Neighbors stunned after baby's corpse found buried in garden

Police in the small Gelderland border town of 's-Heerenberg disclosed that they found the remains of a baby in the garden of a home on Krokusstraat. A tent bearing the logo of the forensic investigation service was erected over a portion of the garden on Monday after authorities received a tip that the young child was buried there.

The remains were found later that afternoon. "The police are investigating the circumstances, identity and cause of death," the police said. Authorities said no further details would be disclosed while the investigation was ongoing. Officers did not say if any suspects were in custody.

A man and his female partner were living at the home recently, the man's father told De Gelderlander. He would not say if the baby found was the couple's child. "I have no idea. I can't say it, and I don't want to talk about it," he said.

The couple split up last week. When police arrived at the home on Monday morning, his son went to stay with his father. "My son is not suspected," he told the newspaper that night.

Broadcaster Omroep Gelderland said a reporter spoke with a male resident of the home who said he spoke with police but was not considered a suspect in a crime.

A neighbor confirmed to De Gelderlander that the residents had been fighting for most of the last year, and that one loud argument three months ago included the sound of glass shattering. "It was often like that, but this remains very shocking. How can you have such crooked thoughts in your head?” she wondered.

The local mayor, Peter de Baat of the Montferland municipality, said he wanted to sit down with those living in the area next week to discuss the case further but asked that people "wait patiently for the police investigation" to develop.