news-record.com

NEWTON (AP) — Zahra Baker's stepmother has told police the disabled 10-year-old girl died more than two weeks before her parents reported her missing.

According to search warrants unsealed Tuesday, Elisa Baker told Hickory police in November that the girl died on Sept. 24, and was dismembered and disposed of the following day.

The warrant doesn't say how Zahra died.

Police found Zahra's remains at various points around western North Carolina based on information given to them by Elisa Baker.

Zahra was reported missing by her parents on Oct. 9, who said she disappeared during the night. No one has been charged in her death.

Elisa Baker is currently jailed on charges of obstructing justice during the investigation.

Police have looked into reports that Zahra's father and stepmother talked in an online community about "chainsaw massacre" role-playing games.

The latest detail was one of many in 200 pages of newly released search warrants obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday.

A user of the Instant Messaging Virtual Universe website told police that people with accounts belonging to Adam Baker, Elisa Baker and others talked about such a game roughly two weeks before Zahra was reported missing.

Calls to lawyers representing the Bakers were not immediately returned Tuesday.