An investigation was launched, but police have not yet been able to identify the child or its family.<\/p>\n
Funeral held for stillborn baby found on Marlborough roadside<\/p>\n
Checkpoint<\/p>\n
Baby Doe was laid to rest in a small white casket adorned with flowers, beneath an unnamed memorial plaque that read: “Every life that ever forms, touches the world in some small way, for all eternity.”<\/p>\n
The service was held at the children’s memorial area at Fairhall Cemetery, near Blenheim.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4JKQJDS_The_funeral_service_for_Baby_Doe_at_Fairhall_Cemetery_near_Blenheim_was_attended_by_police_i.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
The funeral service for Baby Doe at Fairhall Cemetery, near Blenheim, was attended by police, iwi and members of the public.<\/p>\n
RNZ \/ Samantha Gee<\/p>\n
Police chaplain John Etheredge, who led the service, said while the circumstances were “tragic and traumatic”, it was important to show love and respect for the young life.<\/p>\n
“It will bring closure to those that are involved in it to a degree and it also puts it out there to hopefully to the mother and her family that people are caring about her.”<\/p>\n
He said many in the community had gone out of their way to show support for the baby and its family.<\/p>\n
“We don’t know what’s happened with mum and how much agony it was to go through and to to lose the child, that must be terrible and quite traumatic,” Etheredge said.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4KVHTM5_The_Wairau_Bar_is_one_of_New_Zealand_s_most_important_archaeological_sites_recognised_as_one.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Wairau Bar Road, where the infant’s body was found.<\/p>\n
RNZ \/ Samantha Gee<\/p>\n
Iwi, police and members of the public were at the service, with some travelling from Nelson to mark their respects.<\/p>\n
Ng\u0101ti R\u0101rua representative Barney Thomas said a karakia and told those gathered: “This is our baby, belongs to all of us.”<\/p>\n
Detective Sergeant Jason Hillgrove said the baby was near full-term when he was stillborn, he appeared to have been cared for and was wrapped up when he was found.<\/p>\n
“We’ve been endeavouring to try and identify who the mother is because our main concern through this investigation is to make sure that she’s okay.<\/p>\n
“We would really love to find out who she is so we can put a name to the baby, but also make sure that her welfare and mental health is looked after.”<\/p>\n
![\"Detective](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4JKQJNP_Detective_Hannah_McCabe_and_Detective_Constable_Paul_Beckett_who_were_among_the_first_on_the.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Detective Hannah McCabe and Detective Constable Paul Beckett, who were among the first on the scene, lower Baby Doe’s casket at his funeral service.<\/p>\n
RNZ \/ Samantha Gee<\/p>\n
Hillgrove said not knowing the boy’s identity raised questions over how to appropriately lay him to rest.<\/p>\n
“With the help of Sowman’s [Funerals], the decision was made that we really need to have a service to allow the community to come together in grief for this little baby.”<\/p>\n
Two of the police officers first on the scene – Detective Hannah McCabe and Detective Constable Paul Beckett – also travelled with the baby to its post mortem in Christchurch, and Beckett read a poem at the service, before lowering the casket into the ground.<\/p>\n
“Most of the police involved in this inquiry, we’re parents too, so we’ve all been touched by this,” Hillgrove said.<\/p>\n
“This baby did belong to someone for nine months and that’s the person we really want to find.”<\/p>\n
![\"Iwi,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4JKQKAN_Iwi_police_and_members_of_the_public_at_a_funeral_service_for_the_stillborn_baby_found_on_Wa.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Iwi, police and members of the public at a funeral service for the stillborn baby found on Wairau Bar Road on 19 May, that has not yet been identified.<\/p>\n
RNZ \/ Samantha Gee<\/p>\n
Marlborough mayor Nadine Taylor said it was important to honour Baby Doe in a proper memorial service.<\/p>\n
“Somewhere there’s a mother and a family, a whanau that’s grieving for the loss of this baby and it was important that we came together as a community to be here on behalf of that family and to acknowledge Baby Doe.”<\/p>\n
Sowman’s Funerals donated its time to make the service happen, with Mayflower Studio donating flowers and Artisan Memorials donating the plaque.<\/p>\n
“Many parts of the community have contributed to this service, come together to make sure that the funeral is as it should be, is as it would be for any other much loved baby and that’s been really important to the Marlborough community.”<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4JKQGDF_A_plaque_on_the_grave_of_Baby_Doe_a_stillborn_boy_discovered_on_the_side_of_the_Wairau_Bar_R.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
A plaque on the grave of Baby Doe, a stillborn boy discovered on the side of the Wairau Bar Road in Marlborough, on 19 May.<\/p>\n
RNZ \/ Samantha Gee<\/p>\n
The plot at Fairhall Cemetery was donated by the Marlborough District Council, with Baby Doe buried among other children.<\/p>\n
Sowman’s Funerals manager Chelsea Brown said it was important that the baby had a final resting place, with a simple plaque, that people were able to visit.<\/p>\n
“It’s someone’s baby and it’s a life that needs to be represented.”<\/p>\n
![\"Flowers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4JKQGDP_Flowers_from_the_Children_s_Commissioner_on_the_grave_of_the_stillborn_baby_found_in_Marlbor.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Flowers from the Children’s Commissioner on the grave of the stillborn baby found in Marlborough, named Baby Doe.<\/p>\n
RNZ \/ Samantha Gee<\/p>\n
Flowers sent by the Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad were also placed on the grave.<\/p>\n
“T\u0113n\u0101 koe p\u0113pi, moe mai r\u0101, moe mai r\u0101, moe mai r\u0101,” the card attached to them read.<\/p>\n
“Although you didn’t have the chance to experience this world, we mourn for you, and will remember you, and we send our love to your m\u0101m\u0101.<\/p>\n
“Rest now, with the stars.”<\/p>\n
Police are waiting on further forensic information and said the case will remain open until the baby is identified.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A stillborn boy discovered on the side of the road in Marlborough has been laid to rest at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":549350,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[111,43,139,69],"class_list":["post-549349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=549349"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549349\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/549350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=549349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=549349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=549349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}