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| Ian Brady death: brother of lost victim makes appeal to killer's solicitor | Ian Brady death: brother of lost victim makes appeal to killer's solicitor |
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| The brother of Ian Brady’s lost victim is not celebrating the death of the Moors murderer, his family lawyer has said, urging Brady’s solicitor to pass on any information that could help locate Keith Bennett’s remains. | The brother of Ian Brady’s lost victim is not celebrating the death of the Moors murderer, his family lawyer has said, urging Brady’s solicitor to pass on any information that could help locate Keith Bennett’s remains. |
| Brady has died aged 79 having never revealed where he and Myra Hindley buried 12-year-old Keith after they killed him in 1964. The pair tortured and murdered five children between 1963 and 1965, burying at least four of the bodies on Saddleworth Moor, near Oldham. | Brady has died aged 79 having never revealed where he and Myra Hindley buried 12-year-old Keith after they killed him in 1964. The pair tortured and murdered five children between 1963 and 1965, burying at least four of the bodies on Saddleworth Moor, near Oldham. |
| Multiple searches of the moor have failed to uncover Keith’s remains. After Brady’s death in Ashworth secure hospital in Merseyside on Monday, Greater Manchester police vowed to never close the case unsolved. | Multiple searches of the moor have failed to uncover Keith’s remains. After Brady’s death in Ashworth secure hospital in Merseyside on Monday, Greater Manchester police vowed to never close the case unsolved. |
| The senior coroner for Sefton, Christopher Sumner, said Brady’s body would not be released until assurances had been given that his ashes would not be scattered on Saddleworth Moor. | |
| John Ainley, who represented Bennett’s late mother, Winnie Johnson, told the Guardian he had contacted Brady’s solicitor-advocate to ask him to pass on “any documents and information that [Brady] may have left behind that would be relevant to the search for Keith Bennett, be that in documents he had left in his cell, or documents he had given to third parties to be opened after his death, if such documents exist”. | John Ainley, who represented Bennett’s late mother, Winnie Johnson, told the Guardian he had contacted Brady’s solicitor-advocate to ask him to pass on “any documents and information that [Brady] may have left behind that would be relevant to the search for Keith Bennett, be that in documents he had left in his cell, or documents he had given to third parties to be opened after his death, if such documents exist”. |
| Just before Johnson died in 2012, one of Brady’s advocates claimed Brady had written a letter addressed to Winnie to be opened only after her death. Jackie Powell, Brady’s legal advocate at the time, claimed the letter existed during a television documentary. Police interviewed her but could not corroborate the claims. | Just before Johnson died in 2012, one of Brady’s advocates claimed Brady had written a letter addressed to Winnie to be opened only after her death. Jackie Powell, Brady’s legal advocate at the time, claimed the letter existed during a television documentary. Police interviewed her but could not corroborate the claims. |
| Brady later claimed there was no such letter. “Since 1985 I have repeatedly stated that I know/knew the whereabouts of Keith Bennett,” he wrote from Ashworth secure psychiatric hospital, “but to know or have known the whereabouts is entirely distinct from stating that a vast wilderness that changes with the seasons every year would, after 50 years, remain precisely familiar to anyone.” | Brady later claimed there was no such letter. “Since 1985 I have repeatedly stated that I know/knew the whereabouts of Keith Bennett,” he wrote from Ashworth secure psychiatric hospital, “but to know or have known the whereabouts is entirely distinct from stating that a vast wilderness that changes with the seasons every year would, after 50 years, remain precisely familiar to anyone.” |
| Ainley said he doubted such a letter existed. “At the time I was very sceptical that the letter existed,” he said. “No evidence that has come to light since has changed my view. I was never convinced.” | Ainley said he doubted such a letter existed. “At the time I was very sceptical that the letter existed,” he said. “No evidence that has come to light since has changed my view. I was never convinced.” |
| Brady’s lawyer, Robin Makin, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he would be very surprised if the killer had had any useful information about where Keith’s body was. “He did go to the moors a long time ago and I suspect that if there had been information for him that he could have provided, he would have provided it then,” Makin said. | Brady’s lawyer, Robin Makin, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he would be very surprised if the killer had had any useful information about where Keith’s body was. “He did go to the moors a long time ago and I suspect that if there had been information for him that he could have provided, he would have provided it then,” Makin said. |
| Keith’s brother, Alan Bennett, said he would never give up hope of finding him. Thanking supporters for their messages of support, he wrote on Facebook: “We will carry on doing whatever we can to bring Keith home.” | |
| On Monday, shortly before Brady’s death was confirmed, Alan Bennett complained on Facebook that the killer had attracted a cabal of admirers who would “cash in” on their connection to the mass murderer after his death. | On Monday, shortly before Brady’s death was confirmed, Alan Bennett complained on Facebook that the killer had attracted a cabal of admirers who would “cash in” on their connection to the mass murderer after his death. |
| “Some people will be very disappointed when Brady does die because their obsession will no longer be there to receive their letters and cards of support and sympathy, whilst blaming others more than blaming him for the crimes committed,” he wrote. | “Some people will be very disappointed when Brady does die because their obsession will no longer be there to receive their letters and cards of support and sympathy, whilst blaming others more than blaming him for the crimes committed,” he wrote. |
| “They will also ‘cash in’ by running to the press with their connections to Brady through letters and/or visits. Then the books of ‘facts’ will appear, as told to them by Brady. I would suggest those could well be filed in the fiction section of a library.” | “They will also ‘cash in’ by running to the press with their connections to Brady through letters and/or visits. Then the books of ‘facts’ will appear, as told to them by Brady. I would suggest those could well be filed in the fiction section of a library.” |
| Ainley said that he spoke to Alan Bennett on Monday night after police confirmed Brady was dead. “I got the sense that there was no celebration, that it was sad, not that he was dead, but because with his death goes any hope of getting that vital piece of information,” he said. “There had always been that glimmer of hope. There was also sadness that he had never shown any remorse for the children’s death.” | Ainley said that he spoke to Alan Bennett on Monday night after police confirmed Brady was dead. “I got the sense that there was no celebration, that it was sad, not that he was dead, but because with his death goes any hope of getting that vital piece of information,” he said. “There had always been that glimmer of hope. There was also sadness that he had never shown any remorse for the children’s death.” |
| Johnson had never given up hope of finding her son’s body, said Ainley. “Knowing where he was would have been a massive relief,” he said. “Since 1969 she had never given up hope of finding Keith so she could give him a proper burial.” | Johnson had never given up hope of finding her son’s body, said Ainley. “Knowing where he was would have been a massive relief,” he said. “Since 1969 she had never given up hope of finding Keith so she could give him a proper burial.” |
| Terry Kilbride, the brother of John Kilbride, Brady and Hindley’s second victim, told the Sun he would celebrate Brady’s death with a pint, even though he did not drink. | Terry Kilbride, the brother of John Kilbride, Brady and Hindley’s second victim, told the Sun he would celebrate Brady’s death with a pint, even though he did not drink. |
| “He’s ruined our lives all these years and he’ll still ruin it even though he’s gone. I feel numb,” he said. “He was a murderous psychopath. There are no other words to describe what he was. A complete lunatic. Good riddance.” | “He’s ruined our lives all these years and he’ll still ruin it even though he’s gone. I feel numb,” he said. “He was a murderous psychopath. There are no other words to describe what he was. A complete lunatic. Good riddance.” |