AN INVESTIGATION FILE into the death of a newborn baby boy in Co Kerry in 1984 has been submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

It follows the 2023 arrest of a man and a woman in connection with the baby’s death.

Named by the local undertaker as Baby John, the infant was discovered on the beach at White Strand, Caherciveen on 14 April 1984. The baby had 28 stab wounds.

A Kerry woman who lived some 75km away from Caherciveen, Joanne Hayes, had given birth to a baby at the same time Baby John was born, and was wrongfully accused of being the mother of the murdered child.

Unbeknownst to gardaí at the time, her own baby had died and was buried on the family farm.

She was arrested and confessed to the murder, but later withdrew her confession, citing coercion from investigating detectives.

In 2018, DNA testing proved she was not the mother of the murdered infant and she received a state apology. 

The parents and murderer of Baby John were never identified.

In 2021, the remains of Baby John were exhumed for the purpose of gathering more DNA evidence. Two people – a man in his 60s and a woman in her 50s – were arrested in 2023 in connection with his death and were released without charge, with gardaí saying a file would be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

In a short statement today, gardaí said its Kerry division had carried out an “extensive investigation” into the discovery of Baby John’s body in 1984.

“An Garda Síochána can confirm that an investigation file has been submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

“An Garda Síochána has no further comment at this time.”