Trial date set for suspects in Rebekah Baptiste murder

APACHE COUNTY, Ariz. — A couple facing murder charges in the death of an Arizona 10-year-old will head to trial in June. 

The trial date for Richard Baptiste and his girlfriend, Anicia Woods, has been set for June 2, 2026. The pair is facing first-degree murder charges, two counts of child abuse, and two counts of molestation of a child.

Woods and Richard Baptiste told police she had run away and her injuries stemmed from that incident, according to body camera footage. However, first responders and doctors found injuries in multiple stages of healing all over the 10-year-old girl’s body. 

She was flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where she later died.

Records show that both Richard Baptiste and Woods admitted to hitting the children, and Baptiste admitted to using “excessive force” when hitting Rebekah with a belt. 

Both Woods and Richard Baptiste entered not guilty pleas back in September. 

The trial is expected to run through the end of July. 

The pair is due back in court on Jan. 12.