The murder of a newborn baby found wrapped in a plastic bag remains unsolved 25 years later.
The baby boy was just a few hours old when he was found dead by a dog walker in woodland near to Gulliver's World theme park in Warrington on March 14, 1998. He was named Callum after the Callands district of the town where he was found.
Yesterday marked 25 years since his death, which devastated people across the North West, with the local community raising money for a headstone engraved with a shepherd.
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A post-mortem revealed that the baby, who weighed 7lbs 8oz, was strangled and suffered head injuries. But detectives have never been able to find his family and his murder remains unsolved.
Cheshire Police is continuing to appeal to anyone who has information surrounding the circumstances of Callum's death to contact them.
The murder investigation, which is still ongoing, led to nearly 500 women being tested for their DNA to see if they matched that of Callum's. Thousands of people were interviewed, and two main lines of enquiry emerged.
Leads included calls to a special hotline number set up in the wake of baby Callum's death. A woman telephoned, claiming to have given birth to the child. Detectives described her as being "upset and emotional".
However the woman was never traced and her identity remains unknown. Witnesses also claimed to see a distressed girl in a beige coat near the scene but she was also never traced.
Detective Inspector Hannah Friend, of Cheshire Constabulary’s Major Crime Review Team, said: “Today is the 25th Anniversary of the tragic discovery of a baby boy’s body near to Gullivers World in Callands, Warrington in 1998.
“He was found alone and wrapped in a bin bag and because no-one knew who he was, he was given the name ‘Callum.’
“The local community were obviously devastated by this and collectively pulled together to raise funds for his funeral. It is clear that Callum remains in the thoughts of local people who to this day continue to visit his grave and pay their respects to him.
“Sadly despite our investigations throughout the years we have never been able to find Callum’s family or why he died in such sad circumstances.
“The investigation is still open and I’m appealing to anyone who may have information surrounding the circumstances of his death to get in touch.
“Just like the community, we have not forgotten about Callum and I believe that someone out there knows who he is. I’m encouraging the parents or family of Callum to contact us, we would like to speak with you to understand what happened during his short life.
“If you have any information – no matter how small – please contact us via our website; https://www.cheshire.police.uk/police-forces/cheshire-constabulary/areas/cheshire/about-us/about-us/provide-more-information-about-an-appeal/ or you can call Cheshire Police on 101 quoting reference 0709392303. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
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