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Myra Hindley

Deadly Women: Myra Hindley's Secret Prison Years

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Sentenced to life in prison in 1966 for the Moors murders, Myra Hindley, Britain's most infamous female prisoner, died behind bars in 2002.

An insight into Britain's most infamous female serial killer. Did something cause the moors murderer to commit her crimes, or was she born to kill?

Myra Hindley, who went on to become one of the most reviled women of the twentieth century, was the first child of Hettie & Bob Hindley, born on 23rd July 1942 in Manchester. Her father experienced adjustment problems on his return from the War, and Myra was sent to live with her grandmother aged 3, when her sister Maureen was born.

She was considered a sensible child growing up, and her capable nature made her a popular babysitter in her teens, with both her charges and their parents. The drowning death of a close male friend when she was fifteen affected her deeply, and she left school shortly after his death, as well as converting to Roman Catholicism.

Brady was her first lover, and she was soon completely under his control, dressing and styling herself to please him and even posing for pornographic pictures.

At 17, she became engaged to a local boy, Ronnie Sinclair, but she decided that she wanted more excitement in her life, and she called off the engagement. She considered careers in the army & navy, as well as work as an au pair in the United States, and even tried a spell working in London, all of which failed to provide that excitement she was looking for. In January of 1961 she met Ian Brady, and her life was transformed.

Following his release from prison in November 1957, Ian Brady took a job as a stock clerk with a Manchester firm, where he met Myra Hindley when she was employed as a secretary in 1961.

Hindley was irresistibly drawn to Brady, seeing romance and intelligence in his aloofness, and she wrote of her intense feelings for him in her diary constantly for over a year, before he finally showed some interest in her.

He eventually asked her out, and he quickly indoctrinated her in his extreme political views, taking her to see the film “The Nuremburg Trials” on their first date, and encouraging her to read works by Hitler and de Sade.

Brady was her first lover, and she was soon completely under his control, dressing and styling herself to please him, accepting his extreme political views, and even posing for pornographic pictures. Encouraged by her unquestioning acceptance, Brady’s ideas became even more outrageous, culminating in his instruction to her that murder and rape were the “supreme pleasure”.

Family and friends noticed the cumulative effect that Brady had on her, and she became increasingly surly and secretive. Brady tested her blind allegiance by pretending to plan a robbery, and was gratified when she took all the steps necessary to execute the plan, without question. Brady recognised that he had found the soul mate who would assist him to make his perverted ideas, of pain and pleasure, a reality.

On the night of 12th July 1963, 16-year-old Pauline Reade became their first victim. She was waylaid by Hindley whilst on her way to a local dance; then driven up to Saddleworth Moor, where Brady was awaiting their arrival. Reade was raped, beaten and stabbed before being buried.

Four months later, on 11th November 1963, 12-year-old John Kilbride disappeared from the vicinity of the market in Ashton-Under-Lyne, never to be seen again

On 16th June 1964, 12-year-old Keith Bennett disappeared whilst on the way to his grandmother’s house. His disappearance wasn’t noted until the next day, and a massive police search revealed no clues. Hindley had in fact lured him into her car, with a request for assistance in loading some boxes, then rendezvoused with Brady on Saddleworth Moor, where Keith was taken, by Brady, to a gully next to a stream, then raped, strangled and buried there.

On the afternoon of Boxing Day, 1964, 10-year-old Lesley Ann Downey disappeared from a local fairground, and again a huge police effort, bolstered by volunteers, unearthed no clues as to her whereabouts.

7th October 1965 proved the turning point for the police, when Myra Hindley’s 17-year-old brother-in-law, David Smith, arrived at Hyde Police station with a horrific tale of violence. Knowing Brady through the family connection, Smith was initially beguiled by Brady’s unorthodox and violent politics, but this changed when he arrived at Hindley and Brady’s home, on the evening of 6th October, to witness Brady killing 17-year-old Edward Evans with an axe. After Evans was finally throttled with a length of electrical flex, Hindley and Brady joked about the mess, and also told Smith of other victims buried on the Moors. Concealing his horror for fear of meeting a similar fate, Smith assisted them with the clean up, before returning home to tell his wife and alert the police.

