Thomas “Tom” Baker, M.A.: Criminal Defense Investigator, Policing Expert, and Academic Researcher

Tom Baker is a highly skilled criminal defense investigator with over two decades of multifaceted experience that integrates rigorous academic research, frontline policing expertise, and extensive experience conducting defense investigations. Tom provides defense attorneys with unparalleled investigative rigor, strategic depth, and individualized client-centered support.

Comprehensive Investigative Experience and Law Enforcement Background

Before establishing a private investigative practice, Tom managed a demanding felony caseload with the King County Department of Public Defense, routinely investigating complex felonies including homicides, robberies, and sex crimes. He applied exceptional organizational skills, meticulous attention to detail, and advanced investigative methods; all while managing an average workload of 80-90 cases.

Prior to his tenure with King County, Tom served as a police officer and detective in Arizona, serving on specialized investigative units addressing serious felonies, including homicides and organized crime. His policing experience also included teaching police policy and procedures to new recruits at the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy and defensive tactics to in-service officers, which deepened his knowledge of the explicit and implicit rules of policing. This frontline experience equips Tom with critical policing insight, making him a highly credible expert witness on matters of police procedure, use-of-force, and criminal investigations.

Advanced Academic Research in Trauma, Masculinity, and Crime

Tom holds a Master's in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis (Ph.D. ABD), where he conducted extensive federally funded research examining factors that shape criminal trajectories. His research, supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Justice, and the Pat Tillman Foundation, focused on how traumatic life experiences—particularly those related to police violence, war, and socioeconomic instability – help form pathways to adverse social outcomes and incarceration. Tom's research on the intersection of police violence, trauma, masculinity, and crime has been published in peer-reviewed journals (such as The British Journal of Criminology and Academic Forensic Pathology) and a book chapter, offering critical insights into how individuals' life histories shape their criminal outcomes.

Expert Ethnographic and Life-History Investigations

Tom is highly trained and published in advanced ethnographic methods, specializing in creating detailed, nuanced life histories that illuminate defendants’ lived experiences. Tom is especially skilled at uncovering and articulating how trauma and masculinity narratives—from hyperlocal contexts (such as gang subcultures) to broader societal constructs—influences criminal trajectory.

By developing comprehensive life histories, Tom provides defense teams with powerful, humanizing narratives that can significantly impact sentencing, plea negotiations, and trial outcomes. These narratives offer judges and prosecutors essential context to better understand the complexities underlying behavior.

Innovative Technical Skills

Tom is also a pioneer in applying cutting-edge technology and custom-built investigative tools to optimize investigative workflows. Leveraging his computer programing skills, automated data extraction, and interactive geospatial visualization tools, Tom significantly enhances the efficiency, rigor, and clarity of his investigative outcomes.

In addition to his programming abilities, Tom has received graduate-level statistical training and has populated and managed complex criminological databases on police-related shootings and community violence. This work involved extensive investigation of police related deaths to fill in critical data gaps, multi-dimensional statistical analysis, academic and stakeholder reporting, public presentations, and evidence-based resource allotment to the community using federal violence reduction grants.

Tom’s fluency in digital evidence management, complex data analysis, and efficient discovery review provides defense attorneys with unparalleled investigative insights, bolstering strategic decision-making and improving client outcomes.

Community Leadership and Advocacy

Tom's professional commitment to justice extends beyond his investigative practice. He actively contributes to community development and criminal justice reform through volunteer leadership roles, including serving on the boards of criminal justice reform organizations, engagement in peer review, evaluating scholarship candidates for the Pat Tillman Foundation, and working with his fellow Tillman Scholars to facilitate the emergency evacuation of Afghan nationals. He regularly engages in public discussions regarding race, policing, trauma, and justice, reflecting his deep dedication to equity, fairness, and systemic reform. Building on his teaching experience at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Tom continues to deliver bi-annual guest lectures on policing at Arizona State University.

Comprehensive Investigative and Mitigation Support Tailored to Your Team

Tom collaborates closely with attorneys, expert witnesses, and legal teams, adapting his investigative strategies specifically to your needs. He proactively contributes to case theory development, witness interviewing, evidence analysis, and courtroom preparation. Recognizing that each attorney has unique needs and preferences, Tom offers flexible investigative support—ranging from leading critical witness interviews and developing detailed life histories to providing expert testimony and strategic consultation.