Woman, 57, arrested in suspicion of 1982 newborn baby murder in Northamptonshire after cold case review

A woman has been arrested in suspicion of murder of a newborn baby girl in Northampton more than 40 years ago. Northamptonshire Police said the 57-year-old suspect was arrested on Tuesday morning (June 11) in relation to the discovery of the body in the town in May 1982.

The case was the subject of a major police investigation at the time, but nobody was ever prosecuted and the inquiry closed in 1993. However, new evidence surfaced in 2023 following a cold case review by Northamptonshire Police, leading to the arrest.

The suspect was released on Thursday (June 13) on bail pending further inquiries.

Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell, from the Major Crime Team of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), said: “This has been an extremely complex investigation into events that happened more than four decades ago and a great deal of work has gone in to getting us to this point.

“Dozens of officers from both Northamptonshire Police and our colleagues in the region, have been involved in the operation over the past 48 hours or more and I would like to thank all of them for their work. This inquiry remains live and ongoing and, as such, Northamptonshire Police will be making no further comment at this time.”