Woman to appear in court charged with murder of baby found in woodland in 1998
Baby ‘Callum’ was discovered close to the Gulliver’s World theme park in the Callands area of Warrington in March 1998.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A 54-year-old woman will appear in court on Tuesday charged with the murder of a baby found in woodland in Warrington more than 25 years ago.
Baby “Callum” was discovered close to the Gulliver’s World theme park in the Callands area of the town in March 1998 and a murder investigation was launched.
Joanne Sharkey, of West Derby in Liverpool, will appear in custody at Warrington Magistrates’ Court charged with the murder.
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 26 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.”
A man was arrested in July 2023 but has been released without charge, Cheshire Police said.
Detectives named the infant Callum after the Callands district of Warrington where he was found dead, as his true identity could not be confirmed.
A burial and funeral service were arranged by local people and he was buried in Warrington Cemetery a few months later.
The headstone, which was paid for with money raised by local residents, was inscribed: “Baby Callum, precious child of God. Laid to rest July 27, 1998. With love, from the people of Warrington.”