Baby’s body found in Wellington Street home
Two people believed to be the parents who were squatting in the house are charged
Hamilton police have recovered the body of a dead baby buried in a Wellington Street North home.
The child was found around 5 p.m. on Thursday under a portion of soil in the basement of 104 Wellington St. N., near Wilson Street, police said.
The cause of death is unknown. It is unclear when the baby was buried.
Det.-Sgt. Jim Callender of the major crime unit said a postmortem examination will be conducted in the coming days.
The coroner’s office has been called in to investigate.
“This is a tragic scenario that’s gone on here, one that no police officer or individual wants to come across,” Callender told reporters standing outside 104 Wellington on Thursday afternoon.
Callender said the baby was “a newborn” but could not provide a specific age.
Police have arrested and charged two people who they believe to be the infant’s parents.
Nathan O’Brien, 34, and Winnie Ensor, 24, both of Hamilton, have been charged with criminal negligence causing death and interfering with a dead body.
The three-storey brick, semidetached home is vacant, and neighbours said it and its neighbouring house have issues with squatters. Inside the home, drywall can be seen ripped off the walls.
Many windows are covered up.
Callender said O’Brien and Ensor were unlawfully dwelling in the home and are “transient in nature.”
A motive in the victim’s death is undetermined.
The investigation began shortly after midnight on Wednesday, when police received a report from a community member about a baby buried at the residence.
Callender said the community member was “aware of what occurred” before alerting authorities.
It took some time Wednesday before police secured a warrant and were able to get inside the building to begin to look for evidence.
The police forensic unit and investigators from the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service could be seen carrying shovels, rakes, dust pans, pails, sifting tools and brushes into the home and lights were visible from people working inside the basement.
According to property and corporation records, the home is owned by an Ontario numbered company registered to a Mississauga address. The Spectator was not able to immediately reach a representative of the company.
Both 104 Wellington and the attached unit at 102, which has boarded-up windows, are vacant and have had issues with trespassers, neighbours told The Spectator.
They have lockboxes on their front doors and were both covered by police tape.
The police investigation is focused on 104.
Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Michael Ebert at 905-546-4167.
To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-8477 or crimestoppershamilton.com.