Convinced by Smith’s tale, police and reinforcements arrived at Brady’s home, found the body of Evans in an upstairs bedroom, and arrested Brady immediately. Brady claimed that there had been an argument between himself, Evans and Smith that had got out of hand, denying that Hindley had anything to do with the murder. She remained at liberty until four days later, when police found a document in her car describing in detail how she and Brady had planned to carry out the murder.

The investigation would probably have gone no further than the death of Evans, if Smith had not mentioned Brady’s claim that other bodies were buried on Saddleworth Moor. Already familiar with the various unexplained disappearances, police were able to pinpoint the area favoured by Brady and Hindley, and began digging for the bodies of the children who had gone missing in the area over the previous two years.

The naked body of Lesley Ann Downey was found on 10th October 1965, followed eleven days later by the body of John Kilbride.

Brady's hold over Hindley continued for a number of years beyond their trial, and at one stage they requested permission to marry, which was refused. However, in 1970 Hindley severed all contact with Brady and, still protesting her innocence, began a lifelong campaign to regain her freedom.

In 1987, Hindley again became the centre of media attention, with the public release of her full confession, in which she admitted her involvement in all five murders.

The confessions confirmed police suspicions that the remains of Pauline Reade and Keith Bennett had been buried somewhere on the moors, and Pauline's body was finally located on 1st July 1987, identified by the party dress she was wearing to the dance on the last night of her life. Bennett’s body was never found.

Her campaign for freedom was dealt its final blow when her application for parole in 1996 resulted in then Home Secretary, Michael Howard, bowing to intense public pressure and ruling that Hindley, as well as Brady, would never be released from prison. She challenged this decision in the High Court, but was unsuccessful. A further appeal to the House of Lords was similarly defeated in March 2000.

Hindley died of respiratory failure, following an earlier heart attack, on 16th November 2002. Winnie Johnson, the mother of victim Keith Bennett, whose body was never found, said

“I have no sympathy for her even in death. The pair of them have made my heart very hard and really I just hope she goes to hell.”

Mark F

Despite discovering the two bodies, the police had only circumstantial evidence against the pair. Fortunately, a more thorough search of their home led to the discovery of a left luggage ticket, which led in turn to a locker at Manchester Central Station. There, Police found sadistic gadgets and pornography, including photographs of Lesley Ann, bound and gagged in Hindley’s bedroom. A tape recording was also found, on which the little girl could be heard crying and begging for her life, as well as the voices of Brady and Hindley. Her mother, Ann Downey, was forced to identify the voice on the tape as that of her daughter

Even with the mounting evidence against them, Brady and Hindley denied murdering Lesley Ann, trying again to implicate David Smith. They claimed that Lesley Ann had left their home unharmed, and that Smith must have murdered her later.

The evidence linking Brady and Hindley with John Kilbride’s murder was not as strong, but proved sufficient to charge them, with the result that they were charged with the murders of Edward Evans, Lesley Ann Downey, and John Kilbride. Having not been able to find the bodies of the other two victims, despite exhaustive searches, no charges could be brought.

Born
Brady 2nd January 1938
Hindley 23rd July 1942

The Victims
12th July 1963: Pauline Reade, 16
11th November 1963: John Kilbride, 12
16th June 1964: Keith Bennett, 12
26th December 1964: Lesley Ann Downey, 10
6th October 1965: Edward Evans, 17

Arrested
Brady 7th October 1965
Hindley 11th October 1965

Trial
27th April 1966

Convicted
6th May 1966

Died
Hindley 16th November 2002

Hindley and Brady were brought to trial at Chester Assizes on 27th April 1966, where they pleaded "not guilty" to all charges. Media interest was intense, and the pair’s failure to show any remorse served to make public revulsion even greater.

On 6th May 1966, Brady was found guilty of the murders of Lesley Ann Downey, John Kilbride, and Edward Evans, while Hindley was found guilty of the murders of Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans, and also for harbouring Brady, in the knowledge that he had killed John Kilbride. They were both jailed for life, with a minimum recommended tariff of 30 years.


