Operation Wistful / Baby Callum / Joanne Sharkey

A familial match had been identified on the National DNA Database after all this time. Finally, investigators would know who she was and who he was—the baby boy named after the woodland where he was found nearly three decades earlier…

*** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED *** 

This episode was researched and written by Eileen Macfarlane.

Edited by Joel Porter at Dot Dot Dot Productions.

Script editing, additional writing, illustrations and production direction by Rosanna Fitton.

Narration, additional audio editing and mixing, and script editing by Benjamin Fitton.

To get early ad-free access, including Season 1, sign up for They Walk Among PLUS, available from Patreon or Apple Podcasts.

MUSIC: 

Raindrops At Sea by Stephen Keech 

Azure by Alice in Winter 

As I Dream by Moments 

Breaking And Entering by Rhythm Scott 

Beyond The Bridge by Caleb Etheridge 

Creeper by Hill 

Rampant by CJ0 

When Love Travels Like a Rumor by Hill 

Blackstone by Lincoln Davis 

Ventures Call by Lincoln Davis 

Grim History by Lost Ghosts 

Reclaim by Michael Briguglio 

Memories Of Future Events by Hill 

Endless Night by Moments 

Fallen Sky by Moments 

The Choice Is Yours by Moments 

Those Lost by Moments 

What You’re Here For by Moments 

Selha by Stephen Keech 

Introspection by Shimmer 

Worth by Shimmer 

St Mary by Chelsea McGough And Stephen Keech 

After The Fall by Wicked Cinema 

Allied by Wicked Cinema 

No Escape by Wicked Cinema 

SOCIAL MEDIA: https://linktr.ee/TheyWalkAmongUs

REFERENCES: 

SENTENCING REMARKS

https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/R-v-Sharkey.pdf 

NEWSPAPER ARCHIVE

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175324671/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175325063/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/manchester-evening-news/175325168/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/175325186/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175325337/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175325371/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175325399/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/175325417/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent/175325438/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/175325453/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175325475/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/manchester-evening-news/175325490/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/175325514/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175458793/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/manchester-evening-news/175325536/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/175458802/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175458809/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/175458823/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/175458831/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175458843/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/manchester-evening-news/175458857/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/175458867/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/manchester-evening-news/175458880/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/175458891/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175458898/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175674486/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent/175458911/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/manchester-evening-news/175458925/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175458936/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/175458949/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/175458964/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175458975/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-mirror/175458984/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph/175458996/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian/175459008/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent/175459015/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent/175459042/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175460127/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175325553/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175460297/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/manchester-evening-news/175460320/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/175325572/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/manchester-evening-news/175460362/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175460373/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/175325597/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175325624/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/manchester-evening-news/175460411/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/175460420/

NEWSBANK

Independent, The (London, England), March 17, 1998

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), March 27, 1998

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), April 3, 1998

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), April 9, 1998

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), April 9, 1998

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), May 18, 1998

Independent, The (London, England), July 16, 1998

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), July 22, 1998

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), July 24, 1998

Daily Mirror, The (London, England), July 28, 1998

Independent on Sunday, The (London, England), August 2, 1998

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), August 8, 1998

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), September 18, 1998

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), January 8, 1999

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), March 5, 1999

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), May 21, 1999

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), July 30, 1999

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), November 26, 1999

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), March 10, 2000

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), November 2, 2000

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), January 17, 2002

Lancashire County Publications (England), March 8, 2002

Liverpool Echo (England), March 8, 2002

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications (England), March 12, 2003

Warrington Guardian (England), March 14, 2008

Daily Post (Liverpool, England), March 15, 2008

Liverpool Echo (England), March 15, 2008

Warrington Guardian (England), March 20, 2008

Warrington Guardian (England), September 17, 2009

St. Helens Star (England), September 23, 2009

Warrington Guardian (England), April 30, 2010

Warrington Guardian (England), March 14, 2018

Liverpool Echo: Web Edition Articles (England), March 14, 2021

Chester Chronicle: Web Edition Articles (England), March 14, 2022

Liverpool Echo: Web Edition Articles (England), March 15, 2022

Warrington Guardian (England), March 14, 2023

Chester Chronicle: Web Edition Articles (England), March 15, 2023

Manchester Evening News: Web Edition Articles (England), March 15, 2023

Birmingham Mail: Web Edition Articles (England), October 17, 2023

Guardian, The: Web Edition Articles (London, England), October 17, 2023

Warrington Guardian (England), March 14, 2024

Daily Mirror, The: Web Edition Articles (London, England), April 15, 2024

Daily Telegraph, The/The Sunday Telegraph: Web Edition Articles (London, England), April 15, 2024

Evening Standard: Web Edition Articles (London, England), April 15, 2024

Warrington Guardian (England), April 15, 2024

Evening Standard: Web Edition Articles (London, England), April 16, 2024

Warrington Guardian (England), April 16, 2024

Liverpool Echo: Web Edition Articles (England), April 17, 2024

Chester Chronicle: Web Edition Articles (England), April 18, 2024

Liverpool Echo: Web Edition Articles (England), April 23, 2024

Daily Mirror, The: Web Edition Articles (London, England), July 25, 2024

Liverpool Echo: Web Edition Articles (England), July 25, 2024

Liverpool Echo: Web Edition Articles (England), August 9, 2024

Warrington Guardian (England), October 18, 2024

Chester Chronicle: Web Edition Articles (England), March 6, 2025

Daily Mirror, The: Web Edition Articles (London, England), March 6, 2025

Guardian, The: Web Edition Articles (London, England), March 6, 2025

Liverpool Echo: Web Edition Articles (England), March 6, 2025

Macclesfield Express (England), March 6, 2025

Manchester Evening News: Web Edition Articles (England), March 6, 2025

Warrington Guardian (England), March 6, 2025

Liverpool Echo: Web Edition Articles (England), March 7, 2025

Liverpool Echo: Web Edition Articles (England), March 9, 2025

Daily Star: Web Edition Articles (England), March 21, 2025

Liverpool Echo: Web Edition Articles (England), March 21, 2025

Manchester Evening News: Web Edition Articles (England), March 21, 2025

Warrington Guardian (England), March 21, 2025

Daily Mirror, The: Web Edition Articles (London, England), March 22, 2025

Huddersfield Daily Examiner: Web Edition Articles (England), March 22, 2025

Chester Chronicle: Web Edition Articles (England), April 4, 2025

Daily Mirror, The (London, England), April 5, 2025

Daily Telegraph, The (London, England), April 5, 2025

Liverpool Echo (England), April 5, 2025

Times, The (London, England), April 5, 2025

Guardian, The (London, England), April 6, 2025

Daily Mirror, The: Web Edition Articles (London, England), May 8, 2025

ONLINE SOURCES

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-11937715#:~:text=Bernadette%20Quirk%2C%2055%2C%20formerly%20of,buried%20another%20in%20a%20cemetery.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/joanne-sharkey-updates-mum-who-31246748

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/updates-court-mum-who-killed-31345478?utm_source=mynewsassistant.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=embedded_search_item_desktop

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0jn8lkgdeo

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/joanne-sharkey-sentencing-live-mum-31349938

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/5303861.baby-callum-was-strangled-to-death/

https://www.dpassociates.uk.com/projects/gullivers-land-theme-park-milton-keynes/

https://www.warrington.gov.uk/brief-history-warrington

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/25063845.baby-callum-joanne-sharkey-sentenced-manslaughter-baby/

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/apr/06/how-mystery-of-baby-callum-death-came-to-an-end