Woman arrested over death of newborn baby girl found in Rushden

When the infant girl’s body was discovered, a thorough investigation was conducted; however, no one was detained, and the case was dismissed.

According to police, a lady has been detained on suspicion of murder in relation to the 1982 death of a newborn girl discovered in Northampton.

Tuesday morning saw the 57-year-old suspect taken into custody. She has been placed under arrest pending additional investigation.

In May 1982, after the newborn’s body was discovered in the town, a significant police inquiry got underway.

But no one was charged, and the investigation was concluded in 1993.

This week’s arrest was made possible by fresh evidence that Northamptonshire Police discovered in 2023 after reviewing a cold case.

Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell, of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit’s serious crime team, stated: “A lot of work has gone into getting us to this point in an extraordinarily complicated investigation into events that transpired over 40 years ago.

“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.”

He said that the investigation is still ongoing and that Northamptonshire Police will not be providing any more information at this time.