	8:00PM The Ice Chest Murder 9:00PM Who Killed Kathy Durst? 10:00PM Cold Case Files: Episode 58 11:00PM Snapped: Erin Dukes Sign up for email updates from The Crime and Investigation Network I accept the T&Cs Myra Hindley Deadly Women: Myra Hindley's Secret Prison Years Coming Soon Sentenced to life in prison in 1966 for the Moors murders, Myra Hindley, Britain's most infamous female prisoner, died behind bars in 2002. An insight into Britain's most infamous female serial killer. Did something cause the moors murderer to commit her crimes, or was she born to kill? Myra Hindley, who went on to become one of the most reviled women of the twentieth century, was the first child of Hettie & Bob Hindley, born on 23rd July 1942 in Manchester. Her father experienced adjustment problems on his return from the War, and Myra was sent to live with her grandmother aged 3, when her sister Maureen was born. She was considered a sensible child growing up, and her capable nature made her a popular babysitter in her teens, with both her charges and their parents. The drowning death of a close male friend when she was fifteen affected her deeply, and she left school shortly after his death, as well as converting to Roman Catholicism. Brady was her first lover, and she was soon completely under his control, dressing and styling herself to please him and even posing for pornographic pictures. At 17, she became engaged to a local boy, Ronnie Sinclair, but she decided that she wanted more excitement in her life, and she called off the engagement. She considered careers in the army & navy, as well as work as an au pair in the United States, and even tried a spell working in London, all of which failed to provide that excitement she was looking for. In January of 1961 she met Ian Brady, and her life was transformed. Following his release from prison in November 1957, Ian Brady took a job as a stock clerk with a Manchester firm, where he met Myra Hindley when she was employed as a secretary in 1961. Hindley was irresistibly drawn to Brady, seeing romance and intelligence in his aloofness, and she wrote of her intense feelings for him in her diary constantly for over a year, before he finally showed some interest in her. He eventually asked her out, and he quickly indoctrinated her in his extreme political views, taking her to see the film “The Nuremburg Trials” on their first date, and encouraging her to read works by Hitler and de Sade. Brady was her first lover, and she was soon completely under his control, dressing and styling herself to please him, accepting his extreme political views, and even posing for pornographic pictures. Encouraged by her unquestioning acceptance, Brady’s ideas became even more outrageous, culminating in his instruction to her that murder and rape were the “supreme pleasure”. Family and friends noticed the cumulative effect that Brady had on her, and she became increasingly surly and secretive. Brady tested her blind allegiance by pretending to plan a robbery, and was gratified when she took all the steps necessary to execute the plan, without question. Brady recognised that he had found the soul mate who would assist him to make his perverted ideas, of pain and pleasure, a reality. On the night of 12th July 1963, 16-year-old Pauline Reade became their first victim. She was waylaid by Hindley whilst on her way to a local dance; then driven up to Saddleworth Moor, where Brady was awaiting their arrival. Reade was raped, beaten and stabbed before being buried. Four months later, on 11th November 1963, 12-year-old John Kilbride disappeared from the vicinity of the market in Ashton-Under-Lyne, never to be seen again On 16th June 1964, 12-year-old Keith Bennett disappeared whilst on the way to his grandmother’s house. His disappearance wasn’t noted until the next day, and a massive police search revealed no clues. Hindley had in fact lured him into her car, with a request for assistance in loading some boxes, then rendezvoused with Brady on Saddleworth Moor, where Keith was taken, by Brady, to a gully next to a stream, then raped, strangled and buried there. On the afternoon of Boxing Day, 1964, 10-year-old Lesley Ann Downey disappeared from a local fairground, and again a huge police effort, bolstered by volunteers, unearthed no clues as to her whereabouts. 