Baby foetus found in freezer of inner-west home

A recorded prison phone call was the catalyst for police discovering a baby foetus in a bag in the freezer of a Marrickville home last week.

A baby’s foetus was discovered in a bag in the freezer of a home on Fraser Street, Marrickville. Picture: Google Maps

A recorded prison phone call was the catalyst for police discovering a baby’s foetus in a bag in the freezer of a home in Sydney’s inner west last week.

Detectives made the shocking find after their investigations led them to a home on Frazer St in Marrickville on Thursday, where they executed a search warrant.

There, inside a freezer, detectives located a bag containing a child’s remains.

Police sources said mortified corrective services staff had tipped them off after listening to a recorded jail phone call, in which an inmate and a woman on the outside were heard talking about the remains being stored in the freezer – only for officers to raid the home and find exactly what had been discussed.

The foetus was discovered in Frazer St. Picture: Google Maps

It is understood the home the remains were found at was not that of the child’s mother.

Despite initially launching a Strike Force to investigate the incident, it is understood because of the foetus’ age – which was still in the first trimester – police are no longer investigating the matter and are instead focused on providing the child’s mother with necessary support.

“Officers from Inner West Police Area Command and the State Crime Command’s Homicide

Squad established a crime scene at a home on Frazer Street, Marrickville yesterday, as part of inquiries under Strike Force Canfield,” a NSW Police spokesman said in a statement.

“After executing a warrant at the home, detectives located a bag in the freezer containing what is believed to be a foetus.

“A crime scene was established, and the foetus was taken to Glebe Morgue for further examination.

The foetus begins to form eight weeks after conception. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

“Following examination, police have been advised the foetus is less than 20 weeks gestation. There is no further police investigation, with the appropriate referrals being made.”

The Daily Telegraph understands police are investigating if the foetus is linked to the discovery of a placenta and umbilical cord by the banks of the Cooks River at Earlwood last May.

The two locations where the foetus was found last week, and the placenta and umbilical cord last year, are less than five minutes apart.

One police source said early investigations suggested the two were likely not linked, but conclusive testing results were yet to be returned.

NSW Police officers attached to Burwood Police Area Command launched a major investigation into the Cooks River incident last year and made multiple public appeals for information, but are understood to have yet to find the mother or her child.

Originally published as Baby foetus found in freezer of inner-west home