A VITAL clue could hold the key to tracking down Baby Carrie’s killer – 22 years after the murdered tot was found by four school kids.
A newborn baby was discarded in a bin liner with 11 stab wounds and a fractured skull in Carryduff, Northern Ireland on March 26, 2002.
FacebookThe infant was found on the Dulk Walk, in Carryduff, Northern Ireland[/caption]
Police named her Baby Carrie and created an image of what the tot could have looked like
Pacemaker PressSergeant Lindsay McNair, who was part of the investigation, carried the tiny white coffin[/caption]
The horrific case sent chills down the community’s spine, in what was called “the most horrendous murder of a baby who had no chance”.
Police named the infant Baby Carrie, after the area in which she was found.
Tragic Baby Carrie is believed to have been buried in a garden or flowerbed before being moved to the Duck Walk, behind Lough Moss Leisure Centre.
Four school children uncovered the body, brothers Raymond and Ryan Waddell, aged 13 and 10, alongside Danielle Clifton and Rachel Mills, both aged 10.
It is understood the lifeless newborn could have been lying there for up to several weeks.
A post mortem indicated the baby girl had been murdered almost immediately after birth.
In May 2002, the Police Service of Northern Ireland conducted a mass DNA screening of up to 600 women aged 13 to 45 who were not currently pregnant.
Detective Chief Inspector Roy McComb, who was in charge of the investigation, said at the time: “This is the most horrendous murder of a baby who had no chance – she is the most vulnerable of all victims.”
The detective said if they could identify the mother, the force could get “much closer to identifying the person who murdered” Baby Carrie.
Rape, or my first thought was incest, I wonder if we’re dealing with that kind of context that meant the child had to be murdered to ensure the silence of how it had been conceived
David Wilson
But unfortunately there was never a DNA match, and the case has gone unsolved for 22 years.
A inter-denominational service for Baby Carrie was held at a funeral parlour on August 29.
The four children who discovered the body attended to pay their respects and walked behind the tiny white coffin – which was carried by Sergeant Lindsay McNair, who was part of the investigation.
The little girl was buried at Knockbreda Cemetery and an inscription on the headstone reads: “Baby Carrie – known only to God.”
‘INCREDIBLY INTRGUIGING’
Esteemed criminologist David Wilson, spoke exclusively to The Sun about the chilling details.
He suggested one “intriguing” clue could hold the key to tracking down Baby Carrie’s killer.
“What an appalling case. I’m intrigued by the fact the baby was buried and dug up again,” he said.
“That’s incredibly intriguing, almost as if there were some kind of doubts.”
The criminologist, who appeared alongside Emilia Fox on Channel 4’s In the Footsteps of Killers, said the relocation could indicate more than one person was involved.
Quizzed on whether Mr Wilson believed someone moved the body so it was found, he said: “It may very well be there were others who were aware the baby had been buried, and they wanted the baby to be found.
BBCThe body was found by four school children[/caption]
Press EyeClippings from 2002[/caption]
“It is an intriguing aspect, which probably implies there’s more than one person who knows about what happened.”
There have been doubts over the killer’s identity, and whether it was the mother due to Baby Carrie’s brutal injuries.
“Clearly we’ve got very little to go on and we’ve got criminal incidents where mothers have given birth and killed their children, infanticide,” said Mr Wilson.
“It is possible that the mother herself did this or people who are associated with the mother. It’s difficult to be precise.”
The criminologist pointed out another aspect of the horrendous case he found interesting.
“What I think is more significant is that it would be possible to get a DNA profile from the baby and therefore to identify the mother and father.
“But the fact that’s never resulted in any arrests seems to me to be significant because it implies the father or mother do not have their DNA stored on the national database.
“They’ve not previously come to the attention of the police,” he explained.
“Cold cases are usually not solved as a result of advances in forensic science,” Mr Wilson continued.
“In the US, American law enforcement find answers to cold cases through genealogy websites, which is not something that is done in this country.
“But what often solves cases is that alliances change.
“Alliances which ensured silences at the time break down, people fall out, or perhaps someone dies.
“People feel they can come forward for the first time.
“That’s why appeals of this kind are so important, they’re saying ‘we haven’t forgotten about this poor baby’.”
