Cairns house examined in baby death case

A Cairns house is being forensically examined as police search for evidence in relation to the gruesome death of a newborn baby more than two decades ago.

A crime scene was established at the home on Cochrane Street in Mooroobool on Thursday, four days after the baby boy's mother was charged with his manslaughter.

The infant's mutilated body was found in the driveway of a home on nearby Hayward Street on May 4, 1996.

The search of the Cochrane Street property comes after police arrested and charged the baby's mother, Maria Lena Raymond, over his death on Sunday.

Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Adrian Worth said investigations showed Raymond had once lived at the address.

He said police were hopeful their search would uncover some evidence despite the historic nature of the case.

"It (investigation) is 20 years old - methods and technologies have improved obviously significantly in that time," he told reporters outside the house.

"We wouldn't be here if we didn't think there was some chance of us finding something."

Those currently living at the home were "shocked" but had been co-operative, he added.

Raymond, 43, is also facing charges of misconduct with regards to a corpse and concealing the birth of a child.

She was granted bail when she appeared in the Cairns Magistrates Court on Monday.

Police have said a DNA test had positively identified Raymond as the mother of the child.

A $250,000 reward for information is still on offer.