Case 338: The Folbigg Children (Part 1/2)

Key Takeaways

• •

  Caleb Folbigg died at nineteen days old

  “The ambulance officers told the clearly devastated parents to hold their baby boy one last time while declaring the likely cause of his death to be sudden infant death syndrome, commonly known as SIDS. SIDS, which is sometimes referred to as cot death, is not technically a cause of death, but is the term used for the unexpected death of an otherwise healthy baby when no other cause can be found.”

• •

  Patrick Folbigg suffered life-threatening breathing issues

  “Craig threw off his covers and raced into Patrick's room. Kathleen was standing over the cot, screaming. Patrick was lying on his back with his eyes closed, his lips blue, and his body limp. Craig scooped him up and yelled at Kathleen to call an ambulance. He held the infant to his ear, and to his great relief, he could hear the faintest sound of laboured breathing.”

• •

  Medical experts initially blamed Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

  “Caleb's autopsy didn't explain his death. The forensic pathologist found him to be well nourished, well developed, and well cared for. There were no signs of injury, no obstructions in his airways, and no evidence that his floppy larynx played any role in his passing. With nothing else to attribute it to, the pathologist confirmed that Caleb Folbigg had died from SIDS.”

• •

  Kathleen Folbiggs foster background influenced her motherhood

  “Having been raised in a foster family herself, she viewed family as the most important thing in life and she shared Craig's dreams of having children. The two fell head over heels in love and by 1988 they were married and living in their first home, a two bedroom weatherboard house in the northwestern Newcastle suburb of Mayfield.”

• •

  Multiple infant deaths raised eventual criminal suspicion

  “A panic-stricken woman was on the other line. Um, my baby's not breathing, she exclaimed. The operator asked how old the baby was. Twenty months, the woman replied, her voice bordering on hysterical. The operator asked the woman if she knew what was wrong with her baby. I've had three go already, the woman said.”

Episode Description

[Part 1 of 2] *** Content warning: child victims *** Married couple Craig and Kathleen Folbigg wanted nothing more than to be parents. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, Kathleen gave birth to four children—Caleb, Patrick, Sarah and Laura—but tragically, none of them survived past their second birthdays. While each death was initially attributed to natural causes, the question started to emerge – had Kathleen done something to harm her children? --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Elsha McGill Production & music – Mike Migas Audio editing – Anthony Telfer Sign up for Casefile Premium: Apple Premium Spotify Premium Patreon For all credits and sources, please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-338-the-folbigg-children-part-1-2 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.