Baker was a regular in the "tenderloin", or "red light" district of the city, where fancy sporting houses occupied the once-elegant mansions on Lucas Place. On night, she allegedly shot Albert Britt (Johnny) although she was eventually cleared of the murder. Attempting to escape the notoriety of the case, she left St. Louis for Omaha and then Portland, OR. She was unable to stifle the song and film portrayals of her life, however (Magnan, Wright). She eventually died in a mental institution in 1950.