Police respond to TV documentary findings

Greater Manchester Police has responded to a BBC Moors Murder documentary which concluded on television on Wednesday (6th August).

The documentary, ‘The Moors Murders: A Search for Justice’, follows journalist and author Duncan Staff as he reveals new evidence which could reveal where the missing body of Keith Bennett is buried on the remote Saddleworth Moors.

Twelve-year-old Keith disappeared on June 16, 1964, child killers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley confessing to his murder more than 20 years later. But his body has never been found. 

This year marks the 60th anniversary year since the arrest of  the evil pair. 

The couple, who resided in Gorton and then Hattersley, claimed the lives of five victims aged between the ages of ten and 17: Pauline Reade, John Kilbride (who was abducted in Ashton), Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans.

Brady and Hindley buried the four youngest children’s bodies on Saddleworth Moor, but Keith has never been found.

Keith had been on his way to his grandmother’s house, who lived close to his home in Chorlton-on-Medlock.

Police searched Saddleworth Moor in 1986 following reports Hindley and Brady had confessed to his murder.

Even though they were both permitted to visit the moor to point out where his remains were, his body was never discovered.

Keith’s mother Winnie Johnson spent the rest of her life trying to locate her son, even taking to the moor herself, armed with a spade. She died in 2012.

A plaque in Keith’s and Winnie’s memory overlooks Saddleworth Moor.

DEMOLISHED: The home in Hattersley where Brady and Hindley lived was eventually torn down, leaving an empty plot, after council tenants refused to live in the dwelling as the horrors of the killings became apparent.

The TV documentary draws on newly-discovered documents and recordings of the infamous serial child killers.

A copy of an edition of the Reporter (from Gorton and Openshaw) is shown in the first episode of the documentary.

The programme draws a number of conclusions which are critical of the police at the time and to this day, stating families have been left without answers and that every new piece of evidence should be investigated.

Following the screening of the documentary, Greater Manchester Police issued a statement, saying: “Investigations into Keith’s disappearance have remained open since 1964. While visible searches have paused over time, with the most recent taking place in 2022, an investigation team within our Major Crime Review Unit, continues our work to find the answers Keith’s family deserves.

“Investigative activity continues, outside of public view, in the hope further evidence relating to this case can be uncovered and we are committed to act where credible information is shared.

“We are in regular contact with Keith’s family, who are central to any action we take. They are kept updated on the ongoing lines of enquiry - some of which, could be jeopardised by public disclosure, and no further comment on these matters will be given.

“Greater Manchester Police remains very interested in any information that could lead to the discovery of Keith, and we will be seeking to obtain, review and establish the relevance of all the information held by the documentary team.”

The concluding episode of ‘The Moors Murders: A Search for Justice’ was aired on BBC Two on Wednesday, with the documentary available to view on iPlayer.

PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE: The documentary draws on clues in pictures taken by the killers, including this one taken by Brady in November 1963 of Hindley beside John Kilbride's grave on Saddleworth Moor.