A woman has been charged with the murder of newborn baby ‘Callum’ whose body was discovered in woodland near Gulliver’s World theme park in Warrington in 1998.
Joanne Sharkey, 54, from West Derby, Liverpool, was charged today by Cheshire Police after she and another man were arrested in July 2023.
She has been remanded in custody and will appear at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The man who was arrested as part of the investigation has been released without charge.
Officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the death.
The unidentified baby’s body was discovered in a black rubbish bag by a dog walker in woodland (pictured) near the theme park in Warrington, Cheshire, on March 14, 1998. Joanne Sharkey, 54, has been charged with his murder.
A post-mortem examination confirmed that ‘Callum’ was strangled and hit on the head and was just hours old when he died.
The coffin containing the body of abandoned baby Callum, found strangled shortly after his birth, lies in St Elphin parish church.
Baby ‘Callum’ was found strangled to death near a theme park in the Callands area of Warrington in March 1998.
The unidentified baby’s body was discovered in a garbage bag by a dog walker in a forest near the popular Gulliver’s World theme park.
An autopsy tragically confirmed that baby ‘Callum’ had been strangled and hit on the head and was just hours old when he died.
When he was found, he reportedly weighed only 7 pounds, 8 ounces.
Detective Inspector Hannah Friend said: ‘I understand that this is an extremely emotional case which has attracted a lot of attention over the last twenty-six years, however I would ask people not to speculate.
“Criminal proceedings have been commenced against Joanne Sharkey and she is entitled to a fair trial.”
The parents of the baby, who officers eventually named Callum after the Callands area of the city where he was discovered, were never found and his true identity remains a mystery.
But in July, Cheshire Police confirmed that two people, both from Liverpool, had been arrested on suspicion of his murder.
Four months after his tiny body was discovered, baby Callum was buried in a small white coffin following a moving ceremony at St Elphin’s Church in the town.
Baby Callum’s funeral where over 150 people, including the town’s mayor, paid their respects.
The discovery sparked a massive police investigation in which thousands of people were interviewed and a special hotline number was created for anyone offering information.
During the police investigation, the DNA of almost 500 women, including many schoolgirls, was tested, but these tests failed to find any matches.
Thousands more people were interviewed to assist in the investigation.
Four months after his body was discovered, Callum was buried in a white coffin following a moving ceremony at St Elphin’s Church in the town.
Locals came together to raise £888 to pay for a headstone that was used when he was buried in Warrington Cemetery.
It had the inscription: “Baby Callum, precious son of God.” Reposed on 27th July 1998. Love, from the people of Warrington.
More than 150 people, including the city’s mayor, paid their respects before he was buried in a small grave, surrounded by flowers and children’s toys.
Schoolchildren placed handmade cards next to his coffin while Eric Clapton’s ‘Tears in Heaven’ played in the background.
A woman, described as “upset and emotional,” called and claimed to be the baby’s mother, but was never located and her identity remains unknown.
A distraught girl in a beige coat who was seen in the area at the time was also never found.
Detective Chief Inspector John Hester, who led the investigation, once described the case as “one of the most disturbing” of his career.
He said at the time: “He was a tiny, helpless baby who really had no chance of surviving.”