NEWPORT – An apparent suspect in the disappearance of a Newport car dealer three years ago is being held in the Lincoln County jail on $500,000 bail on accusations of abuse of a corpse after investigators dug up his back yard Friday.
Jack D. Baird, 60, was arrested after investigators from the Newport Police Department and Lincoln County Sheriff’s office used a search warrant to spend much of Friday using heavy equipment and dogs to search property at 209 N.W. Seventh St. where Baird lived.
Baird is suspected of being involved in the Jan. 29, 2022, disappearance of Ryan Staggs, 31, a Newport used car dealer, according to a probable cause affidavit from Martin Bennett, a detective in the Lincoln County district attorney’s office.
While Baird has not been charged with Staggs’ disappearance, Bennett’s affidavit laid out a series of allegations by people who knew Baird and others who knew Staggs and were around his house when he went missing. They said Baird rented a backhoe two days after Staggs’ disappearance and buried him in his backyard, according to the affidavit.
Baird was arraigned Monday on the abuse charge and a preliminary hearing is scheduled Jan. 7. Kathryn Benfield, a Newport defense attorney, was appointed to represent him.
I know Jack Baird personally, and I just can’t imagine he would ever do something like that. He is a good man, a Godly man, and has done nothing but good things for his community. I hope that the police will do further investigation and base their findings on facts, not conjecture.
I also know Jack personally and I highly respect him, as he is always doing things for others and always very kind. He may not have had a great past but he is now a clean man and I don’t believe Jack would ever do anything like that now. Ever.
Did they find Ryan’s remains or is this speculation? And if his remains was found in the yard how would he get there if Jack never did it. I bought several cars from Ryan’s car lot and while there was much trouble with the purchases can’t imagine someone killing him over it.