Liverpool woman charged with murder of 'Baby Callum' after 26 years

A woman has been charged with murder 26 years after a baby's remains were found near a theme park.

The unknown infant was found strangled and wrapped in plastic in a wooded area of Callands, near Warrington, on the morning of March 14, 1998. He was named Callum by detectives after the place where his body was found. Callum was believed to have been just a few hours old when he died.

In July 2023 police arrested a man and a woman from Liverpool in connection with the child's death, and the pair were subsequently released on bail.

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Today, April 15, police rearrested the 54-year-old woman and the Crown Prosecution Service has now authorised Cheshire Police to charge Joanne Sharkey, of West Derby, in Liverpool with murder.

She has been remanded in custody and is set to appear at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday April 16.

Detective Inspector Hannah Friend, of Cheshire Police’s Major Crime Review Team, said: “I understand that this is an extremely emotional case which has attracted a lot of attention over the past twenty-six years, however I would ask people not to speculate.

“Criminal proceedings are now active against Joanne Sharkey, and she has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

The man who was arrested as part of the investigation has since been released without charge. Officers are not looking for anyone else in relation to the death.

The murder of Baby Callum sparked a massive investigation in the 90s, as thousands of people were interviewed and a special hotline number set up for anyone offering information. A woman, described as "upset and emotional" called and claimed to be the baby's mother - but she was never traced and her identity remains unknown. A distressed girl in a beige coat spotted in the area at the time was also never found.

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