Myra Hindley formed a close partnership with Ian Brady that led directly to the abduction and murder of five children in Greater Manchester between 1963 and 1965.
The pair targeted young victims on the streets of Manchester and nearby areas before burying most of the bodies on Saddleworth Moor. Hindley drove the car used in several abductions, lured children with offers of help, and participated in the killings and subsequent cover-up. Her actions formed an essential part of the sequence of events that became known as the Moors Murders.
Contemporary records show that Hindley met Brady in 1961 while working as a secretary at a chemical company. Their shared interest in Nazi literature and sadistic fantasies developed rapidly into a joint plan for murder. Police later recovered photographs and audio recordings that documented the crimes, confirming Hindley’s active presence at the scenes.
Background and Relationship with Ian Brady
Hindley grew up in a working-class family in Gorton, Manchester. She left school at fifteen and held several clerical jobs before meeting Brady. Court testimony described how Brady introduced her to extreme pornography and philosophical justifications for violence. Within months the two began scouting locations and selecting potential victims.
Their relationship shifted from personal to criminal when they decided to act on Brady’s long-held ideas of committing the perfect murder. Hindley provided practical support by obtaining a vehicle and learning to drive. Neighbours recalled her as quiet and unremarkable, yet evidence later showed she concealed detailed planning.
The Sequence of Abductions and Killings
The first known victim was sixteen-year-old Pauline Reade, taken on 12 July 1963 while walking to a dance. Hindley approached her with an offer of a lift and company on the moor. Brady followed in another vehicle. Reade’s body remained undiscovered until 1987.
John Kilbride, aged twelve, disappeared on 23 November 1963 after leaving a market. Witnesses placed Hindley and Brady near the area. His body was found on the moor in October 1965.
Keith Bennett, also twelve, vanished on 16 June 1964. Hindley later admitted in a 1987 letter that she had lured him into the car. His remains have never been recovered despite repeated searches.
Lesley Ann Downey, ten years old, was abducted from a fairground on 26 December 1964. An audio tape recovered by police recorded her final moments and Hindley’s voice urging the child to undress. The recording formed central evidence at trial.
Edward Evans, seventeen, was killed inside Hindley’s home on 6 October 1965. Brady struck him with an axe while Hindley watched. A neighbour alerted police after hearing the disturbance, leading to the arrests.
Police Investigation and Recovery of Evidence
Detectives initially focused on the Evans murder. A search of the house uncovered the tape and photographs of Lesley Ann Downey. Hindley and Brady were charged with murder. Further enquiries linked them to the earlier disappearances.
Officers conducted extensive searches on Saddleworth Moor. Two bodies were located in shallow graves. Items belonging to the victims, including a prayer book and clothing, were found in Hindley’s possession. The investigation expanded over months as more links emerged.
Trial, Conviction and Sentencing
The trial opened at Chester Assizes in April 1966. The prosecution presented the audio tape, photographs, and witness statements. Hindley maintained that Brady had forced her involvement. The jury rejected this defence after three weeks of evidence.
Both defendants received life sentences. The judge described the crimes as requiring “merciless and inhuman” treatment of the victims. Public reaction was intense, with widespread calls for the restoration of capital punishment.
Hindley’s Later Statements and Parole Applications
Hindley spent more than thirty years in prison. She made several appeals for release and altered her account of events on multiple occasions. In 1987 she provided new information that led to the discovery of Pauline Reade’s body.
Campaigners for the victims’ families opposed any release. Successive home secretaries confirmed that Hindley would remain in custody. She died in 2002 at the age of sixty.
Conclusion
Myra Hindley’s documented actions supplied the logistical and direct assistance that allowed the Moors Murders to occur over two years. Court records, physical evidence and her own later admissions establish her central role without reliance on speculation. The case continues to shape discussions on accomplice liability and the treatment of female offenders in the British justice system.
Bibliography
Goodman, J. (1973) The Moors Murders. Newton Abbot: David & Charles.
Lee, C. A. (2012) One of Your Own: The Life and Death of Myra Hindley. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing.
Williams, E. (1967) Beyond Belief: The Moors Murders. London: Pan Books.
National Archives (1966) Central Criminal Court: Trial transcripts, Regina v. Brady and Hindley. Kew: The National Archives.
Topping, P. (1989) Topping: The Autobiography of the Police Chief Who Led the Moors Murders Investigation. London: W.H. Allen.
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