Accomplice in police sergeant’s murder takes plea deal

By Michael Warrick

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    CHARLOTTE, Tennessee (WSMV) — After two full days of witness testimony, Erika Castro-Miles pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the ambush-style killing of Dickson County Police Sergeant Daniel Baker.

On Friday morning, Castro-Miles agreed to a 15-year prison sentence with time served. However, this plea agreement means she waves her right to a trial.

“You want that sense of relief. You want the storm to be over, but you’re not ready to dance in the rain,” Sgt. Daniel Baker’s widow Lisa Baker said. “So I don’t know where to go from here, but at least we get to leave her in the past.”

This plea agreement in the murder trial of Castro-Miles came on the same day the court was set to see what the judge called excruciating body camera video of Sgt. Baker’s death.

“That will be with me for all the days of my life, but we don’t have to show it to the world today or those 12 jurors they didn’t have to see it,” Lisa Baker said.

Castro-Miles’ then boyfriend Steven Wiggins shot and killed Sgt. Baker during a traffic stop in 2018. Wiggins was convicted last year and sentenced to death.

Prosecutors planned to show more evidence that Castro-Miles helped Wiggins, who’s now on death row, move the Baker’s body. For Lisa Baker and the entire family, the comfort feels impossible. Lisa Barker said that she wanted “to do right by Daniel” and wanted to be at the trial every day.

“Nothing is enough, nothing is enough, nothing will ever bring Daniel back,” Lisa Baker said. “My daughter doesn’t even know what happened yet. So I’ll re-live it every time I have to explain something new to her.”

As part of that 15-year sentence, Castro-Miles does get credit for the four years she’s already served.

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