Baby Garroted and Hidden Under Floorboards, Coroner Rules
An inquest concluded that a baby, discovered in a building in Bishop Auckland, was likely a homicide victim from around 1910.
A baby found beneath floorboards, wrapped in a 1910 newspaper with twine around its neck, was likely garroted shortly after birth, a coroner has determined. The skeleton of the full-term boy, identified as 'Baby Auckland' by authorities, was discovered in July 2024 during renovations of a building on Bishop Auckland's Fore Bondgate.
County Durham and Darlington Coroner Crispin Oliver stated that it was a "very sad and singular case" and most likely a homicide. The baby's date of death was listed as July 29, 2024, the day of discovery.
Peter Moody, the building's owner, found the remains while removing floorboards in the second-floor living room. He initially mistook the bundle for a ball but then realized it was a baby, noting a piece of twine around its neck.
Durham Police launched an investigation. Forensic anthropologist Dr. Micol Zuppello extracted the remains, concluding the baby was full-term, between 38 and 40 weeks of development, and had been placed face down. Acid testing of the teeth and DNA analysis suggested the child was most likely male.
Radiocarbon dating placed the baby's remains between 1655 and approximately 1955. However, the presence of a 1910 newspaper indicated a more likely timeframe of around that year for the burial.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Louise Mulcahy stated that due to the limited remains, it was impossible to determine if the child had any diseases or had been poisoned. The skeleton showed no signs of traumatic injury, and the cause of death was officially deemed "unascertained." It was also unclear if the baby had been stillborn or born alive.
Detective Chief Inspector Mel Sutherland said the twine, which was wrapped three times around the child's neck and knotted, appeared deliberately placed. He noted the absence of any known religious or midwifery practices from the era that would involve tying string around a baby's neck. "I would ask why you would do that to a child who is already deceased?" Sutherland questioned.
Investigators pursued various avenues, including attempting to identify relatives through DNA databases and exploring genetic genealogy, but were unsuccessful. Two sisters came forward believing they might be related to a servant who worked at the building but were not a DNA match.
The coroner concluded that the "most likely explanation" was that a "person in a position to care for him while he was most vulnerable... took the decision to end his life by means of strangulation using twine as a garrote." Oliver stated, "This was a homicide," with the baby never officially recorded as existing and "disposed of by means of concealment." He estimated the event most likely occurred around 1910.
Despite the grim findings, Oliver commented that it was "heart-warming" to see how the community had responded positively after the baby's discovery. Baby Auckland was buried in Bishop Auckland Town Cemetery in April. Police confirmed that investigations continue to try and determine precisely when the baby was placed beneath the floorboards.