Ian Brady was one of the most notorious criminals in modern British history. Together with his partner Myra Hindley, he committed the Moors murders — a series of abductions, sexual assaults, and killings of five children and teenagers between 1963 and 1965. The case shocked the nation, led to a sensational trial, and continues to haunt the public imagination decades later.
Born in Glasgow and raised in difficult circumstances, Brady developed a fascination with Nazi ideology and violent crime. His relationship with Hindley created a deadly partnership that would claim young lives and leave families searching for answers for generations. Both died in custody, having spent the rest of their lives behind bars.
This article provides a comprehensive, fact-based overview of Ian Brady’s life, his crimes, his trial, his years in prison, and the lasting impact of the Moors murders on UK law and culture.
Who Was Ian Brady?
- Ian Brady was one of the United Kingdom’s most notorious serial killers, whose crimes shocked the nation and led to lifelong sentences for both him and his accomplice Myra Hindley.
- The Moors murders (1963–1965) involved the abduction, torture, and murder of five children, whose remains were buried on Saddleworth Moor.
- Brady and Hindley’s trial in 1966 was a media sensation, resulting in life imprisonment with a recommendation of ‘whole life’ for Brady.
- Brady spent over 50 years in prison, mostly in high-security Ashworth Hospital, where he engaged in prolonged legal battles and hunger strikes.
- The case prompted changes in UK law, including the abolition of the death penalty and enhanced child protection measures.
- Despite extensive investigations, the location of one victim, Keith Bennett, has never been found, leaving closure for the family ongoing.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ian Duncan Stewart Brady |
| Born | 2 January 1938 (Gorbals, Glasgow, Scotland) |
| Died | 15 May 2017 (aged 79) at Ashworth Hospital, Maghull, England |
| Number of Victims | 5 (confirmed) |
| Accomplice | Myra Hindley |
| Sentence | Life imprisonment (whole life tariff) |
| Notable Crimes | Moors murders (1963–1965) |
Early Life and Childhood
Ian Brady was born on 2 January 1938 in the Gorbals district of Glasgow, a tough, impoverished area. His mother was a single parent, and he was raised largely by relatives. According to Crime+Investigation UK, he suffered as a troubled child and had his first criminal convictions for burglary and minor theft as a teenager, serving time in prison.
Brady later moved to Manchester, where he found work as a stock clerk. It was there that he met Myra Hindley in 1961. The relationship quickly became intense. Hindley was drawn to Brady’s dominant personality and his interest in Nazism, violent pornography, and ideas about criminality.
The Gorbals area of Glasgow was known for severe poverty and crime during Brady’s childhood. Some biographers have pointed to this environment — combined with an absent father and reports of behavioural issues from an early age — as formative factors in his development, though experts caution against simplistic explanations for extreme violence.
What Were the Moors Murders?
The Moors murders were a series of five child killings carried out by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley between July 1963 and October 1965. The victims, aged 10 to 17, were abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered. Their bodies were buried on Saddleworth Moor in the Pennines, which gave the case its name.
According to Biography.com, the couple were described as “thrill killers” who enjoyed inflicting suffering and treated the murders as their “private secret.” They used a van to lure victims and often took photographs and made audio recordings of their crimes.
The Five Confirmed Victims
Pauline Reade (16) was the first victim, abducted in July 1963 while walking to a dance in Manchester. She was raped, beaten, stabbed, and buried on the moor. Her body was not discovered until 1987, after Brady and Hindley both confessed.
John Kilbride (12) was taken from a market in Lancashire in November 1963. He was sexually assaulted and murdered. His body was found on the moor in 1965 after police searches.
Keith Bennett (12) was lured into Hindley’s van on 16 June 1964 and strangled by Brady. Despite extensive searches by police and volunteers, his remains have never been recovered from Saddleworth Moor.
Lesley Ann Downey (10) was abducted from a fun fair on 26 December 1964. She was sexually assaulted and murdered. An audio recording of her ordeal was later played in court, causing public outrage.
Edward Evans (17) was the final victim, killed at Brady’s home on 17 October 1965. His murder was witnessed by Hindley’s brother-in-law, who later alerted police.
The Moors murders involved extreme violence, sexual assault, and the deaths of children. Some details, including audio recordings of victims, were made public during the trial and remain distressing. Reader discretion is advised.
Why Were They Called the Moors Murders?
The name comes directly from the location where the bodies were buried. Saddleworth Moor is a vast, remote area of peat bog and heathland in the Pennines, straddling the boundary between Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. The isolation of the moor made it an effective hiding place for the victims’ remains.
Police searches of the moor began after Brady’s arrest in 1965 and continued for decades. The discovery of the graves became a defining image of the case — police officers digging in the bleak landscape under grey skies, searching for the bodies of missing children. As noted by Wikipedia’s Moors murders article, the case remains one of the most notorious in British criminal history precisely because of the remote and haunting location of the graves.
How Was Ian Brady Caught and Sentenced?
