Moors murders: ‘Keith in possession of killers until body is found’

By KIM PILLINGS
Published on 20/08/2012 00:00

KEITH BENNETT will remain “in the possession” of Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley until his body is found, the victim’s brother has said.

Alan Bennett said the death of his mother, Winnie, 78, on Saturday, must not be seen as closure to the case, as the family vowed to continue the fight to locate the remains of the 12-year-old.

Brady, 74, has been urged by police to “at last do the decent thing” and finally tell them where he buried him on Saddleworth Moor above Manchester, so Keith can be given a Christian burial.

The closest Winnie Johnson came to giving him a funeral was to hold a memorial service at Manchester Cathedral two years ago in which she tearfully told the congregation: “I’m Keith’s mother… he’s there on the Moors, I want him back.”

Writing on his website, www.searchingforkeith.com, Mr Bennett, who was nine when his brother was taken off the street by Brady and the late Hindley, said: “As far as I am concerned, until Keith is found then he is still in the possession of Brady and Hindley.

“Our fear as a family is that now my mother is no longer with us, this may be seen by the police and the media as some sort of closure to the case.

“This must not be allowed to happen both out of respect for Keith and my mother’s memory and for those of us who loved them both.”

His mother’s death comes amid a police investigation into whether a letter exists in which Brady apparently discloses the location of Keith’s body.

Brady’s mental health advocate, Jackie Powell, told a Channel 4 documentary, to be screened tonight, the Moors Murderer gave her a sealed 
envelope containing a letter to pass to Mrs Johnson in the event of his death.

That information was passed to police and Ms Powell, 49, was arrested on Thursday at her home in Llangennech, South Wales, on suspicion of preventing the burial of a body without lawful exercise.

Ms Powell, who is also an executor to Brady’s will, was later released on bail pending further inquiries. It is understood she claims she returned the sealed envelope to Brady before her arrest.

Detectives examining a large number of documents seized have so far found no letter or any evidence to suggest Brady has disclosed the location of Keith’s body.

A search of Brady’s quarters at Ashworth Hospital in Merseyside, where he has been detained since 1985, has also failed to uncover the alleged letter.

Brady and Hindley, who died in jail in 2002 aged 60, were responsible for the murders of five youngsters in the 1960s. Most of their victims were sexually tortured before being buried on Saddleworth Moor, with Keith’s body the only one still to be found.

Mr Bennett said he was pleased with the recent intervention by Greater Manchester Police, and in particular the search at Ashworth, but he criticised them for not acting on previous information.

He said evidence had been passed by “two extremely credible witnesses” over the last few months but neither had been interviewed.

On Friday, Martin Bottomley, head of investigative review of Greater Manchester Police’s major and cold case crime unit, said it was a case “we will never close”.

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