Foundling | Tortoise Investigates

On 6th October 1987, a newborn baby is found on the verge of a remote country lane in Suffolk. Police comb the area for clues and appeal for witnesses, but the mother is never found. The baby, Jess, is adopted. Journalist Lucy Greenwell has never forgotten the day when Jess was discovered. She was a child and lived nearby. For decades Lucy has wondered; what happened to Jess, and what could have driven a mother to leave her child in such an isolated place? When Lucy tracks Jess down, she finds a woman already deep in her own search for the truth, and a story far more tangled than either of them expected. What unfolds is a tale of long-held secrets and unintended consequences that spirals out of Jess’s control.

Foundling is a six-part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 for 50% off an annual digital subscription.

You'll get access to:

This series and all our podcasts before anyone else
Ad-free listening
A daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a week
Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword
Recipes for every occasion
Free tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online

Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for access to this series and ad-free listening to Observer podcasts.

Reporter - Lucy Greenwell

Producer - Katie Gunning

Original theme music - Tom Kinsella

Sound design and additional music - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Blythe Walker Sibthorp

Narrative editor - Gary Marshall

Editor - Jasper Corbett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Den här podcasten är hämtad från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Den kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(119)

Devil's breath | The Gas Man Ep 6

In the final episode of the series, is the 40-year game of cat-and-mouse nearly over?To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSu...

13 Juni 202437min

Truth serum | The Gas Man Ep 5

In this episode, Chloe looks into what happened to The Gas Man when he arrived back in Germany as a fugitive – and investigates whether his trade with Iran ever really endedTo find out more about Tort...

11 Juni 202439min

The other Gas Man | The Gas Man Ep 4

Chloe makes a startling discovery about another chemical trafficker that has consequences for her investigation. A Kurdish survivor of mustard gas shares her story.To find out more about Tortoise:Down...

6 Juni 202446min

The escape | The Gas Man Ep 3

The team persuades The Gas Man to step out from the shadows. He reveals the first big clue in the investigation to how he got away with it – and makes a surprising claim about his role in the caseTo f...

4 Juni 202442min

The sting | The Gas Man Ep 2

Special Agent Bass has his target in his sights but he’s on another continent. If he wants him to talk he’ll need a clever plan – and maybe a bit of luckTo find out more about Tortoise:Download the To...

28 Maj 202433min

The special agent | The Gas Man Ep 1

In the 1980s Special Agent Dennis Bass received a tip-off that changed the course of his career. 30 years on reporter Chloe Hadjimatheou sets out to solve the mystery of how an international fugitive ...

28 Maj 202433min

Introducing...The Gas Man

Introducing...The Gas Man It starts with a tip-off. It’s the late 1980s and US Special Agent Dennis Bass is warned about a shipment of suspicious chemicals headed to a secret destination. So he follow...

21 Maj 20243min

Who Trolled Amber: Live

"Misinformation, disinformation, and trolling campaigns are not just a celebrity story. They are everywhere. They affect how we see reality online."In a year when four billion people are heading to th...

20 Maj 20241min