Brady letter to mum raises hopes of finding body

Published on Tuesday 21 February 2006 11:08

MOORS murderer Ian Brady has written to the mother of one of his victims, raising hopes that the body of the boy might be found.

Winnie Johnson, 72, spoke of her shock at receiving the two-page letter from the murderer, who is detained at Ashworth Hospital near Liverpool.

In the note, Brady, 68, who wants to end his life, complains of his treatment at the high-security hospital. He claims he is being kept alive by force-feeding for "political purposes".

Mrs Johnson's 12-year-old son, Keith Bennett, was murdered by Brady and his girlfriend Myra Hindley, and is presumed buried on Saddleworth Moor, near Manchester.

Mrs Johnson said the arrival of the letter had come as a complete surprise. She said: "It was a shock to me. He knows a lot more than what he is saying. He's admitted he can take police to within 20 yards of where he buried Keith, so that man's not insane, and they just ignored him.

"Why should they ignore a thing like that? It's a human life that's gone 41 years ago, and I have had hell since he's been gone."

Despite several police searches of the moor, no trace of Keith's remains have ever been uncovered. The bodies of the killers' other child victims have been found but Brady maintains he has been unable to find the patch of scrubland where the youngster was buried.

In the letter, dated December 21 2005 and addressed "Dear Mrs Bennett", Brady reportedly writes that he is being kept alive by force-feeding for "political purposes" and says he is "perfectly rational".

Ms Johnson added: "It's all about him - Brady. He's just playing games. I've written back and told him what I think of him. But I can't get over this."

It is understood Brady complains in the letter of cataracts and contracting tendons on both hands. He does not refer directly to Keith by name and does not claim he can take investigators directly to the grave but he does boast of the "clarity" of his recollections.

Jackie Powell, Brady's mental health advocate for more than ten years, said he probably could find the body. She said: "Because he has described landmarks, because he has described a mental map in his head, I believe there is a fair chance he could find the body."

Ms Powell added that Brady had shown remorse for his crimes. But she added: "He doesn't say 'I'm sorry'. He says those are meaningless words and anybody could say them without showing any feelings."

The prisoner is understood to have ignored previous written appeals by Mrs Johnson to help in tracing the body of her son.

Brady and Hindley began their killing spree in 1963 and were both jailed for life in 1966. Hindley died in prison aged 60, in 2002.

Police are now reviewing all the evidence in the case.