The unsolved national murder cases...

[Mayerling]

"Baby Hope"

Hi Stan,

There was a front page story in the New York Times today about the breaking of part of the case - the police have done a DNA match-up so they know "Baby Hope"'s real name. Soon they will releasing this information publicly, but not now. Reading between the lines, the father of the girl is the chief suspect, and his current whereabouts are not known. They are trying to track him down (in British police parlance, "to assist them in their inquiries"). So they are keeping a lid on this for awhile longer. Hopefully they will find him, and if he is alive and shown to be the killer they'll arrest him. From the article it seems "Baby Hope" had two surviving sisters, one older and one younger than she, and the younger one may have witnessed the killing (which makes one wonder why she was not killed off as well).

By the way, as a sidelight to this, "Baby Hope" was buried with a large tombstone (by the New York City Police Department - who adopted her) at St. Raymond's Cemetery. As you probably know, that cemetery is forever linked to another crime involving the murder of an infant. It was at St. Raymond's Cemetery that Charles Lindbergh met "John", the kidnapper, and gave him the ransom money for the return of Charles Lindbergh Jr. in 1932, just a few days before the baby's remains were found near the Lindbergh home in Hopewell, New Jersey.

Jeff

[sdreid]

Thanks for that reminder Jeff.

The New York Post reports that the girl's actual name was Angelica Ramirez.

[sdreid]

They are now saying she is Angelica Castillo-Ramirez 1987-1991.

Her cousin, Conrad Juarez, 52 and of NY, has been arrested and has confessed to killing the little girl during a sex act. Another cousin, Juarez's now deceased sister Balbena Ramirez, was also apparently involved in the crime although perhaps just after the fact. A Hispanic man and woman had been seen carrying a cooler near where Angelica's remains were found.

[Ginger]

They are now saying she is Angelica Castillo-Ramirez 1987-1991.

Her cousin, Conrad Juarez, 52 and of NY, has been arrested and has confessed to killing the little girl during a sex act.

How dreadful!

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

For me The Gatton Mystery undoubtedly...trouble unfortunately is that there is very little (almost nothing) on the internet regarding it.
regards

I came across a book on it many years ago, but only read the description of the case on the back cover.

I have just read the Wikipedia entry.

I have three questions:


(1) Why was no attempt made to match the bullets fired in the Gatton murders and the earlier murder - that of Alfred Stephen Hill - to the revolver found, near the work place of Theo Farmer, within eight years of the murder?

(2) What happened to the semen-stained clothing of the female victims?

(3) Why was the apparent suicide of Theo Farmer, who lived in a hut less than 1 km from the scene of the murder, within two years of the murders, not made public for about 18 years?

Like some other murder mysteries, the mystery about the Gatton murder case seems to be more about why the culprit was not unmasked rather than about his identity.