Daily Mail
· collected 2026-10-07 · by Gethin Hicks, Katherine Lawton
The cause of death of a three-month-old girl who passed away on a camping trip with her family 'remains unascertained', an inquest heard.
asserted
inquest → pass → family
Lacey May Oxford died after going into cardiac arrest inside one of a number of tents next to a fishing pond near Great Wyrley, Staffordshire, at 8.45am on September 5.
Her death sparked a murder investigation, with four people subsequently arrested and released on conditional police bail.
uncertain
people → die → bail
The suspects included a 42-year-old man and 30-year-old woman from South Staffordshire, a 20-year-old woman from Wolverhampton and an 18-year-old man from Walsall, West Midlands.
asserted
suspects → include → Walsall
As police continue a probe, an inquest opened into Lacey's death in Stoke on Wednesday heard that her cause of death is 'yet to be ascertained'.
asserted
cause → continue → death
It was heard that West Midlands Ambulance Service phoned Staffordshire Police at 8.45am on September 5, with the infant pronounced dead at 9.06am.
asserted
infant → hear → 9.06am
Coroner Lindsay Tonks said: 'Lacey passed away in a tent in fields off Strawberry Lane, Great Wyrley.
asserted
Lacey → say → Lane
Identification was confirmed by her parents who were both present at the scene.
asserted
who → confirm → scene
It was reported that a three-month-old child was in cardiac arrest at a makeshift encampment within the woodland off Strawberry Lane, approximately half-a-mile from the nearest roadway.
asserted
child → report → roadway
The child was located within one of a number of tents situated near a fishing pond.
asserted
child → locate → pond
A three-month-old baby girl died after she was found in cardiac arrest in a tent near Great Wyrley, Staffordshire, at 8.45am on September 5
Vehicles from Staffordshire Police are pictured at the scene
'
asserted
Vehicles → die → scene
Ambulance staff attended and, following assessment, confirmed Lacey was deceased.
asserted
Lacey → attend → assessment
They pronounced life extinct on the scene at 9.06am.'
asserted
life → pronounce → 9.06am
She added: 'Investigations ensued by police, which I understand are still ongoing.
asserted
I → add → police
In the meantime, there has been a paediatric forensic post-mortem carried out by Charlotte Randall.
asserted
mortem → carry → Randall
It was determined that the precise medical cause of death is yet to be ascertained.'
asserted
cause → determine → death
Lacey's family previously released a statement via Chase TV, thanking the community for its concern.
asserted
family → release → concern
They said the youngster had been with her family, who had joined the baby's grandfather for a night of fishing at a pond.
asserted
who → say → pond
The family said: 'We as a family appreciate the community concerns and well wishes for this tragic event that happened where the children and parents joined grandad for a night fishing at the pond.
asserted
children → say → pond
'As everyone can understand it is a traumatic time for everyone involved and we would ask for some privacy at this difficult time without speculation while Staffordshire Police do their job, as we as a family don't even know the details or circumstances ourselves.'
asserted
we → understand → details
Detective Inspector Josh Lee, from the force's child protection team, said previously: 'I want to assure the local community that we are working around the clock to investigate the circumstances of this tragic incident, which has understandably caused concern.
'
asserted
which → say → concern
While we can confirm that all four people have been arrested on suspicion of murder, we are still working hard to obtain further evidence and we are keeping an open mind as to the circumstances of the death at this very early stage, which we are treating as an isolated incident.
asserted
we → confirm → incident
'While we fully understand that speculation into the nature of this incident is likely to take place, we'd ask people to follow this page for factual, accurate updates as our investigation unfolds and to avoid sharing unconfirmed and speculative claims online.'
uncertain
investigation → understand → claims
A statement from Staffordshire Police read: 'We were called by colleagues from West Midlands Ambulance Service, who were responding to a report of a child in cardiac arrest, at 8.45am on Saturday 5 September.
asserted
who → read → Saturday
'Sadly, Lacey was later pronounced dead at the scene.
asserted
Lacey → pronounce → scene
Officers have been working hard to investigate the circumstances of Lacey's death, which is still being treated as unexplained.
asserted
which → work → death
'All four people who were previously arrested in connection with the investigation remain on conditional police bail at this time.
asserted
who → arrest → time
Our enquiries are continuing and we will continue to provide updates on this investigation when we are able to do so.'
asserted
we → continue → investigation
The Aporia