When asked if he believed, in his professional opinion, whether Baby Carrie’s mother would ever come forward, Mr Wilson said it is “perfectly possible”.
“She might now 20 years later feel that her circumstances have changed so much that she feels she can come forward,” he added.
‘TRAUMATIC CONCEPTION’
However, even after 22 years, Mr Wilson said there could be reasons preventing the mother from reaching out to police.
“If she’s still got difficulties in relation to who the father was,” said the expert.
“If she has difficulties with the coercive control that might have led to the infanticide happening in the first place.
“It is a very extraordinary thing to stab and crush the skull.
“My own feeling is there has been trauma in relation to how the child was conceived.
“Rape, or my first thought was incest, I wonder if we’re dealing with that kind of context that meant the child had to be murdered to ensure the silence of how it had been conceived.
“My suspicion would be that the conception of the child was in traumatic circumstances.”
Press EyeNewspaper cuttings showing the school children who discovered the body[/caption]
Press EyeDanielle Clifton found Baby Carrie’s body when she was just 10-years-old[/caption]
Press EyeAn appeal from the time of Baby Carrie’s murder[/caption]
As for murdering a baby imminently after its death, Mr Wilson asked: “Why allow the birth to go to term to kill the child?”
“This implies it would be difficult to have an abortion – culturally or for familial or impersonal reasons – an abortion would draw attention to who the father was.
“That goes back to this was a traumatic conception.
“It was through rape or incest, not something that was planned. Not an expression of love but of something.”
The Coroners’ Office published documents relating to Baby Carrie’s inquest, in February 2003, including the pathologist’s report.
The post-mortem examination confirmed the infant had been born alive.
She weighed 6lb 8oz and had “a good growth of darkish hair”.
Meanwhile, the autopsy report found her wounds were “consistent with having been made by a bladed weapon such as a knife”.
There were seven on the scalp, one to the forehead, one on the right side of her chest, another on the outer side of the right hip, one on the left thigh and an incision just above the knee.
The umbilical cord was still attached to her abdomen and had not been tied off.
Baby Carrie’s stomach was empty which suggested she was murdered shortly after being born.
Coroner John Leckey’s verdict read: “Death was due to a severe head injury caused either by blows to the head with a hard, blunt object or by the head having being struck against a hard surface.
“Also, there was evidence of multiple stab wounds.”
State pathologist Professor Jack Crane wrote of the stab wounds: “Their nature indicates some degree of hesitation”.
‘BONE-CHILLING’
Danielle Clifton, who discovered Baby Carrie with three other school children, spoke about the horror decades later.
She told The Detail: “I knew straight away it was a baby.
“Some of the others thought it was a doll but I knew from how real the features were. Now that I am a mother myself, I just think how could anybody do that?
“It could have been someone I know who did it. That’s bone-chilling to think about.”
She urged anyone with information to come forward.
Detectives from the PSNI’s Legacy Investigation Branch, have continued to keep the case open and launch fresh appeals in the hope for answers.
The Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Jenna Fitzpatrick, told the Belfast Telegraph: “Despite the length of time that has passed, we remain committed to bringing to justice those responsible for her tragic death and would appeal to anyone with any information which may assist our inquiries to contact us.
“Where credible investigative lines of enquiry are identified, capable of progressing the investigation into her death, we will follow them.
“I would ask anyone who has any information which may assist us with the investigation into Carrie’s murder to contact Police on 101.”
A report can also be made online using the non-emergency reporting form.
Anyone with any information can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.
Meanwhile, Mr McComb, who led the case over two decades ago, issued a fresh message to the mother earlier this year.
“All I would say to mum is that, if you’re still there, this was still your daughter,” he said.
“There’s still time for you to claim back your daughter who may have been taken from you beyond your control… just to be able to do the honest, decent thing.”
He added: “We never made a judgement on her circumstances, or on her guilt or innocence, we always said it was likely to be another pair of hands and I hold that to this day.”
The detective also said Baby Carrie was “unlike every other homicide investigation” he had led.
“There was just a void,” he said.
“That’s why I was so keen from early on to give her an identity; to ensure she didn’t get lost, anonymised or forgotten about.”
Northern Ireland PoliceAn appeal launched at the time of the murder in March 2002[/caption]
AlamyLead on the case, Detective Chief Superintendent Roy McComb, has since urged the mother to come forward[/caption]