1942–2002
Who Was Myra Hindley?
British serial killer Myra Hindley and her boyfriend Ian Brady were responsible for the Moors Murders in the early 1960s. Hindley was personally involved in killing four children and aided Brady after he murdered a fifth. The infamous duo physically and sexually abused some of their victims. Hindley’s 17-year-old brother-in-law tipped off the police about her crimes in 1965. She plead not guilty to three murders but was convicted and jailed for life. She and Brady confessed to killing their two other victims in 1987. Hindley died in prison in 2002 at age 60.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Myra Hindley
BORN: July 23, 1942
DIED: November 16, 2002
BIRTHPLACE: Manchester, United Kingdom
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Leo
Early Life
Myra Hindley was born on July 23, 1942, in Manchester, United Kingdom. The English girl grew up with her grandmother. After the drowning death of a close male friend when she was 15, Hindley left school and converted to Roman Catholicism.
In 1961, she met Ian Brady, a stock clerk who was recently released from prison. She fell in love with him and soon gave herself over to his total control.
Moors Murders
Testing her blind allegiance, Brady hatched plans of rape and murder. In July 1963, they claimed their first victim, Pauline Reade. Four months later, 12-year-old John Kilbride disappeared, never to be seen again. In June 1964, 12-year-old Keith Bennett followed. On the afternoon of Boxing Day 1964, 10-year-old Lesley Ann Downey disappeared from a local fairground.
Finally, in October 1965, police were alerted to the duo by Hindley’s 17-year-old brother-in-law, David Smith. Smith had witnessed Brady killing 17-year-old Edward Evans with an axe, concealing his horror for fear of meeting a similar fate. Smith then went to the police with his story, including Brady having mentioned that more bodies were buried on Saddleworth Moor. Thus, the killings became known as the Moor Murders.
Hindley and Brady were brought to trial on April 27, 1966, where they pleaded not guilty to the murders of Evans, Downey, and Kilbride. Brady was convicted on all three counts. For her part, Hindley was found guilty of killing Downey and Evans as well as harboring Brady after knowing he had murdered Kilbride. They were both jailed for life.
Life and Death in Prison
In 1970, Hindley severed all contact with Brady and, still professing her innocence, began a lifelong campaign to regain her freedom. In 1987, she became the center of media attention once more, with the public release of her full confession in which she admitted her involvement in all five murders. Her subsequent applications for parole were denied.
She died of respiratory failure on November 16, 2002, at age 60.
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