The remains of an 18-month-old boy were found buried in a back garden by police investigating a disappearance. The body had been buried for over a decade, according to the force
A toddler’s remains have been discovered buried in a back garden by police officers investigating a disappearance.
Police uncovered the body, which had been there for more than a decade, following six hours of digging. The devastating find of the 18-month-old boy was made at the property in Melbourne, Australia, reports the Mirror.
The child was found in a ‘grave’ merely 50cm below ground at the Brookfield residence, according to 7 News.
It’s thought the remains belong to a youngster who resided at the address with his two siblings in 2014, before the family departed overseas, possibly to Albania. The tot wasn’t reported as missing at the time, but Melton Crime Investigation Unit launched a probe into his disappearance earlier this year.
The property’s current occupant was informed by officers that they suspected a body might be buried just metres from his rear entrance. This revelation stunned the resident and the broader community.
He remarked: “Something like this is not supposed to happen but it’s happened 14 years ago. Something very bad. Very terrible.”
Victoria Police emphasised that the present owners have no link to the investigation or the former occupants of the house.
The force also confirmed that the remains are yet to be officially identified, though it’s understood they received a tip-off from a family member of the toddler who could no longer keep the information secret. The police said in a statement: “On Monday, 8 December, with assistance from the Missing Persons Squad, Australian Federal Police, Major Crime Scene Unit and the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, the property was searched.
“A preliminary excavation of the area uncovered the yet to be formally identified human remains around 1:30pm. The coroner has been advised and a post-mortem will occur in due course.
“The Missing Persons Squad will now assume primacy of the investigation which remains ongoing.”
It remains unclear whether officials have contacted Albanian authorities, though Australia maintains an extradition agreement with the Balkan nation.
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