‘Mummified’ new child child discovered wrapped in 1910 newspaper was ‘strangled with twine’
The skeletal remains of a newborn boy, known as Baby Auckland, were found wrapped in a 1910 newspaper and hidden under floorboards at a Bishop Auckland property
The skeletal remains of the newborn boy were unearthed during renovations at a Bishop Auckland property in July 2024(Image: PA)
A baby whose remains were discovered wrapped in a 1910 newspaper and concealed beneath floorboards was strangled with twine, a coroner has determined.
The violent death of the unidentified infant was deemed an unlawful killing at an inquest held in Crook, County Durham. The skeletal remains of the newborn boy were unearthed during renovations at a Bishop Auckland property in July 2024, prompting a police investigation.
Twine had been wound three times around his neck, knotted, then looped once more. Coroner Crispin Oliver concluded that the infant, referred to as Baby Auckland, was strangled while still alive. He suggested the most plausible explanation was that the “person in a position to care for him while he was most vulnerable” made the decision to terminate the boy’s life “by means of strangulation using twine as a garotte”.
The violent death of the unidentified infant was deemed an unlawful killing (Image: PA)
He added: “As such, this was homicide.” Given the passage of time, there was no possibility of any criminal proceedings, the coroner stated, despite extensive police inquiries.
The inquest heard that the investigation involved DNA testing, a radio carbon expert and a forensic anthropologist, as well as public appeals.
Mr Oliver noted that – unusually – all aspects of the inquest process were engaged, necessitating the establishment of the deceased’s identity, as well as how, where and when he died.
The baby boy was laid to rest in a small funeral on April 27(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
The coroner stated there was no record of the baby’s existence. He said: “This is a very sad and singular case.”
In his conclusion, he stated that Baby Auckland died in or shortly after 1910 “having been garrotted with twine” soon after his birth, and then hidden beneath the floorboards.
Mr Oliver commented: “This was a terrible thing to have happened to a defenceless infant. It happened in our community but it happened over a century ago and it is heart-warming how the public and individuals in this community have stepped up to do the right thing by Baby Auckland.”
The service was led by Durham Constabulary in partnership with Durham County Council(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
The coroner commended the meticulous police investigation, as well as Durham County Council for arranging a funeral, supported by a funeral director who offered their services free of charge and a memorial firm which provided a headstone.
The baby was found wrapped in a newspaper called The Umpire, dating from 1910. Renovations were being carried out on a second floor room at the Fore Bondgate building by owner Peter Moody, who discovered the remains under a floorboard.
He informed the police that the skeletal remains appeared to have about a metre of garden twine around the neck. Records confirmed that the property, which was used as a cafe at the time, was constructed in the late 19th century.
Rest in peace baby Auckland(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Detective Chief Inspector Mel Sutherland, who led the police inquiry, said forensic anthropologist Dr Micol Zuppello worked at the scene and determined that the remains were human and male.
Dr Zuppello believed the body, which had since mummified, was placed face-down. She assessed the remains to be those of a baby of 38-40 weeks gestational development.
It was impossible to determine whether the baby was stillborn. Home Office pathologist Dr Louise Mulcahy informed the inquest she was unable to establish the cause of death.
The coroner stated there was no record of the baby’s existence(Image: PA)
No signs of trauma were found on the skeletal remains, though the absence of soft tissue meant it was impossible to determine whether poisoning played a role.
She confirmed to the coroner that the twine was looped and knotted directly around the baby’s neck before being wrapped in newspaper, rather than the cord being used to secure the wrapping like a package.
This discovery prompted the coroner to conclude that the baby had been strangled with the twine. DNA testing failed to identify any known living relatives, Mr Sutherland revealed.
The detective explained that public appeals through the media prompted two sisters to come forward, believing they might be related to a servant who had worked at the property, but DNA testing showed no match.
Mr Oliver questioned Mr Sutherland about whether the twine might have been used to suspend a religious item around the baby’s neck, or if string could have been part of midwifery practices of the era, but the detective dismissed both possibilities.
The inquest also heard evidence from Dr Brian Tripney, a radiocarbon dating specialist from Glasgow University, who used a bone sample to determine that the baby was born sometime between the mid-1600s and 1955.
Speaking to journalists following the hearing, Mr Sutherland described the two-year investigation as frustrating and challenging due to the length of time that had elapsed. Without contemporary sources of evidence such as CCTV or mobile phone records, he said detectives had to think creatively and employ alternative methods.
He said: “It was heart-warming to see how many people gave Baby Auckland the send-off that he got.” Following the funeral in April, Cathy Hunt, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for children and young people’s services, said: “Sadly, for reasons we will never know, this little boy was never given the dignified and appropriate burial he deserved, so it was important that he was laid to rest in a way that honoured a life that could have been.”
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