9 February 2006
BABY FOUND DEAD IN A DITCH
Missing baby's body found in ditch ½mile from home
POLICE searching for a missing six-month-old baby last night found the body of a child in a ditch half a mile from his home.
The disappearance of Troy Simpson - believed snatched from his cot - is being treated as murder.
Police said last night: "We can confirm that police searching for missing baby Troy Simpson have recovered the body of a young child from a culvert.
"The identity of the child is not yet known. The death is being treated as suspicious. Inquiries continue.
"Four people - two men and two women - remain in custody in connection with the inquiry."
Troy's mother, Danielle, 17, her mother, Teresa Simpson, and Danielle's boyfriend, Sherwain Smith, 20, were among the four people being quizzed by police.
Troy vanished overnight on Monday after being put to bed by Danielle at around 9.15pm and left in the care of his grandmother in the family home.
Danielle went to see Sherwain, who lives in a flat nearby. Teresa raised the alarm on Tuesday morning, saying she had woken at six to find Troy gone.
Yesterday detectives sealed off wasteland half a mile from Troy's home in Smethwick, near Birmingham. Officers with photographic and video gear moved in and a scene-of-crime unit was brought in.
Earlier officers had pleaded for householders living near the family home to search their gardens for the missing boy. At that time Det Supt Andy Bebbington, leading the hunt, said: "I hope Troy is alive but I must accept the possibility that he is dead."
He said of the baby: "Troy is six months old and has short black curly hair. When he was in bed he was wearing a blue Tigger jumpsuit. He has a gold bracelet on one wrist and a silver bracelet on the other."
Detectives say they believe he was snatched by someone close to the family because there were no signs of a break-in at the three-bedroom semi-detached house.
Neighbours in the street spoke of their shock. Alan Higgs, 40, who lived next door, said: "The first I knew was when I returned home from work and found swarms of police milling about.
"The mother of the boy who was taken is only young herself
"I knew the family to say 'hello' to and they seem nice, everyday people." Pub landlady Lisa Parker, 36, who runs the Old Chapel opposite the family home, said: "I'm devastated because Danielle is such a nice girl. She left school to give birth.
"Danielle doesn't work - she stays at home and looks after Troy.
"He has always seemed well fed and tidy and when they go out he's well wrapped up. I am devastated. He is such a lovely little thing."
She said mother-of-three Teresa, who also has two grown-up sons, worked locally as a cleaner.
Police probing Troy's disappearance visited Sherwain's third-floor, one-bedroom flat.
Speaking from her terrace home in Smethwick, Pamela Smith, mum of Sherwain, said: "Sherwain does not know if he is the father and he didn't even know Danielle was pregnant.
"When the baby was born she told him that the baby looked like him but said that she was going out with another guy at the time.
"I told my son to get a DNA test but he didn't. I don't know anything about what has happened to the baby."
Neighbour Naomi Jackson, 16, said: "I used to live next door to Sherwain. He has had a difficult time in his life."
Troy's birth certificate shows he was born on July 31 and registered as Troy Mickyle Anthony Simpson. The section for the father's details are blank.
r.chaytor@mirror.co.uk
BABY FOUND DEAD IN A DITCH
Missing baby's body found in ditch ½mile from home
POLICE searching for a missing six-month-old baby last night found the body of a child in a ditch half a mile from his home.
The disappearance of Troy Simpson - believed snatched from his cot - is being treated as murder.
Police said last night: "We can confirm that police searching for missing baby Troy Simpson have recovered the body of a young child from a culvert.
"The identity of the child is not yet known. The death is being treated as suspicious. Inquiries continue.
"Four people - two men and two women - remain in custody in connection with the inquiry."
Troy's mother, Danielle, 17, her mother, Teresa Simpson, and Danielle's boyfriend, Sherwain Smith, 20, were among the four people being quizzed by police.
Troy vanished overnight on Monday after being put to bed by Danielle at around 9.15pm and left in the care of his grandmother in the family home.
Danielle went to see Sherwain, who lives in a flat nearby. Teresa raised the alarm on Tuesday morning, saying she had woken at six to find Troy gone.
Yesterday detectives sealed off wasteland half a mile from Troy's home in Smethwick, near Birmingham. Officers with photographic and video gear moved in and a scene-of-crime unit was brought in.
Earlier officers had pleaded for householders living near the family home to search their gardens for the missing boy. At that time Det Supt Andy Bebbington, leading the hunt, said: "I hope Troy is alive but I must accept the possibility that he is dead."
He said of the baby: "Troy is six months old and has short black curly hair. When he was in bed he was wearing a blue Tigger jumpsuit. He has a gold bracelet on one wrist and a silver bracelet on the other."
Detectives say they believe he was snatched by someone close to the family because there were no signs of a break-in at the three-bedroom semi-detached house.
Neighbours in the street spoke of their shock. Alan Higgs, 40, who lived next door, said: "The first I knew was when I returned home from work and found swarms of police milling about.
"The mother of the boy who was taken is only young herself
"I knew the family to say 'hello' to and they seem nice, everyday people." Pub landlady Lisa Parker, 36, who runs the Old Chapel opposite the family home, said: "I'm devastated because Danielle is such a nice girl. She left school to give birth.
"Danielle doesn't work - she stays at home and looks after Troy.
"He has always seemed well fed and tidy and when they go out he's well wrapped up. I am devastated. He is such a lovely little thing."
She said mother-of-three Teresa, who also has two grown-up sons, worked locally as a cleaner.
Police probing Troy's disappearance visited Sherwain's third-floor, one-bedroom flat.
Speaking from her terrace home in Smethwick, Pamela Smith, mum of Sherwain, said: "Sherwain does not know if he is the father and he didn't even know Danielle was pregnant.
"When the baby was born she told him that the baby looked like him but said that she was going out with another guy at the time.
"I told my son to get a DNA test but he didn't. I don't know anything about what has happened to the baby."
Neighbour Naomi Jackson, 16, said: "I used to live next door to Sherwain. He has had a difficult time in his life."
Troy's birth certificate shows he was born on July 31 and registered as Troy Mickyle Anthony Simpson. The section for the father's details are blank.
r.chaytor@mirror.co.uk