Police are questioning a 64-year-old woman today after the body of a baby was found in a suitcase in an attic and two other babies' bodies were believed to have been discovered in bags in the loft of another nearby house.
The pensioner, named locally as Anne Mahoney, was arrested yesterday in connection with the discovery of the body of the first infant in a property in Penyfan View, on the Gurnos estate of Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales, on March 20th.
She was arrested at her home in Forsythia Close on the same estate. South Wales Police searched the property and announced last night they had uncovered what they believed to be the bodies of two more babies.
Neighbours said they believed Mrs Mahoney may be either a retired nurse or a former social services worker and may have also lived at the property in Penyfan View at one time. Police were unable to confirm these details.
Officers guarded the two-bedroom terraced house in Forsythia Close overnight, just streets away from the property where the remains of the first infant were found. A police spokeswoman said yesterday: "The local woman is currently helping police with their inquiries at Merthyr police station.
"Following the arrest at her home in the Gurnos earlier today, and a subsequent search of the property, officers discovered what they believed to be the remains of two further infants, which were enclosed in bags in the attic."
The body of the first baby was discovered by a family when they first moved into the house in Penyfan View and were putting boxes in the attic. Police spent subsequent weeks tracing previous occupants of the property, which was built 10 years ago.
Officers also made appeals for the first baby's mother to come forward in their efforts to identify the child, whose gender is still unknown.
Police are now believed to be targeting every former address of Mrs Mahoney with a view to carrying out a full search of each premises.