7th October 1965 proved the turning point for the police, when Myra Hindley’s 17-year-old brother-in-law, David Smith, arrived at Hyde Police station with a horrific tale of violence. Knowing Brady through the family connection, Smith was initially beguiled by Brady’s unorthodox and violent politics, but this changed when he arrived at Hindley and Brady’s home, on the evening of 6th October, to witness Brady killing 17-year-old Edward Evans with an axe. After Evans was finally throttled with a length of electrical flex, Hindley and Brady joked about the mess, and also told Smith of other victims buried on the Moors. Concealing his horror for fear of meeting a similar fate, Smith assisted them with the clean up, before returning home to tell his wife and alert the police. Convinced by Smith’s tale, police and reinforcements arrived at Brady’s home, found the body of Evans in an upstairs bedroom, and arrested Brady immediately. Brady claimed that there had been an argument between himself, Evans and Smith that had got out of hand, denying that Hindley had anything to do with the murder. She remained at liberty until four days later, when police found a document in her car describing in detail how she and Brady had planned to carry out the murder. The investigation would probably have gone no further than the death of Evans, if Smith had not mentioned Brady’s claim that other bodies were buried on Saddleworth Moor. Already familiar with the various unexplained disappearances, police were able to pinpoint the area favoured by Brady and Hindley, and began digging for the bodies of the children who had gone missing in the area over the previous two years. The naked body of Lesley Ann Downey was found on 10th October 1965, followed eleven days later by the body of John Kilbride. Brady's hold over Hindley continued for a number of years beyond their trial, and at one stage they requested permission to marry, which was refused. However, in 1970 Hindley severed all contact with Brady and, still protesting her innocence, began a lifelong campaign to regain her freedom. In 1987, Hindley again became the centre of media attention, with the public release of her full confession, in which she admitted her involvement in all five murders. The confessions confirmed police suspicions that the remains of Pauline Reade and Keith Bennett had been buried somewhere on the moors, and Pauline's body was finally located on 1st July 1987, identified by the party dress she was wearing to the dance on the last night of her life. Bennett’s body was never found. Her campaign for freedom was dealt its final blow when her application for parole in 1996 resulted in then Home Secretary, Michael Howard, bowing to intense public pressure and ruling that Hindley, as well as Brady, would never be released from prison. She challenged this decision in the High Court, but was unsuccessful. A further appeal to the House of Lords was similarly defeated in March 2000. Hindley died of respiratory failure, following an earlier heart attack, on 16th November 2002. Winnie Johnson, the mother of victim Keith Bennett, whose body was never found, said “I have no sympathy for her even in death. The pair of them have made my heart very hard and really I just hope she goes to hell.” Mark F Despite discovering the two bodies, the police had only circumstantial evidence against the pair. Fortunately, a more thorough search of their home led to the discovery of a left luggage ticket, which led in turn to a locker at Manchester Central Station. There, Police found sadistic gadgets and pornography, including photographs of Lesley Ann, bound and gagged in Hindley’s bedroom. A tape recording was also found, on which the little girl could be heard crying and begging for her life, as well as the voices of Brady and Hindley. Her mother, Ann Downey, was forced to identify the voice on the tape as that of her daughter Even with the mounting evidence against them, Brady and Hindley denied murdering Lesley Ann, trying again to implicate David Smith. They claimed that Lesley Ann had left their home unharmed, and that Smith must have murdered her later. The evidence linking Brady and Hindley with John Kilbride’s murder was not as strong, but proved sufficient to charge them, with the result that they were charged with the murders of Edward Evans, Lesley Ann Downey, and John Kilbride. Having not been able to find the bodies of the other two victims, despite exhaustive searches, no charges could be brought. Born Brady 2nd January 1938 Hindley 23rd July 1942 The Victims 12th July 1963: Pauline Reade, 16 11th November 1963: John Kilbride, 12 16th June 1964: Keith Bennett, 12 26th December 1964: Lesley Ann Downey, 10 6th October 1965: Edward Evans, 17 Arrested Brady 7th October 1965 Hindley 11th October 1965 Trial 27th April 1966 Convicted 6th May 1966 Died Hindley 16th November 2002 Hindley and Brady were brought to trial at Chester Assizes on 27th April 1966, where they pleaded "not guilty" to all charges. Media interest was intense, and the pair’s failure to show any remorse served to make public revulsion even greater. On 6th May 1966, Brady was found guilty of the murders of Lesley Ann Downey, John Kilbride, and Edward Evans, while Hindley was found guilty of the murders of Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans, and also for harbouring Brady, in the knowledge that he had killed John Kilbride. They were both jailed for life, with a minimum recommended tariff of 30 years.