285
These iconic images of Ian Brady
and Myra Hindley were taken during
their trial for multiple murders in April- Their volatile relationship was
behind the deaths of five children.
See also: Ted Bundy 276–83 ■ Fred and Rosemary West 286–87 ■ Colin Pitchfork 294–97SERIAL KILLERS
Despite extensive and systematic
searches of the moor, his body
remains undiscovered.
On 26 December, Brady and
Hindley visited a fairground, where
they approached 10-year-old Lesley
Ann Downey and asked her to
carry some packages. They
abducted Downey, bound her with
rope, and forced her to pose for
pornographic photographs. The
pair also made a 13-minute audio
recording of Downey screaming
and pleading for her life. She was
then strangled and buried.Admission and downfall
By then, Brady had grown arrogant
and confided his murderous secrets
to David Smith, Hindley’s 17-year-
old brother-in-law. In October 1965,
after luring engineering student
Edward Evans, also 17, to their
home, Brady sent Hindley to fetchSmith, hoping to involve him in the
murders. Brady then bludgeoned
Evans with an axe, while Smith
watched in horror. He helped Brady
and Hindley to clean up, then ran
home to his wife. The Smiths called
the police from a phone box, and
led them to Evans’s body.
Both Brady and Hindley were
arrested. During the search of the
couple’s home, police found thepornographic photos and audio
recording of Downey, along with
a large collection of pictures that
were taken on Saddleworth Moor.
As many as 150 police officers were
assigned to conduct an extensive
search of the moor. There, they
discovered the bodies of Lesley
Ann Downey and John Kilbride.
In 1966, Ian Brady and Myra
Hindley were both found guilty
of three murders. Following their
conviction, they also confessed
to the murders of Pauline Reade
and Keith Bennett.Aftermath
In 1987, after a 100-day-long search,
Pauline Reade’s decomposed body
was found buried in a shallow grave
on the moors. One of her killers,
Myra Hindley, died in prison on
15 November 2002, at the age of 60.
In 1985, Ian Brady was declared
criminally insane and confined to
a high-security hospital. He claims
that he has no desire to be released
and has repeatedly asked to be
allowed to die. ■Serial killers in abusive relationships
Throughout history, women
with no previous criminal past
have participated in gruesome
crimes with their boyfriends and
husbands. In some of these
cases, the women later claimed
that they were dominated and
manipulated by their partners.
In an abusive relationship,
a manipulative partner may
attempt to isolate their lover
and destroy their self-esteem. In
some situations, this could lead
to physical, emotional, verbal,
mental, and sexual abuse. Thedominant partner will attempt
to control their victim, while
denying them of the right to
make their own decisions.
Whether this was the case
with Myra Hindley is fiercely
debated. The victims’ families
contend that she was a willing
participant in the murders.
However, in several interviews
Hindley claimed that she did
not have a compulsion to kill
and that she was emotionally
manipulated and physically
abused by Ian Brady.284-285_Ian_Brady_Myra_Hindley.indd 285 02/12/2016 15:04