Dateline NBC “A Window of Time” May 1 2026

Dateline NBC returns Friday, May 1, 2026, at 9/8c with a compelling new episode titled A Window of Time. Reported by Blayne Alexander, the broadcast revisits the long-unsolved murder of Tara Baker, a young woman whose death shocked the Athens, Georgia community and remained a mystery for more than two decades.

Tara Baker, a 23-year-old University of Georgia law student, was found dead in her apartment in January 2001 after firefighters responded to a blaze at the scene. Investigators quickly determined that the fire had been intentionally set, and that Tara had been murdered before the flames were ignited. Despite early efforts, the case went cold, leaving her family without answers for years.

The episode focuses on what investigators describe as a critical “window of time,” a narrow period that became central to understanding when the crime occurred and who may have been responsible. Advances in forensic technology and renewed investigative work eventually helped authorities reexamine evidence collected at the scene, leading to a breakthrough decades later.

In 2024, a suspect was arrested, and in 2026, a jury convicted Edrick Lamont Faust on multiple charges, including murder, bringing long-awaited justice in the case. The episode explores how detectives revisited old evidence, the role of DNA in identifying a suspect, and the persistence required to solve a case after so many years.

A Window of Time offers a detailed look at a cold case that finally reached resolution, highlighting the dedication of investigators and the resilience of a victim’s family. The episode airs Friday night on NBC, with streaming available the next day on Peacock.