GROSSE POINTE, Mich. – The murder of Jane Bashara shocked her many friends in the Grosse Pointes. They couldn't believe such a shocking crime had touched their tranquil neighborhoods and taken such a vibrant member of the community.
"She was a very Type A personality," remembers Allison Baker of Grosse Pointe Park.
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She met the Basharas through Little League when she first moved to Michigan about 15 years ago. Baker played golf and did plenty of volunteer work with Jane Bashara. She says her friend was a lot of fun, and they would laugh for hours on the golf course.
Even then, she was sometimes struck by the differences between Jane and her husband, Bob. "I said...'Jane you don't seem to be a good match.' She said sometimes opposites attract."
Before Jane's murder, Baker said she would never have suspected something was amiss. "Jane and Bob had been to my house for a party just two weeks before she was murdered. And, we'd seen them together. I was shocked. I had absolutely no idea.
Shocking Revelations, A Change of Opinion
After Jane's murder in 2012, Baker says she couldn't imagine her husband was connected to the crime. While other community members started to have their suspicions, she says she just couldn't let her mind go there.
That changed one night when she ran into Bob Bashara at a local bar. While others gave him the cold shoulder, she approached Bashara. "I went up to him and he wanted to tell me every bit of the details and why things were. After that, I realized he was the one, it was him."
Baker says Bob's efforts to convince her made her very uncomfortable. "He really tried to convince me and gave me unbelievable details that I didn't want to hear about his lifestyle. And, he tried to convince me that Jane knew about it."
Since then, it's been difficult to watch the details of her friend's life revealed to a jury and the entire world. As the trial finally reached its conclusion, Baker wanted just one thing. She watched as the verdict was announced online at ClickOnDetroit.com.
"There was a pit in my stomach, tears flowing. I was just very happy that this justice was found for Jane," Baker told Local 4, about an hour after the verdicts were read.
Now, Baker is hoping the verdict will allow Jane's family to heal and put this difficult ordeal in the past. There's one thing, in particular, that really breaks
Baker's heart.
"Well, her kids. Jane won't be there for their weddings. She wasn't there for Jessica's graduation just a couple weeks ago, it's tough. These milestones in kids' lives and...she's going to miss it."
Honoring Jane: You Can Donate
After losing such a valued community member, Jane's friends knew they had to come up with a way to honor their late friend. The Mothers' Club of Grosse Pointe South set up a scholarship award in her memory. This award is given to graduating seniors of Grosse Pointe South who demonstrated true leadership, either in the classroom, sports, or other extra-curriculars. Baker says it's a positive way to remember a wonderful positive woman.
Donations can be sent to:
The Mothers' Club of Grosse Pointe South - True Leader Award
11 Grosse Pointe Blvd.
Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236