The Moors Murders

Introduction

Between 1963 and 1965, the disappearances of five children in and around Manchester, England, sparked one of the most intensive police investigations in British history. The eventual discovery of the crimes committed by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley shocked the nation. This account focuses on the meticulous police work that brought the perpetrators to justice and the legal proceedings that followed.

Background

Post-war Manchester was an industrial city undergoing significant change. Amidst this backdrop, Ian Brady, a stock clerk with a fascination for extreme political ideologies, and Myra Hindley, a typist, formed a partnership that would lead to tragic consequences. The couple operated with a disturbing degree of calculation, utilizing the vast, desolate expanse of Saddleworth Moor to conceal their crimes from authorities for years.

Timeline of Events

• July 12, 1963: The first disappearance occurs. 16-year-old Pauline Reade vanishes on her way to a dance.
• November 23, 1963: 12-year-old John Kilbride disappears from a market in Ashton-under-Lyme.
• June 16, 1964: 12-year-old Keith Bennett is reported missing while walking to his grandmother's house.
• December 26, 1964: 10-year-old Lesley Ann Downey disappears from a funfair in Ancoats.
• October 6, 1965: 17-year-old Edward Evans is killed. This event leads directly to the police alert and subsequent arrests.

Investigation and Evidence

The breakthrough came when Myra Hindley’s brother-in-law, David Smith, witness to the final crime, contacted the police. On October 7, 1965, Superintendent Bob Talbot led a raid on the couple's home on Wardle Brook Avenue. Police discovered incriminating evidence, including a luggage ticket that led them to suitcases containing photographs and tape recordings. These items were crucial in linking the couple to the missing children cases, transforming missing persons inquiries into a murder investigation.

Arrest and Trial

Ian Brady was arrested initially for the murder of Edward Evans. Ongoing searches of the moorland, assisted by the evidence found in the suitcases, led to the discovery of bodies buried in shallow graves. The trial began on April 19, 1966, at Chester Assizes. It was a landmark legal proceeding, notable for the introduction of the tape-recorded evidence. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, but the forensic and testimonial evidence presented by the prosecution was overwhelming.

Resolution

On May 6, 1966, the jury returned their verdicts. Ian Brady was found guilty of three murders, and Myra Hindley was found guilty of two murders and of being an accessory to the third. The death penalty had been suspended in the UK at the time (and was abolished shortly after), so both received concurrent life sentences. The judge, Mr. Justice Fenton Atkinson, described them as "two sadistic killers of the utmost depravity."

Impact and Legacy

The case had a profound and lasting impact on British society. It changed the way police handled missing persons reports and highlighted the need for better coordination between regional forces. The legacy of the case is also tied to the tireless campaigning of the victims' families, particularly Winnie Johnson, mother of Keith Bennett, whose body was never found. The "Moors Murders" remains a case study in forensic investigation and the psychology of criminal partnerships.

Sources

• The Moors Murders: The Full Story by Goodman and Cowan (1967).
• National Archives UK - Home Office Files.
• Trial Transcripts, Chester Assizes (1966).
• BBC News Archives (1965-present).

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