Myra Hindley

Myra Hindley (July 23, 1942–November 15, 2002), known as the Moors Murderess, was born in Crumpsall in the English city of Manchester. She left school in 1957 to work as a typist for a chemical firm called Millward's. It was at Millward's that she met Ian Brady, a Scottish-born man four years her senior with a history of violence and a string of burglary convictions. They began a relationship in late 1961, and Brady encouraged her to help him with bank robberies. He even asked Hindley to join a shooting club and possess a licensed gun, as he could not obtain a gun licence because he had a criminal record.

The Moors Murders

On July 12, 1963, the couple claimed their first victim. Sixteen-year-old Pauline Reade was enticed into Hindley's minivan while Brady followed behind on his motorcycle. They drove up to Saddleworth Moor where Hindley asked Pauline to help her look for a lost glove. They were busy "searching the moors" when Brady pounced upon Pauline and raped her. He then smashed her skull in with a shovel and slashed her throat so violently that she was almost decapitated. Brady then buried Pauline's body in a grave, where it remained for over 20 years.

Related Topics:
July 12 - 1963 - Pauline Reade - Minivan - Saddleworth Moor

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On November 23, the second murder took place. Twelve-year-old John Kilbride was enticed into Hindley's car from a market place in Ashton-under-Lyne and driven to Saddleworth Moor. Brady was waiting there and ordered Hindley to wait for him in a nearby village in their hired Ford Anglia. While Hindley waited in her car, Brady attempted to stab John with a knife, but the weapon was too blunt. Brady lost his temper and strangled John to death with a string before burying his body in a shallow grave.

Related Topics:
November 23 - John Kilbride - Ashton-under-Lyne - Ford Anglia

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On June 16, 1964, Brady and Hindley struck for the third time. This time their victim was another 12-year-old boy. Keith Bennett was lured from a street in Chorlton and driven to Saddleworth Moor. Hindley stood and watched from the top of an embankment while Brady sexually assaulted Keith in a ravine before strangling him to death with a belt and burying his body. It has yet to be discovered.

Related Topics:
June 16 - 1964 - Keith Bennett - Chorlton

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Brady and Hindley claimed their fourth victim on December 26, Boxing Day. Ten-year-old Lesley Ann Downey was enticed from a fairground in Ancoats and asked to help Brady and Hindley carry boxes back to their home, 16 Wardle Brook Avenue, Hattersley, being driven there in Hindley's pick-up truck. When they reached the house, Brady pounced upon Lesley in an upstairs bedroom and raped and tortured her before strangling her to death with a cord. Hindley recorded the attack on an audio tape while Brady took nine obscene photographs of the child. The following morning, Brady and Hindley drove Lesley's body to Saddleworth Moor where it was buried in a shallow grave.

Related Topics:
December 26 - Boxing Day - Lesley Ann Downey - Ancoats - Hattersley

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On October 6, 1965, the couple claimed their fifth and final victim, 17-year-old Edward Evans. They enticed him from Manchester Central Railway Station to their house in Hattersley, where Hindley's 18-year-old brother-in-law David Smith was visiting. Brady then crept upon Evans in the kitchen and smashed his head in with an axe. He ordered Smith to help him carry the corpse to an upstairs bedroom and tie it up ready for disposal, but Smith then ran home and contacted police. Smith explained later that, while apparently giving assistance to clearing up, his sole concern was to escape the house alive.

Related Topics:
October 6 - 1965 - Edward Evans - Manchester Central Railway Station

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