Role of DNA in search for Baby John's killer
In Picture: Is Caherciveen The Cemetary In Buried Grave John' Kerry Where Co Macmonagle Don 'baby
In 2018, Kerry gardaí announced they were opening a cold-case review of the Kerry Babies case. Since the body of 'Baby John' was found on White Strand, near Caherciveen, Co Kerry, on April 14, 1984, with multiple stab wounds, the case has gripped the nation.
The decision to exhume the body ‘Baby John’ on September 14, 2021, not only reignited interest in the case at the time, but also sparked questions locally.
Why, locals asked, was there a need for an exhumation after all this time?
Officially, gardaí said the exhumation was being done to to collect a fresh DNA sample.
The reason for this was because the old sample, which was taken from Baby John’s body in 1984, had either deteriorated or there was just too little left to be of much use.
The statement at the time was brief. It said the remains of ‘Baby John’ were exhumed by gardaí at Holy Cross Cemetery, Caherciveen, Co Kerry.
They were then taken to the morgue at University Hospital Kerry, Tralee, for examination, “as part of the ongoing investigation”.
The statement read: “The exhumation commenced at first light and was conducted on foot of a ministerial order granted in accordance with the Coroner’s Act 1962, as amended.
“The exhumation was conducted by gardaí, a forensic anthropologist, and personnel from Kerry County Council and the Health Service Executive.
“The remains of Baby John have been reinterred at Holy Cross Cemetery.”
Fr Liam Kelly was called to ‘Baby John’s’ graveside after the baby’s remains were laid to rest for a second time.
“I was asked to say prayers at the graveside,” Fr Kelly told the at the time.
“We had a small number present.
“It was all done very discreetly, at about 4pm in the afternoon.” Asked how he felt, given the significance of what he was doing, he added: “This was all before my time.
“I didn’t ask any questions, because it’s all very sensitive.”
Sources told the that gardaí did not have a suspect in mind at the time.
There may, however, have been another reason why detectives needed new DNA and that is the Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence and DNA Database System) Act, 2014.
This grants gardaí the power to compel people in a geographical area to give DNA, if gardaí have reasonable grounds for believing that mass screening could help the murder investigation.
To do that, you would need a significant amount of DNA.
The new DNA sample is likely to have been taken from either ‘Baby John’s’ pelvic plates or one — or both — of the petrous parts of the temporal bones in his ears.
These usually contain very well-preserved DNA.
A “significant” number of people from the town and surrounding area voluntarily gave samples during Garda investigations since a cold-case review was opened in 2018.