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Bodies exhumed in care home inquiry
Last updated at 10:07am on 06.06.07Police investigating the deaths of seven elderly care home residents exhumed the first of three bodies last night.
The remains of Nellie Mary Pickford were removed from a graveyard for a postmortem examination to be carried out.
It will look for the presence of any poisonous substances.
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Mary Pickford's coffin is taken away from the graveyard
A team overseen by a Home Office pathologist was began the exhumation from within a sealed tent in Glastonbury cemetery, Somerset, at around midnight.
It was understood that a vicar attended to say prayers during the exhumation, which was understood to have lasted three hours. Mrs Pickford lived at the Parkfields Residential Care Home at Butleigh, near Glastonbury, when she died last year at the age of 89.
The bodies of two other former residents will be exhumed over the next five weeks.
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Preparations take place to exhume Nellie Mary Pickford's body
The decision to carry out a triple exhumation follows the arrest earlier this year of nurse Rachel Baker, 42, and her 48-year- old husband Leigh, a chef, on suspicion of administering a noxious substance.
The couple, who had run the home since 1988, have been questioned and bailed twice pending further inquiries into seven deaths there.
The remains of Nellie Mary Pickford will be removed from a graveyard in Glastonbury
The results of a post-mortem examination on January 8 have not been made public, but the case was handed to the Coroner's Office in Frome and an inquest was opened and adjourned on January 11.
The body of Mrs Cox remains in a mortuary.
Detective Superintendent Trevor Simpson, who is leading the investigation, said exhumations could not take place in the other three cases because the bodies had been cremated.
He said yesterday: "Exhumation is a very drastic step and we have had to consider long and hard as to whether it is necessary.
"We've consulted with the coroner and, probably most importantly, spoken at length with the family.
"They are very distressed but fully understand we need to take this course of action to gain a full picture of what has gone on at Parkfields.
"The post-mortem will be conducted looking for the cause of death and achieving samples for analysis.
"Hopefully then within three days the family can conduct a private burial and Mrs Pickford can be returned to her resting place.'
The other two exhumations will take place in Butleigh next Tuesday and in nearby Kingweston on July 10.
Police will not reveal the identities of the bodies until the digging begins.
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Nellie Mary Pickford: was a resident at the Parkfields Residential Care Home
Mr Simpson would not comment on whether any other deaths at the home were being examined, but said further exhumations were "extremely unlikely at this stage".
Police began erecting forensic tents and lighting for the exhumation process yesterday morning, but the body of Mrs Pickford was not removed until late at night following Home Office guidelines.
It was taken to a local mortuary for examination before being reburied tomorrow.
News of the investigation did not emerge until March when the Commission for Social Care Inspection closed the home following a "significant deterioration" in conditions. The residents were found places elsewhere.
Parkfields has remained closed although it is now under new ownership.
