Police re-open cold case toddler murders, offer $1 million reward

Police are offering a $1 million reward for information to help solve the murders of two toddlers who were killed years ago.

The money could go to anyone who provides key clues in the 2010 death of Lily Schettini or the 2004 death of Dylan Lindsay.

Schettini died after she was brutally struck in the head at her Adelaide, Australia, home, but authorities have yet to charge anyone due to a lack of evidence, the Daily Mail reports.

Schettini was discovered in her bed and unconscious in June 2010, and she did not respond to resuscitation attempts by paramedics.

Police have identified four suspects and believe at least one of them carried out the assault of the 18-month-old girl, according to Detective Senior Sergeant Mark McEachern.

On the day of her death, Schettini was with her mother, three of the mom’s friends and an older sister. The mother and a female friend left the home in the morning, leaving the baby with two male friends and the sister, the newspaper reports.

Schettini’s mother told police she didn’t see the girl in the morning because she “did not want to wake her.”

One of the two male friends then left the home at 11:30 a.m. and the sole remaining male friend said he found Schettini “unresponsive” in her bed at 12:30 p.m.

The head trauma Schettini endured could have occurred through an assault, shaking or even falling, according to McEachern, although he said he does not believe the girl fell.

The reward money also is for information about the unsolved death of another baby — Dylan Lindsay — who died in March 2004 just before his first birthday.

In that case, Lindsay was severely injured, also while in the care of babysitters. Lindsay’s heart was bruised, his ribs were broken and he had swelling in his brain.

 

Feature photo: South Australian Police