The killing of Edward Evans on 17 October 1965 was the crime that finally led to Brady’s capture. Hindley’s brother-in-law, David Smith, witnessed the murder and contacted the police. When officers arrived at Brady’s home, they found Evans’s body. A search of the property uncovered a suitcase containing pornographic material, photographs of victims, and a confession note.
Brady and Hindley were arrested and charged. During police interviews, Brady initially denied involvement. However, evidence quickly mounted. The trial began at Chester Assizes on 27 April 1966. Both pleaded not guilty, according to Biography.com.
On 6 May 1966, the jury returned its verdicts. Brady was found guilty of the murders of John Kilbride, Lesley Ann Downey, and Edward Evans. Hindley was found guilty of the murders of Downey and Evans, and guilty of being an accessory in the murder of Kilbride. The judge imposed life sentences: Brady received three concurrent life sentences, and Hindley received two life sentences plus seven years for harbouring Brady.
Did Ian Brady Ever Confess?
For nearly 20 years, Brady maintained his innocence regarding the murders of Pauline Reade and Keith Bennett — the two victims the couple had not been charged with in 1966. In 1985, however, Brady confessed to both murders, according to Crime+Investigation UK. The investigation was reopened, and Pauline Reade’s body was found on Saddleworth Moor on 1 July 1987.
Hindley also eventually confessed to all five murders in 1987, after years of maintaining her innocence. She stated that she had been under Brady’s influence but accepted full responsibility for her role in the crimes.
The 1966 trial came at a pivotal moment in UK legal history. The death penalty was effectively abolished in 1965, meaning Brady and Hindley received life sentences instead of execution. The case later influenced debates on whole life tariffs — sentences with no possibility of parole. Both killers died in custody.
When and How Did Ian Brady Die?
Ian Brady died on 15 May 2017 at Ashworth Hospital, a high-security psychiatric facility in Maghull, Merseyside. He was 79 years old. The cause of death was respiratory failure complicated by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other age-related illnesses.
Brady’s final years were marked by a prolonged hunger strike that began in 1999. He demanded the legal right to starve himself to death, but the High Court refused his request in March 2000, upholding the hospital’s right to force-feed him via tube. According to Biography.com, Brady was fed by tube for the remainder of his life — a period of nearly 18 years.
What Happened to Ian Brady in Prison?
Brady spent the majority of his incarceration in psychiatric detention. In 1985, he was diagnosed as a criminally insane psychopath and transferred to Ashworth Hospital under the Mental Health Act, according to Crime+Investigation UK. His mental health deteriorated during the 1970s and 1980s, with periods of depression, paranoia, and suicidal ideation.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Brady engaged in legal battles over his treatment, his demand to die, and his status as a prisoner in a psychiatric hospital. He refused to cooperate with mental health assessments and expressed contempt for the legal system and hospital staff.
Where Is Ian Brady Buried?
Following his death, there was significant public debate about where Brady should be buried. His body was eventually cremated, and the location of his ashes has not been publicly disclosed. The decision was taken to avoid the risk of his grave becoming a site of pilgrimage or vandalism.
Who Was Myra Hindley and What Was Her Role?
Myra Hindley was born on 23 July 1942 in Manchester. She met Ian Brady in 1961 when she was 19 and working as a typist. The relationship quickly became all-consuming. Hindley fell under Brady’s influence and participated actively in the murders.
Her role was not limited to that of a passive accomplice. Hindley helped lure victims, drove the van used for abductions, participated in sexual assaults, and was present during the killings. According to Crime+Investigation UK, the couple treated the murders as their “private secret” and derived pleasure from the shared experience of inflicting suffering.
What Was Their Relationship?
Criminologists have analysed the Brady-Hindley relationship as a case of folie à deux — a shared psychotic disorder. Hindley was deeply infatuated with Brady and adopted his interests, including his fascination with Nazism and violent pornography. She cut her hair and changed her appearance to please him.
After their arrest, Hindley initially claimed she had been coerced and was afraid of Brady. However, following her 1987 confession, she accepted her responsibility. She died in prison on 15 November 2002 from bronchial pneumonia, aged 60. She had served 36 years of her life sentence and had never been released.
Timeline of Ian Brady’s Life and Crimes
- 2 January 1938: Ian Brady born in Glasgow to a single mother; raised by relatives.
- 1951: First criminal convictions for burglary and minor theft.
- 1961: Meets Myra Hindley; begins a relationship.
- July 1963: First murder — Pauline Reade (16), abducted on her way to a dance.
- November 1963: Murder of John Kilbride (12), abducted from a Lancashire market.
- 16 June 1964: Murder of Keith Bennett (12), lured into a van and strangled; body never found.
- 26 December 1964: Murder of Lesley Ann Downey (10), abducted from a fun fair.
- 17 October 1965: Murder of Edward Evans (17); the crime that led to capture.
- October 1965: Police arrest Brady and Hindley.
- 27 April – 6 May 1966: Trial at Chester Assizes; both found guilty.
- 1985: Brady confesses to Reade and Bennett murders; investigation reopened.
- 1 July 1987: Pauline Reade’s body found on Saddleworth Moor.
- 1987: Hindley confesses to all five murders.
