Two people arrested on suspicion of murder over 1984 Kerry Babies case

Story by Eoghan Dalton • 2h ago

ARRESTS HAVE BEEN made in the longstanding Kerry Babies investigation. 

White Strand beach in Co Kerry.

Gardaí have said this evening that they have arrested a man in his 60s and a woman in her 50s in relation to the discovery of the body of a male infant known as Baby John at White Strand, Caherciveen, County Kerry on 14 April, 1984.

“The arrests are a significant development in this investigation in an effort to establish the truth surrounding the death of Baby John in 1984 and deliver justice for Baby John,” said Superintendent Flor Murphy, who has been leading the investigation.

Gardaí said the pair were arrested in the Munster region on suspicion of murder and are currently detained at Garda Stations in the south of the country under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. 

An extensive investigation has been ongoing since 2018 into this incident by Gardaí in the Kerry Division supported by the Garda Serious Crime Review Team.

Hundreds of people have been interviewed and over 560 lines of enquiry have been initiated. 

“I am again appealing to the public for any information in relation to the death of Baby John in 1984. Anyone who comes forward will be treated with sensitivity and compassion,” Supt Murphy said. 

In January 2018, gardaí announced a review into the death of Baby John whose lifeless body was found with multiple injuries on White Strand beach in 1984.

At that time, gardaí took DNA samples from locals in the region in the hope of potentially tracing the baby’s parents. 

The re-examination of the Baby John case, led by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) and west Kerry gardaí, was accompanied with an apology from senior officers for the way the force handled the original case. 

In 2018, gardaí confirmed that a formal apology was offered to Joanne Hayes for the stress and pain she was put through as a result of the original investigation. She had wrongly been accused of murdering the baby. 

Appeal

Speaking at the time of the fresh review, Superintendent Murphy made the following appeal:

“Someone is Baby John’s mother. Someone is Baby John’s father. Someone knew his mother or father. People have carried a lot of pain and hurt over the last 30 years. This is an opportunity for them to help bring closure to this terrible event and ensure that Baby John receives justice.

“Our strong belief at the current time is that the answers to this are in Caherciveen and the close surrounding areas.

“We would ask anyone who was living in Caherciveen and surrounding areas around the time of April 1984 to speak to us,” she said.

“After all these years, Baby John deserves the truth.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Killarney Garda Station (064) 667 1160 the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.