A £50,000 reward is on offer for information that finally solves the mystery of a baby girl whose body was found in a snow-covered park a year ago today.
The child, named Ava by officers, was discovered in Salford, Greater Manchester, by a female dog walker on November 20 last year.
Despite working ‘relentlessly’ to establish her identity or who buried her in a shallow grave, detectives have so far drawn a blank.
Even last month’s release of images of distinctive women’s underwear found wrapped around Ava’s body resulted in ‘no new viable leads’.
Now the massive reward has now been offered to mark the anniversary of the tragic discovery.
It has been funded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority – headed by mayor Andy Burnham – to ‘find answers and bring closure’.
The reward is for information leading to the identity of Baby Ava and the circumstances around how she came to be in the park, known as Ashtons Field.
Investigators believe her body had initially been buried in a shallow grave, but was disturbed by an animal, potentially foraging for food, and brought to the surface.
Her remains were discovered wrapped in a distinctive pair of ladies’ knickers, which could be key to locating her parents.
The pink and beige-coloured briefs, which are a female adult size large, include an unusual cartoon donkey pattern and are not manufactured in the UK.
It is possible they were worn by Ava’s mother during her pregnancy.
Although scientists have only been able to extract a male DNA profile from the underwear, they hope this could still provide a clue to Ava’s mother.
Launching the reward, lead investigator Detective Inspector Louise Kelly, of Greater Manchester Police, said: ‘Since Ava was discovered a year ago today, we have worked tirelessly to understand how she came to be in Ashtons Field deceased and get justice for her.
‘Last month, we were able to share that a piece of fabric recovered with Ava was a distinctive pair of ladies’ size large underwear with what believe are cartoon donkeys on.
‘Unfortunately, despite the unique nature of this piece of clothing, we have had no new viable leads.
‘We have had around 20 experts across various fields supporting our enquiries, followed up on over 200 pieces of information and distributed 1,000 leaflets to local communities.
‘Those residing in the surrounding area of where Ava was located should expect to see a greater police presence in the area around this anniversary, and may receive a knock on the door, as we continue to relentlessly pursue all possible avenues which could lead us to finding out what happened to her.’
Throughout the 12 months, police say they have continued to discover new pieces of information, but nothing so far has led to them identifying Ava or her parents.
They are appealing for her parents to come forward while anyone with information is encouraged to report it.
Det Insp Kelly added: ‘Today’s date will be a significant one for Ava’s parents and those who may have known her, and we have not lost hope in understanding the full circumstances of Ava’s death.
‘To Ava’s parents, if they see this, we are here ready to speak to you and support you.’
Kate Green, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: ‘Our thoughts remain with Baby Ava and those affected by this tragic case.
‘We are committed to supporting Greater Manchester Police in their efforts to find answers and bring closure.
‘This reward reflects our determination to encourage anyone with information to come forward and assist with the police with their investigation.’
Speaking on the BBC’s Crimewatch Live last month, Ms Kelly said: ‘We understand that Ava’s mum and dad, what they are going through is unimaginable.
‘We don’t know their personal circumstances or what they are dealing with.
‘We can’t ignore the criminality in this case, but there will be help and support for them.’
Several forensic experts, including a specialist anthropologist, archaeologist, botanist and entomologist, were enlisted by police to analyse Ava’s body, which was badly decomposed, to establish her age, ethnicity and how long she had been at park.
A dental expert concluded that she was born full term, between 38 to 39 weeks gestation.
Other tests established that her body had been kept elsewhere for a substantial period before being moved to the field sometime between a few hours and 20 days before she was found.
It is also thought her mother likely concealed her pregnancy.
However, the experts have not been able to establish exactly when she was born or if she was born alive.
She was found next to a shallow grave, around 14in square and 5in deep, which police believe had been disturbed by a badger, fox or large hunting bird around two days earlier.
Because Ava’s remains were found on top of a layer of snow, police say they must have been disturbed sometime after 6pm on November 18, when the snowfall began.
The discovery, close to a lay-by on the A5082 and the M61 motorway, prompted investigators to examine thousands of hours of footage from a nearby automatic number plate recognition camera to establish the movement of cars and other vehicles to and from the field between November 1 to November 20.
They have also carried out extensive house to house inquiries, as well as using familial DNA techniques to try and compare Ava’s DNA to that of people whose DNA is already stored on the police national computer.
But so far the identity of Ava’s mother – or father – remains a mystery.
Anyone with information is asked to contact GMP on 101 quoting log 1319 of 20/11/24.
