The partnership between Myra Hindley and Ian Brady produced a sequence of child abductions and murders across the Saddleworth Moor and surrounding areas of Greater Manchester between July 1963 and October 1965.
Hindley, then in her early twenties, assisted Brady in targeting young victims who vanished without immediate trace. The crimes remained undetected for several years until a single witness statement prompted a major police operation. Five children lost their lives: Pauline Reade, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans.
Contemporary records and later confessions established the methodical nature of the offences. Hindley drove the vehicle used in several abductions and participated directly in the disposal of bodies on the moor. The case continues to shape discussions of accomplice liability and the long-term effects of such crimes on affected families.
Background
Myra Hindley was born in Crumpsall, Manchester, in July 1942. She grew up in a working-class household and left school at sixteen to take clerical employment. In January 1961 she met Ian Brady at the Millwards chemical company where both worked. Brady introduced her to his interest in Nazi literature and sadistic writings. Their relationship developed rapidly into a shared commitment to criminal acts.
Brady had already formed plans for what he termed “perfect murders.” Hindley supplied practical support, including access to a vehicle and a place to store evidence. The couple moved to a house on Wardle Brook Avenue in Hattersley in 1964. This address later became central to the investigation after the final murder.
The Crimes
The first known victim was twelve-year-old Pauline Reade. On 12 July 1963 Hindley offered the girl a lift to a party. Brady joined them on the moor where he sexually assaulted and strangled Reade. Her body remained hidden until 1987.
Twelve-year-old John Kilbride disappeared on 23 November 1963 after visiting Ashton-under-Lyne market. Hindley and Brady again used the moor for disposal. Keith Bennett, aged twelve, vanished on 16 June 1964 while walking to his grandmother’s house. He was taken to the moor where he was murdered.
Ten-year-old Lesley Ann Downey was abducted from a fairground on Boxing Day 1964. The couple recorded her final moments on audio tape before killing her. The tape and photographs were later recovered by police. The last victim, seventeen-year-old Edward Evans, was killed at the Wardle Brook Avenue house on 6 October 1965 after Brady lured him there.
Investigation and Arrest
David Smith, Hindley’s brother-in-law, witnessed the murder of Evans after being invited to the house. He contacted police the following morning. Officers arrested Hindley and Brady on 7 October 1965. A search of the property uncovered Evans’s body and the incriminating tape recording.
Initial inquiries focused on Evans alone. Further searches of the moor began in 1965 after police located a photograph showing Hindley standing on a grave site. John Kilbride’s body was recovered in October 1965. Lesley Ann Downey’s remains were found nearby. Pauline Reade and Keith Bennett remained missing for more than two decades.
Trial and Sentencing
The trial opened at Chester Assizes in April 1966. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to murder. The prosecution presented the audio tape, photographs and Smith’s testimony. The jury convicted Hindley of the murders of Evans, Downey and Kilbride. Brady was convicted of all three plus the murder of Reade. Both received life sentences.
Hindley maintained for many years that Brady had coerced her participation. In 1986 she admitted fuller involvement and guided police to additional remains. Reade’s body was recovered in 1987. Bennett’s remains have never been found despite further searches.
Psychological and Legal Context
Psychiatric assessments conducted after arrest described Hindley as having formed a dependent attachment to Brady. She adopted his ideological interests and participated in the planning and execution of the offences. Later evaluations noted her gradual shift toward greater acceptance of responsibility.
The case prompted changes in police procedures for missing children and moorland searches. It also influenced sentencing policy for life prisoners. Hindley remained in custody until her death in November 2002. Brady died in May 2017.
Conclusion
The Moors Murders stand as a documented example of joint enterprise homicide involving the systematic abduction of children. The investigation relied on witness accounts, physical evidence and eventual confessions. Families of the victims have continued to seek closure, particularly in the unresolved case of Keith Bennett. The facts established at trial and during subsequent reviews remain the authoritative record of these events.
Bibliography
Lee, C. (2012) One of Your Own: The Life and Death of Myra Hindley. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing.
Staff, D. (2007) The Lost Boy. London: Bantam Press.
Williams, E. (1967) Beyond Belief: The Moors Murders. London: Pan Books.
Ritchie, J. (1988) Myra Hindley: Inside the Mind of a Murderess. London: Angus & Robertson.
Goodman, J. (1973) The Moors Murders. Newton Abbot: David & Charles.
Topping, P. (1989) Topping: The Autobiography of the Police Chief Who Led the Moors Murders Investigation. London: W.H. Allen.
Glenny, M. (2002) The Moors Murders: The Inside Story. London: John Blake Publishing.
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