scenes of a world rarely seen on screens. The 10 part series dives deep into the extraordinary lives of professional crime scene cleaners, the unsung heroes who are on call 24/7 to head to the most horrific crime scenes. With exclusive access to expert teams in both the UK and the US, viewers will witness the the raw reality of a job that takes these specialists to different crimes scenes putting their own lives in danger. From cleaning up after murders, drug dens, burglaries and arson attacks, these elite hazmat crews are tasked with restoring homes and business after the most traumatic events imaginable. Often working under extreme conditions and in dangerous environments, their efforts go far beyond basic cleaning - they help people begin the process of rebuilding their lives. The series covers locations across the UK, including Kent, Reading, Somerset, Newcastle and Cardigan, as well as US locations in Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The show offers a unique perspective on crime and the aftermath. It also features forensic psychiatrists, detectives and other specialists weighing in to provide insight into both the science and psychology behind the scenes being cleaned. Among the cleaning experts featured in the series is Lauren Baker, a trauma cleaning expert based in Kent, with years of experience, she shares just how mentally taxing the role can be: "it's tough when you walk into an unattended death. Especially if you've got a decomposition going on as well. And mentally, it does affect you." "It takes a strong mind to be able to go in and clean something like that…. We could be walking into a bloodbath. We could be walking into needles everywhere. You can have faeces, you can have bodily fluids, we don't know what we're walking into." "Don't get me wrong, there's been times when I have sat there and had a little cry. Because I have genuinely felt for that person, and I've put myself in their shoes and it is tough. It is tough and that's what people don't realise. They really don't." She continued: "They think we're just a cleaner… we're not just a cleaner, by no means. I do always think about the people that have passed, and it is really sad. You have to leave that at the job. You can't take that home with you. It's got to stay there. Otherwise, my mental health would deteriorate really, really quickly. So, I need to make sure I can protect myself." Another cleaner who features is Tony Earnshaw who runs a specialist cleaning service in Newcastle and has attended many high-risk crime scenes with his specialist team. He states: "We get called to all sorts of crime scenes, whether it be a sudden death, a murder, a stabbing, an assault… It can be quite gory at times, can be quite challenging and it can be dangerous." In the series, Tony and his team attend a drug den in which over 100 used needles were discovered and cleared, in what he describes as one of the most dangerous and hazardous jobs they carried out. Speaking on the scene he says: "We try to use technology to mitigate any of the risks…. We would use drones on occasions where we know there could be a high risk of hazards, so needle sweeps… For somebody to purposely booby trap the property, I was quite shocked and quite upset really because this tenant posed a risk to our staff." "These types of people, to generalise, have usually had a lot of run-ins with the police, so they'd find it amusing if a person was to stab themselves or infect themselves because they've put these needles on door frames – it certainly would be an intent to endanger life." Crime Scene Cleaners – starts 10pm, Monday 30 June or stream all episodes on Channel 4. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
Justices uphold conviction of mom whose toddler OD'd on opioids bought with stimulus check
A Northern Kentucky mother convicted of murder in the overdose death of her toddler, who ingested fentanyl she bought with a federal stimulus check, has lost her appeal to the Kentucky Supreme Court. In a unanimous opinion on Thursday, the court upheld 37-year-old Lauren Baker's conviction and rejected most of her arguments, including that the judge who presided over her trial wrongly overruled a motion seeking to acquit Baker of wanton murder due to insufficient evidence. A Kenton County jury found Baker guilty in April 2023 of murder, importing fentanyl and trafficking in a controlled substance. She was sentenced to 33 years in prison. Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders said at trial that Baker was the first person in the county to be convicted of murder for exposing their child to fentanyl. Baker used $1,200 of a stimulus check she received in March 2021 to buy nearly an ounce of fentanyl from a drug dealer in Cincinnati, court filings state. Baker and her 2-year-old son took a nap together at her Ludlow home just a few days later. When she awoke in the afternoon, the child was unresponsive lying across her lap with the contents of her purse, including fentanyl and drug paraphernalia, scattered across the bed. He was later pronounced dead at the Cincinnati Children's. Prosecutors said the boy had more than 10 times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system. A medical examiner determined the child 'was able to access something he should not have had access to that resulted in his death,' the court's opinion states. Baker argued as part of her appeal that it was 'clearly unreasonable' for the jury to convict her of wanton murder and the evidence at trial didn't show her actions 'manifested an extreme indifference to human life,' the opinion states. While being interviewed by investigators, Baker said she stored her fentanyl in a plastic bag, placed it inside a cigarette box and then placed it inside a pouch, which was kept in a purse that zipped shut. She would then tie the purse around the headboard of her bed and place it between the wall and bed, court records state. Her attorneys argued at trial that Baker took substantial precautions to keep opioids out of her children's reach, noting that she immediately administered Narcan and performed CPR on the child until first responders arrived. However, prosecutors said Baker was aware fentanyl is deadly but brought it into her home regardless and she knew the child could get into her paraphernalia because he'd done so just a year earlier. The justices sided with the trial court, writing that she knew the danger of fentanyl but 'she decided to store it in a place where her toddler could apparently access it.' Baker also argued that the jury should've been instructed on and allowed to consider a less serious charge of reckless homicide during their deliberations. In response, the justices ruled that the evidence did not support a reckless homicide instruction and the jurors chose to convict Baker of murder despite also being instructed on a lesser charge of manslaughter. The Enquirer left a voicemail and email with Baker's attorney seeking comment on the court's opinion. According to the Kentucky Department of Corrections, Baker will become eligible for parole in March 2041. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kentucky Supreme Court upholds mom's conviction for toddler's OD death
