Woman Who Fatally Stabbed Mom With Screwdriver In South OC Convicted

LAKE FOREST, CA — A 35-year-old woman was convicted Thursday of fatally stabbing her mother with a screwdriver in her Lake Forest home.

Courtney Elizabeth Baker was convicted of second-degree murder with a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon, according to court records. She faces 16 years to life in prison.

Baker has a history of attacking her mother, violating restraining orders and drug possession, prosecutors said.

She was convicted of killing 72-year-old Elizabeth Mary O'Leary on March 1, 2023.

Baker called her father on Feb. 28, 2023, asking to be picked up from a Brea motel, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Mark Birney.

Baker had been prohibited from contacting her mother in the past due to restraining orders, Birney said in a trial brief. She also had a criminal history of substance abuse, according to court records.

Her father picked her up and brought her to his home with the victim and the defendant and her mother appeared at the time to be getting along well, Birney said.

At 1:40 a.m. the following morning, Baker woke up her father, saying, "I did something horrible, I killed mom," according to Birney.

Her father thought she might be delusional and was skeptical but he found his wife in her bedroom in a pool of blood and dialed 911, Birney said. O'Leary was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy showed the victim sustained more than 400 "sharp force injuries," Birney said.

Baker tested positive for PCP, methamphetamine and fentanyl, Birney said. Investigators believed a screwdriver, fork and scissors were used in the attack, Birney said.

O'Leary and her husband were married for about 41 years, Birney said. The victim at the time was in frail health and weighed just 106 pounds, Birney said.

Baker threatened the victim in the same home on Aug. 27, 2015, Birney said. She threatened to kill the victim and decapitate her and her dog, Birney said.

Baker pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor attack and was sentenced to 26 days in jail and ordered to attend anger management courses, Birney said.

On Sept. 17, 2015, she returned to the couple's home and threatened her parents, Birney said. Baker pleaded guilty in that attack and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

She pleaded guilty to violating restraining orders with additional visits to the home, Birney said.
In a restraining order O'Leary sought against her daughter in September 2015, she accused Baker of beating her.

"I am older and have some health issues that occasionally benefit from the care of others," she wrote in the restraining order request. "When here with Courtney alone, she has often beaten me, kicked me, made numerous threats to myself, my pet and other family members.

"I have been punched, kicked and threatened by Courtney numerous times. I am only attacked by Courtney when no one else is here to protect me and I am defenseless. Courtney has threatened me, saying that she wants me and my dog to die."
Baker pleaded guilty in July 2018 to resisting arrest, violating a protective-stay away order and possession of drug paraphernalia, all misdemeanors. In April 2018 she pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, violating a protective/stay away order and destroying evidence, all misdemeanors.

Baker pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of disturbing the peace in April 2017 in a plea deal that saw misdemeanor counts of assault and battery dismissed along with a count of injury to telephone lines, according to court records. In September 2015, she pleaded guilty to unlawful entry of a noncommercial dwelling and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors.

City News Service contributed to this report.