Father of Veronica Lee Baker says his daughter knew her accused killer

The father of Veronica Lee Baker says his daughter knew the person accused of fatally shooting her one week ago.

The 17-year-old found dead inside her car at a Bojangles in Raleigh Saturday night went to school with Devin Cordell Jones, also 17, who is charged with murder, her father Jim Baker said in a phone interview with The News & Observer.

“I’ve seen him at school,” Baker said. “They started hanging around sophomore year.” Veronica graduated from Garner Magnet High School last spring and planned to start online sociology classes at WakeTech on Monday.

Three other people also were arrested in her death. Keyshara Michelle Deans, 19, Nezyiha Zamir Collins, 19, and Tyreek Qumay Rogers, 18, are charged with felony accessory after the fact to murder.

“I got the phone call right at 11” about the arrests, Baker said. He was sitting in the living room with his family. A police detective told him four arrests had been made, Baker said.

Baker said he started yelling, “Oh my God, they got ‘em!” Laura Baker, Veronica’s mother, ran out onto the porch, and the neighbors came over too.

Deans is accused of driving Jones away from the scene, according to police warrants. Collins and Rogers are accused of fleeing out of state with Jones immediately after the murder to avoid apprehension, according to the documents.

Baker said he did not know the older teens but recognized Jones. His daughter and Jones were friends, he said. That may have been why she allowed him into her car.

Baker said he suspects his daughter was killed during a robbery. But Veronica knew how to defend herself and may have fought back, said Baker, who said he was a Marine and trained his daughter to use a knife and pepper spray.

Camping every weekend

Veronica loved to go camping. “Almost every weekend we would go camping at my parents’ lake property in Bunn,” said Kendall Anne, a close friend.

“She was always so happy. So kind. She was never selfish,” Anne said. “She worried about everyone she cared about. She would literally give you the shirt off her back.”

Veronica also went on trips with her family, visiting Holiday Trav-L-Park Resort on Emerald Isle, Lakewood Camping Resort and Carolina Pines near Myrtle Beach, and Grandfather Mountain.

She worked part time at Harris Teeter and in her father’s RV repair business. She learned to estimate the cost of a camper or an RV just by looking at one, her father said, and helped him choose his most recent RV purchase.

“My wife said yesterday that she never wanted to go camping again,” Baker said. She wants him to sell the camper.

Veronica’s funeral is set for Saturday at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home. A GoFundMe has been set up for her family: https://www.gofundme.com/f/justiceforveronica

This story was originally published August 22, 2020 at 7:00 AM.