When Amy Baker walked into Clermont County Juvenile Court Friday afternoon, she was the mother of three children – two girls and a boy.
By the time she left 45 minutes later, Baker and her husband, Brian, had permanently surrendered custody of their daughters, aged 10 and six, and their eight-year-old son.
The children had been in foster care since August of 2006.
Baker was a key figure in the death of Marcus Fiesel, whose foster parents are serving prison terms in the three-year-old's demise.
She and her children were living with the Carrolls at the time, but never faced criminal charges because she became a key witness for the prosecution against them.
Fiesel was left bound in a closet while the Carrolls went out-of-state for a weekend reunion. When they returned, he was dead.
His remains were later burned on property in Brown County and dumped into the Ohio River near Maysville.
In court Friday, Judge Stephanie Wyler went over the permanent surrender of the children one at a time.
Amy Baker didn't make a statement, but had her attorney, Sue Mineer, read the words she'd written.
"Although this is a surrender of rights, it is not a surrender of love," Mineer intoned for her client.
Judge Wyler reminded the couple that they are giving up custody and parental rights, rights to future support plus inheritance from or through the children.
She granted their petition for permanent surrender.
Baker and her husband signed the paperwork which will allow the children to be adopted, then quickly left the courtroom, got into their cars and drove away.
