The remains of a baby were found with twine wrapped around its neck in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England, on Monday, July 29, 2024. The body was found underneath the floorboards of a property undergoing renovations and appeared to have been "undisturbed for a number of years," according to police.
It is believed that the child's body has been there for over 100 years, as the remains were wrapped in newspapers dated from 1910.
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The police believe the cause of death to be suspicious, and have launched an investigation to figure out more details. "The evidence suggests this has happened a very long time ago, which makes investigating the circumstances extremely difficult, but we still have a duty to that baby," Detective Chief Inspector Mel Sutherland said. "My focus is on finding out who the baby is, what happened and how it came to be under the floorboards of that house."
The police have not been able to identify the baby's sex through examinations. Forensic tests noted that the baby was full term at 40 weeks, per the BBC. More tests were also planned, including carbon dating to confirm the initial findings.
"As soon as we are able to, I am determined that this little baby is given an appropriate and dignified funeral," Sutherland added.
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Authorities are now trying to trace property records for the home between 1900 and 1920 in order to figure out who lived there during that time. The home dates back to the Victorian period, and formerly was a church-run mother and baby unit, according to the outlet. However, police believe that the baby was put beneath the floorboards before that time.
