THE mystery of a bloodstained babygrow found near a Highland housing estate deepened last night after the discovery of a baseball cap marked with the same human DNA.
Police revealed yesterday that the adult-size hat was recovered following an appeal for information about the infant sleepsuit left lying on a footpath in Fort William two weeks ago.
Tests have revealed that the blood on both items is likely to be from the same person.
The cap was found by a member of public after a man was seen sitting on a wall in the Lundavra Road area of the Lochaber town on the day police believe the newborn-size babygrow was left on the path.
The locations are about a mile apart.
Last night, police urged the owner of the cap, or anyone who knows who he is, to contact them.
It is understood the hat was found near the bottom end of Lundavra road and people living in that area were shocked to hear about the latest development.
A major police investigation was launched after the white Next-brand babygrow was found near the Plantation Path in the Heathercroft area on Tuesday, March 11. Police inquiries revealed that it had been left on the path between the Plantation and Upper Achintore areas of the Lochaber town some time between 8am and 10.30pm on Monday, March 10.
The sleepsuit had a distinctive pattern of totem poles, native American-Indian boys, trees and clouds.
It was made for a baby aged 0-1 month and was sold in a pack of three assorted babygrows in 2010. It has not been available from Next since then.
Police checked on all children up to the age of three months in the Lochaber area and said they were all safe.
Detective Inspector Richard Baird said yesterday: “Following an earlier appeal in relation to the bloodstained babygrow, a member of the public responded to report he had heard a noise outside an address in Lundavra Road. A man had been seen sitting in a garden between 8pm and 9pm on March 10, where the following day a bloodstained adult-size baseball cap was found.”
The baseball cap was a dark grey Adidas Essentials one with three yellow stripes on the peak.
DI Baird said: “Following forensic examination, I can confirm that the DNA from the blood on the cap is the same as the DNA from the blood on the babygrow.
“It is assessed that this DNA has come from the man wearing the cap. I am appealing for the owner of the cap to come forward, or persons who may know who he is, to contact the police so that we can establish how he came about the injury.
“There could be a number of explanations of how this man came to be injured and police are keeping an open mind regarding this.”
Hotel manager Gary Phillips, 42, who lives in Lundavra Road, said: “It was quite a big thing when the babygrow was found. Everyone was talking about it.
“People were thinking it was a murder of a young baby, then everything went quiet and people started saying it was probably someone who had been involved in a fight or cut themselves and used the babygrow to wipe up the blood.
“It’s all a bit of a mystery, especially with the discovery of the baseball cap.”
Single parent Donald MacDougall, 37, also of Lundavra Road, said: “I heard about the babygrow and thought there must be an innocent explanation.
“Finding the cap here makes it a bit more worrying. It’s all a bit strange.”
Another local woman described the discovery of the baseball cap as a “worrying development”.
She said: “I don’t really know what to think. It’s all a bit scary.”
Police have urged anyone with information to contact them on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.