Woman, 57, arrested on suspicion of murder of newborn baby more than 40 years ago

A 57-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a baby girl in Northampton more than 40 years ago, police have said.

Northamptonshire Police said the suspect was taken into custody in Northampton on Tuesday morning and was questioned by detectives.

Her arrest is related to the discovery of a body of a newborn baby girl in the town in May 1982, police said.

The case was the subject of a major police investigation at the time but no one was ever prosecuted and the inquiry closed in 1993, the force said in a statement.

However, new evidence surfaced in 2023 following a cold case review by Northamptonshire Police, leading to this week’s arrest.

The woman was released on bail on Thursday 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.”