- 1985/1987: Brady diagnosed as criminally insane psychopath; transferred to Ashworth Hospital.
- October 1999: Brady begins hunger strike, demanding right to starve to death.
- March 2000: High Court refuses his demand; force-feeding continues.
- 15 November 2002: Myra Hindley dies in prison of bronchial pneumonia.
- 15 May 2017: Ian Brady dies at Ashworth Hospital aged 79.
Certainty and Uncertainty: What Is Known and What Remains Unclear
| Established Information | Information That Remains Unclear |
|---|---|
| Brady and Hindley killed five children between 1963 and 1965. | Brady claimed to have killed additional victims, but this was never proven. |
| Brady was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1966 and never released. | The exact location of Keith Bennett’s remains remains unknown despite multiple searches. |
| Brady died on 15 May 2017 at Ashworth Hospital. | Brady’s mental state at the time of crimes and his later diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia have been debated by experts. |
| The bodies of four victims were recovered from Saddleworth Moor. | Some details of the crimes, particularly the involvement of Hindley’s brother-in-law, remain contested. |
Context and Impact of the Moors Murders
The Moors murders occurred in the mid-1960s, a time when the UK was grappling with changing social norms and the recent abolition of capital punishment. The case became a symbol of pure evil in the public imagination and heavily influenced media coverage of serial crime. The trial was one of the first major British court cases to attract mass media attention, with journalists from around the world reporting from Chester.
Brady’s relationship with Hindley and the systematic nature of the murders have been analysed by criminologists as a case of folie à deux — shared psychotic disorder. His long incarceration and legal battles raised questions about life sentences and the treatment of prisoners with mental illness. The case also prompted changes in how missing children cases are handled, including better coordination between police forces and earlier public appeals.
The cultural impact has been substantial. The case inspired numerous books, films (such as “See No Evil” and “Longford”), and continues to be a reference point in UK true crime discourse. New documentaries and podcasts revisit the case regularly, and any new evidence could renew public interest. Volunteer and police teams still periodically search Saddleworth Moor for the remains of Keith Bennett, with his family still hoping for closure.
Sources and Quotes
“These were the most evil crimes of the 20th century.”
— Judge’s summing up at the 1966 trial
“I have nothing to say.”
— Ian Brady’s reported last words
“We will never give up hope of finding our son.”
— Keith Bennett’s mother
Key sources for this article include the Wikipedia entry on the Moors murders, BBC News reporting on Ian Brady’s death, Crime+Investigation UK’s Ian Brady biography, and Biography.com’s Ian Brady profile. Official trial records held by the UK National Archives and published psychiatric reports have also informed the factual basis of this article.
The Ongoing Search for Closure
Ian Brady died in 2017, and Myra Hindley died in 2002. The case remains in public consciousness, not only because of the horrific nature of the crimes but also because of the unresolved questions that persist. The most significant of these is the location of Keith Bennett’s remains. Despite multiple police searches and independent volunteer efforts on Saddleworth Moor, the 12-year-old’s body has never been recovered. His family continues to hope for a discovery that would allow them to lay him to rest.
The case also continues to be cited in legal debates on whole life tariffs and the treatment of prisoners with severe mental illness. For a deeper understanding of other notorious British criminals from the same era, readers may also be interested in the story of Ronald Kray – Biography, Wife and Death of the Kray Twin, another infamous figure whose life sentence and criminal career shaped UK crime history. The legacy of figures whose crimes transcend national borders can also be explored through the article on Hermann Göring – Life, Crimes and Suicide of the Nazi Leader.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ian Brady
Did Ian Brady confess to any other murders?
Brady hinted at additional victims but never provided verifiable evidence. Police investigations have not led to any further charges.
Why were the murders called the Moors murders?
Because the bodies of the victims were buried on Saddleworth Moor in the Pennines, England.
How long was Ian Brady in prison?
He was incarcerated for 51 years, from 1966 until his death in 2017.
What was Ian Brady’s cause of death?
He died from respiratory failure complicated by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other age-related illnesses.
Did Ian Brady ever show remorse?
Brady showed no remorse during his trial or later in life. He often expressed contempt for the legal system and refused to cooperate with mental health assessments.
How many victims did Ian Brady have?
Five confirmed victims: Pauline Reade (16), John Kilbride (12), Keith Bennett (12), Lesley Ann Downey (10), and Edward Evans (17).
Where is Keith Bennett’s body?
The exact location of Keith Bennett’s remains on Saddleworth Moor has never been found despite extensive searches by police and volunteers.
Was Ian Brady mentally ill?
Brady was diagnosed as a criminally insane psychopath in 1985 and later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, though experts have debated the accuracy of these diagnoses.
What happened to Myra Hindley?
Hindley died in prison on 15 November 2002 from bronchial pneumonia at age 60. She had served 36 years of a life sentence.
Did the Moors murders change UK law?
The case influenced debates on whole life tariffs, child protection measures, and the treatment of prisoners with mental illness. It also affected how missing children cases are coordinated by police.
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Sophie Marlowe covers culture, lifestyle and society for BritView.uk.