16/01/2018

New Review Of 1984 'Baby John' Case Announced

A fresh review of the 'Baby John' case is to be announced today by Gardaí in Caherciveen, Co Kerry.

'Baby John' was found on White Strand beach on 14 April, 1984. The unknown baby was found to have been stabbed a number of times.

In the initial investigation, suspicion fell on a 25-year-old Abbeydorney woman, Joanna Hayes, who was understood to have been pregnant following an affair with a local married man. However, Ms Hayes did not have a baby, and garda believed that the baby found on the beach was Ms Hayes'.

During questioning Ms Hayes is understood to have told gardaí that she had miscarried her baby in a field at about 4 months. In a panic she said she went home, leaving the baby in the field, only to return the next day and place it in a drain.

However, despite this members of Ms Hayes family "confessed" to gardaí that she had beaten and stabbed the baby to death and that they had then disposed of the body at Slea Head.

Following this charges were about to be brought against Ms Hayes, however, before that happened the body of another baby was found on the Haye's family farm, confirming Ms Hayes original story.

The investigation then worked on the theory that Ms Hayes has actually given birth to twins, but blood tests proved that this was not the case.

The charges were eventually dropped in October 1984.


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