The Moors Murders- Ian Brady and Myra Hindley

 The Moors Murders- Ian Brady and Myra Hindley 

Two vicious killers rained terror on the town of Manchester, England between July 1963 and October 1965. Five children, all between the ages of ten and seventeen were the chosen victims of Myra Hindley and Ian Brady. In a cruel act of fate, two masochistic killers met; willing to do anything necessary to prove their undying loyalty to one another. Now known as the Moors Murders, these serial killers made an eternal scar on the memory of the Saddleworth Moor. 

Myra Hindley 

Born in Manchester, England on July 23, 1942, Myra Hindley grew up to an abusive father who served in the second world war and often beat his family. Her mother fought to protect her children, willing to take the brunt of the abuse to save them from her husband’s anger. When Myra was four years old, her little sister Maureen was born. At this time, Myra was sent to live with her grandmother and was constantly deprived of her father’s affections. When she beat another schoolboy in a fight, she finally learned the way to earn attention from her father. She began using her reputation as a fighter to not only protect her family. At age fifteen, one of Maureen’s friends passed away from drowning; she then converted to Roman Catholicism. In 1961, Myra met Ian Brady, who was working as a store clerk after just being released from prison. She was immediately infatuated with him; relishing in his arrogant demeanor. After Ian took her virginity, she was devoted to him and was willing to do anything to prove so. Her family soon voiced their disapproval of Ian, and her secret life began to take form. Ian erected a plan to stage a fake robbery to test Myra’s loyalty to him. After she completed each step necessary, he had total trust in his ability to manipulate her. 

Ian Brady

Born in the slums of Glasgow, Scotland, Ian Brady was raised by his single mother and never learned the identity of his biological father. Working as a waitress to support herself and Ian, she was often required to work long hours and was forced to leave Ian behind. At four months old, she unofficially gave him up for adoption but continued to visit him throughout his life. Known to have violent outbursts, Ian had difficulty integrating with children his age. As a young teenager, he became interested in the writings of Nietzsche and Hitler; soon developing a fascination with Marquis De Sade and other sadistic authors.

After he was arrested for burglary at age sixteen, he was forced to move back in with his mother and stepfather. He attempted to fit in with his family, even going as far as taking his stepfather’s last name. Despite his attempts to better his life, he soon began committing crimes and landed in prison a year later. He was released in November of 1957 and met Myra in 1961. 

Crimes/Victims

On July 12, 1963, Pauline Reade was kidnapped by Myra while on her way to a local dance. She was driven to a spot Ian Brady was waiting in the Saddleworth Moor and was raped, beaten, and stabbed to death; she was buried here. Just four months later, John Kilbride (12) was kidnapped from a local market and was never seen again. Myra and Ian are responsible for his disappearance. On June 16, 1964, Keith Bennett was kidnapped by Myra while on his way to his grandmother’s. He was taken to the Moor where Ian was waiting. He was raped, strangled, and buried there. On Boxing Holiday of 1964, Lesley Ann Downey was kidnapped by Myra and Ian; she was never seen again. Their final victim, Edward Evans was murdered by Myra on October 7, 1965. Her brother-in-law witnessed her kill Edwards with an ax and tipped police off to where the bodies were located in the Moor. Myra and Ian were both arrested shortly following this.

Prosecution

After his conviction, Ian Brady was sent to Durham Prison, requesting to be put into solitary confinement. After nineteen years, in 1985 Brady has declared a psychopath and was sent to serve the remainder of his sentence at Park-Lane Hospital. Required to spend a minimum of thirty years in prison before the possibility of parole, Myra petitioned for numerous appeals in an attempt to win her freedom. These attempts were unsuccessful, and on November 15, 2002, she died from pneumonia.

How did Ian Brady die?

Ian Brady died on Monday, May 15, with the murderer's time of death understood to be just before 6 pm.

A post-mortem revealed that his official cause of death was cor pulmonale and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).